Brighton College Dubai

Brighton College Dubai established in 2018 is an extension of the Dwight School Dubai campus. The school follows the UK curriculum and shares some facilities with the Dwight School of Dubai.

Brighton College Dubai welcomes boys and girls from FS1 to Year 10 and plans are underway to include Year 13. Committed to becoming the leading British curriculum school in the Middle East, the school is located in the popular residential community of Al Barsha South.

With strong links to Brighton College UK and its other sister schools in the UAE, Brighton College Dubai is a considerable option for those looking for British curriculum schools.

It has a branch in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain and offers a challenging learning environment while reflecting the dynamic culture of the UAE. The school does its best to foster academic excellence with many co-curricular opportunities. Brighton College Dubai Al Barsha firmly believes in the importance of confidence and kindness.

Some well-known residential communities are in proximity to the school. Closeness with Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road makes the school easily reachable for residents of the following areas.

• Arabian Ranches
• Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT)
• Motor City
• Jumeirah Village Circle

Arabian Ranches is a gated community in Dubai located towards the south of Brighton College Dubai. Motor City is also close to the school, and it is an iconic community that has grown into a coveted residential area.

Those looking to move closer to the school can consider:

• Apartments for rent near Brighton College Dubai
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Brighton College has a purpose-built, modern 10-acre campus that boasts state-of-the-art facilities. Parking space for parents and visitors is right in front of the 89,000 square metres school building.

Shared facilities include a 600-seater auditorium that’s mainly used for events. A 25-metre swimming pool, an outdoor pitch, a rugby pitch and a full-size athletic track are part of the school campus. Incorporating the latest educational technology, large and airy classrooms are designed according to different age groups. Spacious indoor and outdoor playgrounds have adequate resources and equipment.

Brighton College is situated in Al Barsha South between Hessa Street and Umm Suqeim Street. Easy access to both roads makes it an ideal option for families living in nearby areas.

Here’s a summary of the main values of Brighton College Dubai:

• Individual importance
• Making a difference
• Kindness
• Academic Excellence
• Classroom innovation

The school believes in achieving its goals by appointing excellent teachers and supporting them. Students at Brighton College Dubai also benefit from opportunities created outside the classroom. The school ensures that all students get a balanced life at school and sets high standards for them.

Every student at Brighton College Dubai is valued and encouraged to develop his/her talents. Even the smallest achievements are noticed and celebrated by the school. Academic results produced by Brighton College place it among the top 3 schools for boys and girls in England. Brighton College Dubai’s sister institute, Brighton College Abu Dhabi, was rated ‘Outstanding’ by ADEK (Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge) in 2018-2019. It also achieved the best A level and GCSE result last year in the emirate. Brighton College Al Ain has also been rated ‘outstanding’ two years ago.

The school emphasises on building the foundation of knowledge and skills set. It keeps students engaged in sports, music and performing arts. Brighton College Al Barsha strives to develop well-educated, intellectually curious young individuals that become respectful members of the society.

The FS1 in British curriculum is pre-kindergarten level, and FS2 is KG1. At this level, specialist teachers are appointed for a wide range of subjects such as French, PE, Arts and Music.

Year 1 students progress from the Early Year Foundation Stage. Children’s performance and progress are closely monitored at this level. Assessments made during this time help the teacher plan their lessons in Year 2.

Year 3 is the start of Key Stage 2 and is believed to be a transition year. From Year 4 to Year 6, teachers at Brighton College Dubai, Al Barsha South prepare students for entry into the Senior School. Senior School includes Year 7 to Year 9 and after that students appear for GCSE in Year 10 and Year 11. Year 12 and Year 13 is based on the Sixth Form (A-level) at Brighton College Dubai.

All classes are divided into following sections:

Following the British curriculum, Year 1, 2 and 3 encompasses every element of the English National Curriculum. The Early Years period covers FS1 and FS2. The curriculum for these years is enriched, effective and caring to help young children develop their cognitive, social, emotional and physical potential. Students learn through playing in these years and lessons are planned while keeping in mind the importance of activity-based learning.

Early Years and Prep School use the Read Write Inc. Phonics programme by Ruth Miskin. Three prime areas developed in the EYFS framework include:

• Physical Development
• Communication and Language
• Social and Personal Development

To facilitate teachers and foster the unique needs and interests of students, the curriculum is kept flexible while focusing on Mathematics, Literacy, Arts and Design, Arabic, Islamic and Social Studies.

Year 1 students progress from the Early Years Foundation Stage to Key Stage 1. The assessment after Foundation Stage provides a certain benchmark of children’s attainment. Year 2 students can benefit from assessments made in Year 1. Teachers can address areas where special support is needed. Also, helping children in their progress keeps them motivated to learn.

Year 4 to Year 6 students spend plenty of time in sports, music, art, design and technology and drama other than academics. This complements their academic learning as well. Students in Year 7 and Year 8 are trained to become lifelong learners; the learning methods involve both traditional and innovative methods.

GCSE and A-level both are available in Brighton College Dubai. “Story of Our Land” course is included in Year 7 and Year 8 syllabus that has a framework of UAE history. By studying it, students learn about the historical, philosophical and geographical theme over the two years. Senior school students have to study Arabic, Islamic Studies and Social Studies as compulsory subjects.

Year 9 students study compulsory subjects including Arabic, Geography, History, Math, English, French/Spanish and IT skills. They also get to choose two creative subjects from Music, Art, Design, Drama and Computing (coding).

Year 10 and Year 11 students prepare for A-Levels in the Sixth Form. Elective subjects include humanities, languages, creative, practical and expressive subjects. At Brighton College Al Barsha South, Year 12 and Year 13 (A-Level) students attempt Sixth Form as part of the UK curriculum.

Sixth Form students follow the A-Level curriculum that starts with four subjects and narrows down to three during the Lower Sixth Form year. Students can choose their subjects and seek guidance from the college leadership team. The leadership team assists students in selecting subject combinations and preparing university applications that have to be submitted during early Upper Sixth Year (Year 13).

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) inspects private schools in Dubai based on their facilities and academic results. Schools receive ratings such as Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Acceptable, Weak and Very Weak. The KHDA focuses on maintaining a high quality of education as well as the happiness and wellbeing of students and educators.

Brighton College Dubai KHDA rating for the year 2023-2024 is ‘Very Good’.

• The first term starts in the last week of August and ends in the second week of December, followed by winter vacations of 3 weeks.
• The second term commences on the first week of January and concludes in the last week of March. Students then go on a 2-week spring break.
• The third term begins in the second week of spring and ends in the first week of July. It is followed by a 2-month summer holiday.

Brighton College Dubai academic calendar is available on the school’s official website.

Students who want to be a part of Brighton College Dubai Al Barsha can use the online application form available on the official website. After filling and submitting the form, a non-refundable and non-transferable fee of AED 525 (including VAT) has to be paid at the college or through bank transfer. Once the fee has been paid, the applicant has to send a copy of the receipt to the admission department via email for tracking purposes.

Assessment is compulsory for admission at Brighton College Dubai. It can be done on the school campus or even remotely. Once an application form along with all mandatory documents is submitted, the school contacts the candidate to schedule an assessment and interview.

Non-Native English speakers have to undertake a supplementary language proficiency assessment. This assessment test determines if the applicant can adjust to the college curriculum based on the relevant academic year groups.

If an applicant is successful, Brighton College Dubai communicates the results within one week.

Following documents are required along with the application form:

• UAE residence visa
• Emirates ID Card
• Previous report card
• Medical and educational psychologist reports (if required)
• Parents’ passports
• Birth certificate
• Immunisation report
• Current photographs of student

Transfer certificate from students’ current school, signed and stamped by a school official.

Parents are also welcome to book for a school tour during the summer months. Tours are scheduled for each Sunday and Thursday at 09:00 am throughout the summer. Interested parents can contact the admission team via email or call.

Parents must ensure that their child meets the following age placement criteria by 31st August.

The fee structure for the current academic year is as follows:

The above-mentioned tuition fee does not include:

• Transportation fee
• Using laptops/tablets and computers
• Uniform
• Foodservice
• Examination fee
• Extra-curricular fee

Brighton College Dubai fees have to be paid in advance. The school is ranked among the most expensive schools in Dubai.

Brighton College Dubai has a sibling discount policy. It offers 5% discount for the second child and third child. 10% discount is offered to the fourth child while 15% discount is for the fifth child. These are only applied to the Founders Fee.

Referral discounts are offered to Brighton College families. Each Brighton College family is entitled to refer three parents and receive a 5% discount per family.

Admission fee for existing and new students is non-refundable if the student does not attend the college under the KHDA framework. Refunds are only entertained under special circumstances. If a student is leaving Dubai, the fee will be refunded after the college receives evidence of migration.

The school charges up to 10% of the student’s annual tuition fees in the account of the admission fee. To register, the candidate is required to pay first term fee balance at least one month before the beginning of the academic year. This can be done through a post-dated cheque or credit card.

Unless the first term fee is paid, a student cannot start the academic year. Payment is only accepted via cash, credit card or cheque. The cheque for Term 1 tuition fees should be cleared within 5 working days.

Students who do not pay the tuition fee are not permitted to appear in the school examination. Failure to pay the tuition fee can also result in withholding of the school reports, references or exam result. This may also result in temporary or permanent expulsion from the Brighton College Dubai.

KHDA approved fee of AED 120 applies if someone is transferring to Brighton College Dubai from another school.

Scholarships are awarded for academic excellence starting from Year 7 to Year 10. Scholarships are offered in the form of a fee reduction of up to 50%. At the time of admission, students take scholarships papers in English, Mathematics and an elective subject of their choosing. The Headmaster and subject specialist also interview at the time of admission.

Interested candidates should book a space on Scholarship Assessment Day or an alternate day suitable for the candidate.

Brighton College Dubai provides healthy, delicious and balanced meals at the campus by working with Food Nation. Food Nation uses high-quality ingredients and prepares fresh food for students each day. No artificial colours, sweeteners, flavours and additives are used in the food.

Chef Magnus Mumby runs Food Nation with over 30 years of experience of working in food allergy clinics and high-end Michelin star restaurants.

AED 22 is charged per day and the menu changes daily while following a two-week cycle. The school offers a variety of beverages, snacks, sandwiches and salads – these are charged separately.

Breakfast is also served every day between 7:30 am to 8:00 am with various cereal options, toast and spreads for AED 10 per day.

Students can buy a meal using their student’s ID card or wristband. Parents can use Food Nation’s online payment platform and mobile app to top up their child’s account online and set a daily spending allowance. The app also sends auto-reminders when the balance is low and parents can also check their child’s food choices using the app.

Brighton College Dubai works with Schools Transport Services (STS) that is known to provide a safe and reliable bus service. The bus fleet is RTA-approved; each bus gets a trained and qualified driver and a female bus attendant. To ensure the security and well-being of students, all the buses have a Video Surveillance System, GPS and a panic button. RFID technology is used to monitor each child’s journey.

Unlike other school bus services, Brighton College Dubai offers a door-to-door pick-up/drop-off service. Brighton College Dubai Al Barsha South works with STS to determine the most streamlined routes and minimise the journey time.

Bus seats have to be booked in advance on a termly basis. Full payment has to be made whether a child uses the service every day or fewer days in a month. No refund is made if a student stops using the bus service.

Parents can use the STS App that has the following features:

• It gives the accurate location of pickup/drop off with date and time.
• Sends SMS alert in any kind of emergency
• Parents can send information if they want to pick up or drop off their child. They can inform the bus service about their child’ absence using the app.
• Parents can also pay the fee through the STS app.
• Parents can also monitor more than one child from the app.

To use the bus service, interested students can fill an enrolment form and send it directly to the person of contact. Parents can email at ignatius.fialho@stss.ae or call +971-54-792-8139.

The school partners with Infinite Sports to offer holiday camps. These camps include a range of sports activities and are supervised by qualified coaches.

Brighton College Dubai encourages students to be passionate about sports and offers sports packed timetable throughout the academic year.

Students represent their Houses and the college in football, netball, rugby, cricket, swimming, tennis, dance and gymnastics. Houses are led by a Housemaster or Housemistress. Each house is responsible to develop its ethos and spirit. The school campus has fully equipped sports hall, an outdoor pitch, a 25-metre swimming pool, a full-size athletic track and a full-size rugby pitch.

Brighton College Dubai schedules a wide range of co-curricular activities for students and enables them to pursue their interests. They are also encouraged to develop new ones. These activities take place after the scheduled lessons.

Themed learning days are planned to enrich the curriculum. Maths Challenge Week, Book Week and Sports Day serve as opportunities for students at the college. Different clubs and societies create a positive impact. Houses of the college are involved in a wide range of events and activities including singing, swimming, entrepreneurship and Tug-of-War.

Education at Brighton Dubai goes beyond the school boundaries as it arranges a variety of trips and activities for students. Recent trips include visits to Dubai Garden Centre, Chocolate Factory and Al Farooq Centre.

Brighton College Dubai offers after-school activities for students. For Early Years students, there is a sibling club that they can attend while their older siblings finish school at 3:40 pm.

Brighton College Dubai is affiliated with King’s College Hospital London medical centre, bringing British’s evidence-based healthcare to students and families.

A full-time King Hospital’s nurse and part-time family medicine consultant work as the first point of call to make sure students get exceptional primary care. The school clinic also organises regular health awareness workshops and screenings for students and their families.

Brighton College Dubai has built a strong relationship with parents since Day One. The Friends of Brighton College (FOBC) is a parent association established in 2019. This association plays an active role in strengthening the social connection between the parents, students, staff and other community members.

An elected group of parents are part of The FOBS committee and it is supported by a group of community volunteers. Parents are kept well-informed about scheduled events and volunteering opportunities through school newsletters and class representatives.

• Contact Number:
  • General enquiries: +971-4-387-1111
  • Admission Enquiries: 800-274448
• Email address:
  • Reception: reception@brightoncollegedubai.ae
  • Admission: admissions@brightoncollegedubai.ae
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