GEMS Al Barsha National School

GEMS Al Barsha National School is a UK curriculum school owned and managed by the famous GEMS Education Group. The school opened its doors to students in 2016. Previously, both campuses existed separately in proximity. However, in 2020, boys and girls campuses merged as one. The current establishment exists on the girls’ campus. It is in Al Barsha South – a popular sub-community in Dubai for residence and other lifestyle amenities.

The school educates students from the foundation stage to the sixth form. Students aged 3 to 18 years are found at the campus learning. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) rated the school acceptable for the latest inspection. Currently, the school has over 600 students, predominantly Emiratis. They are taught by an experienced teaching staff of 70 full-time teachers and 19 teaching assistants. Most of them are UK nationals with relevant educational experience and qualifications. The low teacher to student ratio of 1:9 makes lessons interactive as teachers can give additional attention to each student.

The school has a range of school facilities handy for academic and non-academic activities. The enrichment programme at this educational facility is impressive and covers a wide range of interests. This GEMS Al Barsha National School review by Bayut sheds light on the education, admission and fees, school facilities and other details.

Al Barsha South is a residential sub-community of the greater Al Barsha. It is one of the popular communities in Dubai because of the transport infrastructure and availability of lifestyle amenities, including schools. These amenities make it an attractive option for those living in Al Barsha and surrounding residential communities. The residential communities located close to the school are:

• Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC)
• Al Barsha 3
• Motor City
• Al Barsha 2
• Al Barsha 1

GEMS Al Barsha National School is near Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC). JVC is a family-friendly residential community developed by Nakheel. Its prime location, availability of lifestyle amenities and family-friendly environment makes it a popular area to buy and rent properties in Dubai. Here, one can find many living opportunities in apartments, villas and townhouses. Those interested in moving close to the GEMS Al Barsha National School can consider JVC, Motor City and sub-communities of Al Barsha.

• Apartments for rent near GEMS Al Barsha National School
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• Villas for rent near GEMS Al Barsha National School
• Villas for sale near GEMS Al Barsha National School

GEMS Al Barsha National School shares school facilities common in most GEMS Schools in the UAE. The comprehensive range of school amenities offers interactive and engaging teaching lessons.

Classrooms at the girls’ campus have LED Screens and interactive whiteboards to aid in teaching. The school encourages students to learn and play. For this, they have large indoor and outdoor playing spaces. For additional learning support, the campus has two outstanding libraries with a range of traditional and digital media.

Other academic facilities at the campus are specialised rooms for performing arts (Music, Dance and Drama), a performance theatre, specialised science labs, ICT labs and creative spaces. The school also has some sports facilities, including swimming pools, indoor and outdoor multi-purpose sports halls and a large football field. The campus also has a prayer area for kids to perform religious obligations.

GEMS Al Barsha National School is on Al Hadaeq Street in Al Barsha South, near Al Barsha South Lake. It is surrounded by renowned educational institutes, such as GEMS Founder School Al Barsha, Bloom School and Brighton College Dubai. Those interested in visiting the girls’ campus of this school can reach their destination through Al Khail Road and Umm Suqeim Street.

The most influential factor that attracts parents to the GEMS Al Barsha National School is its affiliation with the GEMS Education. It is one of the British curriculum GEMS Schools in Dubai offering quality education to students. GEMS Education is a renowned education group with several schools globally. Most GEMS Schools in the UAE acquire top ratings by KHDA and ADEK. As a GEMS School, it enjoys the global network of schools sharing best practices. The legacy of over 60 years resulted in strong GEMS Heritage that largely shapes the positive environment of this school.

It follows the British Curricular programme till the sixth-form stage. The National Curriculum of England is an internationally acclaimed educational programme because of its updated education and international context. The school has enriched the curriculum to add local values for students. Students sit international examinations to earn International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) certification and then A-Levels in the post-16 stage.

A team of experienced professionals teaches students. Besides their expertise in relevant subjects and children education, the low teacher to student ratio ensures that students receive individual attention and care. Another benefit of enrolling your child at this school is numerous reward programmes for parents and students. The GEMS Reward programme and GEMS Ambassador Programme facilitate parents and students throughout school life.

The following are the educational phases at Al Barsha National School Girls Campus:

The school follows the British national curriculum for its educational model. The specifics for each phase of education at this school are as follows:

Foundation Stage Curriculum

The school follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework in the foundation stage. It is a popular framework for educating young learners and introducing them to school learning. In this stage, teachers adopt informal teaching strategies based on playing activities. Students are exposed to many indoor and outdoor activities and fundamental concepts. The pillars of Foundation Stage education at Al Barsha National School for Girls are:

After FS2, students are ready to enter the next educational endeavour – primary education.

Primary Stage Curriculum

In the primary stage, the school follows more formal teaching methods based on the National Curriculum of England. The curriculum is split into two key stages: KS1 and KS2.

KS1 Curriculum

In KS1, GEMS National School for Girls ensures a smooth transition from informal to formal teaching methods. Cross-curricular links are established to teach fundamental concepts to students. Subjects taught in Year 1 and Year 2 are:

KS2 Curriculum

The school builds on the foundations laid in KS1 in the KS2 stage. The following subjects are taught in this stage:

Middle School Curriculum

Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3 is the legal term for Years 7, 8 and 9 of the middle school stage. In this stage, the school prepares students for the secondary stage by introducing some subjects in the middle school stage. The subjects are:

Secondary Curriculum

Key Stage 4

In the secondary stage, the school follows the KS4 curriculum. Here, students sit an internal examination in Year 10 and an external IGCSE examination by the Cambridge board in Year 11. The subjects available in this stage are:

High School Curriculum

Students prepare for A-Levels or international Advanced levels (iAL) in the Sixth-form stage. They study the following subjects:

Compulsory subjects are as follows:

The courses offered to students are:

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a governmental entity regulating the education sector of Dubai. Established in 2006, it improves and sustains the quality of education offered by educational institutes in Dubai. KHDA annually inspects the performance of schools every year and issues a report based on their performance. It uses a six-point scale that ranges from outstanding to very weak to measure the performance of schools. A brief explanation of the rating scale is as follows:

Before the merger, KHDA inspected the performance of the girls’ campus for the academic year 2019-2020. The school was rated acceptable. Before that, it was rated good by them.

The school has the following strengths:

• Students are well-behaved, polite and respectful to peers, adults and visitors.
• School leadership is knowledgeable with a clear vision
• Supportive governors who understand the school well
• Inclusive ethos and effective provisions for students of determination
• A rich and engaging dual-language programme

KHDA recommended the following to GEMS Al Barsha National School:

• Ensure consistently good or better teaching through all the phases of education.
• Ensure teachers use assessment information for better planning and setting higher expectations of students.
• Ensuring curriculum that supports progression for the development of skills, knowledge and understanding across key subjects.

Like most British schools in the UAE, the academic year for this school starts in August and ends in July. There are three terms in the academic year. The important dates for these terms are as follows:

• The first term of the year 2021-2022 starts in the last week of August and ends in the second week of December. The midterm break is expected in the mid of October from 17th October to 20th October. The end of term is followed by a winter break that ends in the last week of December.
• The second term starts in the first week of January and ends in the fourth week of March. The midterm break is expected in the mid of February from 13th February to 17th February. After the second term, students go on a three-week spring break that ends in the first week of April.
• The last term starts in the second week of April and ends in the first week of July. There are no mid-term breaks as the school will remain close due to Eid-Al-Fitr Holidays.

Please note that the school remains close on various religious, national and international events. The exact dates of these events are subjected to moon sightings and the government’s announcements. For more information, check out the academic calendar of GEMS Al Barsha National School.

GEMS Al Barsha National School Dubai accepts admission requests of all students irrespective of race, caste and religion. The seats are limited; therefore, the school conducts an assessment based on the entrance test and interview to offer a place.

To apply, fill the online application form with the correct information. Once submitted, check the email address mentioned by you for the confirmation email. The confirmation email has a reference number crucial for the rest of the stages. Parents are advised to save the number somewhere for future references.

Parents are required to pay the registration fee of AED 525 (inclusive of tax) and submit the following documents to proceed with the admission application:

• Copies of parents’ and candidate’s passport with valid UAE residence visa
• Two recent passport size photographs (on photographic paper are accepted)
• Copies of previous academic record (if seeking admission in Year 1 or above)
• A document stating the special educational needs required to students
• Transfer certificate (original)
• A copy of the birth certificate of the candidate
• Vaccination record
• Copies of Emirates ID of parents and candidate

Every student in the UAE requires a transfer certificate to get admission as mandated by the KHDA. The following information must be there in the transfer certificate:

• Full name of the student
• Date of entering and leaving the school
• Date of birth of the candidate
• The last grade studied in the school
• Curriculum
• Official school stamp and principal’s signature

Those coming from countries except Australia, Canada, the US, New Zealand and Europe must get their certificate attested by the:

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs (Country of the last school)
• Ministry of Education (Country of the last school)
• UAE Embassy (Country of the last school)

Please note that students applying from other educational systems may be placed in an age group lower than the chronological order, as per the KHDA instructions. The following age-grade guidelines are implemented at this school:

This is based on the age of the students on 31st August (for schools beginning in September). Source: KHDA

* This is to cater to students transferring from systems that admit students of a younger age)

Once submitted, the school contacts parents to bring their child for an assessment. Parents of successful students will be informed. They need to pay a required deposit to secure a seat for their child. Read the admission process at GEMS Al Barsha National School for more information.

The GEMS Al Barsha National School is as follows:

The tuition fee mentioned above is the discounted version of the fee structure approved by KHDA. GEMS Al Barsha National School is offering a 10% discount.

The banking details are as follows:

• Bank: Mashreq Bank
• Branch: Al Riqa Road Branch
• Account Name: GEMS AL BARSHA NATIONAL SCHOOL
• Account Number: 019000027867
• IBAN: AE520330000019000027867
• Swift: BOMLAEAD

For more information, view the fee structure of GEMS Al Barsha National School.

The school has the GEMS Scholarship programme to reward students with exceptional talent in academics, sports, innovation and digital technology, Arabic studies, creative arts and performing arts. Students get a 25% to 100% discount on their annual tuition fee. For more information, contact the school’s administration.

Al Barsha National School for Girls by GEMS Education understands the difficulty faced by students living far from the schools. Parents may find it strenuous to pick and drop their children to and from school every day because of their work commitments. Therefore, the school has arranged a transport service for its students.

They have outsourced the operations to School Transport Services (SSC) LLC. It is one of the top-notch school transport providers in the UAE with an outstanding reputation. Their buses are well-maintained and equipped with modern safety and security features, including GPS tracking and video surveillance facilities. To apply, fill the application available on the STS website or STS counter at school. Once submitted, a representative from STS will contact you for further details.

For more information, contact the school’s transportation representative.

GEMS Al Barsha National School is a day-only school and does not offer boarding facilities to students. Those living far from the school can access school transport or relocate to nearby areas from school. If you are interested in moving close to the school, read the residential communities near GEMS Al Barsha National School campus at the beginning of the guide.

The sports facilities at the campus include:

The enrichment programme is available at this school to cater to the non-academic needs of students. Most of these activities are led by teachers. However, some of them are also managed by third-party organisations. East Sports Management (ESM) carries out most third-party activities. ESM is a popular holiday camp and extra-curricular activities provider in the UAE. These activities are designed to build the skills in Arts, Drama, Music, Sports and other fields. Most extra-curricular activities are carried out after regular school timings. Additionally, the school celebrates various national and international events as extra-curricular activities. For more information, contact the school’s administration.

Students of GEMS Al Barsha National School were taken on field trips to Dubai Museum and Ferrari World.

As stated above, most extra-curricular activities are carried out after regular school timings. A range of school clubs and activities are available for girls, including the following:

Several modes of communication are available at GEMS Al Barsha National School. Parent-teacher meetings occur at different points in an academic year where teachers and parents can discuss the progress made by children. The school has a very effective partnership, as expected from the GEMS Schools in the UAE. The reliable parent-school partnership results in close communication through written feedback and an open-door policy.

GEMS 3-a-day mobile app is a source of communication that engages parents in students learning. Available for both iPhones and Android devices, parents receive practical advice from the school. The three key sections in the mobile app are:

• Activities to share
• Something to talk about
• Guidance to encourage children

All the GEMS Schools focus on building positive relationships with parents through various programmes. GEMS Reward Programme allows parents to earn points through purchases from the designated shop, stores and brands. Recently, they have revamped their services to offer more value to parents. These rewards can be used to obtain discounts on tuition fees or your favourite brands. GEMS Ambassador Programme is another programme that focuses on serving the parent communities. Parents of students studying in GEMS Schools, including boys and girls campuses of GEMS Al Barsha National School, are part of this global community that receives several benefits.

Parents and the wider community can reach the school on its official website. Their website is regularly updated with new information. Here, parents have access to parent newsletters, KHDA reports and circulars and much more. Parents of potential candidates can find information on admission, fees and education programmes. Other sources of communication at this school are social media pages and WhatsApp groups.

• Address: near Umm Sequim Street, Al Barsha South, Dubai, UAE

Telephone Number

• For general information: +971 04 5069222

Email Address

• Registrar: registrar_gns@gemsedu.com

Official Website and Social Media Pages

• Official Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram

Note that the cover image belongs to GEMS Al Barsha National School