Horizon Private School

The Horizon Private School Branch (HPS-Br.) was founded in 2008 in Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi. This co-educational school offers the American curriculum from KG1 to Grade 12. The school prides itself on being a forward-thinking and innovative school providing students with a good range of extracurricular activities. The school has close to 2000 students. The majority of students at the school are Emiratis, however, collectively the student population represents over 47 nationalities. There are 134 teachers and 22 teaching assistants.

This guide by Bayut helps you discover more about the education and facilities of Horizon Private School Branch, Abu Dhabi and why HPS-Br is one of the best schools in Khalifa City A.

The school is in Khalifa City A that has numerous options of apartments and villas for rent. The Liwa Oasis Compound within Khalifa City A is a residential complex suitable for parents looking for homes close to the school. Neighbouring residential areas include:

• Masdar City
• Al Raha Gardens
• Khalifa City B

Masdar City is a mixed-use area designed as a sustainable urban community. It will eventually be home to 50,000 residents and 1,500 commercial projects.

Khalifa City or more popularly known as Shakbout City is on Abu Dhabi outskirts. It is a quiet area with mostly villas.

Al Raha Gardens is a popular Abu Dhabi residential community boasting townhouses, villas and aparments.

Interested parents looking to rent or buy property close to the school can check the following options:

• Villas for rent near Horizon Private School Branch
• Villas for sale near Horizon Private School Branch
• Apartments for rent near Horizon Private School Branch

The campus is modern, clean, well-built and hosts a range of facilities.  The average class size is 25 students. Other facilities at school include two music rooms, a chemistry lab, a physics lab, a biology lab, and two libraries. HPS-Br also has a football field, three kindergarten playgrounds, an indoor swimming pool, indoor basketball court, indoor kindergarten gym, and a multipurpose hall.

The school is in Khalifa City A on Abu Dhabi outskirts, close to the newer residential areas such as Shakhbout City and Al Raha Beach and to Abu Dhabi airport.

This all-inclusive school provides affordable world-class education from KG1 to Grade 12. It focuses its efforts on the real needs of students and provides them a happy and thriving school. The school believes in developing students to be the ‘best version of themselves’.

The school offers a broad and balanced American curriculum adapted to also reflect the history and traditions of the UAE. Three different languages- English, Arabic and French are introduced from KG1. The school offers a structured and purposeful framework and a wide range of elective courses and a long list of advanced courses for students in Grade 10 to 12.

A wide range of co-curricular activities are also included in the curriculum so that students get a chance to pursue their interests early on.

A range of top-notch facilities promote the holistic development of each child. Horizon being a community school gives students a chance to develop their personalities at the same time making them ambitious, lifelong learners and distinguished global learners.

Horizon Private School Abu Dhabi is an all-through inclusive with classes from KG 1 to Grade 12.

HPS-Br has American Curriculum with Common Core State Standards. The curriculum is adapted so that the interest of each child is catered to in a nurturing environment.

Kindergarten

HPS-Br provides a warm and inspiring environment that promotes the curiosity of young learners. The curriculum offers an inquiry-based learning approach rather than learning based on dry facts. The school ensures that students at this stage are given the required personal care and attention. Students develop an understanding of the Emirati culture through ‘My Identity Program’ – a cross-curricular integration of the learning.

Elementary School

At this stage, HPS-Br balances education between academics, social and personal interests. Students learn to sing in a choir, speak and write three languages, play a variety of sports, conduct their own experiments in the laboratories, dance, origami and sign language.

Middle School

HPS-Br students continue learning from elementary school. However, a wider range of subjects come along at this stage. The subjects range from sciences, social sciences through to arts and languages. The school works in close partnership with the parents to bring the best in their child, rewarding their progress with a variety of awards, prizes and initiatives. HPS-Br emphasises on developing individuality in students alongside a sense of community and encouraging them to constantly think out of the box.

High School

HPS-Br offers students a balanced combination of challenge and support with the aim of preparing them for their future education. In high school, students have to take their SAT and IELTS/TOEFL examinations. Grade 10 students have to take their PSAT examinations. The school has a 100% success rate in Arabic and Islamic Ministry exams, SAT, TOEFL, and IELTS. Students take an Advanced Placement (AP) course. This course is optional and based on the students’ academic ability and it is run by the College Board. AP prepares students with the academic skills they need in college while providing more time to concentrate on the subjects that interest them. The school is also a recognised AP test centre.

The AP courses that have been offered so far are:

• Biology
• Calculus AB
• Chemistry
• Computer Science A
• English Language and Composition
• Human Geography
• Physics 1: Algebra-Based
• Physics 2: Algebra-Based
• Physics C: Electricity and Magnetism
• Physics C: Mechanics
• Statistics
• World History

HPS-Br has guidance counsellors who help students to make informed decisions about colleges and career options. They also assist students with their application process, meeting with college requirements, personal statements, college entrance essays and registering them for standardised tests.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is responsible for licensing and monitoring schools. Through the Irtiqaa Programme, ADEK carries out periodic evaluations of all schools based on these six basic criterion:

• Quality of students’ achievement
• Quality of personal and social development as well as innovation skills of the students
• Quality of teaching and assessment
• Quality of curriculum
• Quality of student safety and wellbeing, as well as the guidance and support provided to them.6. Quality of school leadership and management

International evaluators use a scale comprising six quality levels, as shown in the table below:

As per the ADEK reports, the school has been rated ‘Very Good’ for its overall performance and has made vast improvements since its last inspection. HPS-Br has stable staffing and the student numbers have grown significantly since 2008. There is very good teaching across all years in school. Students have displayed very good results at the end of grade 12, resulting in placements in good universities.

Horizon Private School Khalifa City offers an American curriculum that is adapted well to also include the needs of students. The school has been successful in imparting respect to the UAE culture and appreciation of the role of Islam in UAE.

The facilities at school are top-notch and offer a safe and healthy environment for their students. The ADEK has clearly commented on the school leadership and it’s effective self-evaluation methods.

The following are the recommendations made by ADEK:

• The school needs to improve its provisions for gifted and talented students.
• The students learning through the use of technology needs to be improved upon.
• Efforts need to be made in offering Arabic as a first language and thus increasing student outcomes.

The academic year at Horizon Private School in Abu Dhabi starts in August and ends in July.

• The first term starts in the last week of July and ends in the second week of December, followed by a 3-week winter vacation.
• The second term begins in the first week of January and ends in the last week of March. It is followed by a 2-week spring break.
• The third term starts in the second week of April and concludes in the first week of July. Students then go on summer holidays for 2 months.

The admission process can be summarised in the following steps:

• Parents can download the application form directly from the school webpage or collect the application form from the school office.
• Parents have to complete the application form and submit it either directly at the office or scan and email it to the school.
• The following documents should be attached with the application form:
  • 6 passport photos of the applicant
  • Copies of the student’s and the guardian’s Emirates ID
  • A copy of the UAE family book for Emirati students only
  • A copy of the student’s vaccination record
  • A copy of each of the student’s and the guardian’s passports
  • A copy of each of the student’s and the guardian’s residency visas (for non-UAE nationals)
  • A copy of the birth certificate
  • A copy of water and electricity bills showing the student’s exact address
  • The last school’s report card (where the student is currently registered) and a transfer certificate
• Parents then get a finalised date for an interview (KG1-KG2) or for entrance exams in English, Math, and Arabic (Grades 1-12).
• The school then takes decision based on student’s results in the interview/entrance exams, the previous school’s report card and staff’s observations.
• Upon selection of the candidate, parents are informed within three working days. They must visit the school to complete the registration.

However, before initiating the admission process, parents must ensure that their child follows this age placement criteria.

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

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

Horizon Private School fees are as follows:

HPS-Br has partnered with the University of Balamand Dubai (UOBD) – a prestigious university in Dubai Investments Park (DIP) managed by the University of Balamand-UOB Lebanon.  The school has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with UOBD that includes offering several scholarships for distinguished students and mutual academic activities.

HPS-Br places a strong emphasis on healthy living and safety. Every morning students have to do exercise and routine discussions are conducted on healthy food and balanced eating. The school has a canteen that offers healthy snacks. Students can also bring packed lunches from home. However, the school strictly advocates a no junk food policy and prohibits bringing any sugary food to school.

Students can avail school transportation service. All the school buses adhere with the rules and regulations of the Department of Transport for safety. Parents have to inform the school and the bus driver if their child is not taking the bus on a specific day.  The school does not promote using any other buses.

The school buses leave school not later than 03:15 pm at the end of the day. Students who miss the bus will have to inform their parents and be picked by them. Any mis-behaviour on the bus can result in them being denied access to school transportation. The annual two-way transportation fees is AED 4,500.

The school facilitates regular holiday camps during the summer, winter and spring break. The camps offered include a French camp through Alliance Française for students in KG1 and KG2. It is a four week camp that teaches students French in a fun and educational way through a range of activities including theatre, art and crafts, Olympic athletes, movie stars, language, and little Picassos.

Another camp held at HPS-Br includes the ‘Challenging Summer Sports Camp’ open for the whole community. During this 8 week camp, students from KG1 to Grade 8 participate in a range of sports activities that include swimming, football, basketball, gymnastics, and martial arts.

The school’s sports facilities include a football field, three kindergarten playgrounds, an indoor swimming pool, indoor basketball court, indoor kindergarten gym, and a multipurpose hall.

The school provides a wide range of extracurricular activities starting from Grade 1 to Grade 12. These activities are offered once a week during curriculum hours. Students can choose which activities they would like to attend per term. This is the list of activities:

The school conducts local and international field trips for their students as part of their learning. These field trips incur additional charges and have to be paid in advance. Some of the local trips in the recent past include Emirates Park Zoo, Bahiya Public Library, Desert Safari-Al Ain, Warner Brothers, and Fun Works. The international trips include Singapore and Indonesia in USA in 2018, France and Italy in 2018 and London in 2019.

The only after-school care at school is in the form of the after school activities held regularly by external providers. These are the after school activities:

• Football
• Martial Arts
• Swimming
• Basketball
• Ballet and Dance classes
• Robotics
• French with Alliance Française

The school has a small clinic that serves as a facility to treat sick children and provide immunisation and medicines. The school clinic is managed by a qualified school nurse. The school also maintains immunisation and medical forms that parents have to submit at the time of enrolment.

The school understands the importance of communication with parents. Therefore, it ensures that they regularly communicate with parents. For this purpose, they have introduced several modes of communication.

The school website is the number one channel of communication. Important notices and upcoming events and pictures are all available on the school website.

The school is always open to listen to parents and can be contacted directly through phone or email during the day. Alternatively, parents can schedule a meeting with teachers or section coordinators if they need to discuss any issue or concern.

Parents receive progress reports on a regular basis so that they can reflect on their child’s performance at school. These progress reports need to be acknowledged by parents and sent back.  Other communication modes include the school management system- an online portal for parents accessible through a username and password. This portal displays students’ marks, diary, study guides and weekly test schedules.

• Telephone Number: +971-2-556-0811
• Email: info@hpsbranch.com
• Horizon Private School Abu Dhabi Website
• Horizon Private School Abu Dhabi Facebook
• Horizon Private School Abu Dhabi Instagram

Note that the cover image belongs to Horizon Private School Branch.