Jumeirah English Speaking School, Arabian Ranches

Established in 1975, Jumeirah English Speaking School Al Safa originally offered only primary education. However, due to its outstanding performance and the constant demand for secondary and higher levels, the school expanded by opening another branch in 2005. This new branch, located in Arabian Ranches, offers comprehensive education from primary through Sixth Form, following the National Curriculum of England for children aged 3 to 18 years old. However, starting in Year 12, students have the freedom to choose between the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) and the BTEC pathway as part of the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP).

JESS, Dubai is a co-educational, non-profit school with most students and teachers being British. Currently, Jumeirah English Speaking School’s KHDA rating is outstanding. The school has been named among the best primary schools in Dubai.

Jumeirah English Speaking School Arabian Ranches is close to the following family-friendly communities.

• The Sustainable City
• Mudon
• Dubai Motor City
• Dubai Sports City
• DAMAC Hills

The nearest community is Motor City. The picturesque neighbourhood with cobbled pathways features elegant residential properties. The community is also home to the region’s first fully-integrated motorsports facility – Dubai Autodrome.

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The purpose-built JESS Arabian Ranches campus is spread over nine acres. It has an outstanding range of facilities that fully support the curriculum.

• Music centre with digital recording studios
• Auditorium with 500 seats
• Dance and drama studios
• The Sixth Form Centre
• Science and ICT labs
• Lecture theatre
• Sports hall

The school continuously strives to provide enhanced exposure to students. In line with this aim, this branch opened a Sixth Form Centre in 2014 with a common room, a study hall, a kitchen-dining area, a PE/dance studio, seminar rooms, an examination hall, an auditorium and a locker room.

There is a 25-metre, 9-lane shaded swimming pool and a 10m x 15m temperature-controlled swimming pool for beginners. You will find an outdoor play area with three netball and tennis courts. The outdoor facilities also include a large grassed sports field where students can play rugby and football.

As for indoor facilities, JESS, Arabian Ranches has a 1,000 sq.m. sports hall. Here, students can play netball, basketball, badminton, volleyball, trampolining and gymnastics. Across the hall is a well-equipped and state-of-the-art gymnasium. The Physical Education hall serves as a venue for dance classes.

Jumeirah English Speaking School is located in Arabian Ranches, near Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.

Jumeirah English Speaking School Dubai is a humble entity that holds onto its core values despite a futuristic vision. These core values help the school takes to ensure education and well-rounded student development. These values include:

• Commitment
• Respect
• Excellence
• Care
• Integrity
• Curiosity

Technology is at the heart of Jumeirah English Speaking School. In 2017, JESS Dubai became the Microsoft Showcase School by providing Microsoft Office services to students for learning. Most of its staff, as a result, became Microsoft Innovative Educator Experts (MIEEs).

As a not-for-profit school, JESS reinvests all funds into enhancing educational quality. Accredited by multiple independent organizations, JESS consistently earns outstanding ratings from the Dubai Schools' Inspection Bureau (DSIB) and British Schools Overseas (BSO). The school's University Guidance Team excels in helping Sixth Form students with university and course selection, ensuring they are well-prepared for higher education. JESS students consistently surpass UAE National Agenda targets in PISA, TIMSS and PIRLS testing and the school excels in GL Cognitive Aptitude Testing (CATs) and GL Progress Testing in English, Mathematics and Science. Additionally, the bespoke Al Ajyaal (Future Leaders) Programme supports Emirati students in preparing for significant societal roles.

JESS, Arabian Ranches follows the British curriculum and is divided into primary and secondary levels. Years offered include Foundation Stages until the Sixth Form.

At Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS), the curriculum is designed to provide a comprehensive and enriching educational experience for students aged 3 to 18 years. 

FOUNDATION STAGE CURRICULUM

The primary school starts with the Foundation Stage based on the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. JESS EYFS curriculum is designed in a way to allows for children-initiated activities. The curriculum focuses on seven key areas outlined in the EYFS framework: 

• Personal, Social and Emotional Development
• Communication and Language
• Physical Development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Designs

Additionally, the curriculum is enriched with specialist teaching in Physical Education, Music, Information Technology and Library studies.

Primary Curriculum

The primary stage consists of Key Stage 1 and 2 i.e. Year 1 to Year 6. Subjects at the primary level are listed below:

Secondary Curriculum

The secondary stage at JESS Arabian Ranches includes Key Stages 3 and 4 i.e. Years 7 to 11. 

In Key Stage 3, students engage with a diverse curriculum that encompasses core subjects such as Mathematics, Science and Languages, alongside enriching courses in Physical Education, Performing and Visual Arts, Digital Skills, Humanities and Modern Foreign Languages like French and Spanish. Additionally, Personal and Social Education is integral to their learning journey during these formative years.

As students progress to Key Stage 4, they continue to build upon their core subjects while exploring a broader range of elective subjects tailored to their interests and career aspirations. Personal and Social Education remains a fundamental component at this level too. Key Stage 4 focuses extensively on preparing students for their GCSE and IGCSE examinations, ensuring they are well-prepared to achieve success in their academic endeavours.

Sixth Form

In Key Stage 5, JESS follows the internationally accredited Sixth Form curriculum, including Years 12 and 13. The sixth form incorporates a holistic approach to education.

Students at JESS have the opportunity to pursue one of three distinct pathways. They may opt for the rigorous International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme or the IB Diploma Courses, offering a comprehensive selection of subjects across various disciplines. Alternatively, students can choose the BTEC International Level 3 Extended Diploma, specializing in areas such as Art and Design, Business, or Sport. These pathways empower students to tailor their education to suit their strengths, interests and future goals.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) rates schools based on a six-point scale. The ratings range from ‘Outstanding’ to ‘Very Weak.’

The current KHDA rating for JESS school, Arabian Ranches, is ‘Outstanding.’ The table below shows the school’s performance over the last decade.

The 10-month long Jumeirah English Speaking School academic calendar has three terms.

• The first term starts in the last week of August and ends in the second week of December, followed by a three-week winter break.
• After the winter break, the second term starts in the first week of January and ends in the last week of March, followed by a two-week spring break.
• The third term starts in the second week of April and ends in the first week of July.

However, parents need to note that these are tentative dates. The exact dates can vary because of national and Islamic holidays (subject to moon sighting).

Those seeking admission need to find out whether openings are for the desired year. Second, parents need to know more about the debenture system, which we will explain later.

If there are openings in the years you are interested in, then the JESS school advises you to submit the online application form. After submission, JESS Dubai will contact you within five working days.

Entry Criteria

Parents can review the entrance criteria for JESS before proceeding with other formalities.

• Children should be fluent in English to understand the curriculum quickly.
• If your child is not a native English speaker or is multilingual, parents can learn more about English as an additional language policy.
• JESS encourages students of determination to apply.
• The school starts in September and ends in July. Hence progression between year groups happens only in September.

For further details, please visit the entry criteria page.

Debenture

Since Jumeirah English Speaking School is a non-profit entity, the admissions are secured and supported through the debenture system. The school offers two types of debentures – personal and corporate.

Corporate Debentures

Corporate debentures were introduced as goodwill for organisations that supported the school with the building construction. Corporate debentures assigned to the companies enable their employees to send their kids to JESS Jumeirah and JESS Arabian Ranches. Applicants with corporate debentures are given priority on the waiting list. They can even apply to JESS after the waiting list is closed.

Personal Debentures

Personal debenture holders are not given priority on the waiting list. After applying, the applicant is placed on the waiting list and offered a place when available. Parents are strongly advised to purchase personal debentures within one month of the offer being made or before the start of school. Please note that personal debenture remains with the child until they leave the school.

Also, personal debentures amount to AED 20,000 and are refundable.

Jumeirah English Speaking School, Arabian Ranches fee structure for the current year is as follows.

Parents can pay Jumeirah English Speaking School fees through cash, cheque or bank transfer. Parents can browse the school website for JESS bank account details.

JESS school has a canteen facility known as ‘JESS Diner.’ All meals and beverages are made with wholesome, healthy and nutritious ingredients. The JESS Diner has a cashless policy; parents can top-up their child’s Diner Card in advance.

JESS, Arabian Ranches provides transportation to students of the secondary section. All school buses are well-maintained and equipped with digital technologies that ensure a safe and sound commute. To avail of this service, parents must fill out an online application form that requires the current home address of the child.

For further queries and details, you can contact Wendy Brownlee, the JESS school bus coordinator, at wbrownlee@jess.sch.ae.

Holiday camps are conducted occasionally, but JESS, Arabian Ranches has outsourced them to external providers. They inform parents about these camps at least 2 weeks in advance.

At Jumeirah English Speaking School, sports are a significant part of students’ lives and accommodate their passion and interests. The school provides top-notch sports facilities.

JESS, Arabian Ranches campus has two swimming pools for experts, intermediates and beginners. Secondary students who are experts in swimming can use the 25m long, shaded and temperature-controlled nine-lane swimming pool. The swimming facility has changing areas and a seating arrangement. The other 15m x 10m temperature-controlled swimming pool is for beginners. Both pools have lifeguards to assist students.

There is a large grassed area for outdoor facilities where students can play rugby, football and cricket. There are two football training grounds, a cricket pitch and a play area for secondary students. There is a large court for students to play and practice netball and tennis.

The indoor double sports hall is spread over 1,000 sq. m. and is centrally air-conditioned. Students often play badminton, basketball and volleyball. Also, students can practise gymnastics and trampoline. Right opposite is an ultra-modern gymnasium.

JESS school in Arabian Ranches has many extra-curricular activities to ensure the well-rounded grooming of students.

Primary Clubs

Primary clubs at JESS Arabian Ranches are a means to educate young children. Besides allowing kids to pursue their interests, these clubs help develop interpersonal and social skills while boosting self-confidence. Primary clubs mainly involve sports, music and creative arts and are offered to students from Year 2 onward.

Secondary Clubs

With the belief that education goes beyond conventional class learning, JESS school has designed secondary clubs for students in Year 7 onwards. Children can participate in secondary clubs during before-school, lunchtime and after-school periods.

The most common activities to take part in at these clubs include swimming, running and drama. Some unique activities involve Tibetan Bowls, indoor bouldering and Warhammer.

For a cultural experience, secondary students are taken on numerous international trips each year. So far, students have visited Switzerland, the USA, Vietnam, Japan, Thailand, Nepal, Sri Lanka, Italy, Germany, Spain and France.  Besides this, over 40 residential trips are arranged for secondary students each year.

Primary students are offered around 35 trips each year, primarily one-day trips with overnight camps for students from Years 4, 5 and 6.

Contact the school administration for information regarding after-school care at JESS.

In case of a medical emergency, the school can fully handle the situation with the help of the school's medical staff. Likewise, external medical emergency support is readily available to the school. Parents are advised to provide their latest and correct contact details so the school can contact them in an emergency.

JESS Parents Group (JPG) at JESS, Arabian Ranches was initiated in 2006. It is more like an online community for parents to become active and productive school members. Thus, with the increasing number of parents on board, the school now organises large-scale events that generate funds to buy extra resources for the school, contribute to a charity and plan small school events.

Apart from this group, parents always have access to the JESS Arabian Ranches parent portal. Here, you can log in to view your child’s performance, attendance and upcoming school events. Lastly, parents can request class teachers and staff members to join the grade-specific WhatsApp group for instant notification about new happenings at the school.

• Phone Number: +971-4-361-9019
• Email:
  • General Enquiries: jess@jess.sch.ae
  • Admission Enquiries: admissions@jess.sch.ae

GENERAL INFORMATION

• JESS Dubai Website
• JESS Dubai Instagram
• JESS YouTube
• JESS Flickr

DOES THE SCHOOL CONDUCT AFTER-SCHOOL ACTIVITIES?

Yes, the school conducts after-school activities.

HOW MANY GRADES/YEARS ARE THERE IN THE SCHOOL?

Jumeirah English Speaking School, Arabian Ranches offers classes from FS1 to Year 13.

DOES THE SCHOOL FOLLOW A CO-EDUCATION MODEL?

Yes, Jumeirah English Speaking School, Arabian Ranches has a co-education model.

WHAT IS THE ACADEMIC CALENDAR OF THE SCHOOL?

The school year starts in August and ends in June.  

WHAT ARE THE TUITION FEES CHARGED BY JUMEIRAH COLLEGE?

The tuition fee of Jumeirah English Speaking School, Arabian Ranches ranges from AED 44,340 to AED 96,669. 

DOES THE SCHOOL HAVE A CAFETERIA OR A CANTEEN ON CAMPUS?

Yes, the school has a canteen called JESS Diner.   

HOW OFTEN DOES THE SCHOOL ARRANGE FIELD TRIPS?

Students enjoy age-appropriate field trips throughout the year.

Note that the cover image belongs to Jumeirah English Speaking School, Arabian Ranches.