Oaktree Primary School, Al Quoz

Founded in 2016, Oaktree Primary School is owned by Athena Education. Located in Al Quoz, the school is built on the former location of German International School. Striving to be one of the best primary schools in Dubai, Oaktree Primary School offers the National Curriculum of England from Foundation Stage until Year 6.

Oaktree School started its journey with the Founding Head, Christopher McDermott who has a proven record of leading one of the KHDA outstanding-rated schools – GEMS Jumeirah Primary School for three years. However, the acting principal is Catherine O’Farrell.

At the moment, Oaktree Primary School, Dubai has around 214 students and 28 students with SEND requirements. The school has 27 teachers and 15 teaching assistants making the teacher to student ratio 1:8. Overall, most students are Arabs and most teachers are British.

Oaktree Primary School, Al Quoz went through its first inspection in 2018 – 2019 and received an ‘Acceptable’ KHDA rating.

Also, it is one of the top 10 schools in Al Quoz.

• Location: Al Quoz
• School fees: AED 15,000 - AED 25,000
• Curriculum: British
• Co-ed or segregate: Co-ed
• KHDA rating: Acceptable
• Years offered: FS 1 - Year 6

Oaktree Primary School is surrounded by family-friendly communities such as:

• Umm Suqeim
• Al Safa
• Business Bay
• Jumeirah

An 8-minute drive from the school, the nearest neighbourhood is Business Bay. Being a trendy residential and commercial hub, the area is most popular among investors looking for lucrative investments.

Families willing to settle in the same neighbourhood as the school can browse the following options.

• Apartments for rent near Oaktree Primary School
• Villas for rent near Oaktree Primary School
• Apartments for sale near Oaktree Primary School

After German International School moved out, Oaktree renovated the building from scratch to suit the preferences of primary kids. Top-tiered facilities are provided to students. The inside of the school is spacious.

One of the most prominent features of Oaktree is its reception with a small counter-top that sometimes comes in handy to serve coffee to parents and families. The landscaped ground represents a mini oasis with greenery and natural seating for children to explore and engage. If the weather allows, teachers can take classes outside so that children can experience enhanced learning.

There is an on-site cafeteria that provides delicious yet healthy food for kids. There are two libraries – one for the Foundation section and one for the primary section. There is a sensory room for students of determination.

Also, you will find a well-equipped sensory garden for children to take part in reading, painting, studying plants and measuring angles. Besides this, one can find rooms for music, drama and art, science and technology labs, a swimming pool, a football pitch and a separate playground for FS students.

Located on Al Asayel Street, Oaktree Primary School is situated in Al Quoz 4 near Al Khail Mall.

Although the school started operations recently, parents send their kids to Oaktree Primary School, Al Quoz 4, for plenty of reasons.

Since its inception, Oaktree School, Dubai has been fortunate to have a series of competitive and distinguished heads and principals. From Christopher McDermott to Amy Milne who has experience of managing the Foundation Stage section at Horizon International School, another school with Good rating from the KHDA, the school’s faculty is highly qualified.

Moreover, the school provides advanced French lessons to students having French as their first language rather than teaching them French as an additional language with remaining students. Foundation Stage classrooms are capped at 20 students, while Key Stage and Key Stage 2 classes are capped at 22 students so children can receive quality attention.

Also, Oaktree Primary School, Al Quoz has top-notch facilities to help students perform exceptionally well in academics. Parents will be pleased to know that the school engages children in community events to inculcate the responsibility and accountability in them that is required of a future global citizen.

Oaktree Primary School, Dubai follows the British Curriculum from Foundation Stage until Key Stage 2.

Oaktree Primary school follows the UK National Curriculum alongside the UAE Ministry of Education (MOE) Curriculum for subjects like Social Studies, Arabic Studies and Islamic Education.

There are four major skills that the school strives to instil in students:

• Communication and Collaboration
• Critical Thinking
• Problem Solving
• Resilience and Perseverance

Foundation Years

The Foundation Years section has a separate building so that high-level attention can be provided to children. The curriculum at this stage ensures that students transition to primary years with confidence and love for learning.

Use of phonetics in songs and rhymes assist students in actually pronouncing the word. Furthermore, play-based and child-initiated activities are pursued so that kids get more leverage to explore on their own. Additionally, Foundation Years children are taught writing by practising letters on sand.

Key Stage 1

Oaktree Primary School curriculum during Years 1 and 2 is more focused on teaching children the basics of English and Maths. Not only do they develop reading habits but improve writing and numeracy skills. Besides, physical education is enforced so that students understand what habits keep them healthy and productive.

Other subjects are also aligned to allow children to reach their highest potential. To further challenge them, Oaktree School, Al Quoz 4 encourages students to work in pairs and groups to learn partnership and team building.

Frequent field trips are planned so that kids can support their classroom learning with real-life experiences.

Key Stage 2

From Year 3 to 6, special attention is paid to core skills such as reading, writing and maths. Students are encouraged to engage in research and enquiry and become effective learners. French is introduced as a third language from Year 3 along with PE and Arabic.

At this stage, students are highly involved in extracurricular activities to develop into well-rounded individuals who can contribute to the wider community. Also, by the end of Year 6, students gain confidence and the skills required to ace secondary school.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a government body that assists and evaluates private schools in Dubai. It publishes annual reports where all private schools are rated on their overall performance. The rating is based on a six-point scale.

Oaktree Primary School KHDA rating has been ‘Acceptable.’ The published report discusses the strong and weak points of the school.

The base provided by the Foundation Stage in Oaktree ensures that the transition to the primary level is smooth. Also, it has been observed that students show positive attitudes and behaviour and portray a keen interest in the heritage and culture of the UAE.

A friendly bond has sprung between teachers and students that enables the building of a calm and harmonious environment. Last, Oaktree School, Dubai, takes extra precautions regarding its students' health and safety.

However, there are areas where the school needs to give urgent attention including raising overall attainment by students at all levels and improving their learning skills by producing opportunities within and outside of class.

Additionally, support and resources provided to students of determination can be upgraded to increase their level of attainment.

The 10-month long Oaktree Primary School’s academic calendar is divided into three terms.

Oaktree Primary School’s admission process is inclusive where admissions are granted purely on merit. To start the registration process, they require you to fill an online application form for both new students and existing students.

The school requires you to provide a few mandatory documents at the time of admission. Once the registration form is filled and documents are submitted, parents will be notified of the day and date for age-appropriate assessment of students. After assessments, the school will notify if the applicant is offered a place or not within a few days.

Since the school website does not mention the admission process, we are unable to provide a detailed account of how to enrol your child in the school.

Withdrawal

Oaktree Primary School, Dubai requires parents to observe at least a 30-day notice period before withdrawing the student from the school. This notification period allows the school to prepare all necessary documents, including the Transfer Certificate.

Also, please refer to the following age requirements before initiating the admissions process.

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: KHDA

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

The current fee structure of Oaktree Primary School is competitive and approved by the KHDA.

Also, the school will charge:

• Existing Parent Enrolment fee of AED 750
• Transport: AED 5,500 - AED 8,000
• Uniform: AED 100 - AED 300
• Books: AED 1,150
• Stationary: AED 200

Discounts

The school also offers a few discounts. These include:

• 3 to 5% sibling discount on the second and third child, respectively.
• 4% discount on full payment of tuition fee before the cut-off date i.e. 31st July of the current year.
• 3% discount on full payment of tuition fee before 31st August of the current year.
• 3% welcome discount for new admission in KG 1/KG 2 or Pre-KG admission (Rollover in KG2 is not eligible).
• Military/Police and Medical personnel will get 3% discount on tuition fee.

You can pay Oaktree Primary School fees through cash, cheque or bank transfer.

An on-site canteen allows students to have their lunch in a relaxed environment. Although parents can send meals with their children to school, the lunch provided by Oaktree is healthy and nutritious.

Parents who drop their children quite early to the school can avail the Breakfast Club service from 07:00 am.

Oaktree Primary School, Al Quoz 4 provides transport services. The buses are compliant with the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) guidelines and include safety features such as GPS tracking, child safety button, CCTV and RFID tracking system.

Currently, the school has 5 routes covering different areas of Dubai.

Please note that the transportation charges mentioned above are per year. For further details, you can visit the Transport section on the website.

Oaktree School, Al Quoz offers holiday camps, but only when there’s enough attendance.

Toddlers generally are inquisitive and love to engage in sporting activities. Hence, Oaktree Primary maintains top-notch sports facilities. You will find a swimming pool, a football pitch, a playground outside and a garden with natural seating to engage the ‘explorer’ in every child.

Inside you will find a well-stocked gymnasium and a separate play area for Foundation Stage students.

To develop well-rounded students, the school offers various academic, sporting, artistic and social activities and clubs. Though the list of clubs and activities change each year, some common after-school activities include:

Students are allowed to take part in only one extra-curricular activity per day. Also, only students from Year 1 and onwards can take part in these ventures.

Since Oaktree Primary School is located in the heart of Dubai, visiting the most popular tourist attractions isn’t a hassle. Taking advantage of such a prime location, the school plans frequent school trips to these venues for fun and enjoyment. Recently, students went to VR Park in Dubai Mall.

Also, there is an exclusive ‘Wrap-Around Care’ service for FS1 students. Parents who have flexible pick-up timings will find it convenient that the school takes care of children from 01:00 pm to 02:45 pm from Sunday to Wednesday.

This service is free of charge if:

• The student is participating in an after-school activity (ASA)
• The student is using the bus at 02:40 pm
• The student is waiting for a sibling

If a student is using the service for reasons other than these, Oaktree Primary School charges AED 45 per day.The school offers after-school activities for all students from Sunday to Wednesday from 02:45 pm to 03:45 pm. The timings are 01:45 pm to 02:30 pm on Thursdays.

There is a clinic on the school premises with a full-time nurse and a part-time doctor.

At Oaktree Primary School, parent involvement is given special attention. Various means are available to parents or guardians if they want to connect with teachers or the management of the school. There are open morning coffee sessions and parent-teacher meetings.

The school uses education software by Education City. This UK-based platform is used by primary schools all over the world for efficient learning. Parents can also be a part of this forum to see the level of reading, worksheets and creative tasks children are performing and whether or not it is sufficient.

Nevertheless, you also have the option to communicate and know more about the school via social media pages and a parent portal.

• Telephone Number: +971-4-333-3911
• Emails
  • Admission Enquiries: admissions@oaktreeprimary.com
• Oaktree Primary School Website
• Oaktree Primary School Facebook
• Oaktree Primary School Twitter
• Oaktree Primary School Instagram
• Oaktree Primary School YouTube

Note that the cover image belongs to Oaktree Primary School

What are the timings of your school?

• FS 1 and FS 2: 07:45 am to 12:30 pm (11:30 am on Fridays)
• Year 1 to Year 6: 07:45 am to 02:15 pm (11:30 am on Fridays)

Do you conduct after-school activities?

Yes, the school offers after-school activities to students.

How many grades/years are there in your school?

FS 1 to Year 6.

How many students are currently studying in your school?

Oaktree Primary School has around 2014 students including 28 students of determination.

Can you please describe the academic calendar of your school?

The academic calendar runs from last week of August to first week of July.

Do you conduct mid-term examinations?

The school holds semester exams according to the following preliminary dates:

• Term 1: 10 October - 13 October
  Term 2: 6 February - 9 February

Can you please mention the range of the tuition fee charged by your school?

Tuition fees range from AED 15,000 to AED 25,000.

How do you communicate with parents?

You can communicate via open morning meetings, parent-teacher meetings, booking an appointment or reaching out to the school via social media pages or the official school website.

Do you have a cafeteria or a canteen on campus?

Oaktree School in Al Quoz has a canteen that provides healthy meals with high nutritional value.

How often does your school arrange field trips?

Oaktree Primary Dubai takes students on educational and recreational field trips.

How many teachers are currently teaching in your school?

The teaching staff consists of 23 teachers and 15 assistant teachers.