Our Own High School Al Warqa’a

Located in Al Warqa’a, Our Own High School is a part of the GEMS Education system. The school was founded in 2005 and is an all-boys school from Grade 1 to Grade 12. It has become a centre of attention for Indian families because of the quality of its education. This school follows the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum.

It focuses on holistic development through excellent campus amenities. Be it spacious classes or high-tech laboratories; the school covers every basic educational and non-educational needs. There are nearly 4,700 students managed by a competent teaching staff of 223 teachers.

The school’s circular includes academic and non-academic activities to develop well-rounded students. The comprehensive extra-curricular programme covers arts, sports and robotics activities.

To find out more, read this guide on Our Own High School Al Warqaa (OOW).

GEMS Our Own English High School Al Warqaa is located in the popular residential area of Al Warqa’a. It is in proximity to many residential communities including:

• Al Warqa’a 2
• Al Warqa’a 3
• Mirdif
• International City

Al Warqa’a 2, a sub-community of Al Warqa’a, is the nearest residential community from the school. It has a mixture of mid-rise buildings and spacious villas. It also offers a diverse range of residences to people. Those living far from the school will find it ideal to live.

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Our Own High School is built on expansive land with high-end facilities. Most facilities are comparable to the other top-ranked Indian schools in Dubai. These facilities ensure the best environment to learn and grow. The noteworthy features at Al Warqa’a campus are:

Classrooms, corridors and administrative block

Classrooms are spacious, bright and airy. The furniture at school is functional and is comfortable for all students. The corridors within the building are also spacious. The administrative block and the lobby is air-conditioned.

School library

One of the best features of this campus is its library. It is a well-stocked library with a range of teaching and learning materials. These include periodically arranged newspapers, books for all age groups, charts, maps, audio and video cassettes and CD playing devices. Senior students also have access to computers with high-speed internet connections.

Laboratories

The school has high-end laboratories as it focuses on delivering science-based education. There is a composite laboratory for assistance with mathematics and science. The equipment at the composite library provides meaningful and realistic concept building.

There are three well-equipped laboratories for biology, physics and chemistry. Here, students of different age groups can work on their science projects.

Playing fields

It also ensures high-end playing facilities for its students. The campus has both indoor and outdoor play zones.

Medical facilities

There are two well-equipped first aid centres for students. The medical staff includes 2 experienced doctors and 5 nurses, helpers and attendants.

Computer Science Centre

It has a computer science centre consisting of 5 computer laboratories. Each computer laboratory has an interactive whiteboard and desktop computers. Each student has an independent workstation to work on projects.

Other facilities

The bookstore sells everything from stationery and uniforms to copies and textbooks. There is also a canteen where students can buy nutritious food items. It ensures that all the food items are prepared in a hygienic environment. There is also a mosque on the ground floor.

Our Own High School is located on 13th Street in Al Warqa’a 1 beside the International School of Arts and Sciences (ISAS). It is at a 3-minute drive from Aswaq Mall. People can access it from different areas in Dubai through Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Ras Al Khor Road and Algeria Street.

The school has its roots from the Own High School Dubai campus, which was established in 1968. These roots allow the Al Warqa’a campus to share the parent school’s vision, culture and ethos. As a result, they ensure the same quality of education at this relatively newer campus. It is one of the many GEMS Indian Curriculum Schools in Dubai providing quality education to students. This campus is also known for outstanding academic achievements in the secondary phase.

This Indian school follows the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum. An internationally recognised educational programme taught throughout the world. The curriculum is based on a consistent and holistic education. The teachers support learning by adopting ambitious and broad teaching approaches. Thus, students at Our Own High School are versatile and have analytical capabilities and critical thinking skills.

Continuous and Comprehensive Evaluation (CCE) is another alluring feature of this educational institute. It is a continuous evaluation system based on formative and summative assessments. It constantly evaluates the performance of students in academic and non-academic activities. By the application of the CCE, the students and teachers perform better.

The high-end facilities at Al Warqa’a campus support the development of all-round skills. Here, students have access to state-of-the-art laboratories, library and sports courts. These facilities allow them to experience the best flavour of academic and non-academic life at school. As a part of the GEMS Education Group, it is a part of the global network of GEMS Schools. This network allows schools to share best practices. This has been the main reason behind the success of many GEMS Schools, including Our Own High School.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) worked with health and safety organisation to facilitate re-opening schools in Dubai. The following are the COVID-19 protocols followed by schools in Dubai, including Our Own High School Al Warqaa, are as follows:

• Reduce the capacity of the school bus to avoid large gatherings
• Offer distance-learning options to students at the start of the academic year
• Check the temperature of those entering school premises
• Practice social distancing by maintaining a distance of at least 1.5 metres from one another
• Regularly sterilise the campus with disinfectants
• Limit activities within the campus to avoid large gatherings.

Our Own House School Al Warqa’a provides education from Grade 1 to Grade 12 with boys aged 6 to 17 years old. The educational structure is split into the following categories:

Our Own High School follows the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). CBSE is recognised by the Indian government and educational bodies around the globe. It is a structured curriculum that focuses on developing key skills in every phase of education.

Primary School Curriculum

The school’s primary curriculum uses the curious and inquisitive nature of children. The primary syllabus ensures first-hand experiential learning to build concepts. At this stage, it also focuses on developing non-academic skills through extra-curricular activities.

The subjects offered at the primary level are:

• Arabic
• Computer Science
• English
• French / Malayalam / Hindi / Urdu
• Islamic Studies / Moral Studies 
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies

 The extra-curricular activities available in the primary stage are:

• Arts and Crafts
• Club activities
• Dance and Music
• Physical Education

Middle School Curriculum

The middle school builds on the skills developed in the primary stage. They designed the syllabus in such a way to ensure that students reach their full potential. The middle school curriculum focuses on building confidence and communication skills. The school also builds on students’ knowledge through school trips. The curriculum for middle school also cultivates self-discipline and self-reliance skills.

Subjects taught in middle school are:

• Arabic
• Computer science with animations
• English
• French / Hindi / Urdu / Malayalam
• Islamic Education / Value Education
• Mathematics
• Science
• Social Studies

Extra-curricular activities at the middle school stage are:

• Art and Craft
• Club activities
• Music
• Physical Education

Senior School Curriculum

The senior school is the most crucial stage in any student’s life. At this stage, they select the academic direction of their choice. The concepts learned in the previous stages play a role in their decision-making. The curriculum focuses on meeting individual objectives and clearing CBSE examinations.

In Grades 9 and 10, the following subjects are available:

• Arabic
• Art / IT
• English
• French / Hindi / Malayalam / Urdu
• Islamic Studies / Value Education
• Mathematics
• Science and Technology
• Social Science

In grades 11 and 12, they can opt for either the science stream or commerce stream.

The subjects offered in the science stream are:

• Biology / Computer Science
• Chemistry
• Economics / Mathematics
• English
• Physics

The subjects offered in the commerce stream are:

• Accountancy
• Business Studies
• Economics / Informatics Practice
• English
• Marketing / Entrepreneurship / Mathematics

The following are the subjects for internal assessment in both streams:

• Physical and Health Education
• General Science
• Work Experience

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is established by the Government of Dubai. KHDA oversees and improves the quality of education offered by the private institutes in Dubai. They annually inspect schools and offer a rating on its performance based on a 6-point scale.

In the latest inspection for the year 2018-19, KHDA rated it as a ‘good’ school. They have maintained this rating for the last 9 years. Previously in the year 2009-10, KHDA rated them as an acceptable school. Here is the 10-year history of KHDA rating for this school:

KHDA observed the following positives of this school:

• Students of OOW excellent confidence, work ethics, ambitions and articulate speech.
• Another strong point of this school is its strong sense of community, ethics and appreciation for UAE values.
• Students showed a very good progress in English, mathematics and science across the school, and in Islamic Education in secondary phase.
• The school has a thorough approach that results in a safe, secure and nurturing environment for learners.

Nevertheless, KHDA recommended that:

• The teachers must ensure a consistently high quality teaching across the school by developing higher-order thinking skills of students, using assessment data to offer challenging tasks and monitoring individual needs of students in Arabic.
• The school must extend the provisions for students of determination. They can do it by developing an inclusion team with full representation from senior leadership. They should also offer sufficient learning support assistants and inform class teachers about needs and requirements of such students for better outcomes.

Like any other Indian school in Dubai, the academic year for GEMS Our Own English High School, Dubai starts in April and ends in March. The school splits the academic year into two terms.

• The term 1 starts in the first week of April and ends in the last week of October.
• The term 2 starts in the first week of November and ends in the last week of March. In between the term 2, there is a summer holiday of 2 months and a winter break of 2 weeks.

Besides seasonal holidays, students expect holidays on national and Islamic events. However, the exact dates of these holidays depend upon moon sighting. For more information, view the academic calendar for GEMS Our Own High School Al Warqaa.

Our Own High School Al Warqa’a follows an inclusive admission policy. It is open for children of different religions, beliefs and ethnic backgrounds. But, the school gives preference to the application of siblings. Please note that age-grade guidelines are strictly followed. For admission in Grade 1, the child must be 6 years old till 31st December of the year of admission.

To apply, parents need to fill an online enrolment form. The form is available in October of each year for new admissions. After filling out the form, parents will receive a service request number on a receipt. Parents are advised to print out the receipt along with the service request number for future inquiries. The service number is necessary for verification of admission application.

The school contacts parents to bring their child for an assessment. The supervisor and counsellor conduct an interactive session for admission in Grade 1. Whereas for admission in Grade 2 and above, the interactive session is replaced with an entrance test.

Please note that all admissions are subjected to the approval by KHDA. For this purpose, parents need to submit the following documents:

• 4 passport-size photographs of the candidate (recent)
• 1 stamp-size photograph of the candidate (recent)
• 3 copies of the candidate’s Emirates ID card
• 2 copies of the candidate’s passport with a valid UAE residence visa
• 2 copies of the parents’ Emirates ID card
• 2 copies of the previous academic record of the candidate (latest mark sheet)
• Transfer certificate

After registering with KHDA, parents need to sign a parent-school contract.

Guidelines for Transfer Certificate (TC)

Those coming from other schools in Dubai do not need any attestation on their TC. Parents need to bring the original TC along with their and the candidate’s Emirates IDs.

Those coming from other Emirates in the UAE should get their certificate attested from the Ministry of Education of that Emirate. Parents need to bring the original TC with their and candidates Emirates IDs. Previous academic record is also required.

Those coming from India must get their TC certified by District Education Officer or CBSE/ICSE board. It should also be certified by the Indian Consulate and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Dubai.

The age-grade guideline followed by GEMS OOW is given below:

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

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

For further information, read the GEMS Our Own English High School Al Warqaa admission process.

Tuition Fee

Our Own High School Al Warqaa fee for the year 2019-2020 is as follows:

Miscellaneous Fee

The miscellaneous charges at Our Own High School are:

Following are the additional charges for new students:

Please note that the offer confirmation fee and the admission fee are non-refundable and non-transferable. However, the admission fee is adjusted in the annual tuition fee of the year of admission.

For further details, view the fees structure at Our Own High School Al Warqaa.

At Our Own High School Al Warqa’a, a merit-based GEMS Scholarship are available. Each year, the school rewards a fee concession of 25% to 100% to those excelling in the following categories:

• Academics
• Arabic studies
• Creative and performing arts
• Innovation and technology
• Sports

To apply for this scholarship, students can fill the online application until 28th February of each year.

The school has a canteen that offers healthy and nutritious food items to students. It ensures that all the food items available at the canteen are prepared in a hygienic environment. Students can also bring home-packed lunches.

Currently, the school canteen is closed due to COVID-19 protocols.

Our Own High School Al Warqaa has outsourced its transport service to School Transportation Service LLC (STS).  It is a well-renowned transport service provider in the UAE and is a popular choice for many schools. Their fleet includes over 1900 SMART buses with state-of-the-art safety and security features. The following features ensure the safety of children:

• Electronic attendance system
• Video surveillance
• GPS tracking facility
• Panic button
• Sleeping child check

The following are the available routes and transportation charges:

Mirdif and Al Warqa’a

• Term 1 – AED 1,200
• Term 2 – AED 1,600
• Term 3 – AED 1,200
• Annual Charges – AED 4,000

International City, Al Qusais, Nad Al Hammar, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Al Rashidiya, Sky Courts and Ras Al Khor

• Term 1 – AED 1,260
• Term 2 – AED 1,680
• Term 3 – AED 1,260
• Annual transportation Charges – AED 4,200

Bur Dubai, Al Karama, Al Jafiliya, Al Satwa, Deira, Al Hamriya, Hor Al Anz, Al Shaab, Al Awir and Al Garhoud

• Term 1 – AED 1,350
• Term 2 – AED 1,800
• Term 3 – AED 1,350
• Annual transportation Charges – AED 4,500

Sharjah, Dubai Trade Centre, Al Safa, Al Quoz, Downtown and Business Bay

• Term 1 – AED 1,425
• Term 2 – AED 1,900
• Term 3 – AED 1,425
• Annual transportation Charges – AED 4,750

Jumeirah 2, Jumeirah 3, The Gardens, The Greens, Discovery Gardens, Al Barsha 1, Jebel Ali, Barsha Heights, Jumeirah Lake Tower

• Term 1 – AED 1,485
• Term 2 – AED 1,980
• Term 3 – AED 1,485
• Annual transportation Charges – AED 4,950

Kindly bear in mind that the school bus picks and drops students at designated points in each area. To find nearby designated pickup and drop-off points, contact STS at cce-oow@stss.ae or +971 55 2207497.

The school bus capacity has been reduced to comply with COVID-19 regulations for schools. For more information, reach out to STS on the aforementioned email address.

The school does not offer any sort of boarding facility.

Currently, the school does not arrange any holiday camps.

Most extra-curricular activities are sports-related. They believe that sports help in remaining active and healthy. Professional coaching is provided in the following sports:

• Football
• Cricket
• Basketball
• Badminton
• Volleyball
• Chess
• Table tennis
• Swimming
• Athletics

The sports facilities at the campus are:

• 2 basketball courts
• Cricket nets
• Astroturf playground
• volleyball court
• Running tracks

Swimming related activities are currently suspended due to COVID-19 pandemic.

In today’s world, many international schools focus on cultivating wide-ranging skills. These skills help students tackle modern-day challenges. Our Own High School Al Warqaa prepares them for the 21st century by providing a comprehensive extra-curricular programme. The non-academic programme is designed in such a way to ensure that it includes something for every student. The prominent extra-curricular activities are:

Public speaking

Public speaking is a valuable skill that is becoming popular in schools. Our Own High School Al Warqaa understands the importance of this skill and offers opportunities from the beginning. Model United Nations is another activity in which students represents members of the United Nations and discuss global issues and their solutions.

Creative expressions, visual art and performing art

There are many creative expressions and visual arts activities for artistically creative students. These activities include glass painting, fabric painting, craft making, vegetable printing, mask making, sand painting and collage making. They also participate in talent shows and art competitions.

Along with creative arts, Our Own High School also cultivates the performing arts skills of students. These activities include music, elocution, dance and drama.

Physical education

Sport is an integral part of the extra-curricular activities at Our Own High School. Students participate in various inter-school and national school competitions to showcase their talent. They also provide free professional training in after-school timings.

Scouting

Scouting is another extra-curricular activity offered to students. A competent team of teachers trains them to develop physical and mental strength. They learn about the art of facing challenges and serve humanity.

Olympiads

Students also participate in Science and Mathematics related Olympiads conducted by the Council of CBSE Schools in the Gulf.

The school might temporarily postpone some of its extra-curricular activities to avoid large gatherings. OOW will let you know about the latest development on its social media platforms.

The school expands the learning of students through field tips. Field trips are carefully planned to ensure that they learn through first-hand experience. Most of the field trips are for educational purposes with visits to art centres and museums.

OOW has postponed all field trips to comply with COVID-19 restrictions. You will be informed about their resumptions on official school platforms.

Currently, the only after-school care is in the form of extra-curricular activities. Most of the sports training is offered after regular school timings. Transport facilities are also available for such students.

The school has cancelled after-school programmes to students during the global pandemic.

In case of a medical emergency, there are two medical clinics with the necessary equipment. The medical staff of doctors and nurses provide medical intervention as per the DHA’s guidelines.

All the GEMS Education schools, including Our Own High School, offer initiative to strengthen the parent-school relationship. They consider this relationship imperative for the success of both the schools as well as the students. GEMS Ambassador Programme lets parents share the vision of the school to others. Parents’ loyalty towards GEMS school is also rewarded through the GEMS Rewards Programme. Parents can avail a discount on annual tuition fees through this programme. It can also be used for booking a hotel or a flight.

The 3-a-day mobile application allows parents to get involved in their kids’ learning by becoming an active part of it. The GEMS Parent Portal is another source of communication between school and parents. Here, important information such as attendance record, academic performance, notifications for upcoming events and examination schedules are readily available. Parents and teachers can also communicate with other through WhatsApp groups.

• Location: Al Warqa’a 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Contact Number: +971-4-280-0077
• Email Address: communication_oow@gemsedu.com

Official Website and Social Media

• Our Own High School Al Warqaa
• Facebook

Note that the cover image belongs to Our Own High School Al Warqa’a