Renaissance School, Dubai Sports City

Renaissance School is a new US curriculum school in Dubai Sports City that is established in October 2018. However, the establishment of the Renaissance School provides a new option for parents to enrol their kids in American schools. Currently, it only provides education to the kindergarten and elementary stages. The school will expand to middle and high school in the upcoming years.

It follows the US National Curriculum based on the newly upgraded State of New York Curriculum. Furthermore, the school adopts the Next Generation Learning Standards that support the language-related needs of students, including students with additional needs. Like most schools in Dubai, Renaissance School also follows the Ministry of Education (MOE) guidelines for Arabic, Islamic Studies and Social Studies.

The Renaissance School Dubai is a private co-educational and mid-range school. The school owns a wide range of school facilities ensuring that all the academic and non-academic needs of students. The facilities allow the school to offer a comprehensive extra-curricular programme. The programme has a wide range of activities that promotes the non-academic development of students. The tuition fee at this school ranges from AED 22,750 to AED 32,500.

Read this guide by Bayut to learn more about the Renaissance School Dubai.

Renaissance school is located in the popular residential community of Dubai Sports City. Dubai Sports City is one of the most sought-after residential communities in Dubai due to amenities and its wallet-friendliness. The community is ideal for sports fanatics willing to live an active life. Most properties in Dubai Sports City are apartments. Renaissance School is located in such a way that it allows easy access to several nearby communities. The nearby communities are:

• Motor City
• Jumeirah Village Circle (JVC)
• Dubai Production City
• Jumeirah Village Triangle (JVT)
• Arabian Ranches

Motor City, Dubai, is the nearest residential community from the school. It is a self-contained community offering a laid-back lifestyle to its residents. Those living far from the school can find studios to 4-bedroom apartments in this peaceful and calm residential community. Those looking for other residential options can opt for villas in JVC, JVT and Arabian Ranches.

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The campus of Renaissance School encompasses a wide range of school facilities. Since it is a new establishment, most facilities at this school are new and in excellent shape. The school building houses spacious and well-lit classrooms. There are separate classrooms for kindergarten and elementary students equipped with age-appropriate furniture and equipment. There also exists specialist media, art and music rooms. To support the science-related subjects, Renaissance School has well-equipped science labs that are capable to support the elementary and high school curriculum. The campus also has two specialist ICT rooms with computers and coding facilities. Other academic facilities at this school include two well-stocked libraries, an auditorium and two multipurpose halls. All the classrooms and corridors are air-conditioned.

An incredible feature of this campus is the availability of outstanding sports and outdoor facilities for students. These facilities include two 12-metre swimming pools with changing facilities, two basketball courts, a football ground with artificial grass and an external playground with shaded areas.

Other noteworthy facilities at Renaissance school include:

• Two school clinics
• Two prayer areas
• Outdoor parking space
• Canteen with kitchen and catering facilities
• Special needs and resource area

Renaissance School Dubai is at the edge of Dubai Sports City. The school is located next to the Football academy fields at Hessa Street. Those living in the nearby residential communities can access the school via Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road, Detroit Road and Hessa Street.

A few years back, this southern region of Dubai lacked quality American schools. The only US School options parents had were American School of Dubai and GEMS United School Dubai. The emergence of Renaissance School in Dubai Sports City provides a new option for quality American curriculum schools for families in Dubai Sports City, Motor City and surrounding areas. Currently, it only caters to the educational requirements of students aged 10 years old. However, the school has plans to expand to high school in the future.

Renaissance School Dubai follows the US Curriculum based on the newly updated New York State Curriculum. It is a reputable US curriculum standard practised in many schools around the world. It offers standard quality education to its students with facilities that fully support students’ learning.

Another strong feature of Renaissance School is its culture. The school fosters a culture where students thrive and prosper. Its unique culture encourages students to learn, take risks, make mistakes and learn from their mistakes. It offers challenges to students at all levels to ensure students grow physically, emotionally and mentally. The teaching staff at the school offer a protective and caring environment for students.The comprehensive extra-curricular programme at this educational institute allows the all-round development of students. These activities are offered during school breaks and as after-school activities. Many activities are available for students, including sports that result in well-rounded students. Students of Renaissance School have skills and abilities to combat the modern-day challenges.

Renaissance School provides quality education to students aged 3 to 10 years old. The phases of education available at this school are:

In the future, the school intends to gradually introduce middle school and high school grades.

The educational programme at Renaissance School is based on the US Curriculum. The school follows the New York State Curriculum. It focuses on building 21st-century skills among students. A key part of the curriculum revolves around the Next Generation Learning Standards that support learners with different needs.

The New York State Learning Standards provides support to students in Arts, science and languages. For Physical Education, the school follows the Physical Education Learning Standards. To support the studies on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Renaissance School Dubai adopts International Society of Technology in Education (ISTE) standards.

Arabic teaching and learning is a key priority for Renaissance School. To ensure that students excel in the Arabic language, the school has a dedicated Arabic language curriculum based on Ministry of Education Guidelines. Arabic is taught to students from the kindergarten stage. Teachers use the communicative language approach to teach Arabic that lays foundations necessary to learn Arabic. The school gives motivating language practices to develop vocabulary and build writing and reading skills in Arabic. The school also follows the Ministry of Education (MOE) guidelines for Social Studies and Islamic Education.

The specifics for each phase of education at this educational institute are:

Kindergarten Stage Curriculum

The educational programme for the kindergarten stage is based on the New York KG Standards. The main elements of the kindergarten curriculum are:

• Health and Motor Development
• Physical Well-being
• Approaches to Learning
• Social and Emotional Development
• Cognitive and General Knowledge
• Language, Literacy and Communication

Teachers ensure that students develop in all the aforementioned areas of the curriculum. The teaching approach at this stage is engaging and interactive. From Kindergarten 1, teachers use interactive screens and other technologies for teaching. The medium of instruction in the kindergarten phase is English. Arabic is also taught to students in the kindergarten stage.

Special emphasis is on the development of literacy and numeracy skills. For this purpose, teachers evaluate students’ capabilities to communicate and understand language through gestures. Furthermore, the school focuses on building strong relationship skills among students. Teachers also use several play-based activities to develop foundational skills.

Renaissance School carefully selects classroom resources for kindergarten students. The primary emphasis of the school is on the selection of resources that allow students to play, experiment, discover and learn.

The mandatory subjects for students in the kindergarten stage are:

• Science
• Mathematics
• English Language Arts

The non-mandatory subjects in KG1 and KG2 are:

• Arts (Theatre and Music)
• Technology
• Physical Education Family, Health and Consumer Science
• World Languages
• Social Studies

Elementary Stage Curriculum

In the elementary stage, the school follows the entitlement curriculum set forth by the New York State Standard Curriculum. This means that students in each age cohort study the same subjects, irrespective of their nationality, background and other aspects. The elementary school educational programme offers an international curriculum along with the national context. This makes the curriculum ideal for students in Dubai that are interested in learning updated knowledge with both local and global contexts.

The curriculum’s delivery is strengthened through language instructions and learning of the culture and values of the UAE. Native speakers give the language instructions for French, Arabic and Spanish. Furthermore, elementary stage students take part in language-related competitions where they showcase their linguistic skills. Renaissance School uses community projects, speakers, national day celebrations, cultural visits and research exercises to build an understanding of local culture and tradition among students.

Besides core subjects, elementary stage students also study cultural and social studies. Teachers use cross-curricular references and themed subjects to help students get a deeper understanding of subjects. The social and cultural studies will cover the following modules:

• Form of democracy and government
• Citizen’s right and responsibilities
• Poverty
• Dubai’s economic foundation
• Pollution and corruption
• Causes and resolutions of wars and conflicts
• Advance of science
• Contribution of ancients
• Discovery and Colonisation

Another strength of the elementary stage curriculum is the school’s focus on life skills. The curriculum ensures students learn:

• How to accept responsibility
• How to be safe
• How to care for others
• How to live a prosperous and healthy life
• How to take risks

The subjects taught in the elementary stages are:

• English Language Arts
• Science
• Mathematics
• Technology
• Social Studies
• Arts (theatre and Music)
• World Languages
• Physical Education Family, Health and Consumer Science

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a governmental body established in 2005. KHDA aims to improve the quality of education offered by educational institutes in Dubai. Thus, it inspects the performance of schools annually and issues a detailed report. It measures the performance of schools against the specifically designed 6-point scale. The scale varies from outstanding (best) rating to very weak (worst) rating. The brief explanation of the KHDA’s rating scale is depicted below:

Renaissance School Sports City has not been inspected by KHDA yet. KHDA will inspect the school in coming years.

• The academic year of Renaissance School starts in late September and ends in July.
• The first term at this school starts in the last week of September and ends in the second week of December.
• The winter break starts in the third week of December and ends in the first week of January.
• The second term starts in the second week of January and ends in the last week of March.
• Students go on a spring break in the first and second week of April.
• The third term starts in the third week of April and concludes in the first week of July.

Besides, students expect holidays on many national and religious events. The exact dates of these events are subjected to moon sighting and the government’s declaration. For more information, view the academic calendar of Renaissance School.

School Tour

Renaissance School Dubai Sports City gives priority in admission to UAE nationals. However, students of other nationalities and backgrounds also co-exist. Before applying, the school encourages parents to visit the school. It provides an opportunity for parents to see the facilities and the school environment before their eyes. To book a school tour, call +971 55 144 9676 or email admissions@renaissanceschool.ae.

Currently, the school might not be able to cater to the request for a face-to-face physical tour of the school.

Online Application

To apply, fill the online application form with the required information. Please note that the provided information must be accurate, otherwise the school is entitled to cancel the admission.

Supporting Documents and Age-Grade Guidelines

Parents need to provide the following supporting documents with the application form:

• Transfer certificate (if applying from outside the UAE or Emirates in UAE other than Dubai)
• A copy of the latest academic record (school report)
• Three recent passport-size photographs of the candidate
• Completed Child Pickup Form
• A copy of insurance card
• Completed Medical Form
• A copy of Emirate ID, passport and residence visa (for non-national applications only)
• A copy of the candidate’s birth certificate and vaccination record
• Completed Media Form
• A copy of parent’s Emirate ID, passport and residence visa (for non-national applications)
• A passport-size photograph of father and mother
• A copy of the family book (for UAE nationals only)

Renaissance school uses the following age-grade guidelines to place candidates in appropriate age groups:

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

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

Attestation Requirements

All the required documents must be in Arabic and English. If not, they should be translated by official translators. Here, parents need to provide attested copies of the translated documents.

Birth certificates must be attested by the:

• Ministry of Health
• Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• UAE Embassy in the country of origin.

In the case of a transfer certificate, candidates already studying in any school in Dubai do not need a transfer certificate. The transfer certificate of students applying from other Emirates in UAE must get their certificate attested by the Ministry of Education of that Emirate. Students from the US, Canada (except Quebec), Australia and Western Europe do not need any attestation.

Assessment and Registration

After submitting the online application and supporting documents, the school conducts an assessment test. The assessment test includes age-appropriate activities that help Renaissance School in gauging the aptitude of a child in the English language and numeracy. Additionally learning support is usually provided to the candidate. The school informs parents about the outcome of the test in three working days. Parents of successful candidates can secure the seat for their child by depositing AED 3,000. The deposit is adjusted in the annual tuition fee for the following year.

For more information, read the admission procedure at the Renaissance School Dubai.

The fee structure of Renaissance School Dubai is approved by the KHDA. However, the school offers a 35% discount on the annual tuition fee for all grades. The Renaissance School Dubai fees are as follows:

Please note that the tuition fee is exclusive of school uniform, canteen, extra-curricular, resources and other charges.

Other fees

• Registration Fee – AED 500 (non-refundable and non-transferable)
• Admission Fee – 5% and 10% of the annual tuition fee for the existing students and new students, respectively

For more information, view the fees structure of Renaissance School.

Renaissance School is a mid-range value-based school that offers excellent value to the price paid by the parents. However, the school offers a bursary programme for students. This programme is usually offered to high achievers where students get a discount up to AED 7,500 per annum. The bursaries related decisions rest on governors and senior faculty members.

Food is an important component in the successful lives of students. Students after engaging in learning activities feel hungry and they need to eat healthy and nutritious food. There is a school canteen with a kitchen and catering facilities ensuring that nutritious and healthy food items are readily available. The school makes sure that all the food items are prepared in a hygienic environment and are prepared from fresh raw materials. Renaissance School is a cashless school and students use payment cards to purchase food items from the canteen. Parents can recharge the child’s payment card online.

Parents can also send home-packed lunch boxes to children. Renaissance School advises parents to send healthy and nutritious snacks and lunches to children. Moreover, the school prohibits the following food items within its premises:

• Nuts and nuts related products, including peanut butter and Nutella spread
• Chocolate, sweets, cakes and chewing gums
• Carbonated beverages and energy drinks

It is challenging for parents to drop and pick up their child to and from school, especially for those living far from school. To help parents, the school offers a comfortable and safe transport service to students.

Renaissance School is a day-only school and does not offer the hostel-related or boarding facility to students. Those living far from school can use the school transport facility. Parents can also move to residential communities located close to the school.

Currently, the school does not offer any holiday camps to its students.

Sport is an important part of the lives of students of Renaissance School. Located in Dubai Sports City, the school has adopted the lifestyle of the community where students are exposed to quality sports facilities. Students have access to the following sports-related facilities:

• Two 12-metre swimming pool where students learn and practice their swimming skills
• Changing facilities with swimming pools
• Two basketball courts
• Football field with artificial grass
• Covered outdoor play areas

One of the main strengths of Renaissance School is its extra-curricular programme. The availability of high-end school facilities allows the school to offer a comprehensive extra-curricular programme. This programme aims to prepare students for the modern-day challenges by developing 21st-century skills. These activities are offered weekly, during lunch break and after-school hours.

Most extra-curricular activities at Renaissance School are arranged by Music, English, Art and PE faculty. These activities include:

Students are expected to join at least two clubs, societies or activities each term. Teachers help students to discover their interests. Another outstanding feature of this school is that most extra-curricular activities are free of costs. Activities involving outdoor activities such as field trips and activities by external service providers charge additional fees.

A field trip is a vital part of the extra-curricular programme at school. It allows schools to develop students’ understanding by exposing them to the outdoor environment. Students attempt to link the lectures delivered in classrooms with their observations in a practical environment.

Most field trips by Renaissance school are recreational: however, it helps children in understanding how the world operates. Some noteworthy field trips include:

• Dubai Aquarium and Underwater Zoo
• Green Planet
• Dubai Police

Renaissance School has two fully equipped medical clinics. The school also has a medical staff that provides medical interventions to students and staff. It follows the guidelines established by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA) and runs government-related vaccination campaigns.

Several modes of communication for teachers and parents are available at Renaissance School. The school issues a parent handbook, which provides information relevant to the parents. The school constantly updates the parent handbook to keep parents updated about new initiatives.

Renaissance School encourages parents to get involved in children’s education. Research suggests that parents’ involvement in students’ education can significantly improve students’ attention, behaviour and overall learning experience. For this purpose, the school shares a series of tips that can help parents to involve in their child’s education. The school also has a parent portal that provides access to important information such as attendance record, examination schedules, KHDA’s circulars, notification of upcoming events, picture gallery and much more. The parent portal by Renaissance School also allows parents to actively engage in students learning.

Other modes of communication include open houses, parent-teacher meeting, official website, social media platform and school designated WhatsApp groups.

Renaissance school Address: Hessa Street, Al Hebiah Fourth, Dubai Sports City, Dubai, UAE.

Telephone Number

• For general information: +971 4 5897717

Official Website and Social Media

• Renaissance School Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note that the cover image belongs to Renaissance School Dubai