Rising School Dubai

Update: Rising School Dubai is permanently closed from July 2020 due to financial constraints.

Established in September 2017, Rising School Dubai is a US curriculum School in Nad Al Sheba 4. Its strategic location makes it an alluring option for residents looking for an American School in Dubai. Currently, it provides education till Grade 7 and has plans to expand the school till Grade 12.

It follows the American Common Core State Standard (CCSS). For science-related subjects, it follows the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). It is a small-scale school planning to enrol around 600 students. Each year, the school will add a new grade, which will also increase the number of students. Most students and teachers at the school are US passport holders. Plentiful individual attention is offered to children, as the teacher to student ratio is low.

It aims to offer a safe and secure learning environment where students can take part in both academic and non-academic activities. Its syllabus and campus facilities ensure that they complement learning with non-scholastic activities. The school is expecting its first inspection by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) for 2019-2020. Rising School is in its early days; however, it has shown the promise to emerge as a leading international school in Dubai.

To find out more, read this comprehensive guide on Rising School Dubai by Bayut.

Located at the heart of Nad Al Sheba 4, the school is ideally situated near key residential communities. It is one of the few schools in that area that follow the US curriculum. The nearby residential communities are:

• Nad Al Sheba 3
• Nad Al Sheba 1
• Dubai Silicon Oasis
• International City

Nad Al Sheba 3 – a sister community of Nad Al Sheba 4, is nearest to the Rising School. It is a villa-based community developed by Nakheel. Easy access to all the amenities makes it an ideal place to live. Those interested in apartments can opt for Dubai Silicon Oasis and International City.

• Villas for rent near Rising School Dubai
• Villas for sale near Rising School Dubai

It has a three-storey building that is a centre for all the academic and non-academic activities for students. Initially, the campus only had the elementary section. This section had spacious and bright classrooms with interactive wallpapers. It also has indoor and outdoor science labs to support classroom lectures with physical evidence. There is also an ICT room with high-speed computers and other technological gadgets. This part of the campus also has a music lab, a multi-purpose room and a clinic. The multipurpose room serves as the area where morning assemblies and small indoor activities take place.

In 2019, the construction for the secondary section was completed. It has all the amenities for middle and secondary stage students. The noteworthy features of this section are the Olympic size swimming pool and performance arts centre.

The school is located at Nad Al Sheba 4, near Ahmad Alshehi Hotel. Those interested in visiting the school can access it through Dubai Al Ain Road or Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.

Rising School Dubai is an international learning community where children thrive and prosper. It offers various learning opportunities due to its well-rounded syllabus. The Social curriculum at the school is purposeful and meaningful. It ensures the development of essential skills necessary to combat 21st century challenges. For this purpose, it follows the American Common Core Standard and Next Generation Science Standard as the US curriculum. These are internationally recognised educational standards focusing on high quality and updated education.

Its educational system is synonymous to Creativity, problem-solving, innovation, critical thinking and collaboration. The valuable and inspiring teaching lessons educate and open children to new possibilities. Despite being a US-based school, it also promotes national and Emirati culture by adopting the local principles. The school’s environment is positive and healthy.

It is an inclusive school that accepts admission applications without any discrimination. There is a Special Education Need and Disabilities (SEND) team to meet the needs of students with determination. The SEND team plays an essential role in ensuring that they also become an active member of society. Additionally, the majority of students at Rising School are US nationals followed by the local students. Students from other nationalities also exist in large numbers.

Homework and its consequences on a child’s learning is a debatable topic. Many schools implement stringent homework policy where students are given homework daily. However, Rising School has implemented a ‘no homework’ policy. The school believes that homework hurts students’ learning. Therefore, it does not offer any homework for its students. Another strong point of the Rising School Dubai is its collaboration with other vital organisations. Its collaboration with Apple Education, LEGO Education and Leader in ME– to name a few. It has also collaborated with Think First Learning Centre to teach Mandarin to students as a first or second language as a part of the curriculum. It offers many extra-curricular and co-curricular activities that result in well-rounded students.

The Rising School Dubai provides education from pre-kindergarten to middle school. The educational system at the school is as follows:

The educational syllabus at Rising School Dubai is based on the US curriculum. It follows American Common Core State Standard (CCSS) for English Language Arts (ELA), reading and mathematics. For science-related subjects, it follows the California Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). These standards are commonly adopted in American schools throughout the world. These standards remain the same for each educational phase and level of complexity increases with each grade.

The NGSS consist of the following three dimensions:

• Crosscutting concepts
• Science and Engineering Practices
• Disciplinary core ideas

The NGSS allows the students to explore earth and space science, physical science, life science and engineering design. It amalgamates theoretical and practical information for a deep understanding of concepts. It develops strong problem-solving skills through a rigorous syllabus for mathematics and science.

For non-Arabic students, cultural studies will be offered. Cultural Studies helps in developing a basic understanding of the Emirati culture. It also follows the Ministry of Education (MOE) curriculum as per the KHDA guidelines.

The subjects taught at Rising School Dubai are:

• Arabic Language
• Arts
• Cultural Studies
• English Language
• ICT
• Islamic Studies
• Mathematics
• Music
• Physical Education (PE)
• Science
• Social Studies

Arabic, Islamic Studies and Social studies are taught as per the MOE curriculum. For PE, it follows the California PE framework standards.

For more information, read the curriculum of Rising School Dubai.

The KHDA is a governmental body established to regulate the education sector. It was established in 2006 to improve the quality of education offered by the educational institutes in Dubai. It annually inspects the performance of the school and offers a judgement based on a 6-point scale. The scale varies from outstanding to very weak.

The school is waiting for its first inspection report. The inspection was carried out for the academic year 2019-2020.

The academic activities at Rising School Dubai start in early September and end in early July. There are two terms in its academic year:

First Term

The first term starts in the first week of September. After mid-term examinations, students go on a fall break in the last week of October. They also go on a 3-week winter holiday that starts in the third week of December and ends in the first week of January. The term concludes with the end-term examinations in the third week of January.

Second Term

The second term starts in the fourth week of January and concludes in the first week of January. The expected holidays in this term is a 3-week spring break from the last week of March to the second week of April.To know the tentative dates of Islamic and national holidays, view the academic calendar of Rising School Dubai LLC.

Rising School Dubai follows a highly inclusive policy by accepting applications from all. To apply, fill out the online registration form with the necessary details. It is important to enter the correct information as failure to do so will lead to cancellation of the examination. The age-grade guidelines for admission are:

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

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

The following documents are required for processing the admission request:

• A copy of the passport of the candidate or mother (if the child’s name is on the mother’s passport)
• One copy of the child’s residence visa at least valid for 6 months
• Two passport-size photographs of the candidate
• A photocopy of the candidate’s immunisation record
• A copy of the candidate’s birth certificate
• One copy of the candidate’s and parents’ Emirates ID card
• Previous academic record for the last 2 years (for admission in Grade 1 and above)
• Original transfer certificate

An acceptable transfer certificate should meet the following requirements:

• Those coming from any school in Dubai do not need a transfer certificate. The transfer process will be carried out online.
• For candidates coming from anywhere in the UAE except Dubai needs to have a transfer certificate in English or Arabic. The certificate must have a stamp from the Educational Zone of that Emirate.
• Those applying from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Western Europe and the United States needs a school stamp and sign of the principal.
• Students that previously studied from schools in GCC countries need to have a transfer certificate in English or Arabic. The Ministry of Education of that country must attest the certificate.
• Students from the rest of the world need to have a transfer certificate in English. It must be attested by the Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and UAE Embassy in that country.

It carefully reviews the application after submission of the form and required documents. The admission team invites the parents to bring their child for an assessment. During the assessment, parents need to provide previous academic records and SEND documents.

For admissions in Grade 2 and below, a conventional interview by the grade-level teacher, counsellor and SEND expert is conducted. In this assessment, the candidate’s proficiency in English and grade-level abilities in English and mathematics are evaluated.

For admission in Grade 3 and above, the candidate undergoes both interview session and computerised entrance test. The computerised assessment gauges student’s abilities in reading and mathematics. The decision to grant admission rests on the Executive Principal and the Admission Officer. The decision usually depends on

• Requested grade level
• Behavioural support
• Learning support
• English language support

To secure admission at Rising School, parents need to pay a deposit of 30% of the annual tuition fee within 10 days of the offer. The deposit is adjusted in the tuition fee for the first term. For more information, read the detailed admission policy of Rising School LLC.

Tuition Fee

The Rising School Dubai fee is as follows:

For 2019-2020

• Pre-KG – AED 26,775
• KG1 to KG2 – AED 33,575
• Grade 1 – Grade 2 – AED 40,375
• Grade 3 – Grade 4 – AED 43,775
• Grade 5 – Grade 6 – AED 48,025
• Grade 7 – AED 52,275

For 2020-2021

• Pre-KG – AED 26,775
• KG1 to KG2 – AED 33,575
• Grade 1 – Grade 2 – AED 40,375
• Grade 3 – Grade 4 – AED 43,775
• Grade 5 – Grade 6 – AED 48,025
• Grade 7 – AED 52,275

For 2021-2022

• Pre-KG – AED 26,775
• KG1 to KG2 – AED 33,575
• Grade 1 – Grade 2 – AED 40,375
• Grade 3 – Grade 4 – AED 43,775
• Grade 5 – Grade 6 – AED 48,025
• Grade 7 – AED 52,275

For 2022-2023

• Pre-KG – AED 26,775
• KG1 to KG2 – AED 33,575
• Grade 1 – Grade 2 – AED 40,375
• Grade 3 – Grade 4 – AED 43,775
• Grade 5 – Grade 6 – AED 48,025
• Grade 7 – AED 52,275

The tuition fee is inclusive of assessment fee of the year, books, STEM innovative courses and inline subscription for the curriculum.

Other Fees

The other charges at Rising School Dubai are:

• Initial Assessment Fee – AED 500
• Admission Fee – 30% of annual tuition fee

Sibling discount is also available at Rising School Dubai, which is as follows:

• 2nd child – 10%
• 3rd child – 15%
• 4th child – 20%
• 5th child – 25%

For more information, view the Rising School Dubai fees structure.

Currently, there are no scholarship programmes available at Rising School Dubai.

There is a canteen available at Rising School Nad Al Sheba sponsored by Slices. It is a reputable catering service provider in the UAE addressing the food requirements of schools and corporates. It ensures that students eat healthy, nutritious and safe food at affordable prices. The highly diverse menu that changes every day encourages children to eat a variety of food options. Students have the option of non-vegetarian, vegetarian and starch or carb-filled food items to choose from.

To pay for the food, Slices has introduced a card-based system called Slices Card. The students use the Slice Card topped up by the parents to buy food.

The school offers a reliable and secure transport service to its students. Rising School Dubai has collaborated with School Transport Service LLC to provide transport. It is a well-reputed school transport provider in the UAE with an exceptional record. Their top-notch fleet of buses has exceptional security and safety features. These include:

• Electronic attendance system
• GPS tracking facility
• Video surveillance
• STS application
• Panic button
• Sleeping child check
• Well-maintained buses with proper safety equipment such as seat belts

The transport service is free for students living in the free-zone area. Residential communities that fall within the free-zone area are:

• Al Barari
• The Villa
• Academic City
• Dubai Silicon Oasis
• Nad Al Sheba
• International City
• Ras Al Khor Industrial Area
• Warsan
• Al Warqa
• Ras Al Khor
• Dubai Festival City
• Umm Ramool
• Al Rashidiya
• Mirdif

For the rest of Dubai, the school charges AED 7,750 per year for two-way service and AED 3,875 per year for one-way service. To register for transportation service, parents need to submit the registration form along with AED 500.

Rising School Nad Al Sheba is a day-only school and does not offer any boarding or hostel-related facilities.

Rising School Dubai offers exciting and education-oriented holiday camps to its students. A popular holiday camp at this educational institute was STEM for kids. Today’s schools are targeting Science, Technology, Education, Mathematics (STEM) education for children. To supplement the curriculum, it offered this holiday camp where students aged 5 to 11 years participated in civil, robotic mechanical, computer programming, aerospace and environmental engineering activities. It took place during the winter break.

Currently, there are limited sports facilities available to students. These facilities include an Olympic-size pool in the middle and secondary school block. There is also an outdoor grass field where students play football. This field is also used for annual sports competitions where children take part in a range of activities.

Extra-curricular activity is an important part of the lives of students. These activities allow them to showcase their hidden talent in non-academic and recreational activities. Rising School also offers a wide range of extra-curricular options to students. From pre-KG to Grade 7, it offers several age-appropriate activities. These include:

• Animal costume days for Pre-KG and KG students
• Celebration of school days
• Celebration of national and international days
• Car show for KG students
• Fancy dress competition
• Arabic and Islamic culture competition
• Science fair
• Business Expo
• GreenOponic Systems for KG students
• Annual sports competition
• Field trips

The school offers exciting field trips to students. Besides educational and recreational field trips, Rising School also rewards students on their progress by arranging fun-filled field trips. It took students that performed exceptionally in the Reading Challenge on a trip to the cinema. Here, the children watched a movie and spent quality time posing for pictures in front of posters.

Students in Kindergarten visited the Blossoms Park in Nad Al Sheba. Students engaged in a variety of recreational activities during this trip. Students in Grade 1 and above were taken on a trip to Dubai Frame. It is a popular architectural landmark where children experienced the past, present and future of Dubai.

The school offers after-school care to students in the form of extra-curricular activities. It plans to introduce special classes for Mandarin as an extra-curricular programme. Additionally, the school aims to offer the following in the next few years:

• Personality development classes
• Community service activities
• Debating competition (Model United Nations)

There is a well-equipped school clinic where medical staff provides necessary medical intervention to students and staff.

Several modes of communication are available between teachers and parents to communicate with each other. One of the most common modes of communication at Rising School is its official website. The media tab at the official website provides news related to the school. The school also has its blog where they share interesting and engaging content related to the school and ongoing activities.

Rising school Dubai also updates parents through its social media platforms. Rising school is actively present in all the mainstream social media platforms where it posts photos and important updates.

• Location: Nad Al Sheba 4, Dubai, United Arab Emirates.
• Telephone Number: +971 4 883 5389
• Email Address: info@risingschool.ae

Official Website and Social Media

• Official Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube
• Instagram

Note that the cover image belongs to Rising School