St. Mary Catholic High School Dubai, Muhaisnah

St Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah (SMM) is a catholic educational institute established in 2015. It is the newer branch of St Mary Catholic School in Dubai that follows the National Curriculum of England. Unlike its sister branch in Oud Metha, this campus provides education from the Foundation Stage 1 to Year 11. The school has plans to expand itself to offer sixth form education in coming years.

It is a part of St. Mary Group of Schools operating several catholic schools in Abu Dhabi, Dubai, Fujairah and Sharjah. As per the last inspection report by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), there are 1,157 students taught by 78 teachers and 14 teaching assistants. The teacher to student ratio at the campus is 1:15, ensuring plenty of individual attention and care. A majority of students at the Muhaisnah campus are Indians while students from other nationalities also co-exist. The latest KHDA rating for St. Mary Catholic High School is ‘Acceptable’.

The school also offers generous non-academic opportunities in the form of its extra-curricular programme. The range is limited; however, the school has plans to expand its extra-curricular programme with improvements in school facilities. The school fee is also on the lower side of the spectrum, attracting many low-income families.

Read this comprehensive school guide by Bayut to find out more about this school.

The school is located in Muhaisnah 4 – a family-friendly sub-community in greater Muhaisnah. The community is located close to the Dubai-Sharjah border and has several nearby residential communities. These include:

• Muhaisnah 3
• Al Nahda (Dubai)
• Al Qusais
• Al Mizhar 1
• Al Mizhar 2

Muhaisnah 3, another sub-community of Al Muhaisnah, is nearest to St. Mary Catholic High School. It is a villa-only community that offers spacious and luxurious villa-based properties, especially on rent. Its proximity to workplaces and amenities makes it an ideal place for the families to live. Those looking for other options can look into the residential properties in the Al Qusais area. Whereas, budget-friendly residential options are available in Al Mizhar 1 and Al Mizhar 2.

The school building design is an amalgamation of traditional Arabic and modern architecture. Each room is provided with wide windows that ar

Muhaisnah Campus

St. Mary Catholic High School in Muhaisnah has a spacious campus with high-end academic and non-academic facilities. The design of the school building is an amalgamation of traditional Arabic and modern architecture. Each room has wide windows that are decorated with tinted glasses. Outside the main gate, there is a parking spot for faculty members. Inside the building lies a reception with a large waiting area. Classrooms are spacious, bright and have comfortable furniture for children. Outside the classrooms lie wooden lockers for storage. There also exists science labs, computer labs and rooms for Arabic and Islamic education.

The school also has a library stocked with fictional and non-fictional books, novels, magazines, periodicals, newspapers, journals and other learning resources. The Muhaisnah campus also has a multipurpose indoor hall that is extensively used for indoor sports and physical education. Outside the school’s building lies a full-sized basketball court and a soccer pitch.

Oud Metha Campus

The St. Mary Catholic High School Dubai campus in Oud Metha has a range of facilities supporting students’ education. The bright and spacious classrooms have ICT support that aid in the learning process. To support the curriculum, the oud Metha campus also has science and computer labs. Other major facilities at the school are library, free-flowing spaces, outdoor play areas, multipurpose hall, soccer pitch, basketball court and a cafeteria.

St. Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah is situated opposite to Ali Al Shanqeeti Mosque, facing 22 Street in Muhasinah 4, Dubai. Gulf Model School is a 5-minute walk away from Al Muhaisnah campus. Halab Street and Amman Street are major roads that connect the school with the rest of Dubai.

There are several reasons attracting parents to enrol their kids in St Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah.

It is the newer campus of St. Mary Catholic schools in Dubai that are under the management of St. Mary Education Group. It offers high-end facilities that are relatively new as compared to its Oud Metha branch. These facilities not only support the academic needs of students but also play an important role in the provision of extra-curricular activities. The ECA programme at the school is comprehensive and focuses on building modern-day skills among individuals.

The school provides a standard yet holistic education to its students. It aims to transform learners into their full emotional, spiritual, intellectual and artistic potentials. For this purpose, it follows the internationally recognised National Curriculum of England. Furthermore, it adopts the practices of the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework that is extensively used to introduce children to education centres. The striking feature of this school is that it has enriched its curriculum to integrate catholic religious education for Christian students. Nevertheless, Muslim students study Islamic Education while non-Muslim and non-Catholic students study Citizenship Education.

An alluring feature of this school is its affordable fee structure. The fee ranges from AED 11,228 to AED 17,500, which is lower than many British schools in Dubai. Therefore, it attracts many low to middle-income families that are interested to provide quality education to their children at an affordable price range.

St Mary Catholic High School educates children aged 3 to 13 years old. The phases of education at this educational institute are:

The school has plans to expand the schooling till Year 13 in upcoming years.

St. Mary Catholic High School follows the National Curriculum of England, a popular educational programme commonly practised in British schools throughout the world. The syllabus at the school provides updated education with an amalgamation of international and local contexts. The curriculum is designed in such a way to inculcate independent learning and critical thinking skills. Moreover, it is focused to cultivate an understanding of diverse communities, cultures, self-esteem and self-respect. The specifics of the educational programme for each phase are:

Foundation Stage

St Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah has a foundation stage where young learners receive their initial education. The educational programme for the foundation stage is based on the popular Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. This framework is extensively used throughout the world to build the foundational skills necessary for further primary education. The attractive feature of this framework is its ability to inculcate knowledge of fundamental concepts through play-based activities. Thus, it follows the informal teaching methods to educate young learners.

The curriculum focuses on the following seven key areas of learning:

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

The school understands that each child is unique and has a different set of abilities. Moreover, the learning capability of each child is different. Each child can be confident, resilient and self-assured. To instil these abilities among learners, St. Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah builds a positive relationship with students. It also provides an enabling environment where children can thrive and develop. Some subjects taught in this stage are:

• Phonics
• Literacy
• Mathematics

Children completing the FS2 are ready to join the next educational endeavour – primary stage.

Primary, Middle and Secondary Stage Curriculum

After the foundation stage, the school follows the National Curriculum of England. Students are gradually introduced to the formal teaching methods that involve the use of classroom lectures, homework and other procedures.

The primary stage curriculum is further split into two stages: Key stage 1 (KS1) and Key Stage 2 (KS2). The KS1 deals with the curricular requirements of Year 1 and Year 2. Whereas, the KS2 deals with years 3, 4, 5 and 6.

In the middle school stage, the school continues to follow the Key Stage 3 (KS3) and Key Stage 4 (KS4) based on the National Curriculum of the UK. In secondary stage, the school allows students to sit the IGCSE examinations. The subjects offered to students at St. Marry Catholic High School Muhaisnah are:

For more information, read the curriculum overview.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is the educational regulatory body in Dubai. Established in 2006, its aim is to improve and maintain the quality of education offered by institutes in Dubai. To achieve its aim, KHDA inspects the performances of schools every year and judges their performance against the six-point scale. The KHDA’s six-point scale is specifically designed that ranges from outstanding to very weak. Here is the brief description of each rating in this scale:

Since its inception, St. Mary Catholic High School Al Muhaisnah has been inspected thrice. On every occasion, the KHDA rated it as an acceptable school.

The following are the main strengths of the school:

• The progress made by students in science in the primary phase, mathematics in the primary and secondary phases and in English across all phases
• Appreciation of Islamic values and UAE culture among students
• Effective health and safety arrangements for students in all phases
• The school’s purposeful and positive relationship with parents

Nevertheless, KHDA has some recommendations for the school to improve its performances. The recommendations are:

• The school needs to raise attainment and improve the progress of students in all key subjects and all phases to at least good. This particularly includes improving students’ attainment in Arabic as an additional language.
• Eliminate weak teachers and build consistent teaching across all phases of education
• Ensure students acquire good learning skills across the school
• Ensure leaders are aware of the knowledge of curriculum and adopt the best practices in assessment, teaching and learning.

The academic calendar at St. Mary Catholic High School Muahisnah starts in late August and ends in June.

First Term

The first term for students starts in the last week of August and ends in the second week of December. The three-week winter break starts in the third week of December and ends in the last week of December.

Second Term

The second term starts right after the end of winter term in the first week of January. The term ends in the fourth week of March. This is followed by a two-week spring break that ends in the second week of April.

Third Term

The final term starts in the third week of April that concludes in the last week of June.

For more information, view the academic calendar of St. Mary Catholic High School Al Muhaisnah.

The admission process at St. Mary Catholic High School is straightforward and based on five important steps.

Step 1 – Online Registration

The first process to initiate the admission process at the school is to fill the online application form available on the school website. After successful submission, the registration number for the child will be generated on the screen. Please note this number as it is vital for further processes.

Step 2 – Assessment

Parents will receive an email with an invite for the assessment. The assessment includes an entrance test and an oral interview. The entrance test is for the admissions in Year 1 and above. For the foundation stage, the school conducts an oral interview.

Step 3 – Outcome of Assessment

Please note that only the parents of successful candidates are notified about the outcome of the assessment. An email is sent to the parents with further instructions to secure the admission. Therefore, it is recommended that parents should recheck the email before submitting the online application. The school is not responsible for incorrect email addresses and does not entertain queries to check the status of admission.

Step 4 – Enrolment Offer

After shortlisting, the parents will receive the offer letter via email. Please accept the admission within the deadline mentioned in the email. If not, slots will be given to students in the waiting list. The admissions depend on the availability of seats.

Step 5 – Completing the Admission Process and Paying the Deposit

In this stage, parents are requested to pay the required deposit within the deadline. Besides, the following documents are required to complete the admission process:

• Birth certificate
• Passport, UAE residence visa and Emirates ID card
• Parent’s passport, UAE residence visa and Emirates ID card
• Family book (if UAE National)
• Recent passport size photograph
• Original transfer certificate
• Original academic report
• Recommendation letter issued by the previous school
• Medical declaration form
• Immunisation record
• A document declaring special educational needs

The KHDA’s age-grade guidelines are as follows:

This is based on the age of the students on 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 transfer certificate is mandatory for admissions in Year 2 onwards. Those applying from outside Dubai must get their transfer certificate attested by the education ministry of that emirate. Check out the admission process of this school for more information on documents.

For further information, read the admission procedure of St. Mary Catholic High School.

The St. Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah fees are:

For more information, view the fees structure of St. Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah.

Currently, there are no scholarship programmes for students of St. Mary Catholic High School Al Muhaisnah.

There is a cafeteria where children can enjoy various hot and cold food items. These items are prepared in a hygienic environment and are available to students at an affordable price range. The cafeteria serves as the place for networking where children socialise with each other and eat their food. Besides, students can also bring home-packed lunch boxes.

The school provides a reliable and safe transport facility to students. Roads and Transport Authority (RTA) is the transport service provider for St. Mary Catholic High School Al Muhaisnah. It manages a well-maintained fleet of buses with incredible safety and security features. Kindly visit the RTA’s counter at school from 9:30 am to 1:30 pm (Sundays to Thursdays) to register your child for transport service. The documents required for registration are:

• A copy of the parents’ Emirates ID card
• 4 recent passport-size photographs
• The registration fee (payable via cash, credit card and cheque)

The areas covered by school transport are:

• Dubai – Deira, Al Karama, Bur Dubai, Al Satwa, Al Garhoud and areas beyond Dubai World Trade Centre (WTC)
• Sharjah – All Sharjah regions

For more information, contact RTA’s representative at +971 04 2080555 and +971 04 2080566.

It is a day-only school and does not offer any boarding or hostel related facilities to students. Those living far from the school have access to the transport service offered by the school.

The school offers a limited range of holiday camps to students during the winter, spring and summer breaks. Moreover, the school also offers a ‘Special StuDIYo Design Technology’ Camp during Ramadan. The camp was offered to students aged 5 to 12 years old where they learn the art of designing new things from metal and wood. For more information, email info@studiyolab.com or call +971 50 8724598.

St. Mary Catholic High School Al Muhaisnah offers several sports facilities to students. The school has a multi-purpose indoor hall where students receive physical education training. Moreover, they also play indoor games such as badminton and basketball. It also has a full-sized outdoor basketball court that is used in competitions. The school also has a large grass-based soccer field where children play football. The soccer pitch is also used for arranging athletic races and other games in the annual sports competition.

Extra-curricular activities have become an important part of today’s school as it allows them to build modern-day skills among students. St. Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah campus also understands the importance of non-academic activities in the overall development of students. It has designed a curriculum that integrates the extra-curricular programme to balance the academic and non-academic activities. Moreover, the school regularly updates the extra-curricular programme to ensure students learn new skills each year. It has also amended its extra-curricular programme to ensure the participation of students of determination.

At Muhaisnah campus, the extra-curricular activities are broken down by the school phase. Students of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2 have two periods where they participate in non-academic activities. Secondary students have more extra-curricular options available to them. The major activities included in the programme for secondary students are:

St. Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah arranges several field trips for its students. One popular field trip was the visit to Legoland Dubai.

Currently, the only after-school care offered to students at Muhaisnah campus is in the form of the extra-curricular activity.

St. Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah considers the health and safety of its students paramount. The school, within its capacity, ensures students follow a healthy and active lifestyle. The school has a well-equipped medical centre that provides medical assistance to students and staff. The school clinic has qualified and experienced healthcare professionals registered with the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Students with minor injuries and sickness are treated within the school’s clinic. In case of serious injuries, affected students are taken to the nearby hospital and parents are informed. To learn more about the clinic, read the clinic policies of St. Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah.

Communication with all the stakeholders, including parents, is key to the success of Saint Mary Catholic High School Al Muhainah. KHDA has also highlighted the school’s effective partnership with parents. For this purpose, the school has several modes of communication.

The parent portal is the most common mode of communication between school and parents. By simply signing into the portal, parents gain access to information such as attendance record, academic performance, news, circulars, notifications of upcoming events and much more.

Friends of Saint Mary School Muhaisnah (FOSMM) is a school-based body that arranges events, such as morning coffee, where teachers, parents and senior leadership can discuss and share their ideas.

Additionally, the school’s official website is a good source of information to both current and prospective students. Here, visitors can access information on the admission process, fees, school policies, KHDA related information and much more.

Other sources of communication include parent-teacher meetings, social media platforms and school designated WhatsApp Groups.

• Address: close to 42nd street near Lulu Village, Muhaisnah 4, Muhaisnah, Dubai, UAE.
• Telephone number: +971 04 2614014 (for general information)
• Email Address: info-smm@smgeducation.org (for general information)
• Official Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• YouTube

Note that the cover image belongs toSt. Mary Catholic High School Muhaisnah