The Alpha School, Dubai

Established in September 2017, The Alpha School follows the British curriculum while focusing primarily on IT integration. It is a primary school and offers classes from Foundation Stage to Year 6. The school plans to introduce a secondary section when it opens a new branch in Al Warqaa in September 2020. Currently, The Alpha School only offers classes from FS to Year 6 in a co-educational setup.

The curriculum followed at The Alpha School incorporates the best elements of the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) besides the requirements of the UAE Ministry of Education and the English National Curriculum.

The Alpha School currently has 300 students and it can easily accommodate 550 children. Students belong to 29 countries but they are mostly from Japan, Egypt, India and Pakistan. The teaching staff belongs to the UK, Ireland, Finland, France as well as Arab countries.

The school has a multicultural environment but pays special attention to the UAE culture and heritage. While international-mindedness and tolerance are important to The Alpha School, students are encouraged to embrace their sense of identity, their faith and their mother tongue.

The Alpha School is an ideal school for families living in:

• Oud Al Muteena
• Al Twar
• Muhaisnah
• Al Mizhar

Located on the outskirts of Dubai, Oud Al Muteena is a peaceful community preferred by people who want to live away from the hustle and bustle of the city. One can spot it towards the east. Right next to Oud Al Muteena is Al Mizhar. The neighbourhood is closer to the Emirate of Sharjah and is best known for its budget-friendly properties. Al Twar offers spacious villas in different layouts. It is easily accessible through Sheikh Zayed Road and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road. It is a large district further divided into three sub-communities. Al Nahda is a fairly populated area at a short driving distance from The Alpha School.

Families in search of residential options near The Alpha School can check out:

• Apartments for rent near The Alpha School

The Alpha School has a small campus, but it has all the tools each child needs to grow into the brightest version of themselves.

The two-storey building has large landscaped quadrangles on the ground floor that can be used as an outdoor play area. Class sizes are small with a maximum of 22 children. A fully equipped iMac room helps introduce students to the latest technology. There are special rooms for arts, science, robotics, coding and STEAM. A large multi-purpose hall, as well as covered indoor and outdoor play spaces, are also present on the premises.

The Alpha School, Dubai is just a short drive from Al Nahda Road and Beirut Street in Al Qusais 3. Al Qusais is a large neighbourhood divided into three sub-areas including Al Qusais 1, Al Qusais 2 and Al Qusais 3. It is a well-developed area facilitated by five metro stations on the Green Line. Restaurants, malls and other entertainment options are abundant in Al Qusais. It is a densely populated residential neighbourhood and the school is surrounded by several villas. The school is located at Junction 90 of Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road.

The Alpha School in Al Qusais, Dubai offers excellent British education at an affordable price. Students face no discrimination and get full attention from their teachers. The school recruits native English speakers because of their vast hands-on experience in education. These teachers facilitate learning in the broad international context and believe that collaboration, critical thinking, creativity and communication skills are as important as acquiring knowledge. Teachers also enjoy weekly Continuous Professional Development (CPD) sessions.

The school is led by the region’s prominent Apple Education Trainer. Every classroom has a 4-K 10-point clever touch TV to incorporate IT into learning and support the 1:1 iPad program.

The school strives to offer a fully inclusive educational experience to each student regardless of their diverse learning needs. Its mission is embedded in three pillars – family, identity and innovation. The school is among the best schools in Dubai.

The Alpha School in Al Nahda, Dubai has added the very best elements of other curriculums to maintain the relevance of learning and prepare the students for their next educational phase in life. Critical thinking, innovation, communication and creativity are an essential part of learning at The Alpha School.

The Alpha School offers classes from the Foundation Stage until Year 6. The Early Years Foundation Stage Programme is designed for students aged 3 to 5 years and the National Curriculum for England is followed from Year 1 to Year 6.

Students study an enriched, broad British curriculum that prepares them for future success in a global context. The curriculum focuses on three elements – content, skills and values. Cross-curricular and conceptual connections engage students in self-driven learning.

Play-based approaches give the much-needed balance to the curriculum. Teachers build a deep and personal relationship with young individuals in the Foundation Stage. The EYFS framework covers the following areas:

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

A modern and relevant curriculum is designed for Primary School students. Six topic-based units are covered under each year group to ensure the maximum subject focus.

The core subjects of the Primary year programme include English, Mathematics and Science. Students also study technology, art and design, computing, geography and history.

To support students with additional learning or physical needs, The Alpha School designs individual plans. Some students only need a short-term plan to overcome any educational barrier while others may need support throughout their school life. Children with special needs are identified and are supported by the Individual Education Plan (IEP).

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) works closely with the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB) to inspect private schools operating in the emirate.

KHDA inspected the school from 17th to 19th February 2020 and rated it as ‘Acceptable.’

According to The Alpha School KHDA rating and report, students’ achievement is acceptable in most subjects. Children in the Foundation Stage make expected progress, but it is not enough to fill the gaps in their knowledge of English and Mathematics. Hence, their attainment is weak. Students in primary classes make acceptable progress in all subjects, but their attainment in Arabic is weak.

Students show respect for their teachers, and it is counted as one of the school’s strengths. Primary-level students show a thorough understanding of Islamic values. They take care of their classrooms and their surroundings.

Teachers demonstrate strong class management skills and try to strengthen their positive relationships with students. This results in the personal development of students. Teachers do not have sufficient knowledge of their student’s academic performance due to the lack of a rigorous assessment system. Teachers plan exciting lessons, but it does not ensure the best possible progress for all students.

The curriculum is designed to match the requirements set by the National Curriculum for England. Arts, Music and ICT are also well-planned by teachers. However, humanity subjects, as well as lessons related to the heritage and culture of the UAE should be systematically planned. The curriculum is not well adapted to ensure all students make at least good progress.

Appropriate staff training and relevant policies and procedures are in place for the safety and protection of all students and staff. The school building is well-maintained and secure. FS students get a welcoming and caring environment. The needs of students of determination are identified and they get good ‘targeted’ support.

Leaders and governors provide an inclusive school system and students’ well-being is the school's priority. However, leaders are not successful in setting a clear educational direction. The school’s system of self-evaluation is weak.

Parents mostly have positive views about the school. Governors have addressed some weaknesses but are slow to identify others. The school has adequate learning resources.

The best features of the school are:

• Students’ positive attitude towards their work. Their good behaviour also contributes to a positive and progressive learning environment.
• Students’ good understanding of Islamic values and their respect for the culture and heritage of the UAE.
• The positive and strong relationship among teachers and students

KHDA has made these key recommendations for improvement:

Improve the teaching quality in all subjects by:

• Increasing teachers’ knowledge about how well students are performing against the curriculum standards
• Adapting the curriculum for meeting students’ varying learning needs
• Ensuring teachers ask questions to engage students in meaningful discussions that may help in promoting students’ independent learning, understanding, concept building and critical thinking

Urgently improve the methods of self-evaluation and assessment by:

• Making sure assessments provide accurate information for all subjects
• Making comparisons between internal and external assessment information to develop and support a clear improvement plan
• Improving monitoring procedures in the school and ensure that teaching quality is robustly evaluated against the impact on student attainment and progress
• Ensuring school’s improvement plans include realistic timeframes for measuring success criteria

Increase governance effectiveness by:

• Becoming totally involved in the school setting and identifying the planned and targeted direction of the school
• Providing sufficient staff for ensuring leaders have enough time to fulfil their roles and responsibilities effectively
• Implementing systems for identifying the strengths and weaknesses of the school and make leaders accountable for students’ performance

The academic calendar for The Alpha School runs from August until July and is divided into three terms.

30th August is the first day of the academic year. Students get a mid-term break for Term 1 from 18th October to 22nd October. Classes resume on 23rd October. Winter break lasts from 13th December to 31st December.

Term 2 starts on 3rd January. Students get a mid-term break for Term 2 from the 14th to 18th February, and the school reopens on 19th of February. Spring break is scheduled from 28th March to 8th April.

Term 3 starts on 11th April.1st July is the last day of the academic year for EYFS students while 7th July is the last day of school for primary students.

Parents can book an appointment to visit The Alpha School with their children. Interested parents can register for The Alpha School admission by submitting the registration form along with complete documents. A non-refundable registration fee applies at the time of registration.

Once all documents are submitted, an assessment appointment is booked and an appointment card is issued. It is compulsory to show the appointment card on the assessment day. The school assesses FS students informally and applicants for Year 1 to Year 6 have to appear for a written test in Mathematics, English and Science. The result of the assessment is announced within 48 hours. To confirm the seat, parents must pay the admission fee within 5 working days.

The acceptance of offer depends upon the full payment of the fee. Parents can choose from the following payment options:

• Full payment of all terms by 3rd August
• Full payment of Term 1 fee by 3rd August and post-dated cheques for Term 2 and Term 3 fees.

These cheques should be dated for 3rd December and 3rd March.

Here’s the breakdown of the The Alpha School fee structure:

• Registration Fee: AED 500 (non-refundable)
• Resources Fee: AED 1,500
• Admission Fee: AED 1,000

The above-mentioned annual fee is to be paid in advance for the academic year via post-dated cheques. Please note that The Alpha School Dubai fee for the 2020-2021 academic session is subject to fee regulations of the KHDA. Additional charges for the iPad package have to be paid directly to the supplier.

The Alpha School is ranked among some of the most expensive schools in Dubai.

There is a school canteen from where children can buy lunch and snacks. They can use cash to buy snacks/lunch and beverages from the canteen or parents can buy vouchers in advance for their children.

A safe bus transportation service is available for children studying at The Alpha School. The school staff monitors and supervises the school buses.
An application form for transportation service can be downloaded and emailed along with the required documents to registrar@alphaschool.ae. Parents are advised to read and abide by the bus behaviour contract.

Students must follow these rules:

• The student should get his/her ID card scanned for boarding and getting off the bus
• Students should respect the bus attendant and driver
• They should remain seated and wear seatbelts throughout the journey
• Students should keep the aisles and walkway clear during the ride
• They should reach the pick-up point on time

The bus service shuttles through the following areas.

• Al Twar, Al Nahda Dubai, Muhaisnah 4, Al Qusais 1, Al Qusais 3, Al Mamzar and Hor Al Anz
  • Charges: AED 6,200

• Al Rashidiya, Al Hamriya, Bur Dubai, Mirdif, Al Mizhar 2, Al Warqaa 1, Oud Al Muteena, Al Karama, Deira and Al Garhoud
  • Charges: AED 6,700

• Al Majaz Sharjah, Dubailand Skycourts Towers, Dubai Silicon Oasis, Falcon City, International City, Queue Point and Al Taawun, Sharjah
  • Charges: AED 7,000

• Jumeirah Lake Towers, Dubai Media City, Dubai Marina, The Springs Arabian Ranches, Al Barsha, Tecom and The Greens
  • Charges: AED 7,600

Sports activities are an important part of a student’s life at The Alpha School Dubai. Foundation and Primary section students have separate play areas close to their classrooms. The multi-purpose hall is used for gymnastics and indoor physical activities. Al Qusais Park 3 serves as an extended play facility for The Alpha School. They organise a sports day every year at the school where students are encouraged to take part in different activities.

The learning environment at The Alpha School is supported by extracurricular and co-curricular activities. The school itself offers some activities while others are outsourced to specialist providers. After-school clubs are planned twice a week based on the availability of internal and external coaches. Parents are provided with a complete list of extracurricular activities at the start of each term.

The Alpha School celebrates several events throughout the year. The highlights include Literacy Week, The UAE National Day, International Day and Arabic Mothers Day celebrations.

The Alpha School recently arranged a field trip for FS2 students. Little ones had a nice time playing with their friends.

The school offers a range of paid after-school activities such as ballet, robotics, football, parkour and gymnastics. The after-school Activity Club for Foundation Stage students with older siblings is available from 01:00 pm to 02:40 pm at an additional cost.

The school doctor is responsible for routine health checks. A first-aid box is available at the school campus with all the necessary medical items. This box is maintained and checked monthly. In case of a medical emergency, students are taken to the hospital by a staff member.

Parents can join the class-specific WhatsApp group to get updates regarding the latest school events, announcements and their child’s progress.

• Telephone: +971-4-225-5586 | +971-56-910-6454
• Email: reception@alphaschool.ae
• Website The Alpha School
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The featured cover image belongs to The Alpha School