The International School of Choueifat (ISC) Al Sufouh

The International School of Choueifat (ISC) Al Sufouh 2 is a centre of top-quality education. Inaugurated in 1993, the school started its operations till grade 6 and added a new grade each year. Today, it is a K-12 school that educates students aged 3 to 18 years old.

ISC Al Sufouh 2 is a part of the famous SABIS Network. It is an internationally recognised educational system with a rigorous and challenging academic programme. SABIS Network has a presence in 20 countries and provides top-notch education to over 70,000 students. As a part of this renowned network, the school fosters a strict academic environment, focusing on academic excellence. It serves as a platform for each student to enrol in top colleges and universities. This ambition is fully supported by an enriched SABIS curriculum.

Currently, the Al Sufouh branch has around 4,000 students, supported by 160 teachers and 37 teaching assistants. Most teachers are Irish and most students are Arabs. However, the school is inclusive and students from other nationalities co-exist. The student to teacher ratio is high, which is because of the high turnover rate of teachers. Nevertheless, the school is popular among parents as waiting lists are long. This led to the development of a new campus in Dubai Investment Park (DIP) in 2012.

The ultra-modern campus covers all educational and non-academic needs. From academics to sports, the campus has something for everyone. Technology is an essential component of the academic programme at ISC Al Sufouh. Integrating technology has accelerated students’ progress across multiple domains.

This guide by Bayut sheds light on the features and education at ISC Al Sufouh 2.

Located in Al Sufouh 2, the school is situated near many residential communities. These communities are:

• The Greens
• The Views
• Al Barsha 3
• Al Barsha 1

The Greens, a part of the Emirates Living communities, is nearest to ISC Dubai. It consists of 40 low-rise residential buildings encompassing luxurious apartments. Its strategic locations allow residents easy access to different parts of Dubai. Availability of amenities, such as restaurants, shopping malls and schools, makes it an attractive option for people living far from ICS Al Sufouh. Here are some of the residential options near ISC Al Sufouh:

• Apartments for rent near The International School of Choueifat (ISC)
• Apartments for sale near The International School of Choueifat (ISC)
• Villas for rent near The International School of Choueifat (ICS)
• Villas for sale near The International School of Choueifat (ISC)
• Townhouses for sale near The International School of Choueifat (ISC)

ISC Al Sufouh 2 Campus

ICS Al Sufouh 2 has an outstanding campus with ultra-modern facilities. Despite being established in 1993, the school has maintained its facilities in excellent condition. The main school building has modern architecture. It is built meticulously to ensure well-lit classrooms and corridors. Each corner of the building depicts an academically inspiring environment.

The building has a large examination hall, a spacious library, an expansive auditorium, three science labs and three computer labs. There also exists a cafeteria where students can purchase and eat their snacks or lunches.

ICS Al Sufouh 2 also has a range of other facilities, including gymnastics and ballet rooms. For sports, the school consists of both indoor and outdoor facilities. The indoor facilities include a gymnasium, an air-conditioned multipurpose hall and two swimming pools. It also has outdoor courts, a grass soccer pitch, playgrounds with relevant equipment and car tracks for young learners.

ISC DIP campus

The other campus at the Dubai Investment Park came into existence in 2012. It also has facilities that are the hallmark of SABIS Schools. The marvellous campus building houses classrooms, science labs, computer labs, a multipurpose hall, examination hall and a library. It also has a wide range of sports facilities fulfilling the extra-curricular needs of children.

The school sits on a spacious campus in Al Sufouh 2 near the junction of Abdullah Omran Taryam Street and Hessa Street. Those looking to visit the school from nearby communities can easily access it from the aforementioned streets.

One key feature that distinguishes the International School of Choueifat from other schools in Dubai is its affiliation with SABIS Education. Since 1886, SABIS Education has been providing top-quality education to students throughout the world. Its presence in 20 countries in the world makes it a highly recognised educational body in the world. Their curriculum is a highly modified version of the National Curriculum of the UK, ensuring relevant and updated education. As a result, students develop academic skills that come in handy when pursuing higher education.

At ISC, the approach to education is dynamic and relevant. The entire staff of the school contribute to the growth and learning of children. The school focuses more on the academic skills of students rather than co-curricular skills. This may be a concern for a few; however, others seem to cope with it as a challenge. Students completing Grade 12 have the skills to transform smoothly from school to college education.

Another alluring feature of the International School of Choueifat Dubai is the high-end campus facilities. All the facilities ensure students have the best educational experience. This allows the school to adopt the academically rigorous programme successfully. Technology is also made part of the students’ lives. Here, students from a very young age learn through ICT devices. It also offers dedicated academic support. ISC has three support programmes: summer school, special lessons and full-special classes to support those who are academically behind. As a result, those coming from other education systems can adapt to the SABIS Education System.

Another strong point of this school is its inclusive admission policy. This policy has resulted in a diverse environment. While a majority of students are Emirati, students from other nationalities, including Americans, Britishers, Canadians, Indians and Pakistanis, co-exist. This helps the school to formulate a society where they learn to respect and embrace others as individuals.

The International School of Choueifat Al Sufouh starts from the kindergarten stage to the senior secondary stage, featuring children aged 3 to 18 years old.

The educational programme at ISC is academically rigorous and challenging. The syllabus from kindergarten to senior secondary stage is based on the SABIS Educational System. It is a curriculum specifically designed by SABIS Education to equip students with knowledge and skills for solid educational foundations. This comprehensive educational system has been amended over the years to meet the challenges of modern-day education.

The SABIS curriculum aims to prepare students for college and subsequent education. For this purpose, it focuses more on the academic aspects of schooling. It is a structured programme focusing on every aspect of education: teaching, testing and monitoring and follow-up. From Grade 3 onwards, there is a specific number of learning objectives each student needs to study to promote to the next stage.

To support the curriculum, teachers use the SABIS Point System of instruction as a teaching method. This method is based on the identification of learning outcomes and engages students in community learning for accelerated learning. Firstly, teachers effectively deliver the lesson by using technology. Secondly, teachers ask children to demonstrate their understanding as a written exercise. Lastly, students check each other’s work in a manageable group. This practice is followed in each phase of education. This approach is supported by SABIS Book Series. It is a combination of over 2,000 books on different subjects for different graders.

KHDA is an education regulatory body in Dubai. Sanctioned by His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum in 2006, it was established to improve the quality of education. To achieve this, KHDA annually inspects the performance of schools in Dubai and offers a judgement based on a six-point rating scale. This scale varies from outstanding to very weak rating.

In the inspection for 2019-20, KHDA rated ISC Al Sufouh 2 as an acceptable school. The school has maintained its rating for the last 10 years.

Here are the strengths of the International School of Choueifat reported in the latest inspection report:

• The range of courses available to students in high school.
• Students in high school have very good attainment in mathematics and science and good attainment in English. Middle School students also have good attainment in English.
• Students demonstrate a positive attitude toward learning, especially in higher grades.
• Students are exposed to leadership roles through the Student Life Organisation (SLO).

KHDA also proposed recommendations for ISC Al Sufouh:

• Governors and senior leadership of ISC Al Sufouh must address the priorities of UAE within the school.
• The school must meet the needs of students of determination. For this purpose, it should provide adequate staffing with the required expertise, develop procedures to identify students’ needs and provide support to them.
• The school must implement best teaching practices to overcome weak aspects. For this, the school must ensure teaching staff is qualified and well experienced. They develop the use of questioning among teachers, address the varying needs of students and improve students’ abilities in Arabic as an additional language.
• The school must also develop resources to support a variety of teaching and learning strategies, support reading across the curriculum and promote the development of students’ research skills.
• ISC Al Sufouh must develop a parent committee to impact the governance of the school.

The academic year at ISC Al Sufouh 2 starts in August and ends in June. The academic activities are distributed into three terms.

• The first term starts in the last week of August and ends in the second week of December.
• The second term starts in the first week of January and ends in the fourth week of March. Students go on a 3-week winter holiday at the start of this term.
• The third term starts in the third week of April and concludes in the last week of June. There is a three-week spring holiday before the start of this term.

Besides the aforementioned holidays, there will be other national and Islamic holidays. Dates of these holidays are subject to moon sightings. Check out the academic calendar for more information.

All the SABIS Education schools, including the International School of Choueifat (ISC), Al Sufouh 2, follows a non-selective admission policy. The policy ensures that school accepts students solely on academic capabilities. The age-grade table is followed to ensure that students are enrolled in the right grade.

School Tour

The International School of Choueifat is an inclusive school that considers the admission application of all candidates.

Before applying for the ISC, the school advises parents to visit the school. This allows parents to communicate with the teaching staff and management and see the facilities by themselves. Book an appointment by contacting at iscdubai@sabis.net.

Application and documents

The school’s admission application is available online. Parents need to submit the student application form available at the school along with the following documents:

• A copy of the student’s and parents’ passports and valid UAE visa
• A copy of the vaccination record of the student
• Recent passport size photographs of the student
• A copy of the student’s and parents’ Emirates ID card
• A copy of the birth certificate of the student
• Recent school records

You may also have to submit the original transfer certificate at some point in the admission process. The required actions for an acceptable transfer certificate by the KHDA are:

• Those coming from GCC countries should get their certificate attested by the Ministry of Education of that country.
• Students applying from Western Europe, Scandinavian countries, the US, Canada, Mexico and Australia should get their certificate attested by their schools.
• Students coming from other countries need to submit their transfer certificate attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Ministry of Education and UAE embassy (if applicable) in their country.

Assessment and admission

The school contacts parents to bring their child for an assessment. For admissions in Grade 1 and below, the school interviews children to evaluate their ability to speak and follow instructions. Currently, the school is conducting an online interview session via video conference to determine a child’s abilities. Those seeking admission in Grade 2 and above must sit a diagnostic test. Diagnostic tests are also conducted virtually because of the pandemic. Please note that parents can contact the school by calling on (+971) 4 399 9444 or emailing iscdubai@sabis.net.

The age-grade guideline followed by ISC Al Sufouh is 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 admission team carefully evaluates the prospective student, and the admission decision is based on both the diagnostic test and previous academic record. In a few days, the school informs parents about their decision. The seat will only be confirmed after submitting the required deposit and documents. For more information, read the admission process of the International School of Choueifat Al Sufouh,

The International School of Choueifat fees per annum is as follows:

To find out more, view the fee structure of ISC Al Sufouh 2.

Currently, the school has no scholarship programme to offer.

Students of ISC in Al Sufouh have plenty of healthy eating options. There is a large cafeteria open to students during breaks. Here, students can purchase healthy snacks or lunch items or eat their home-packed lunch boxes. All the food items are available at affordable prices.

For students’ convenience, it offers a safe and reliable transport service. Its fleet consists of well-maintained buses with outstanding safety and security features. The transport staff, including drivers and bus conductors, are well trained and comply with the regulations of the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

It is a day-only school and does not offer boarding facilities to its students.

The school offers a limited range of holiday camps to its students.

ICS has a range of indoor and outdoor sports facilities for its students. There is a grass-based spacious football field, where football enthusiasts can try their skills. Additionally, there are outdoor courts for students interested in basketball, volleyball and tennis.

Those interested in indoor games and sports activities can access the air-conditioned sports hall. To help students in living an active life, ISC also offers swimming lessons. These lessons are fully supported by two swimming pools.

Despite its status as an academically rigorous school that relies heavily on sports facilities, ISC Al Sufouh 2 offers a considerable range of extra-curricular activities. Students take part in the following activities:

They also participate in volunteering and charity-related activities and celebrate days such as UAE National day and UAE Flag day. Students are also actively engaged in sports-related extra-curricular activities, including intra-school and DASSA arranged competitions.

A field trip is an important component of life at ISC Al Sufouh 2. The school arranges several trips per year for each grade. Most of these trips are educational and help students in understanding the way things work in real life.

Junior grade students typically visit local areas, such as malls and museums. The popular school visits for these students are**:**

On the other hand, the school arranges international trips to senior grade students. These trips equip students with the skills necessary to combat 21st-century challenges. A popular international visit for ISC Al Sufouh 2 was the trip to Singapore. Please note that field trips in ISC are optional and cost additional charges.

Currently, there is no after-school care provided by the International School of Choueifat (ISC).

The school has a fully equipped clinic and is managed by a doctor and nurse.

SABIS Parent, a mobile application, is the most efficient mode of communication between parents and schools at ISC Al Sufouh 2. All the SABIS schools around the world share information with parents on this app. Here, ISC Dubai shares news, examination schedule, results and infraction details. Parents will receive push notifications every time the school updates its information. This app is easily available on Windows Store, Play Store and App Store.

Other modes of communication at ISC Al Sufouh 2 include social media platforms and Grade-wise WhatsApp groups.

Parents can fill an online request form to gain important information. Other contact information is as follows:

Physical Address and Phone number

• Location: The International School of Choueifat, Hessa Street, Al Sufouh 2, Dubai, UAE.
• Telephone number: +971 4 399 9444
• Fax number: +971 4 399 9045

Email Addresses

• For general information: iscdxb@iscdxb.sabis.net
• Principal: principal@iscdxb.sabis.net
• Vice Principal: viceprincipal@iscdxb.sabis.net

GENERAL INFORMATION

• Official Website
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Vimeo

Note that the cover image belongs to The International School of Choueifat (ISC) Al Sufouh