Victory Heights Primary School

Victory Heights Primary School (VHPS) is an independent school that is situated in the Dubai Sports City district. Student numbers have steadily expanded in this British curriculum school since it started operations in 2013.

Students at VHPS follow the National Curriculum of England (NCE), which lays emphasis on an application-based approach to education as opposed to rote learning in which children are expected to remember more details. An application-based approach encourages students to understand concepts and apply them. As of now, there are 973 students aged between 3 and 11 years enrolled in the school between grades starting from Foundation 1 to Year 6.

There are more than 18 different nationalities represented at VHPS, however, the majority of the students are British passport holders as per the latest KHDA report. After leaving Year 6, students are usually transferred to other schools locally and globally.

VHPS is also an accredited member of British Schools of the Middle East (BSME), the council of British International Schools (COBIS) and British Schools Overseas.

• Location: Dubai Sports City
• School fees: AED 38,222 - AED 52,121
• Curriculum: British
• Co-ed or segregate: Co-ed
• KHDA rating: Outstanding
• Years offered: FS 1 - Year 6

Apart from parents and guardians residing in Dubai Sports City, families in nearby neighbourhoods can have easy access to VHPS. For more information regarding residential communities near the school, please click below:

• Dubai Motor City
• Jumeirah Golf Estates
• Dubai Studio City
• Mudon
• Arabian Ranches

Yet, the closest neighbourhood to the school is Dubai Studio City which is home to stunning residential apartments, villas and entertainment and luxury spots.

If families want to move near to Victory Heights Primary School, they can have a look at the apartments and villas available for both rent and sale.

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The campus of Victory Heights is known for being technology savvy and offers a healthy learning atmosphere for students. The school’s state of the art facilities such as spacious classrooms, multi-functional sports halls, library, art room, music room, and other amenities add to the appeal of this British primary school with parents in Dubai.

VHPS is located at Dubai Sports City. It is near Zenith Tower A2 and Butch Harmon School of Gulf.

There are a number of reasons why Victory Heights is considered one of the best British primary schools in Dubai. VPHS offers state of the art facilities which creates a nurturing and supportive atmosphere for both its students and parents. In addition to this, the school has amassed a number of accolades in the short span since it started operations.

The principal of the school Ms. Sasha Crabb has been with the school since 2013 and is supported by a talented team of qualified teachers. In 2019, Miss Crabb won the Principal of the Year Award at the Top School Awards 2019 and the school was nominated for Best Primary School.  The newly appointed Assistant Head of Curriculum and Innovation, Mr. Ben Rothwell was also named as one of the ’10 Most Influential Education Leaders’ by the Knowledge Review.

A majority of the teachers in Victory Heights Primary School are British nationals. There are a total of 68 teachers and 36 teaching assistants at Victory Heights Primary School. The teacher to student ratio is 1:14. The teacher turnover rate is lower than the average in comparison to the rest of the schools in Dubai.  The teachers are responsible for creating learning strategies and assessments that seamlessly link across various subject areas, helping students to easily form connections between related subjects and concepts.

The school has been awarded a Outstanding rating by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) for the second year in a row.

Inclusion

At VHPS, the inclusion team provides additional support for students with special educational needs.  This is provided within the classroom by specialised learning support teachers and learning support assistants. Support and intervention is also provided in Literacy, Phonics, Maths and motor skills.

Students At VHPS start off with the Foundation Stage One and Two (FS1 and FS2) which is offered for children aged 3 to 4 years old.

The VHPS Primary division usually starts from Key Stage 1 (KS1) and includes Year 1 and Year 2 for students aged 5 to 7 years old. At VHPS, primary school concludes with Key Stage 2 (KS2). It includes Year 3 to Year 6 for students aged 7 to 11 years old.

VHPS offers the British curriculum which focuses on age-expected achievements in Early Years Foundation Stage, Key Stage 1 and 2. The advantages of this curriculum include independent critical thinking, embracing creativity, helping young learners to flourish academically and personally within a flexible system. The focus of the core subjects; English, Maths, and Science is on the method in which it is taught and how the student’s development and academic progress can be effectively measured.

A variety of teaching tools are used to engage students through creative topics linked across various subject areas. Teachers carry out both formative (on-going) and summative assessments, closely tracking each student’s progress and documenting student’s learning.

At VHPS, positive education is introduced through the Effective Lifelong Learning Inventory (ELLI). Key Attributes of Positive Education include creativity, curiosity, courage, integrity, resilience, empathy, fairness and tolerance. To make it simple for the students to relate to them, these attributes have been represented as animal metaphors.  They are as follows:

• The Chameleon illustrates the ability to keep learning and changing
• The Owl embodies strategic awareness and planning
• The Tortoise represents resilience
• The Cat shows the ability to develop an attitude of curiosity
• The Unicorn is symbolic of creativity
• The Bees possess the ability to work alone and in a team
• The Spider is able to make webs of meaning and connections

Assessment

The management of VHPS is of the view that assessment is an important component of teaching and learning. Assessment can allow parents and teachers to understand the progress of the student so that they can chalk out relevant plans for further academic growth.

At VHPS, summative and formative assessments are taken on a regular basis and feedback is given to parents. Students assessed internally through examinations and projects based on the National Curriculum of England for Writing, Reading and Mathematics.

As part of the school inspection requirements of Dubai, VHPS uses internal and external data for the purpose of tracking student progress. Students at VHPS are assessed through the use of global benchmark tests.

As VHPS is aligned with the UAE National Agenda Parameter, they also offer global benchmarking assessments such as TIMSS (Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study) for Year 5 students.

Parents receive a progress report at the completion of Term 1 and a full annual academic report at the completion of Term 3.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a government organisation responsible for the growth and quality of private education in Dubai. They are also held responsible for inspecting private schools in Dubai as judgments are made on a six-point scale of:

• Outstanding
• Very Good
• Good
• Acceptable
• Weak
• Very Weak

For the academic year 2022 -2023, VHPS has received an 'Outstanding' rating. You can see a snapshot of VHPS performance so far, below:

Some of the key reasons for the attainment of this rating are as follows:

• Improvements made through research and innovation facilitated by the principal’s vision of inclusion.
• Outstanding progress made by students in Science, Math, and English along with evidence of improvements made in Arabic and Islamic education
• Strong sense of community that supports student development
• A strong understanding of Islam along with innovation skills and social responsibility within the primary school
• The strong assessment, teaching, adaptation, curriculum design, health and safety, support and care throughout the school
• The good governance, facilities and staffing available at the school
• The outstanding collaboration of the school with parents and the community

You can view Victoria Heights Primary School’s academic calendar for more information.

When a student enters a school within the UAE, it is a legal requirement to register with the Ministry of Education. VHPS performs this important activity on behalf of the parents by providing the required documents to the student when they start primary school. After an offer has been received, the required documents for registration are as follows:

• The student’s valid passport copy
• Birth certificate copy of the student
• Copy of transfer certificate received from the previous school
• Student’s valid Emirates ID copy
• Parents or Guardian’s valid Emirates ID copy
• A consent form and medical immunisation

Foreign students transfer documents

• If any student is arriving from a foreign school, and overseas Transfer Certificate (TC) would be required if they have joined from Year 1 onwards.

All transfer certificates are required to be:

• Written in Arabic or English and should be on the school’s letterhead along with school stamp signed by the Head Teacher or Principal.

It is important that the transfer certificate should be attested by the following:

• The Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• The Ministry of Education
• UAE Embassy

If students arrive from any of the GCC Countries, they require a stamped certificate by the Ministry of Education. It is not necessary to have transfer certificates from the following countries: Canada, North America, Australia, Western Europe, the United Kingdom, and New Zealand.

For further information, parents can always visit the Admissions Overview page.

Also, please refer to the following age requirements before initiating the admissions process.

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

Victory Heights Primary School fee for the current academic year is as follows:

Year Group	Total Annual Fee
Foundation 1	AED 38,222
Foundation 2	AED 41,696
Year 1 – Year 2	AED 45,172
Year 3 – Year 4	AED 48,646
Year 5 – Year 6	AED 52,121

The following table summarises other charges as stated in the KHDA fees fact sheet:

Optional Services	Fees in AED
Transport	6,800 to 12,500
Uniform	700 to 900
Extracurricular Activities	5,280 to 7,920
Medical	525
School trips	500 to 1,000
Stationery	35 to 125
Club Activities	1,000 to 3,000
Educational Excursion(International)	3,000 to 15,000
Educational Overseas Trip	3,000 to 15,000
Kinder Club	3,200 to 3,500
Overnight camp	250 to 3,000
School ID Card	125

Additional Fees

• Application Fee: AED 500
• Enrolment Fee (for New Students): 10% of the annual tuition fee
• Re-Enrolment Fee (for Existing Students): 5% of the annual tuition fee
• Medical Fee: AED 525
• STEAM Resource Fee: AED 525

Refund

• If a student withdraws prior to the start of the academic year, the balance of the first term’s fees paid will be refunded, except for the Application Fee and Enrolment Fee.
• If a student withdraws during the school year, the Application Fee and Enrolment Fee are non‐refundable and the remaining tuition fee is calculated as follows:
  • If a student attends school for two weeks or less, one full month’s fee will be charged
  • If a student attends school for more than two weeks, but less than one month, two full month’s fees will be charged
  • If a student attends school for more than one month, the entire term’s’ fees will be charged.

Method of Payment: Cheque payment and Bank transfer payment.

Bank details are as follows:

• Account Name: VICTORY HEIGHTS PRIMARY SCHOOL L.L.C
  Bank Name: NATIONAL BANK OF FUJAIRAH
  Branch Name: JEBEL ALI 
  Account Number: 12000806674
  Account Type: CURRENT ACCOUNT
  IBAN No: AE160380000012000806674
  Swift Code/BME: NBFUAEAFDXB

VHPS has a Tuck Shop cafe for its students. Students are also allowed to bring a packed lunch from home along with a snack for morning break. It is important for parents to make sure that healthy lunches and snacks are sent to the school for their child.

The areas covered include Arabian Ranches, Victory Heights, Dubai Marina, IMPZ, Layan Community, Al Barsha, Motor City – Green Community,  Barsha Heights, Sports City, Greens, Jumeirah Village Circle, and Jumeirah Village Triangle.

VHPS has outsourced its holiday camp to Elite Sports Academy. The holiday camps provided by Elite sports school offer students an opportunity to participate in and learn the essential skills in sports. This may include cricket, football, dodgeball, hockey etc.

The sports facilities at VHPS includes shaded play areas along with high-quality playground equipment, surrounded by safety surfaces. The school also has a 3G playing field that allows students to participate in different team games including rugby, football and hockey. The school also has multi-purpose court for netball, basketball and tennis. In 2016 a second building was added which comprises of an indoor swimming pool.

The Victory Heights Primary School takes the holistic development of students seriously. There are various extracurricular activities offered at Victory Heights to enable this. All students at VHPS can participate in two ECAs per week and per term. Students can also choose a third activity, Arabic ECA. However, this activity is subject to availability.

Some of the extra-curricular activities that VHPS students can get involved in include the following:

VHPS organises field trips that are linked to learning and development. The various trips in the past include trips to other emirates like Umm Al Quwain and Ras Al Khaimah, cultural venues such as the Dubai Opera House and charitable centres including the Senses Children Centre in Jumeirah where students got to interact with children with special educational needs. Apart from the field trips, the school hosts a lot of events to promote learning and development such as shows, productions, visits to the LitFest, Queen’s Birthday celebration, sports day etc.

At VHPS, after-school care is provided for students of FS1 and FS2 who have siblings in Year 1 to Year 6. There is an extra charge that is levied for this care. Moreover, it is important to note that after school child care is only available until 02.30 pm and does not cover after-school activities.

At VHPS, the school clinic is located on the ground floor, adjacent to the swimming pool area. The school’s health requirements are covered by the school’s full-time nurse and a part-time school doctor. All health practitioners at VHPS are licensed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA).

A parent portal is available on the official website of VHPS. Feedback is provided to parents on a regular basis. There is also a Class Parent Representative, so parents can address any concerns that they might have or to help coordinate joint events.

There are other ways to connect as well,  including class activities, workshops, different information sessions and social media platforms like Facebook, Youtube, Instagram and Twitter. Parents can also request to be made part of the grade sepecific Whatsapp groups so they are kept informed about all the latest updates from the school.

The school has also successfully developed a broadcasting program called the VPS news channel where students are given turns to report on weekly news. This initiative links students, teachers, parents, community and produces a platform to display the students’ work.

• Telephone: +971-4-423-1100
• Email: admissions@vhprimary.com
• Website VHPS
• Facebook VHPS
• Twitter VHPS
• Instagram VHPS
• Youtube VHPS

What are the timings of your school?

The school remains open from Monday through Friday and the timings are:

• FS 1: 08:00 am to 01:15 pm (11:30 am on Fridays)
• FS 2: 08:00 am to 01:50 pm (11:45 am on Fridays)
• Year 1 and Year 2: 08:00 am to 02:30 pm (11:30 am on Fridays)
• Year 3 to Year 6: 08:00 am to 02:40 pm (11:40 am on Fridays)

Do you conduct after-school activities?

Victory Heights Primary School offers after-school activities until until 2:30 in the afternoon.

How many grades/years are there in your school?

FS 1 until Year 6.

How many students are currently studying in your school?

As of now, there are around 973 students enroled in the school, including 76 students of determination.

Can you please describe the academic calendar of your school?

The academic calendar runs from late August until early July.

Can you please mention the range of the tuition fee charged by your school?

Annual tuition fee ranges from AED 38,222 to AED 52,121.

How do you communicate with parents?

Parent-teacher meetings is one way to communicate with parents or guardians. Other prominent methods of communication with the school include classroom activities, workshops and information exchange sessions, as well as the school's website and social media pages. Also, there's a parent portal for parents to log in and find information regarding school activities.

Do you have a cafeteria or a canteen on campus?

Victory Heights School includes a 'Master Cook' café, which serves light and healthy food to students at reasonable prices. 

How many teachers are currently teaching in your school?

Currently, the teaching staff consists of 68 teachers and 36 teaching assistants.