FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS | THE ARBOR SCHOOL DUBAI

VISION

Enough for all, forever

MISSION

The Arbor School aims to foster a positive, caring and compassionate school environment, in which learners can shine in many different ways. Arbor students shall become innovative and capable leaders,
with a strong set of ethical values, anchored by a deep sense of global environmental justice and sustainability.

The Arbor School is owned by Praxis Education. Praxis build and operates educational offerings in the Arabian Gulf (GCC) region. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Al Mutatawera Gulf General Trading.

The Arbor School is Administered by the Executive Board of Governors. The Arbor School is limited liability company, dependent on school-fee income and devoted to the provision of education.

In partnership with the school’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO), the board is responsible for finance, staffing, premises, enrolment, inspections and ensuring that the school operates in accordance with
KHDA regulations.

For more information, please contact:

Ken Jones

Chair of the Governing Body

kjones@thearborschool.ae

The Arbor School is a BSME (British Schools Middle East) Member. The school was inspected by KHDA in 2023 and received the rating Good.

We are available to answer admission enquiries year round and our aim is to provide an informative and welcoming service, one which is reflective of our values here at Arbor School. Both students and parents will meet with a member of our Senior Leadership Team, as part of the admissions process. Your child’s well-being is our priority and we wish to make these first steps to joining our school as easy as possible for you and your family.

In the first instance, simply make your interest known by contacting our Admissions Team via our enquiry form here. You may also call us on +971 4581 4100 or email reception@thearborschool.ae .

We would particularly urge prospective families to visit the Arbor School and experience first hand the unique facilities that we have here. Tours take place everyday. If you would like to visit is, please complete the form here.

The Arbor School has a unique vision of what education could and should be – experiential, authentic and inspired by the natural beauty, human ingenuity and profound ecological and social challenges of the globe. We are a learning community uniquely committed to understanding and restoring the health of ecological and human communities as interconnected parts of a whole, committed to building a bespoke learning experience for each child; personal and personalised.

Ecoliteracy, sustainability and environmental justice are at the heart of the Arbor School curriculum. The aim is to cultivate within our students an ethos of ecological understanding and environmental mindfulness that drives innovative, creative problem solving for a more sustainable world.

The Arbor School’s Ecoliteracy Principles and Concepts highlight the thinking and learning that is needed to better understand and take action to nurture the profound and complex relationships that shape the future of humans as part of the natural world

Systems thinking, sustainability and environmental justice provide contexts for ethical thinking, learning and action.

Ecoliteracy is more than content or subject matter, it is the way we make sense of the world through our thoughts, values, and actions. It is the way we chart a meaningful and sustainable path that respects the environment as the common ground on which all human social and economic interests and activities play out.

Ecoliteracy, and its inquiry-driven approaches build creative and critical thinkers and may be considered as both a discrete subject and as an integrating context.

The Arbor School Ecoliteracy Concepts and Principles provides a framework for teaching and learning, whether in Ecoliteracy lessons, in subject specific or transdisciplinary opportunities for learning.

The school follows the National Curriculum for England, enriched with innovative teaching in the form of project-based, experiential and outdoor learning to enable our students to fully benefit from the school’s ethos.

At the Arbor School, we emphasize eco-literacy, sustainability and global environmental justice into every aspect of school life, from curriculum and activities to staffing and facilities.

Through project-based, experiential and outdoor learning, our students will engage with their local environment in meaningful ways. In-house specialists work with teaching staff to ensure that our curricula and activities are always enriched with awareness of the environmental and broader ethical knowledge and values essential to the well-being of our students, and of the world they will inherit.

Inclusion is the recognition that every learner has their own potential, their own learning differences, and preferences. At Arbor, inclusion is not rhetoric, it is an intrinsic element of our commitment to an education which is interconnected and interdependent. It’s a commitment to the ideal that the interest of each, is the interest of all.

Individualised learning (and inclusion) does not simply address the needs of students of determination, nor those that are exceptional. All students have unique needs that can be addressed to give them the best chance of success, to help them find their purpose and to pursue individual academic interests and passions.

Arbor has been designed to accommodate all student needs, with an adaptive environment, which includes large break out spaces, inclusive classroom layouts, collaborative learning spaces and bespoke furnishings and resources.

We are committed to providing students of determination a safe and caring environment which inspires learning and personal growth. Adapted and bespoke curriculum supports students with speech and language needs, hearing impairments, specific learning difficulties and autistic spectrum disorders study alongside their peers at their own level. Through innovative use of space and resources, students of determination are developed to become independent learners with lifelong skills capable of engaging within multiple settings

There shall be a maximum of 20 students in each class within the Foundation Stage, whilst classes throughout the remainder of the school shall not exceed 22 students per class. All classrooms are equipped with breakout spaces for work with individuals and smaller groups both inside the classroom and in adjacent hallways.

The students at our school are made up of 70+ different nationalities with an approximate 50/50 split on gender. Currently the school has a roll of 1300 pupils.

Yes, all students from FS1 to Year 10 wear a school uniform. In 2021 the school launched a 100% sustainable, organic, and fair-trade uniform to its community through a partnership with Kapes.  When you join the school you will receive a unique code to grant you access to the Kapes website.

The Kapes website is a world-class online shopping platform designed with the latest e-commerce technology to ensure that your online shopping experience is easy, secure and quick. By answering a few simple questions, you will be recommended the perfect size for your child and view the entire range of options for their school year. Buy now, pay later, and individual financing options are available to help families spread the cost of payments and Kapes are committed to same day or next day deliveries within the UAE. Items that require exchange or return will be collected on the same day.

For more details, please visit the associated website page here.

The school day runs from 7:30am to 3pm, with varying drop off and pick up times dependent on the year group a child is in.

I want to talk to the class teacher:

Teacher-parent meetings occur through-out the year depending on the year group of your child. They may be virtual or in person. Alternatively, email your class teacher for a meeting.

Where do you I find announcements and updates?

School-wide announcements are posted on the parent notice board on Frog. Emergency and Health and Safety Updates are posted on Frog and be sent by email as well.

Updates in relation to your child’s class and year group are be posted on Frog your class or year group page.

Important contacts

Your class teacher is your first point of contact for all academic inquiries.

Parent relations (reception@thearborschool.ae ) team is your point of contact for general school inquiries.

For inquiries in relation to payments, please email finance@thearborschool.ae

For inquiries in relation to transport, please email transportation@thearborschool.ae

For inquiries in relation to school meals, email thefarmhouse@thearborschool.ae

Co-curricular activities are given great importance at The Arbor School, where every child is given opportunity to take part in five activities per week. For Year 1 to 10 these are made up of a combination of free clubs and paid activities led by our external provider of ECAs, ISM Sports. Foundation Stage families can take advantage of our sibling club which comes at an an additional charge.

In addition to the provision of music, the Arbor School is proud to continue working with The Centre for Musical Arts to bring instrumental music lessons to students of the school during the school day.

The Arbor School has exceptional facilities which include the following:

Climate-controlled biodomes and two internal atria, one of which is a learning garden;

Auditorium and Black-box;

Junior and Senior Libraries;

Dining Halls;

Specialised Science Laboratories;

Engineering and Vocational Workshops;

Food technology room;

Film Photography Laboratory,

Swimming pools;

Multi-purpose hall and gymnasium;

Outdoor and indoor play areas;

Multiple sports courts

Full-sized, FIFA compliant football pitch;

The Farmhouse at Arbor is an aspiring “farm-to-fork” canteen concept spearheaded by accomplished cook, baker and restaurant operator Anna Maria Herreras.  Offering fresh, healthy and delicious meals to students from FS1 through Year 9, The Farmhouse makes full use of school-grown produce complemented by the careful sourcing of organic and seasonal ingredients from local and sustainable suppliers, wherever possible.

The Farmhouse offers three variations of its classic “Chef’s Menu” (for non-vegetarians, vegetarians and vegans).

In addition, The Farmhouse offers the “Simply Farmhouse Menu” (for non-vegetarians only) to less adventurous eaters, comprised of bite-sized portions, using more traditional proteins, separating or eliminating sauces, and giving students the option of choosing between raw vegetables, steamed vegetables or a garden salad as their side (in addition to cut fruit).

This month’s menus can be found on the school’s website:
https://thearborschool.ae/admissions/school-lunches/

There is a dedicated security team stationed at the site 24 hours per day, and the school has invested heavily into technology around the site, which ensures that access is only possible by a specialized wristband/card.

The Arbor School partners with STS, Dubai’s leading school transport service provider, to offer parents a safe, convenient and cost-effective alternative for transporting students to and from school, adhering fully to all applicable KHDA and RTA hygiene regulations governing school transport. For further information, please contact reception@thearborschool.ae .

Our school has its own health centre with fully qualified registered nurses.

To view our full fee structure, please visit our fess page here.

A copy of our complaints policy can be found here.

Complaints Procedure