Jebel Ali School provides a high quality British-style education based upon the framework of the National Curriculum for England. Our holistic approach to education fosters respect, tolerance and understanding and enables each child to maximise their academic success and also develop the skills and aptitudes that will allow them to adapt and succeed in a world which is rapidly changing.
The school offers a secure and safe environment where children are challenged in order to gain the necessary skills in academic, social, sporting and aesthetic fields. We emphasise the development of the individual but also encourage students to see themselves as valued and productive members of our school and the wider community.
We have specialist teachers for Arabic, French, music, PE, computing, learning support and for Islamic Education which is a programme for Muslim students only. Computing is a key area and is taught both discretely as a skills-based programme and also used as a learning tool, integrated across the curriculum.
Across all phases of the school, we enrich our curriculum by way of:
Pastoral care and personal development are central to the Jebel Ali experience. Knowing, and caring for, our students and promoting self-esteem and self-belief underpin curriculum delivery across all phases of the school. We promote positive lifestyles as part of our school culture and we help students to become healthier, more independent, more responsible and more active members of our community. Students learn about and appreciate, what it means to be a positive part of a multi-cultural school and society.
| Key Stages | Chronological Ages | Years |
|---|---|---|
| Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) | 3 to 4 | Foundation One and Two (FS1/FS2) |
| Key Stage 1 (KS1) | 5 to 7 | Years 1 and 2 |
| Key Stage 2 (KS2) | 7 to 11 | Years 3 to 6 |
| Key Stage 3 (KS3) | 11 to 14 | Years 7 to 9 |
| Key Stage 4 (KS4) | 14 to 16 | Years 10 to 11 |
| Key stage 5 (KS5) | 17 to 18 | Years 12 to 13 |
Throughout the Foundation Stage, children progress through a programme of skills and knowledge development culminating in the Early Learning Goals, (ELGs). This programme is a British Early Years curriculum which emphasises learning though play and exploration, active learning and creating and thinking critically. Learning is organised under seven key subject headings:
Progress is tracked continually through ‘Development Matters’. This document is aligned with the statutory curriculum and outlines the key developmental milestones that young children should achieve across each of the key areas of learning within defined age bands from birth to five.
We provide a continuous learning journey for our students and when each child achieves the ELGs, they commence the British National Curriculum for Year 1. Effective staff liaison ensures a smooth transition from early years to primary to provide continuity in learning.
The curriculum is mainly delivered through a topic approach with discrete subject lessons where appropriate. This allows children to study in contexts that are meaningful and to make connections across different areas of learning.
There is a strong focus on core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Other subjects comprise geography, history, art, design technology, music, PE, citizenship and Personal, Social and Health Education, (PSHE).
We also integrate Social Studies into our curriculum across the primary years. This syllabus seeks to inform children about the context in which they live in Dubai, focusing on elements of local culture, local and global issues, the development of Dubai and the UAE and the multicultural nature of society. This supports children in their growth as global citizens.
In KS3, students will continue to study across a broad curriculum, divided into four key areas:
| Core | Modern Languages | Social Science | Creative and Physical Arts |
|---|---|---|---|
| English | French | History | Art and Design |
| Mathematics | Spanish | Geography | Design and Technology |
| Science | Computing | Drama | |
| Arabic A or B | Music | ||
| Islamic A or B for Muslim students only | Physical Education | ||
| Social Studies |
We will ensure that students acquire the skills to effectively manage their learning, increasing their independent learning skills to ensure success in KS3 and beyond. Each area of learning will become more in-depth as students are taught discrete subject areas by specialist teachers. Computing and technology will permeate the curriculum and we will equip students with the skills to apply these effectively to all aspects of learning. For example, composing in music, recording and analysing scientific data and results, applications in DT which control devices using programmable components or communicating results, reports and findings across all curricular areas.
Assessment is an integral part of our learning and teaching. It facilitates daily ongoing review of individual progress and impacts on planning and target-setting for each child. In each phase of the school, students will have personal learning targets based on assessment outcomes. Our students contribute to self- and peer-assessment to enable them to develop critical personal evaluation skills and so become successful and increasingly independent learners.
We recognise that each child is individual and, therefore, in EYFS specifically, a baseline assessment is carried out to determine what skills and knowledge each child brings to school upon entry. This allows our teachers to then plan accurately for next steps in learning to ensure each child experiences an appropriate curriculum. Each child is then continually assessed and their learning and developmental successes tracked and monitored.
Throughout the primary phase, we assess the core subjects formally each term and carefully track individual attainment against curricular targets. We also benchmark each year using external, standardised tests for these core subjects. We follow the British Curriculum Standard Assessment protocols, currently SATs, to ensure we are in line with UK practice. National Curriculum levels are determined by these assessments alongside teachers’ observations to ensure the most accurate judgement of each child’s attainment is communicated to parents in the end-of-year school report.
In secondary, baseline assessment at entry to Year 7 will again be implemented to inform accurate planning of next steps. Regular formative and summative assessments in each subject will be used to track and monitor progress and to set aspirational targets for each student.
End of Year assessments will facilitate comparisons with the baseline to measure progress. End of Key Stage assessments will also support progress analysis. There will be formal tracking and monitoring throughout the secondary phase by class teachers, heads of department and senior staff to identify individual progress and key trends.
At each point of transition, there will be close staff liaison to ensure teachers in the next phase have a comprehensive personal and academic profile of each student.
We believe that supporting children involves everyone and we have robust systems in place to identify children with additional learning needs. Effective support for pupils starts in the daily planning for every classroom lesson. Teachers plan differentiated activities as an integral part of learning and teaching across all phases of the school. This takes the form of, for example, extra time to complete a task, different resources, classroom prompts or outcome expectation.
Groupings are also used as appropriate to the needs of learners so these may be ability, mixed ability, pairs or individuals. In addition, further provision supports specific difficulties, eg booster groups for reading or maths or extra sessions to develop fine motor skills.
All programmes are based on analysis of students’ needs using assessment data and teachers’ observations and judgements to ensure the most effective support is offered.
Our specialist Oasis Team in primary provides appropriate support and liaises closely with class and specialist teachers, senior leaders and parents to ensure effective provision is in place. This takes the form of specialist sessions with learning support staff or in-class support. Our HOTS programme, (Higher Order Thinking Skills), enriches the curriculum for children with specific aptitudes in English and mathematics.
In secondary, specialist learning support teachers will continue to provide support for students and staff to ensure appropriate programmes are in place. Differentiated sets for English, mathematics, science and Modern Foreign Languages (MFL) will further support students’ progress.
Personalised pathways for GCSE will support students who require either a reduced or enhanced curriculum. Directed study courses will also be offered to those students who require additional day-to-day support or to those with expert sporting or creative demands that make a full timetable unmanageable. Personalised pathways will also support those students who require an accelerated programmes of study in, for example, English, mathematics, science and MFL.
Above all, a secure and supportive learning environment already established at Jebel Ali will ensure that students feel safe to learn, experiment, explore and take risks with their learning.