Hot on the heels of its expansion to its Secondary School in its new building in Jumeirah Village Triangle, Arcadia Education announced the planned expansion of the Group with a much larger new school.

The story so far...

Arcadia Education has announced its intention to open a third school, provisionally set for August 2021, but subsequently postponed.  The new school will have premium facilities (in line with the existing schools in Jumeirah Village Triangle), but will offer a more affordable fee structure.

In September 2021, the group announced that the ground-breaking ceremony for the new school would take place in October 2021, and at the event, attended by Dr. Abdullah Al Karam, Director General of the KHDA, it was confirmed that the Primary school will open in time for the 2023-24 academic year.  The new school will be named Arcadia Global School.

When it does launch, the school will become the third in a series of schools delivering the vision of well-known Dubai entrepreneur and philanthropist Mohan Valrani and the Al Shirawi Group.

As the Chairman of the school, Mr. Valrani is an avid believer in providing the very best education for future generations. This follows the launch of the original Arcadia School, which expanded into an all-through school in September 2020.  The new school will be located in the Al Furjan area and will eventually cater to a very significant 4,200 students at an affordable fee level. 

The Primary school will have a capacity of 2,400 students in classes of up to 30 students. The scale of the new school is very different to the original Arcadia School in Jumeirah Village Triangle, with plans for 12 form entry in FS1 and FS2, reducing to 10 forms from Years 1 to 6.  Maximum class sizes will be 25 in the Foundation Stage, rising to 30 in the Primary years.

Current plans are for the Secondary school to open in a separate construction phase, likely to be completed for the 2024-25 academic year; however, an earlier opening has not been ruled out.

Speaking at the launch of the school, Mr. Valrani, in the presence of Dr. Pam Grossman, Dean of the University of Pennsylvania’s Graduate School of Education, and her leadership team, unveiled a model of the school. The team from the US have worked together with the original Arcadia School team to develop the curriculum, .

Mr. Valrani said “Arcadia has always been about meeting the aspirations of our students and this school will provide access to thousands of students in Dubai to experience the Arcadia way. We have a metro stop right outside the plot, so our doors will be open to every student that is able to access the Dubai metro.” 

In a further significant step towards the opening of the school, in September 2022, the group announced the appointment of the Founding Principal.

Andrew Wilson joins Arcadia Global School from his position as the Vice Principal of GEMS Westminster School Sharjah for the past nine years.  Mr Wilson clearly has very relevant experience of delivering a National Curriculum for England-based education at more affordable fee levels. GEMS Westminster Sharjah has average fees of AED 16,500 and a student population of 3,000, a comparable size to Arcadia Global. Previously, Mr Wilson spent two years at GEMS' highly regarded and Outstanding rated Jumeirah College as Assistant Principal. He is described by Arcadia Education as an "effervescent educator" who will "add enormous value to the organisation".

What about the Curriculum?

In line with the existing schools within the group, the new Arcadia Global School will offer a UK curriculum, adapted to its international context.  Arcadia Education's ethos centres on nurturing the next generation of leaders, entrepreneurs, artists and athletes through a holistic approach to education. Students will experience Arcadia's trademarked Junior MBA programme from Year 3 upwards and practice a curriculum that will focus on wellbeing as a priority.

School timings will be from 8 a.m - 12 noon for FS1 & FS2,  8 a.m - 2 p.m for Years 1 to 6 and registration will start at 7.40 a.m.

What about the facilities?

According to information provided at the launch of the new school, facilities will be centered around the classrooms of the future. All Foundation Stage classrooms will have external play spaces which have shade and RCC covering. The shades provide protection from the sun while allowing light and air movement. Foundation Stage children will have access to the main football ground as per allocated timings within the school day as well as ground-floor-only teaching spaces and play areas. 

Additional features will include a 106 x 70 metresAstroturf football pitch, a 39x19 metre Multi-game court, featuring an acrylic pitch on a concrete base offering basketball, volleyball, badminton, tennis, and handball, a semi-Olympic (25 x 13metres) swimming pool, with a deck surround and a dedicated change room.

The school will also feature a Performing Arts Centre for Music and Theatre and a large number of internal social spaces (located on all floors of the building) which can be used for a range of activities. 

What about the fees?

KHDA approved fees start at AED 40,000 for FS1 and FS2 rising to AED 45,000 for Years 1 to 6. However, the school is offering very generous discounts for the first academic year with reductions as high as 44% in FS1, 36% in FS2 and 39% in Years 1 to 6.  This brings the fees to AED 22,445 for FS1, AED 25,518 for FS2 and AED 27,559 for Years 1 to 6.

Nearby schools that are likely to be competitors at this affordable price point are extremely limited at present, with GEMS Founders in Al Barsha South and GEMS Metropole in Motor City probably being the closest geographically.

Further information will be added to this review as it becomes available.

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