Welcome to the Reach British School official Q and A page. Here we ask the questions, and the school answers directly. It is its chance to have its say on specific areas you have told us you want to know about. If you think there are additional questions we should be asking you may contact us here.

If you have to highlight three strengths of your school, what would they be?

STEAM education is embedded in our curriculum. We are also offering STEAM, Enterprise and BTEC career pathways for our senior students.

Being part of ISP allows us to offer unique and international impactful programmes for students that connect ISP students around the globe through unique beyond the classroom experience.

Does your school have a waiting list? In which years?

If you are looking to start this academic year, we still do have some spaces available.

Our registrations are open now for September 2023 for students ages 3-17, and there are still some spaces in every year group. You can find more information on our website www.reachbritishschool.com, where you can also fill out our online registration form. If you have questions you can call 0508521801 or contact [email protected] for an appointment.

What are qualities and characteristics that define your school and its students?

Reach British School is an inclusive International British School in Abu Dhabi that delivers amazing learning opportunities to enable students to excel academically, emotionally and socially. The school values each child’s contribution to making the school a happy, safe and harmonious place to learn and be.

Reach British School opened in 2014 in the south of Abu Dhabi and teaches the National Curriculum for England from Foundation Stage 1 to Year 13. The school now has over 1800 students from over 70 different nationalities.

Reach British School has been nurtured by a community that works collaboratively to deliver the happy, safe, respectful and ambitious environment that students need to develop as confident, resilient and rounded individuals who thrive in a fast changing world.

Reach British School is part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP), a global network of over 75 schools across 21 countries, which provides the school with outstanding international learning connections and quality assurance.

Most of our teachers are native English speakers, except for our specialist Arabic teachers who deliver the Ministry of Education’s Arabic, Islamic and Social Studies curriculum. Learning and teaching standards are constantly observed, and specialist consultants from our British owners, the International Schools Partnership, ensure we are constantly developing to give our students the best environment to develop academically as well as socially. Our Senior Leadership Team is mainly British, bringing years of experience to our multi-cultural school.

How many nationalities are represented in your school? How international would you say your school is?

We now are lucky to have over 70 nationalities in our multicultural school. The majority of our students come from native Arabic speaking countries, though 25% of our student body is also made up of students from across Asia, Africa, Europe and America. 27 different languages are spoken throughout the school.

Are there high proportions of a particular nationality?

51% of our students are Emirati, with Arab expatriates making up 29% of the school. Across the rest of our student body, 15% are Asian, 4% are European, 13% are African, 3% are from the Americas, and 1.5% are from other countries.

What is the teacher: student ratio in your school?

The average across the school is 1 to 18, with the Early Years benefiting from having an additional teaching assistant in every class.

Physical education and sport is an important aspect of a healthy lifestyle. How does your school ensure children engage in physical activity?

All students receive two PE lessons per week as part of the curriculum, as we firmly believe that a healthy body assists a healthy mind. We also run an after-school activity programme offering a wider selection of sporting activities. We have also started an interschool sporting programme in football, and we hope this will soon extend to swimming also.

How does your school promote healthy lifestyles?

Alongside the academic development of our students, teaching them more about a healthy lifestyle is an important role for our teachers. This is an inherent part of the sports education and the health services provided by our fantastic school nurses, but this also extends into the classroom. Talking about exercising at home, what activities students can do as a family, and education about a balanced diet allows students to ask questions and explore how a healthy body assists a healthy mind.

Our students are also actively encouraged to make healthy choices in the school canteen and to bring healthy snacks from home, with the Early Years teachers positively reinforcing the message to our youngest students and their parents by rewarding the best lunch boxes.

You can read more on our website http://reachbritishschool.com/school-life/health-services/

How do you promote healthy eating?

We have found the best way to promote this is by educating students about what their food really contains and where it comes from. Most of our students bring their own lunches, so we use Science, Form Time and PE to talk to students about what healthy eating means to them. Our school nurses also work hard to support this, with messages around the clinic and we are now messaging parents so they can support this education from home.

Does the school have cafeteria facilities for the students? How does it promote a balanced diet?

The school has a cafeteria adjoining the main playground that serves a mixture of salads, snacks and hot food. We have separate cafeterias for boys and girls, each has seating, and is open for Years 1 to 9.

What is the approximate average cost of a lunchtime meal?

Food starts at 5 AED, with most meals costing less than 15 AED.

What is the starting and finishing time of your school day?

Our Primary and Secondary School starts classes at 7.30 am and until 2.30 pm and our EYFS Department starts from 7.30 am until 1 pm

Is there a school uniform?

The school uniform is comfortable and non-restrictive, allowing students to move freely in Winter and Summer. This is currently a blue top with blue trousers for boys, and long skirts for girls. Black shoes should be worn, and jumpers should be the blue Reach British School zip up tops. There is a separate uniform for PE, which shows off the colours of the student’s school house. Parents can purchase this from the Uniform Shop in school.

Please advise on your discipline policy?

Reach British School believes in a firm, fair and consistent behaviour policy. Most behaviour issues are dealt with by the teachers in the classroom, with any more serious issues taken outside of the classroom to our Pastoral Centre. In these cases, the faculty will work with parents to resolve the issues, so that classes are disrupted as little as possible.

How do you feedback progress and attainment to students and parents?

Our teachers practice continuous assessment throughout the year to see student progress. Parents receive updates throughout the term about fantastic work and areas for improvement from teachers via email or Class Dojo. Parents are also provided with the email address of their child’s class teacher and are actively encouraged to communicate with them, including booking informal meetings with teachers should they need more answers or support.

How often is the more formal feedback such as reports and parent/teacher meetings?

More formal feedback is given in the end of term report. Parent/teacher meetings take place each term to discuss these reports and student progress in person.

Which languages are taught at your school - please detail any as a first as well as second language?

We currently only teach English and Arabic to our students, though we have added French and Spanish to our extra-curricular activities.

Do you offer EAL or TEFL support for those students where English is not their first language?

Yes, we do.

Do you offer a dedicated prayer room/s for students? For which faiths?

Yes, we do have for Muslim students

How do you support gifted, able and talented students?

Our admissions meetings are a time when we first become aware of a student’s abilities. Continuous assessment in class makes teachers more aware of those who are excelling beyond expectations. These students are currently supported in a variety of ways, including specially reduced class sizes to cater for outstanding talent.

Do you have a learning support team in your school?

Yes. We have a special educational needs department and a school counsellor.

Not all schools are staffed or resourced to offer learning support to those children with either moderate or significant learning needs. To what level can you offer support for those with learning differences?

Moderate learning needs can be catered for. We are also equipped with ramps and lifts to enable students with physical difficulties to join us.

Does your school have particular expertise in dealing with a specific learning need such as dyslexia, dyspraxia, aspergers syndrome and so forth?

We refer students with possible difficulties to outside agencies for assessment. Meanwhile, our SEN department works with teachers, to observe and to support them in meeting the suspected additional needs of our learners.

Does your school have an educational psychologist or access to one to assess and support those youngsters with more challenging learning and emotional needs?

Yes. Our school counsellor works with teachers to identify students before supporting them with social and emotional needs.

Do you have a parents’ group supporting the school?

Yes, we have a Parent Council which holds monthly meetings with our Senior Leadership Team. These meetings allow the school and parents to share ideas and suggest development areas. The minutes of the meetings are then shared with all parents in the school.

Are there opportunities for parents to support the learning, activities and events within the school or on trips other than through the parent group?

Parents do accompany school trips on a voluntary basis. In addition, parents are encouraged to support other school activities such as National Day, book fairs, religious celebrations, and other school functions. The more we can involve our parents, the greater sense of community we feel at the school.

Is there an opportunity for parental representation on your school Board of Governors?

Yes

Do you offer specific activities, events or information sessions for those parents new to the school and/or area?

Open days give parents who are new to the area an opportunity to see the school. For parents who have already registered their students, notifications are sent to parents via Facebook and SMS and any events are advertised on our website.