A guide to the four new schools opening in the UAE this month

Four UAE schools opening this month for the start of the new academic year will seek to champion sustainability and promote a better work-life balance for parents. The new buildings – two each in Abu Dhabi and Dubai – will welcome thousands of pupils as the country's education sector tries to keep pace with a population boom. Some are managing pupil waiting lists and have expanded year groups ahead of the first day back at school on August 26 to meet the growing demand. From a net-zero school in Masdar City, which will generate as much energy as it consumes, to a community school in the centre of Jumeira, the new facilities are at the heart of a major school building strategy gathering pace across the Emirates. Head teachers say they want to ensure access to top-quality education remains affordable to all. Area: Al Wasl, Dubai Fees: The charge for foundation stage one is Dh42,900 ($11,680), going up to Dh49,100 in year six The school aims to be a focal point within the community and encourage a sense of belonging among staff, pupils and parents. Parents will be welcome to stay back at school and work from the cafeteria on Fridays, when children have half-days. “When we say we want to be a community school, we want to have families using this facility in every way that we possibly can, while obviously maintaining the standard of education,” said principal Lee Hole. “Our focus from day one is on how we can make this school feel like a British community school and one of the main things about that is making it welcoming." The pupil-teacher ratio varies throughout the school. Early years have about 22 pupils per class with a teacher and an assistant teacher, while years one and above have 26 per class. “We are almost full in every year group. We've already had to expand in almost every year group. We're already waitlisted," said Mr Hole. The school is offering a founders' discount to families joining this year, which will apply until the pupil is in primary school. Founding fees for families joining this year are from Dh42,900 in foundation stage one to Dh49,100 in year six, while KHDA has approved fees of Dh43,500 in foundation stage one to Dh58,836 in year six. The school expects to open with about 550 pupils this month, with more than 500 pupils already enrolled. “Our initial target was about 370 pupils and we've already gone way beyond that,” said Mr Hole. The capacity when all classes are functioning is 1,700. The school has a sports hall, a grass football pitch, a fitness centre and primary and secondary school libraries. “What I've said to our families is that we don't deliver our curriculum through a screen,” said Mr Hole. He said iPads and the digital devices could be useful as resources in the same way as a calculator. Location : Masdar City, Abu Dhabi Fees : Fees for foundation stage one are Dh26,000 and for year seven are Dh34,000 Gems Founders School Masdar City will be a net-zero school as it will generate as much energy as it consumes, helping to cut its carbon footprint and support the UAE's green drive. The campus will feature a network of solar panels covering 9,500 square metres, projected to generate 3.1 million kilowatts of energy each year. The panels will power the school and provide shade for the building's roof, car park and walkways. The school will initially welcome more than 1,000 pupils, from foundation stage one to year eight, with capacity to eventually serve 4,000. Fees at the school range from Dh26,000 at foundation stage to Dh34,000 in year eight. Albie Huyser, principal at Gems Founders School Masdar City, said: “We will be teaching all the subjects in the British curriculum but with a focus on sustainability. "It's not just about having a sustainability lesson once a week – of course we will have that and have lots of activities during the school day focusing on sustainability – but for us it needs to permeate and be incorporated in every single lesson. It doesn't matter if we do maths or science or history." She said she hoped parents would see the school as a beacon of sustainability and innovation. Location: Dubai South Fees : From Dh27,300 in foundation stage one to Dh35,700 in years seven and eight Gems Founders School Dubai South will focus on logistics, operations and enterprise. Its 23,255-square-metre campus will offer the UK curriculum to pupils in foundation stage one to year eight. The school has reduced fees for founding families by 25 per cent. The school’s fees range from Dh27,300 in foundation stage one to Dh35,700 in year seven, while KHDA has approved fees from Dh36,400 in foundation stage to Dh47,600 in year seven. The school will serve 500 pupils for the new academic year, with capacity to increase in phases to eventually house 2,985 by its fifth year of operation. “Gems Founders School Dubai South is distinguished by its inclusive philosophy, innovative practices, holistic approach and strong community focus,” said Matthew Burfield, senior vice president of education at Gems. “The major focus will be operations and logistics and this will be where we focus a lot of our curriculum provision. "We've already looked at introducing a very large space within the school, which we designated as an innovation space, but will be focused on operations and logistics. "We're looking at trying to help children understand a globalised approach and the interconnectivity of the world." For example, pupils will study what happens to strawberries grown in Spain, how these are sent abroad, and the carbon footprint, trade and logistics involved in the process. Area : Yas Island, Abu Dhabi Fees: Start at Dh28,000 in foundation stage one to Dh43,000 in year 12-13 Noya British School aims to deliver quality and affordable education. The campus has been designed to promote sustainability, with a plan to include hydroponic facilities – a soil-free method of horticulture – also in the pipeline. Rachael Giles, founding principal of the Noya establishment, said the school would be diverse, inclusive and community-based. “We're attracting pupils from beyond Yas Island. I think its affordability, and the standard of coming from Aldar education, is attracting a lot of parents," she said. “The school distinguishes itself by offering a holistic educational approach while maintaining competitive pricing at a premium location." “Parents are increasingly seeking schools that are conveniently located within residential communities. The design of Noya British School beautifully encapsulates this ethos by creating a space that fosters a strong sense of community. The school plans to open with 800 pupils and has able to accommodate 3,000 in total. It has discounted founders' fees to all pupils for the first two years. Approved fees of Dh32,000 in foundation stage one will be reduced to Dh28,000. For years 12 and 13, fees will be cut from Dh47,000 to Dh43,000.

A guide to the four new schools opening in the UAE this month

Schools opening their doors for the new academic year will promote green strategies and aim to provide affordable education