What made Brighton College decide to open in Abu Dhabi?
We were inspired by the 2030 vision (a series of measures that have been designed to take the emirate from an up-and-coming region to one of international standing) and how Abu Dhabi has been developing holistically in various areas including education. Also, we follow the Bloom vision of education in that Brighton College develops top individuals through quality education, which strongly matches with the UAE’s founding father, H.H. Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan, and the royal family’s belief that education is important to the success of the country.
The original Brighton College was founded in 1845 and is one of the top schools in the UK. How will the Abu Dhabi campus compare?
It will be a mirror image of the UK school, and will offer a British independent school curriculum, which uses the same principles of the English National Curriculum but differs in important ways. Like Brighton College in the UK, the pupils here will begin studying subjects with subject-specialist teachers in Year 5, whereas the usual National Curriculum does not begin until Year 7. Additionally, taking into consideration that there is a transient population in Abu Dhabi, there will be direct transferability to the top UK schools and necessary preparation for entrance exams there. Furthermore Brighton College focuses on the whole person – developing people to be confident, well-rounded, and able to reach their full potential – which will also be our focus here in Abu Dhabi. Brighton College will be the first British school with a true independent school
curriculum in the city.
What facilities will you have?
The campus will have state-of-the-art facilities with recording, dance and art studios, a 480-seat theatre for drama and music performances, ICT suites, a real-grass pitch for sports, a large swimming pool and other fantastic facilities. We will also have staff for special needs students and support for English as an additional language.
What do you expect will be the make-up of the school community?
We hope that the community of the Abu Dhabi school will represent the community in the city of Abu Dhabi. We do not have a particular criteria for the type of student in terms of race, class, intelligence, and so on. Applicants will be chosen based on a number of factors, including, mainly, standardised assessments.
What is the ethos of the school?
We want to encourage children to develop in mind, body and spirit not just in the classroom, but also outside with an awareness of themselves as people. There will be a strong focus on supporting the children as individuals and encourage them to reach their fullest potential by having tolerance and kindness for others in a community of mixed backgrounds. It is also important that there is a full sense of family and community not only within the school, but also amongst the faculty, parents, students as well as Abu Dhabi itself. We are not aiming to be the biggest school, but the best school in Abu Dhabi and the Middle East. We put quality first and will ensure that the numbers stay within reason to maintain the high-level of education to which we hold our standards.
So you pick and choose your students?
Children will be invited in for an assessement. Once we receive the assessment results, we will give our decision of an offer for acceptance, put on a waiting list or supportively decline entrance based on what is best for the child. We hope for the process to be open and the selection of students to be based on what is best for the children in terms of how they will settle into the community, how happy they will be and if they can thrive in the school. We will not deviate from our standards, but always we will keep the child’s best interest our highest priority.
Essentials
When will the school open?
Completion of construction is expected in late July and the school will open in September for the 2011/12 academic year. The Admissions Office is currently taking applications for the first cohort of about 500 students from the ages of 3 to 13 (Pre-reception to Year 9). Senior school classes will open in 2012.
Where is it?
Near Khalifa Park and Al Bateen airport.
How big will it be?
The school will stick to four classes per year group and hopes to keep the number of students to about 80 per year group.
Application process?
Application forms are available online, but each family is encouraged to come to the Admissions Office. The headmaster tries to personally meet every interested family and child. Applicants will be asked to complete the application form and provide the required documents along with a Dhs500 registration fee, before the child is invited for assessment.
What are the fees?
Dhs47,530-Dhs61,640 per year.
Contact:
admissions@brightoncollegeabudhabi.ae; www.brightoncollegeabudhabi.net (02 4418513)
