Looking for a school for your little one? Amity International School Abu Dhabi is inviting prospective parents to an open day where they can find out more about the school’s unique approach to learning.
The school, which caters to kids from Foundation Stage 1 up to Year 11, focuses on ‘playing to learn’.
Following the UK’s Early Years Foundation Stage Framework, which sets standards for children’s learning and development from birth to five, the school’s Foundation Stage Nursery and Reception is inspired by some other leading approaches in Early Years education such as the Reggio Emilia and Montessori.
An open day can be quite daunting. You need to be asking the right questions in order to determine whether the school is the right fit for your little person – after all, they spend a lot of time there.
The education leaders at Amity International, which is a not-for-profit school, have some top suggestions of what to ask when you’re walking around viewing a school.
Julie Engles, head of foundation stage says parents should ask about the EYFS as well as the school’s approach to pedagogy in Nursery and Reception. In addition, Engles says, asking what makes a particular school different and getting an explanation on why you should be choosing that school is also a good place to start.
“How will my child be encouraged to develop and excel at Amity in primary?” Is important to ask, says Jo Vigneron, head of primary and vice principal. Also, asking the staff what makes the way they teaching and, in turn, how the children learn in primary suitable for your child is a great thing to establish.
When looking beyond the formative years of your child and thinking about where they are going to go for secondary, Charlie Carter, head of secondary, says you need to find out why your child would thrive in that environment, and really work out why this school is suitable for your child.
Want to find out more? The open morning is taking place on November 20 8am. Amity International School, near Raha Beach, Abu Dhabi, www.amityabudhabi.com (02 503 9000).
