Our Vision
Educating to Make a Difference in the World
Our Mission
Discovering the brilliance in every individual. Building community through respect and a sense of belonging.
Empowering people to act with purpose.
Our Values
The core values that embody a JESS education and the ethos of our community
Commitment
We are dedicated and persevere in every undertaking.
we do. y and compassion p p our planet.
ity he right thing, even when ith difficult decisions.
We are excited to learn and have the courage to explore. Curiosity
Welcome
A warm welcome to all new students and families joining our JESS community. We are excited to get to know your child and to support them on the exciting journey ahead! The transition process is comprehensive and we offer support every step of the way
Inside this student guide you will find information on the most common questions we receive. Please get in touch if you have any questions and open the links throughout the booklet for further information.
We understand that beginning a new school can be daunting for some students (and parents). Rest assured; we have a dedicated transition programme to ensure that all students feel at home as quickly as possible. Students will experience a host of team building days and experiences to ensure they get to know the school and their new classmates.
We look forward to meeting you in person.
Kind regards,
The JESS Pastoral Team
Secondary Team
Stephen Green Secondary Head Teacher
Brendan Reilly Head of Year 8 breilly@jess sch ae
Lynch Deputy Head
Louise Walshe Head of Year 9 lwalshe@jess sch ae
Sarah Buckingham
KS3 Academic Secretary academicsec@jess sch ae
Callum McGuigan Head of Year 10 cmcguigan@jess sch ae
Louise Hughes
KS4 Academic Secretary academicsec@jess sch ae
Bryony
(KS3)
Andrew Sargeant Assistant Head (KS4)
Key Dates
Please refer to the key dates below for Year 8 to 10 students joining us in the Autumn term 2025 You can download the 2025-26 Academic Calendar for your information
Additional support will be offered by different teams, including our Inclusion (Oasis) and counselling teams.
Friday 18 April
Friday 16th May
Friday 16th May
Tuesday 10th June
8:30am - 2:30pm
Tuesday 10th June 4:30pm - 5:30pm
July
Friday August 22nd
Monday 25th August
Bus registration opens For information and to register your interest, visit: School Buses
Deadline for completing the Language Selection Form
Music Lessons interest opens Registration Form
Student Induction Day
New Parents Information Evening Sign up Form
Invoices issued for first term’s school fees
First day of term: New students only (student Yondr pouch and parent ID badges handed out)
All students return
School Day Timings
JESS Secondary school day timings are as below.
Co-curricular activities vary and will be before, during, or after the school day.
Monday-Thursday 7:20-7:40 am 7:40 am 15:20 pm Friday 7:20-7:40 am 7:40 am 12:00 pm
Secondary drop-off is at the front entrance of the school, or the side entrance opposite the community shops. Please use the designated drop-off zones, which are monitored by our site community team
Students are also welcome to cycle to school and can leave their bikes/scooters in the designated area. Please note, E-Scooters are not permitted as per UAE government law.
Students are expected to arrive at school in their correct uniform and be in their form room
Uniform and Dress Code
We pride ourselves on the appearance of all those who attend JESS. The school implements a strict dress code from Year 7 thorough to Sixth form
All pupils are encouraged to take care of their personal appearance and to comply with the school code. Below are our general dress code guidelines.
Uniform requirements can be found here
JESS sportswear and swimwear requirements can be found here.
General Dress Code guidelines
Hair
Jewellery
Shoes
School Bags
Sports Teams
PE Kit
Hair below the shoulder must be tied back No extreme cuts or unnatural hair colour are permitted
A watch and one pair of plain, small stud earrings (silver or gold) in the ear lobe are allowed
School shoes should be black (matt) leather with a solid heel of less than 4cm
Please note that ballerina style pumps and black trainers are not acceptable
Please note that students arriving at school in sports named footwear will be asked to purchase the correct footwear. This will then be an additional expense.
Students may bring a rucksack style bag to school to carry their equipment for the day This is then left in their locker A laptop bag or small canvas tote bag is used to carry their device between lessons.
If selected for a sports team, pupils are expected to purchase JESS team kits, this applies to those chosen for football, rugby, netball and athletics teams. All kit is available to purchase online from J20 Sports Please do not purchase until directed by the team coach
Students have two games sessions a week – on both days students can wear their PE/games kit for the duration of the school day It is compulsory for all students to purchase a hoodie for PE/games kit They are unable to wear the hoodie with their school uniform.
Tutor Groups
Your child will be notified of their tutor during Induction Day. From that point, they will be your first point of contact At the start of the academic year you will have the opportunity to meet them on a one-to-one basis. This information will be shared with you at the start of September
We place belonging and care at the heart of all our decisions and, therefore, seek to place students in classes based upon how they learn, work and interact together within a school setting. This may differ to the friendship groups your child may socialise within and outside school The development of our student’s social and emotional skills is also seen as paramount. Enabling children the opportunity to widen their circle of friends, within new classes, supports this crucial element of development.
Staff meet to discuss and structure potential tutor groups to ensure that they are equally well balanced, based on the following areas of consideration:
Gender
Academic ability
Learning styles
Children who require learning support
Productive/unproductive learning relationships and interactions within the classroom
Language selection to ensure balanced numbers in MFL classes
Balancing the number of Arabic A and Arabic B students for timetabling purposes
By aiming for an equal spread of the above areas within each tutor group, we aim to create well-balanced classes with the best learning climate for all students.
Experience has shown that this is a successful and beneficial process. A great deal of time, effort, discussion, observation and consideration goes into creating the tutor groups.
In addition, each year group is assigned an Assistant Head of Year and a Head of Year. The pastoral team will work closely to support your child and you through the transition process
Yondr at JESS
In August 2024, JESS became the first Yondr school in the UAE. So what is Yondr? In summary, the Yondr is a mobile phone solution that utilises a simple, secure pouch that securely locks away a mobile phone to prevent its use. Every student at JESS is required to secure their mobile phone in a personally assigned Yondr pouch during form time, each morning This means that students will not have access to their mobile phones during the school day. Students are required to bring their Yondr pouch to and from school and are responsible for their pouch at all times It allows students to take responsibility for their phone, without the distraction or temptation of using it throughout the school day.
Student’s will be assigned a brand new Yondr pouch on their first day of school. This will be handed out to all students, with a brief presentation on how to use the pouch along with the rules around this There is a one time cost of 100AED to purchase the pouch, which will be invoiced via accounts in due course. The pouch is designed to last for the duration of a students journey at JESS and is the responsibility of the student to take care of it
For any students who do not own a smartphone, we would like you as the parent to sign this Exemption Form so that we can make their tutor aware.
STORE
On arrival at school, phones are secured inside a Yondr pouch.
SECURE
The pouch is locked and kept in the student’s possession at all times.
RELEASE
On leaving school, students tap their pouch on an unlocking base
The House System
The house system is very much a part of life at JESS with house competitions and house points creating a community for peers to support one another, to engage in competition, and to work together to make a positive contribution to the school community
The house system helps to develop a strong sense of identity and belonging, and creates opportunities to celebrate achievements and instill pride amongst students
All students are allocated one of four houses on enrollment. Students with current siblings of the school will join the same house
Our houses are:
Tahr (black)
Oryx (white)
Panthera (red)
Falco (green)
House t-shirts are worn several times a year during competitions, Mindbeat Days, Bonanza Days and house events. They are compulsory to purchase; this can be done online from our PE kit supplier, J20 Sports, once students start at JESS.
Oasis - Learning Support
Some students who have identified learning differences (such as Dyslexia, Autism and ADHD) receive extra support from the Oasis team.
The Oasis team supports in some lessons with additional adults in the room (usually English and Maths) and provides support sessions during prep lessons.
Some students also have additional accommodations for their tests and exams, and may sit their exams in the Oasis Centre You will be aware if your child has this support already in their primary school. If you are coming from an external primary school please make sure you let us know of any needs and/or support that your child receives
Sometimes, teachers will refer students to the Oasis department if they have concerns about potential learning barriers Please do not be alarmed if one of the team reaches out to you –we always come from a place of care and support.
If you would like to contact one of the Oasis team you can reach out to Mrs. Zoe Phelps, who oversees the Key Stage 3 Oasis provision.
Alternatively you can contact Mrs. Beth Sargeant, Head of Inclusion for JESS Secondary.
Oasis Team
Stephen Guing Inclusion Teacher
Sguing@jess sch ae
Beth Sargeant Head of Inclusion
Bsargeant@jess sch ae
Zoe Winslade Deputy SENCO
Zphelps@jess sch ae
What to bring
The difference between enjoying the school day and just getting through it, often lies in making sure everything that’s needed gets packed
All secondary students are expected to have the following;
A labelled water bottle
A labelled lunch bag or their lunch card for the cafeteria
A windows device (digital information can be found here)
A pair of wired headphones
A compatible keyboard with a stylus
Pencil case, including writing pens, pencils, colouring pencils scissors, glue stick, ruler,
eraser, pencil sharpener
Geometry set
Casio ClassWiz FX-991CW calculator
Please read through the digital information guide carefully for product requirements and instructions on ordering.
Any questions or queries, please email academicsec@jess sch ae
Language Selection
Students at JESS secondary have the opportunity to study either French or Spanish. This is in addition to Arabic If your child is already proficient in French or Spanish, they will be required to select the other language option.
MFL lessons are always very active and incorporate a variety of learning activities and games. There are many opportunities to take part in activities outside the classroom and trips are organised to both Paris and Barcelona
In the interest of enabling as broad a knowledge of modern languages as possible, native/fluent speakers of French will automatically go on to study Spanish, while native/fluent speakers of Spanish will be expected to study French.
We suggest that students choose a language that they may have exposure to in the future through their travels so they can practice their language learning in real-life situations
If you are offered a place at JESS after this date your selection will still be considered. We will always endeavour to allocate a language according to their choice, however, places for the courses are limited and students will be selected on a first come, first served basis. If you do not have a preference please indicate this on the questionnaire.
We understand that this may seem like a big decision at this stage of your children’s schooling, however, we feel that it is important that your child focuses on one language, either French or Spanish. This will enable a good base for examinations at a later stage, especially when you consider that students will also be studying Arabic at JESS.
Please follow this link to complete the language selection form. The deadline to complete this form is Friday 16th May
Co-Curricular Clubs
A timetable of secondary clubs is published at the start of every term. Students and parents will be able to access this information through the ECA channel on Microsoft Teams, SOCS, and the Parent Portal.
Students will be shown the selection available in their tutor groups and they will have the opportunity to discuss and ask questions about them before they go live, which is when the sign-up is completed.
JESS Sports
Sports kits and communication
Our Guide To JESS Sports and Swimwear details all the kit needed at JESS. The sports department also has its own website - www jessranchessport com - where it hosts and shares information on sports fixtures, teams, opponents and results.
This website can be accessed in a variety of ways:
Parent Portal – select ‘JESS Sport’ from the top menu
Parent Portal app – select ‘JESS Sport’ at the bottom of the ‘School Life’ tab
Sports website
If you use the sports website, the browser will recognise when you’re accessing the site from a mobile device and will deliver the information in a user-friendly app-style format It will also give you the option to save it next to all your other apps. To do this, once on the site, select ‘Options’ (accessible on a Samsung via the 3 dots in the upper right-hand corner and on an iPhone, via the box icon with an arrow coming out of the top just above the home button) then select ‘Add to home screen’. The next time you look at your phone, the JESS icon will be sitting amongst your apps and you will be able to access our sports site in one press of the button.
The sports app/website shows fixtures, team sheets, opponents’ locations and results We suggest that you check the information regularly to be able to see what’s on for your child’s team
Please email parentportal@jess.sch.ae with any installation issues you may have.
Instrumental Music Lessons
Individual and group music lessons
The JESS Music Department organises individual and group instrumental lessons for a variety of instruments, including guitar (classical and electric), clarinet, saxophone, flute, voice, trumpet, piano, violin, drums and cello.
Lessons are charged at individual or group rate and are 30 minutes long For more information relating to our instrumental programme, please email peri@jess.sch.ae
You can view your child’s timetabled music lessons in the parent portal/app by selecting ‘Calendar’ and then under the date, select ‘This week’ and the music lessons will be displayed.
Please register your interest for Music Lessons via this sign up form.
JESS Cafeteria
Introducing Ben’s Farmhouse
The food and drink provider at JESS is local company, Ben’s Farmhouse
Emphasis is on fresh, nutritious meals that are prepared daily on-site Vegetarian and nonvegetarian options are available as well as sandwiches, salads, wraps, and healthy snacks. JESS remains a nut-free school, parents can register additional allergens on their Ben’s Farmhouse account (Account>Name>Settings>Allergens).
All new students to JESS will receive an email at the start of the academic year, this will include a ‘How to register step-by-step’ guide, along with your student information, including your student ID
For any issues throughout the school year, Ben’s Farmhouse can be contacted by email on info@bensfarmhouse com
School Bus Service
Secondary Transport
A bus service managed by JESS for Secondary students operates between JESS Jumeirah and JESS Arabian Ranches, as well as other designated surrounding areas, at both the start and end of the school day. Details of routes and their related timetables can be found on the JESS website, here
If you have any other queries regarding the bus service, please email sts@jess sch ae
Parent Communications
Communication Channels
Our main method of communicating with parents is through our Parent Portal and Parent app, which both draw information from our data management system, iSams. Much of the data is personalised to year groups so that you only see documents and files that are relevant to your child/ren, such as timetables, key dates and information;. Importantly, this is the only method that we use to share reports and assessment results.
This link to our Parent Portal goes straight to the login window, so it’s a good idea to bookmark this for future reference You can also access the parent portal at the top of the JESS website.
Parent Portal
If you haven’t already activated your Parent Portal account, you can do so with the personal registration number and password shared in your confirmation email from the registrar.
Once registered, you can download the iSAMS parent app from your usual app store. When prompted, enter the JESS code, which is JDXB, and the username and password you created when activating your account. You will only be able to see information related to your child once they start school. Until then, you may not have any children associated with your account If you do not have the activation code or you have any problems accessing the portal/app, email parentportal@jess.sch.ae or contact your school reception.
Adding multiple schools on the Parent Portal App
We appreciate you may have students attending different schools in Dubai If these schools are using the iSAMS app for communications, it is possible to have all the school communications coming through. Note, you will need the iSAMS code from each school to complete this process:
Open the app 1.
On the dashboard, select ‘Settings’ in the bottom right-hand corner 2
Select the ‘Manage Schools’ option and then select your school 3. Enter the school code. For JESS, this is JDXB 4.
HalPay Application
Payments of all school-related trips and activities
HalPay App is a new payment application designed to make managing payments for schoolrelated activities and trips easier and more efficient Please note that the app does not support payments for tuition fees and debentures.
This modern, user-friendly platform allows parents to track all transactions in real-time, providing enhanced transparency and access to a detailed history of payments for recordkeeping.
Our goal with the HalPay App is to make school payments more convenient and hassle-free
We encourage all parents to download the app from the App Store or Play Store and explore its features.
Here is the video tutorial on how to use the Hal Pay app. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U o9m-Ps7QI
If you have any questions for anything accounts related, please contact fees@jess.sch.ae or accounts@jess sch ae
Calendar of School Events
SOCS
The school calendar is on SOCS. SOCS integrates the school calendar, sports fixtures, ECAs, and music lessons all in one place for ease SOCS provides you with a personalised timetable for your child, including events they are involved in. Secondary student timetables are also available, outlining everything your child is doing during the school day in one place. Sign up and access to our co-curricular programme is also via SOCS
The calendar can be accessed and viewed at www.socscms.com/login/28060
How to activate SOCS
To access the SOCS calendar, you need to activate your account. To do this, search for Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS Arabian Ranches), then select the Login Type – Parent. When activating your account, use the same email address used for all school correspondence Check your junk inbox if you do not receive the activation email when registering.
If you incur any problems accessing the calendar, email parenthelpdesk@jess.sch.ae
Adding calendars to your Android device
Open https://socs-ar.jess.sch.ae in the web browser on your device to access the JESS calendars. To save to your device homepage like an app, select the 3 dots on the top righthand of the page, select ‘Add to Home Screen’ and then the web link will appear in the same way that apps do.
Adding calendars to your Apple device
Open https://socs-ar.jess.sch.ae in the web browser on your device to access the JESS calendars To save to your device homepage like an app, select the share icon (a box with an arrow coming out from the top) and then select ‘Add to Home Screen’ and the web link will appear in the same way that apps do.
Absence Reporting
Daily Absence
Daily absence, such as an illness or medical appointment, must be reported before 7:15am that day
Exceptional Leave
Exceptional leave, such as holidays, sports events or for exceptional circumstances during term time, should be requested early in advance. Once this has been received, the leave of absence will be reviewed by the Senior Leadership Team for approval
Please save/favourite the links below for all future absence reporting/requests
Student Daily Absence Leave
Exceptional Leave Application
Academic Calendar
Please follow this link to view the - 2025/26 academic calendar.
Key points of Contact
JESS Secondary
Please see below some key contacts that are worth adding to your email inbox address book to prevent any emails falling into your spam folder.
Secondary Admin - academicsec@jess.sch.ae
PA to Headteacher - jessheadsec@jess.sch.ae
Health Office - healthoffice@jess sch ae
Accounts - accounts@jess.sch.ae
Oasis Department - oasisars@jess sch ae
Deputy Head responsible for Years 7 to 11 is Bryony Lynch and the Assistant Head is Andy Sargeant.
Bryony Lynch
Deputy Head (KS3) blynch@jess.sch.ae
Contacting the school
Andrew Sargeant Assistant Head (KS4) asargeant@jess.sch.ae
It is possible to either email or call the school with any queries you may have. We have one main number to call, which is 04-3619019
Follow us
JESS has a range of social media channels that are used for different messages They are:
Facebook: JESS Dubai
Instagram: @jessdubaischool
X: @JESSDubai
YouTube: @jessdubaischool
LinkedIn: JESS Dubai
