NLCS Dubai | Prospectus 2020-21

Wel c o m e t o

NLCS Dubai NLCS Dubai brings a unique educational offering to families in the region, combining a rich heritage with academic excellence and inspirational subject teaching.

Over the last three years, the school has grown and developed into an exciting and vibrant place to be. The community has increased in size and, throughout the week, the school now has a constant buzz. The different sounds that echo around the school: of music playing; students talking and laughing; parents chatting and teachers imparting their knowledge and wisdom in the classrooms, are wonderful to hear. The first year of a school is always special, but for me, it is the subsequent years when the school really grows and develops. As with a complex ecosystem, the connections between different parts of the school begin to fuse as students, parents, staff and the wider community share a multitude of interactions and experiences. Everyone knows each other, greetings are shared in the morning, farewells in the afternoon, smiles exchanged, shoulders are leant on, and friendships shared. The security, happiness and the North London Collegiate School ethos are all palpable.

The School has built a strong reputation for offering an inspirational and ambitious education to students in Dubai. The International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum and a North London Collegiate School ethos are aligned in many ways and the academic experience we offer provides an incredibly enriching and engaging environment for our students. Whether it is in the classroom, on the sports field or in the School’s Performing Arts Centre we have high expectations and

aspirations for all our students.

The most important feature of the School are the teachers that stand at the front of the classroom every day. We recruit highly qualified and passionate teachers who can engage and inspire the students in whatever subject they are teaching. The School has built its reputation on outstanding teaching and this is something that will continue to be a focus as we move to strengthen and improve on our first set of IB Diploma results in 2020. The average score for our 2020 graduating class was 37.4 with a third of students achieving 40+.

We are very lucky to have a wonderful site with fantastic facilities. This, combined with the outstanding pastoral care and focus on the extra-curricular life of the school, continues to ensure that the students enjoy coming to school every day and have every opportunity in fulfilling their potential and aiming for top universities around the world, while being a part of a multicultural and inclusive school.

Having been part of the team that set up our school in South Korea in 2011 and of the setup of our school here in Dubai, I am now incredibly excited about taking North London Collegiate School Dubai into its next stage as Principal and look forward to meeting many of you who take the next step in coming to visit us and joining our community.

James Monaghan Principal

An Exc ep t i o na l

Heritage North London Collegiate School, founded in 1850, is one of the historic schools of England. Established by the great Victorian educationalist, Frances Mary Buss, it has provided an exceptional education for its pupils for over 160 years.

In the United Kingdom, North London Collegiate School has an exemplary record of the highest academic achievements and a strong tradition of providing an ambitious education, a spirit of adventure and encouragement of individuality. NLCS (UK) examination results regularly place the schools near the top of the UK league tables for A Levels and GCSEs. In the Sixth Form, students are offered the opportunity to study for the International Baccalaureate Diploma, the prestigious qualification respected by universities and employers around the world; results from the programme are excellent, with students regularly scoring an average of over 40 points each year since the School started offering the programme in 2004, making NLCS consistently the most successful school for the IB Diploma in the UK.

It is accordant with the School’s outward-looking ethos that we have embarked on the exciting project of opening a School in the thriving international city of Dubai. The close relationship between the UK school and its partner schools in South Korea, UAE and Singapore, is mutually beneficial and exchanges and visits between them is just one of the many close ties which will bind them together; staff appointed to NLCS Dubai are interviewed at NLCS (UK) and are trained at the ‘mother’ school in order to ensure a thorough understanding of the NLCS ethos. An emphasis on an ambitious education which encourages scholarship and a love of subjects, the importance placed on pastoral care such that no pupil is without support in their time at the School and the strength of an education which truly allows the whole personality to grow are the basis of an NLCS education. We are extremely proud of all that has been achieved at our South Korean School and excited to bring that philosophy to life in a new cultural context in the UAE, and to welcoming you.

Sarah Clark Headmistress of NLCS (UK)

Academic

Excellence At NLCS (UK), over a third of students gain places at Oxford, Cambridge and Ivy League colleges each year. NLCS (UK) continues to be the most successful IB school in the UK over the last fourteen years, since first offering the IB, and among the highest performing IB schools in the world. The 2020 cohort at NLCS UK achieved an average score of 41 with 2 students achieving perfect scores of 45.

In addition, NLCS Jeju has rapidly established itself as one of the leading international schools in North East Asia.The cohort of 2020 achieved an average of 39.3 with 50.89% of the cohort gaining over 40 points and 3 students with perfect scores of 45. NLCS Dubai achieved 37.4 with its 2020 cohort of IB Diploma graduates.This was the Schools first cohort, with a third achieving over 40 points.

Students at NLCS Dubai enjoy a quality of teaching and learning that enables them to strive for the highest levels of academic attainment. Our students will have confidence in their abilities and will be encouraged to believe in themselves, take risks and stretch themselves beyond what they thought possible.

Exc ep t i o n a l

Facilities Our state-of-the-art 38,000 square metre campus has been carefully designed to provide the best possible learning experience for our boys and girls as well as to create a close community feel. Our large, bright classrooms use the latest technologies, with LED smart screens and high-speed wireless connectivity. When at capacity, the School will offer 13 science laboratories, and currently boasts premium IT facilities, a state-of-the-art Performing Arts Centre, a spacious dining hall and an array of sporting facilities: including sports hall, tennis courts, basketball court, full size artificial grass playing field and a 25m indoor swimming pool.

I nd i v i d u a l

Pastoral Care Each member of our teaching staff has a specific pastoral responsibility, ensuring that every student receives the individual support that they need in order to flourish. NLCS students have a grounded self-confidence and a willingness to step outside of their comfort zone to try new things. Our pastoral care is designed to help students overcome any difficulties, whether academic, social or personal: we give up on no one. All students are members of one of four houses, each named after mountains in the UAE. Our pastoral care in the Junior School centres around the class teacher and their relationship with the student and the parents. There is an emphasis on regular communication and many opportunities for parents to meet and speak to the teachers and members of the Junior Leadership team.

In the Senior School, students meet in their Forms within each House every morning and afternoon, which they share with students in other grades.

This ‘vertical’ structure allows students in Grades 6 to 10 to mix socially and provides younger students with role models and older students with a sense of responsibility and belonging. Students take great pride in their House and House competition events are a highlight of the term – with students competing and supporting each other in equal measure. The sense of loyalty and belonging that the House system creates is an essential ingredient to the strength of our community.

Ex c eptional

Extra Curricular Activities A North London Collegiate Education is about much more than lessons: it's an abundance of exciting opportunities and activities upon which our students thrive.

Our school offers over 170 extra-curricular activities per week, across Music, Drama, Sports, the Creative Arts and beyond. Field trips and learning outside of the classroom enable students to broaden their perspectives, and serve to foster a greater understanding of the local culture of the UAE.

As well as class music lessons within the timetable, students have the opportunity to have private music instrumental lessons in addition to curriculum lessons. Students also have the opportunity to participate in orchestras, bands and choirs that perform throughout the year.

The exciting array of intellectual challenges, physical activities and social opportunities that students encounter at the School allow the individual student to develop as a whole personality, and discover their strengths and passions. Some clubs are led by older students, others by staff, and some by external providers: they are a fantastic way to learn new skills, form friendships, benefit from teamwork and achieve personal targets.

Throughout the year, highlights of our calendar include large-scale theatrical productions, concerts, Art shows, sports competitions and games. We also operate a full after-school activities programme to encourage students to explore their interests and develop new ones. Senior School students are given the platform to take a lead role in creating and organising academic clubs and societies. They are encouraged to identify and invite guest speakers into the School for our weekly ‘Senior Societies’ lectures.There is an abundance of sporting activities offered at NLCS Dubai including;Tennis, Netball, Football, Swimming, Table Tennis, Badminton, Basketball, Cricket, Dance, Gymnastics and Martial Arts. In addition, a variety of offsite activities are offered, taking advantage of all that Dubai and the UAE has to offer: Sailing, Skiing, Horse riding, Golf and Scuba to name a few. Music facilities include a suite of specialist music practice rooms, a music recording studio, a keyboard composition suite and the superb Performing Arts Centre.

The Art & Design Department contains a number of general and specialist studios, including a fully equipped ceramics studio, resistant materials studio and computer-aided design spaces. Students are encouraged to develop their artistic and design talents and their creations are proudly displayed throughout the School. The Drama Department boasts a state-of-the-art Performing Arts Centre as well as several drama and dance studios and a backstage workshop.There are many opportunities for students to become involved with drama beyond the classroom in ambitious and challenging productions and the students are free to extend their creativity to lighting, sound, set design and stage management.

Beyond the Classroom Education at NLCS Dubai means more than just achieving great results in examinations. There are opportunities for students to engage with the local and wider regional and global communities.

International mindedness is a key part of the IB philosophy and aligns very closely to the NLCS ethos in all our schools.

Family of Schools In September 2020, our family grew to four schools with the opening of NLCS Singapore.There is an active programme of partnerships with our schools in London, South Korea and Singapore, including debating, joint publications, research and student exchanges. The teachers work closely with their counterparts in our other schools in a programme called the ‘communities of practice.’ This allows teachers and leaders to discuss and share ideas and strategy, which help to maintain the very highest quality of teaching in our schools.

International Learning Trip

Service Students at NLCS Dubai are expected to give back to their community and understand their place in the world. ‘Much is required from those to whom much is given,’ is a phrase used at NLCS to ensure our students understand their privileged positions and their commitment to charity work and community service. Students are involved in local charities and community initiatives through the community project in Grade 9 and through their commitment to the community, activity and service expectations of the Diploma programme. Service trips to Nepal have seen students installing biogas units in local farms while learning about the benefits to the environment and the community.

Trips In a typical year local and international trips, allow students to follow their own passions for the environment, culture and language. Trips to Iceland, Italy, Nepal, France and Spain have allowed students to gain a valuable perspective on life in other parts of the world and to provide experiences for themselves that reflect the global contexts taught through the IB programme.

Nepal Trip

Iceland Basalt Column

ECA

Nepal Trip

White Water Rafting

Th e NL CS

Family of Schools NLCS Dubai retains a deep connection to our London ‘mother’ school, and an unremitting commitment to replicating the NLCS quality and ethos. The London School has a key role in recruiting and training our teaching staff. We benefit from regular monitoring visits and inspections and are committed to forging substantial links between pupils and teachers across our schools. NLCS Dubai follows in the footsteps of our already highly successful school in Jeju, South Korea, and in September 2020, we welcomed NLCS Singapore to our family of schools.

NLCS (UK)

NLCS Jeju

NLCS (Singapore)

We believe that the combination of the freedom and breadth of curriculum offered by the PYP, coupled with the rigour and depth of the NLCS approach, provides a truly unique educational offering for families in Dubai

Junior School The Junior School at NLCS Dubai is for students in Pre-Kindergarten to Grade 5.

Life in the Junior School is vibrant, happy and exciting, with a rich curriculum and warm sense of community in order to give your child the best possible start to their education. From age three, students follow an ambitious programme of learning: teachers create a dynamic environment that enables children actively to discover new knowledge, skills and understanding.

NLCS Dubai has been designed as an International Baccalaureate (IB) Continuum school.The students in the Junior School follow the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), a curriculum framework that is designed to develop independent inquiry and focuses on knowledge, concepts, skills, attitudes and action. The School is a fully authorised IB world School.

Students in the Senior School are taught to understand academic excellence and recognise that it is attainable.

Senior School The Senior School at NLCS Dubai is for students in Grades 6 to 12.

Between Grades 6 and 10, students study a curriculum of our own design, within the framework of the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP). Our first cohort of Grade 12 students graduated in 2020 with the IB Diploma programme: the ‘gold standard’ international qualification, which helped them access some of the world’s leading universities.

Our language offerings consist of Arabic, French, Spanish, German and Mandarin.

As the School grows and where there is sufficient demand for additional languages, it will be our policy to meet this demand. In line with the philosophy of the IB, we will also provide a programme of support for ‘mother-tongue’ learning.

Students will be given every opportunity to try new things and explore their interests and talents, in order for their whole personality to grow. Through inspiring teaching, NLCS students develop their love of subjects and, in exploring this subject passion, become truly independent learners.

Leaders and Innovators The world beyond school is looking for leaders and innovators, not just participators. Universities and employers want students with a profile that demonstrates leadership and innovation. At NLCS Dubai, the opportunities for students to develop these skills are numerous.

Opportunities to lead vary from the Senior Committee to House Captains to Academic Society Chairs. Academic Societies are a feature of all NLCS schools and they provide a unique opportunity for students to engage in their academic passions beyond the classroom. Students interested in studying medicine can join and lead the Medical Society; or those with a passion for the legal world can join the Law Society. These societies are student led and involve weekly meetings, visiting speakers, activities, assemblies and regular debate and discussion. Other opportunities include Model United Nations (MUN), the Debate Club and Public Speaking.

Innovation is an essential part of developing student skills and experiences. In Dubai, a place where innovation is celebrated and encouraged, there are many opportunities for our students. These include a range of school and wider community competitions. The school is also developing an innovation hub where students can develop ideas and be creative within emerging areas of Science and Research, such as virtual reality, artificial intelligence, coding and robotics.

www.nlcsdubai.ae 800 NLCS (6527) +971 (04) 319 0888 admissions@nlcsdubai.ae @NLCSDubai @North London Collegiate School Dubai