A new school in Dubai is due to open, with a 9 a.m. start time for parents and students.
Bloom World Academy, which will have a capacity of 1,800 students, will open its doors in August.
The IB curriculum campus, which operates from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., will be the first in the city to provide a later start, with classes beginning more than an hour after most other schools in the emirate.
The later start time will be supplemented by optional care from 7am to 8am and 5pm to 7pm, including services such as breakfast and supper at an additional fee, according to founding principle John Bell.
“The timings we chose were based on the idea of offering something unique and different in a competitive market place,” he said.
“In my experience, there are a lot of tired pupils in school, and tired teachers too.
“Many families come to Dubai for a better work-life balance, so why shouldn’t families experience that?
“Additionally, we are not going to be a homework school. There will not be expectations for children to work too much at home.”
With tuition prices starting at Dh40,000 ($10,890) per year for younger students and rising to Dh72,000 for older students, a variety of co-curricular activities including as athletics, arts, and a homework club are provided. They operate from 8 a.m. to 8.45 a.m. and 4 p.m. to 5 p.m.
Bloom World Academy, run by Bloom Education and located in Al Barsha, will be the group’s first own-brand school in the UAE.
The company presently runs the highly regarded Brighton Colleges in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, among other locations.
This new campus, which would cover 43,000 square meters, will replace Dwight School, which is now located on the property.
Mr Bell stated the school is on a “important transit route and is a main route for parents working in Dubai” as several nearby neighborhoods, such as Dubai Hills, Damac Hills, Mira Oasis, and Town Square, continue to grow.
Primo, the early years’ center; primary, middle school, seniors, and the pre-university center, which helps students prepare for life after school, will be the five key sectors of the school.
“One of our unique selling points are the individual Learning Achievement Passports that we will adopt,” said Mr Bell.
“Every child will get their own passport, which will be reviewed collectively and openly with parents every single month.
“Within the passport, pupils and teachers will set out goals, challenges and bespoke timetables.
“For instance, if a pupil is really keen to develop certain areas of their learning, such as languages, we will give them additional opportunities to do that during the school day.
“So, in effect, the passport is a document which describes the whole flexible package that we offer a child and it will map out what they will do during the day.”
