Ages 3 to 18
Enrol with ease
Discover us & the campus
Safe, happy learning
Discover what's happening
Whole School Open Day 20 August 2026
At The Aquila School, our youngest learners, aged 3 to 5, take the first steps of their educational journey in a safe and stimulating environment where they learn through play, structured activities and exploration, guided by teachers who give individual attention and support to all of them.
At our British kindergarten in Dubai, students feel safe, happy and supported while they begin their social, emotional and cognitive development through play-based learning.
Learning through play
Children progress through active and engaging lessons with the English Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, adapted to provide relevant knowledge and skills to succeed.
Multilingualism
Pupils begin to develop English skills as well as learning Arabic as part of our curriculum and having the opportunity to grow in their home languages through amazing extracurricular activities supported by certified teachers.
Individualised attention
Learners thrive in our inclusive environment where students with special educational needs benefit from tailored options, appropriate resources and personalised programmes.
Life skills
Inspired by our school puppets - Independent Indy, Collaborative Calla, Resilient Rashid and Enquiring Eric, students develop essential skills to make sense of the world, ask questions, lead their paths and make choices.
Arabic & Islamic studies
Students learn Arabic daily, gaining language skills and appreciating UAE culture, while Muslim students learn Islamic Studies, in line with the MOE curriculum.
Performing arts
Our EYFS choir ignites creativity as children sing, move and play instruments - gaining confidence and a vibrant foundation in performing arts.
Dedicated learning areas
Pupils progress in our indoor and outdoor learning areas - including a bike track, our large continuous provision area an EYFS library, a food tech room and our hydroponic farm.
Extended learning day
Our youngest learners benefit from extra care and engaging activities before and after school, including breakfast club and afternoon clubs -providing flexibility for busy parents, even on Fridays.
Friendly admission process
Our admissions team is always available to support parents through a seamless and easy application process, offering additional assistance for international families.
Children learn about the world around them and make choices with confidence with the English Early Years Foundation Stage. Through structured play and indoor and outdoor exploration, they build essential foundations for life and lifelong learning.
Learning out loud
At our international kindergarten school in Dubai, children develop a positive sense of self and start understanding their own feelings and those of others. In our safe and happy learning environment they are encouraged to ask questions and to use their skills confidently in real-life situations, building confidence in their own abilities.
Through stories, drawing, craft and roleplay, learners create connections and explore their own potential.
Developing confident communication
Our youngest students grow in a safe and happy environment in which they develop their skills in listening to others and expressing orally in Arabic and English.
Through interactions with excellent teachers, they enhance their attention skills and broaden their language understanding.
Enhancing physical wellbeing
Children learn to move confidently and acquire spatial and positional awareness through indoor exploration, outdoor play and our swimming programme, starting to build their gross motor skills and enhancing their coordination.
Through small world activities, puzzles and arts and craft, they develop fine motor skills and become confident to explore the world around them.
Exploring worlds through words
Children identify new sounds, learn different words and improve their pronunciation, starting to widen their vocabulary.
They hear songs, poems and stories, learn to express their ideas verbally and build at this early stage a lifelong interest and enjoyment of books and literacy engaging in amazing opportunities, including our weekly Reading Buddies initiative, where children from different classes come together to read stories.
Playing with numbers
At our international kindergarten school in Dubai, children build a strong foundation for mathematical thinking and develop spatial reasoning skills through games, puzzles and songs.
They count confidently, recognise numbers and explore patterns, shapes and measures.
Exploring connections
Children explore the world, get curious about people around them and start to understand similarities and differences, learning to respect and celebrate others.
Through our vibrant indoor and outdoor learning areas, children engage in our hydroponic farm, food technology room and exploration areas, investigating the world around them using their senses.
Engaging in the Animal Care initiative, children connect with nature and take care of small animals, becoming caring and responsible.
Freeing the inner self
Learners unleash their imagination and creativity through a variety of artistic activities, including arts and crafts and painting. They dive into different materials and engage in roleplay, imaginative play, singing and dancing.
These experiences foster both their verbal and non-verbal creative expression.
Discovering Arabic culture
All our students, whether native or non-native speakers, acquire the Arabic language in line with the MOE curriculum and under the guidance of our excellent teachers, ensuring high quality and respect for this subject. Through engaging games, activities, songs and chants, they begin to develop listening and speaking skills and are introduced to reading and writing.
Muslim pupils actively explore the foundations of Islam from year one up, in line with the MOE curriculum. They learn about the Quran, the Hadith and the history of Islam, as well as the core Islamic beliefs and values.Through videos, stories and activities, young learners build strong values and a sense of belonging.
Learning a key life skill
Youngest students learn swimming through regular swimming sessions in our dedicated pool. Guided by skilled instructors, they build water confidence and develop essential swimming skills, supporting their physical development, coordination and independence.
Expressing through sounds
At our British kindergarten in Dubai, learners immerse themselves in the joyful world of music and explore rhythm, melody and movement through singing and playing instruments. In engaging sessions guided by specialist music teachers, students develop listening and language skills, spark their creativity and grow in confidence as they express themselves and connect with others through music.
Every day at The Aquila School is filled with joyful, active and exciting learning experiences for all students, with classes ending at 1.45pm from Monday to Thursday and at 11.40am on Fridays to allow time for rest, reflection or participation in extended care activities.
Morning drop-off
7.30am - 7.38am
A warm and happy welcome sets a positive tone for the day, as children are greeted by their teachers at the door and begin their independent routines before joining fun and dynamic morning activities.
Igniting discovery
7.40am - 9am
Morning exploration continues in the classroom, where pupils take part in hands-on activities that spark curiosity and support early learning.
Morning snack time
9am - 9.20am
A refreshing morning snack offers children a chance to enjoy healthy food and catch up with their friends.
Free flow time
10am - 10.40am
Free flow time encourages children to learn alongside friends from other classes as they explore indoor and outdoor learning areas, thriving in the literacy garden, bike track, water zone and our library.
Engaged learning
10.40am - 11.40am
Structured classroom learning and specialist sessions including music, PE, Arabic and swimming continue, supporting children’s growth and skills development.
Lunch time
11.40am - 12.10pm
Mealtime provides a friendly break, where children eat healthy packed lunches or hot meals together, building friendships.
Free play
12.10pm - 12.50pm
Free flow time encourages children to join friends from other classes, while discovering and enjoying indoor and outdoor learning areas.
Afternoon learning activities
12.50pm - 1.30pm
Afternoon learning provides children with meaningful lessons and specialist activities.
Story time
1.30pm - 1.45pm
Story time concludes the day with a calm and reflective moment.
School day ends
1.45pm
As the school day comes to a close, children are safely escorted to the buses or warmly reunited with their designated adult at the classroom doors, with teachers available for a quick chat if needed.
7.40am - 8am
Playful lessons begin
8am - 8.40am
Focused learning sessions begin with engaging teacher-led activities, drawing pupils into their daily phonics practice.
8.40am - 9am
9am - 9.40am
Lessons continue
9.40am - 11.40am
Morning lessons continue to inspire curiosity and creativity through engaging, relevant and hands-on activities.
12.10pm - 1pm
1pm - 1.30pm
Free play time encourages children to join friends from other classes, while discovering and enjoying indoor and outdoor learning areas.
Enriching opportunities
1.45pm - 2.35pm
A fun and exciting range of extra-curricular activities offer children the chance to explore new interests and make new friends.
At our British nursery school in Dubai, youngest pupils take the first steps in their learning journey with curiosity and confidence, immersing in an international environment while building skills for future success.
Academic achievement
Enjoy personalised learning that continuously enhances knowledge, skills and understanding.
Life competencies
Gain essential life skills to thrive in academics, as well as personal and social lives.
Fast-track English fluency while continuing to grow in home languages, including Arabic and Russian.
Learners take centre stage as we celebrate their progress both in and beyond the classroom - through joyful events and meaningful communication.
Our Friday newsletter showcases their weekly achievements, captures special moments through photos and highlights key learning experiences.
To deepen the home-school partnership, teachers regularly connect with parents through conferencing, meetings and detailed progress reports, ensuring we work together to nurture each child's development.
EYFS children develop crucial life skills through our beloved school puppets - Independent Indy, Collaborative Calla, Resilient Rashid and Enquiring Eric. These characters inspire them to ask questions, forge their own paths and make confident choices.
Every Friday leadership time empowers students to uncover their talents - hosting peer-led sessions to share their passions. The mini makers market takes learning further, as young entrepreneurs design, create and sell their handmade goods to the school community, building real-world skills in leadership, creativity and business.
Children take part in real-life experiences, including local day trips in green planet, ski Dubai, farm visits, supermarkets or bakeries and learn about animals and nature. They step outside their comfort zone, spark curiosity and cooperate with classmates, building teamwork skills while creating lifelong memories.
Starting from Early Years, children are immersed in an English-speaking environment, guided by amazing and highly-prepared national and international teachers.
At our British kindergarten in Dubai, all students regardless of their background or home language, learn Arabic through immersive classroom instruction, supported by dedicated teachers. This approach helps them master the region's primary language while deepening their connection to UAE culture and heritage.
Through our home language programme, children who are native speakers of French, German, Spanish or Russian and have the opportunity to maintain a strong connection with their home languages and develop a strong sense of cultural identity, enriching the diversity of our multilingual environment.
Urban farm
Pupils discover nature at the urban farm, a green oasis that supports biodiversity and enhances the campus environment.
Here, they plant and care for fruits, vegetables and herbs in dedicated garden areas, learning how plants grow and enjoying watching seeds turn into food while experiencing the natural world up close every day.
Hydroponics farm
At our British nursery school in Dubai, children discover how fruits and vegetables grow while developing curiosity and care as they interact with our school’s animals - gaining confidence through hands-on responsibility.
In our hydroponics farm, young scientists explore soil-free gardening, using nutrient-rich water to learn sustainable farming methods that save water and space - building foundational STEM and eco-awareness skills through real-world experimentation.
Through daily care of our parrot, rabbits, bees, fish, birds and cats, students become observant, compassionate caretakers, weaving empathy and responsibility into their everyday learning.
Extended care
Families with busy schedules can take advantage of our additional services, including:
Aquila has given me a place where I love playing and learning in the shared area. It’s fun, and I get to play with my friends and try new things every day!
Alina FS2, Student
The admissions department at The Aquila School is open all year round for Early Years, making the application process easy and straightforward for all families.
At The Aquila School, early years students are encouraged to ask questions, explore ideas, and make connections, not just absorb information, as they learn through the IB approach. Teachers plan experiences based on children's curiosity, building on the EYFS framework and adding in the element of inquiry. This approach fosters lifelong learning skills: confidence, creativity and critical thinking, from the very beginning of school.
The Early Years Foundation Stage is taught at The Aquila School, which accepts children aged 3 to 5. This includes children aged 3-4 (FS1) and 4-5 (FS2). The children in both year groups receive a nurturing and play-based education in Dubai's Wadi Al Safa 5, where the children are provided with the very best start to their education.
Emotional safety is the priority at Aquila's Early Years. Teachers establish positive and trusting relationships with all children, with a strong emphasis on circle time and emotional literacy activities and through well-structured pastoral monitoring. Children feel safe from the moment they arrive in school thanks to the school's on-site wellbeing team and well-established safeguarding protocols. In small class sizes, staff are able to recognise when a child requires additional reassurance and ensure that all children settle, flourish and feel happy at school. Children regularly extend their learning through outdoor experiences, including activities linked to Aquila's unique urban farm environment.
Play is acknowledged as the most effective means of early learning at The Aquila School. The Early Years classrooms and outdoor areas are well planned to encourage children to explore, problem-solve and collaborate. Children learn language and numeracy skills naturally through structured and child-initiated play, as well as social and physical skills. There is an IB-inspired inquiry thread in all activities, so even the youngest learners are learning to be curious, reflective and independent thinkers.
Language development is an integral part of the Early Years Foundation Stage experience at The Aquila School. English surrounds children from the start and has a special English literacy programme that helps them learn to read and communicate in English. Learning Arabic starts from early years, incorporating the UAE's cultural identity right from the beginning. The school's multilingual approach ensures mother-tongue fluency is valued and maintained while children's confidence in English is growing for those who speak other home languages.
Begin your journey at The Aquila School, where our Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum nurtures young explorers in a safe, multilingual environment.
Discover our academic pathways, GCSEs, IB programmes and future pathways at The Aquila School.
