Back to school: UAE pupils start the year playing games and settling in

Teachers focus on easing children back into lessons and making newcomers feel welcome

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi welcomes pupils old and new on Monday morning, after the summer break. Victor Besa / The National

Smiles all round at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Pupils old and new at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Ready for lessons at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi. More than one million pupils started the new school year. Victor Besa / The National

It was an emotional day for parents and pupils alike at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

First day at Dubai British School Jumeira, which has just opened. Chris Whiteoak / The National

School buses outside Dubai British School Jumeira. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A pupil looking forward to the new school year at Dubai British School Jumeira. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Parents take pictures of their children on the first day at Dubai British School Jumeira. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A traffic marshall directs vehicles at Dubai British School Jumeira. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Arriving at Dubai British School Jumeira. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Pupils arrive for the start of the school year at Dubai British School Jumeira. Chris Whiteoak / The National

A welcome for the first intake of pupils at Dubai British School Jumeira. Chris Whiteoak / The National

More than a million pupils returned to school across the UAE on Monday for the start of the new academic year for most.

Some began the year by entering their new school for the very first time. At Dubai British School Jumeira this was true for all of its pupils, as it opened its doors for the first time on Monday and welcomed 550 pupils.

Suchint Kharbanda and Jasdeep Narang were at the school on Monday morning to drop off their son Ruhaan, 11, for his first day of school.

“I have just moved from Melbourne and am excited to make new friends,” said Ruhaan. “I'd like to play football and the football pitch here is big.”

His mother explained why the family opted for the UAE, saying “we're self-employed and could work remotely, anywhere in the world. We chose Dubai for the lifestyle”.

Head teacher Lee Hole expressed his happiness at how the day went at Dubai British School Jumeira.

“It’s our first day and it went smoothly. We had a hugely successful orientation day on Friday where almost all families met with their teachers and found out where their classrooms were,” Mr Hole said.

Parents leave their children at Dubai British School Jumeira on the first day of the new academic year. Chris Whiteoak / The National

Variety of activities

German investor Sharam Golzad is looking forward to his son, a pupil in foundation stage one at the school, learning karate and jiu-jitsu in the new academic year.

“It was quite exciting for us to choose from all sports, activities and languages. I would like my son to learn German,” Mr Golzad said.

Rachel and Harry Arter moved to Dubai ahead of the new term and their child will also be attending Dubai British School Jumeira.

“It’s a completely different way of learning and living and that's just what's kind of drawn us over here,” said Ms Arter.

“We've always loved Dubai, and my husband got a job opportunity here, so we thought it would be the right time to move here.”

Mr Arter, a former Premier League footballer who played for Bournemouth and Ireland, said the safety that the Emirates offered was a big draw.

Bubbling excitement

The children hurried through the school gates on Monday morning, keen to get the day started.

Amber Sami, 8, from the UK, said she was most excited about using an iPad for the first time, while Katie Lee, 9, moved from South Korea and said she was looking forward to making new friends.

Pupils in Abu Dhabi were also feeling emotional at being back in school after the summer break. Damien Ward, head of seniors at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, said he was thrilled about the new school year and hopes to help children find their way in life.

“It's about getting back to the basics, like working on students with developing their skills, helping tease out what their aspirations are, helping plans in place, helping them work hard to achieve those,” he said.

Playing games

For some schools it was all fun and games on Monday morning, as pupils played games such as human bingo. Yas American Academy in Abu Dhabi also organised a game called Where in the World in which pupils had to mark a place that was significant to them and share why they chose that location.

“Without a solid foundation of children feeling comfortable and feeling supported and really getting to know each other, there's no way you can build academic success,” said Sarah Griffiths, head teacher at Yas American Academy.

“We very much value the importance of teachers really knowing their pupils.”

Bouncy castles and face painting were also on offer ahead of the new term at Mamoura British Academy, which hosted a Beat the Heat event last week. The Abu Dhabi school began to build excitement for the coming year by offering families an early opportunity to meet their child’s new classmates and enjoy family activities.

At Gems Dubai American Academy, new pupils took part in a “scavenger hunt” to search for certain people and locations in the school, marking them off bingo-style while exploring their new environment along the way.

“The pupils get an opportunity, under the teacher’s guidance and supervision, to see their new school environment and it helps give them a sense of place in a fun way because they get that fun competition of a scavenger hunt as they find their way around,” said Ethan Hildreth, superintendent at the school.

Despite the high energy levels of staff and pupils, Lisa Johnson, head teacher of the American Academy of Girls in Dubai, said the focus on the first day was on ensuring that new pupils felt welcomed and connected by pairing them with a friend.

The school had music, giveaways and photo opportunities for pupils who wanted first-day selfies.

“We want every student to feel the energy and joy of starting a new school year and we’re committed to making it a day filled with smiles and connections,” she said.

Reema Samara with her children – Jude, 10, Lillian, 8, and three-year-old twins Amelie and Noelle – at Cranleigh Abu Dhabi. Victor Besa / The National

Routine changes

Zeina Askar, who has children in years 4, 11 and 12, said that the hardest thing about coming back to school was getting back to the routine. However, she is still excited about the beginning of the new academic year.

“I expected the kids to give me a hard time but I was surprised that they were more excited than me,” she said.

She was also surprised that traffic was smooth and it did not take her longer to get there, compared with previous trips.

Her biggest hope this year is that her “children grow more confident and are able to ask for help when they need it”.

Tracy Crowder-Cloe, head teacher of Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, said that the summer was a much-needed rest but that they were ready to welcome pupils back.

“It was wonderful seeing all this morning, their faces. They came back through the door and their faces lit up,” she said. “Most of them were excited to see their friends again. We saw a lot of hugging today.”