Blue tape marks the floors of Repton Dubai's corridors and classrooms, as safe zones are being etched out across the Nad Al Sheba campus.
In the school's main building – which doubles as an emergency shelter for parents caught on the grounds during an alert – staff move between rooms, running through checklists ahead of Monday's full training day.
The school is one of hundreds across the UAE working hard to prepare to reopen from Monday, April 20, following an announcement by the UAE's Ministry of Education on Thursday. The gradual resumption of in-person lessons will end weeks of remote learning amid the conflict with Iran.
"Most of it's common sense," said Michael Bloy, principal of Repton Dubai, standing in the school's front courtyard on Friday morning. "A lot of it would be evacuation procedures you'd have in the event of a fire, or lockdown protocols. We're adjusting them to the current situation. It's good practice to revisit these things anyway."
The new safety regulations are nationwide. Civil Defence inspections were conducted in Abu Dhabi schools that are waiting for a formal clearance from Adek to open on Monday.
In Abu Dhabi, the British School at Khubairat plans to open all classes on Monday.
“We’ve had Civil Defence come in and they were happy with the procedures in our school so we are delighted as we have the shelter-in-place procedures in place and have been working diligently to be ready,” said Elaine Rawlings, head of primary school at Abu Dhabi’s British School at Khubairat.
“We will open on Monday and are just waiting for the official Adek document. We have had a drill for staff and they are familiar with the procedures should an alarm sound. Opening the whole school at once is our intention – the students want to be back and the parents will appreciate if we open up the entire school.”
In Dubai, the specific date of school reopening is subject to final sign-off from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). Under the framework, schools must complete a series of steps before receiving the green light to open their gates.
Aisha Miran, director general of Dubai's Knowledge and Human Development Authority, said some schools could open fully from Monday, with others making a more gradual return.
"Based on the school needs and their readiness, it could be the whole school coming back or it could be gradual, based on year groups," she told Dubai Eye radio.
What steps must schools take to reopen safely?
Simon Jodrell, principal at Jebel Ali School, outlined the requirements: a school emergency response plan submitted in advance, on-site staff training, the sharing of safety procedures with parents, a signed declaration of return from families, and a site inspection by the KHDA to verify that safe zones and evacuation routes meet the required standard.
"There are safety protocols that schools need to prepare for," Mr Jodrell said. "The KHDA will carry out a site visit to ensure everything is in place and a return is safe and viable."
Many schools have begun surveys to find out how many students are in the UAE, the numbers that will select in-person or online learning and these schools may open after April 27.
Some principals said they would need to wait for staff to return as they left for home when Iran launched a barrage of missiles and drones at the UAE.
Eager to return
“We are super excited and genuinely so, all of us and the parents everybody is delighted, overjoyed to get back to school. The vast majority wants to come back, certainly, if they're in the country, they want to be back,” said John Bell, founding principal, at Bloom World Academy in Dubai.
“There are a lot of checks that need to be completed before we open so we are managing expectations for now. If we deliver hybrid learning, the same teacher cannot deliver in class and on camera so we’re going to have separate sessions for both in-class and online learning.
"In terms of timetables, for example, that's a lot for us to work out. So everybody is delighted about reopening, but there are challenges to get to the point where we can safely reopen.”
He said most of the school’s 1,300 pupils were in the UAE, with about 200 out of the country.
“Most of our students and a vast majority of our teachers are here. That’s the good news, so people will feel secure and happy to be back to school,” he said.
Five stages of the day
At Repton Dubai, preparations run on five distinct stages covering the full school day. The first concerns the journey to school – parents will be briefed on what to do if an alert sounds during the commute. Further protocols govern drop-off, the hours inside school, any incident during the day and, finally, pickup.
With no buses currently operating, the school has staggered its arrival and departure windows to ease congestion and keep the start of each day as calm as possible. "We don't want big loads of buses travelling in a dangerous situation," Mr Bloy said.
Should an alert occur while children are on campus, they will be moved to designated safe zones already marked out in classrooms.
If evacuation is required, school buses will transfer students off-site to the nearby Nad Al Sheba Mall, where parents will be directed to collect them. The school gates, Mr Bloy was clear, will lock down during any alert – and parents are asked not to attempt to collect their children at that point.
"We don't want parents arriving at the school gates trying to collect their children in the middle of an alert," he said. "Moving children outside and through buildings to reach parents would actually be dangerous. On Monday we'll run sessions with parents to explain their role clearly."
Training day
That message is consistent across schools. At Kings' School Al Barsha, principal Sajid Gulzar confirmed that all staff are required on campus Monday for mandatory, KHDA-directed training focusing on safety, readiness and the procedures needed to support a smooth return. Students will not have live lessons on Monday as a result.
Pre-recorded sessions will be available on the school's usual platforms, allowing families to access learning flexibly throughout the day. Live online lessons will resume on Tuesday.
"To support our planning and fulfil KHDA requirements, we're asking parents to complete a short survey by Sunday at 4pm, confirming whether their child is likely to return to face-to-face learning or continue with online provision," Mr Gulzar wrote in correspondence with the school's community. "Your response is essential in enabling us to plan staffing and classroom organisation effectively."
Managing students' emotions
Back at Repton, Monday afternoon carries a specific purpose beyond staff training. Mr Bloy is bringing in children with additional needs – those with autism, auditory requirements or heightened emotional sensitivity – for a quiet, dedicated walk-through of the campus and its new protocols.
"Doing that training with everybody would probably increase anxiety rather than making them feel safe," he said. "So Monday afternoon we'll work with those children individually, walking them through how they can feel secure in the building."
How to manage children's emotional state through the return is also being incorporated into the planning. Mr Bloy said the first week back will prioritise regulation, rhythm and routine over academic catch-up. Gap-filling and curriculum analysis, he added, will come the week after.
Staff training on Monday will include breathing techniques and emotional regulation strategies – tools teachers can use both for themselves and for pupils showing signs of distress. "What we're saying to staff is that your calmness is the key thing here," he said. "Children feed off our anxiety. The more normality we have, the less we have to talk about the situation. We just want to get back into a normal day and rhythm as quickly as possible."
Despite any nerves, Mr Bloy said he is looking forward to seeing the children back on campus after weeks of public holidays followed by remote learning. "There's a slight nervousness about the unknown. But I feel confident we're prepared," he added. "The country has shown it can look after us well. We're ready to go."
