• Memorabilia on display at Repton Dubai, which will soon turn 15. The campus is one of two UAE branches of one of England’s oldest schools. Ruel Pableo / The National
    Memorabilia on display at Repton Dubai, which will soon turn 15. The campus is one of two UAE branches of one of England’s oldest schools. Ruel Pableo / The National
  • Repton School was founded in 1557 in Derbyshire village. Artefacts from hundreds of years ago are included in the exhibition. Ruel Pableo / The National
    Repton School was founded in 1557 in Derbyshire village. Artefacts from hundreds of years ago are included in the exhibition. Ruel Pableo / The National
  • Dr Abdulla Al Karam, director general of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, which regulates private schools in Dubai, looks at the exhibits. Mark Semmence, headmaster of Repton School in England, talks about its history. Ruel Pableo / The National
    Dr Abdulla Al Karam, director general of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, which regulates private schools in Dubai, looks at the exhibits. Mark Semmence, headmaster of Repton School in England, talks about its history. Ruel Pableo / The National
  • Guests ask questions at the exhibition. Ruel Pableo / The National
    Guests ask questions at the exhibition. Ruel Pableo / The National
  • Old photographs are on show. Ruel Pableo / The National
    Old photographs are on show. Ruel Pableo / The National
  • The Dubai campus is in Nad Al Sheba. Ruel Pableo / The National
    The Dubai campus is in Nad Al Sheba. Ruel Pableo / The National
  • Dr Al Karam, left, and Khaled Almheiri, chairman of the Repton family of schools in the UAE, look at an old yearbook. Ruel Pableo / The National
    Dr Al Karam, left, and Khaled Almheiri, chairman of the Repton family of schools in the UAE, look at an old yearbook. Ruel Pableo / The National
  • Dr Al Karam delivers a speech to mark the milestone. Ruel Pableo / The National
    Dr Al Karam delivers a speech to mark the milestone. Ruel Pableo / The National
  • Hanadi Saeed, head of Arabic at Repton Dubai. Ruel Pableo / The National
    Hanadi Saeed, head of Arabic at Repton Dubai. Ruel Pableo / The National
  • Repton Dubai was built in 2007. Photo: Repton Dubai
    Repton Dubai was built in 2007. Photo: Repton Dubai
  • The exhibition will be at Repton Dubai for five to six weeks, after which it will travel to Repton Abu Dhabi. Photo: Repton Dubai
    The exhibition will be at Repton Dubai for five to six weeks, after which it will travel to Repton Abu Dhabi. Photo: Repton Dubai
  • Repton Dubai during its construction phase. Photo: Repton Dubai
    Repton Dubai during its construction phase. Photo: Repton Dubai
  • Repton School in Dubai is an independent day and boarding school in Nad Al Sheba. Photo: Repton Dubai
    Repton School in Dubai is an independent day and boarding school in Nad Al Sheba. Photo: Repton Dubai
  • It has classes from preschool to Year 13. Photo: Repton Dubai
    It has classes from preschool to Year 13. Photo: Repton Dubai
  • Children from more than 80 nationalities study at the school. Photo: Repton Dubai
    Children from more than 80 nationalities study at the school. Photo: Repton Dubai
  • The school says its former pupils have joined Oxford, Columbia University, Berkeley, Cambridge, Stanford, St Andrews, and other reputed institutions. Photo: Repton Dubai
    The school says its former pupils have joined Oxford, Columbia University, Berkeley, Cambridge, Stanford, St Andrews, and other reputed institutions. Photo: Repton Dubai

Repton Dubai celebrates 15 years by exhibiting 16th-century artefacts from UK campus


Anam Rizvi
  • English
  • Arabic

Repton Dubai, the first overseas branch of the 465-year-old English school, is celebrating its 15th anniversary in the UAE this year.

To mark the milestone, it has organised an exhibition of artefacts, first-edition books, journals and pictures of the original school from the earliest days of photography.

Historical objects that date back to the foundation of Repton School in the 16th century are also on display.

It opened in Derbyshire, England, in 1557, the year before Queen Elizabeth I came to the throne.

The heritage exhibition, which began on Wednesday, has a dedicated wall that celebrates the work of author Roald Dahl, an alumnus of the school.

It includes a first-edition copy of The Magic Finger, a signed first edition of The Twits and an uncorrected proof of Going Solo.

Using augmented reality, the writer, who died in 1990, will make a one-of-a-kind appearance, taking visitors on a captivating journey as he reads an excerpt from The Twits.

In the exhibition, there are some journals from the 19th century, which show how the school used to operate then
David Cook,
headmaster of Repton Dubai

David Cook, headmaster at Repton Dubai, in Nad Al Sheba, said: “We are a young school by international standards, but in Dubai, we’re quite an established school now.

“Repton UK was one of the earliest UK schools to want to plant branch schools abroad.

“The Repton community has grown immensely with talented pupils and teachers gracing the Repton Family of Schools over the past 15 years. It has been a tremendous journey for the Repton Family of Schools in the UAE so far. We look forward to growing our community even further.

“In the exhibition, there are some journals from the 19th century, which show how the school used to operate and timetables and curriculum from the 19th century, which is quite fascinating.”

Repton School Dubai was founded in 2007. Photo: Repton Dubai
Repton School Dubai was founded in 2007. Photo: Repton Dubai

The exhibition will run for five to six weeks. It will then travel to Repton Abu Dhabi, which opened in September 2013.

“I think schools have changed a lot. I think in the past, UK schools, in particular, used to focus on the classics,” Mr Cook said.

“The curriculum has developed a great deal now in terms of the focus on science, technology, and engineering and computing. All these subjects have developed over recent years.”

Also on display are some of the oldest photos of Repton School and archives relating to its former pupils.

“They will be able to see how the uniforms evolved, how classrooms and learning spaces have evolved,” he said.

Current pupils will be among the visitors.

Repton Dubai follows some of the traditions of its British sister school. Inter-house competitions are organised in Harry Potter style.

Houses are not named Gryffindor or Slytherin, but Latham House, The Orchard and The Garden, among others.

From sports competitions to debating, public speaking to singing competitions, Repton Dubai follows many traditions that have been a part of its parent school for centuries.

Hanadi Saeed, who teaches Arabic to non-native speakers, has been at the Dubai school since it opened in 2007.

“We had less than 50 teachers with 300 pupils. The school was very different at that time. Even then they offered a lot of after school activities like music, sports, tennis and rugby,” she said.

“I'm not only a teacher but also a parent of three children. My youngest one was in the nursery at that time and was just three years. This year, he will graduate from Year 13.

“The most special thing to me is seeing my pupils growing up with this language. After that, they will go to university but they can use this language. That is a big achievement for me.”

Her elder daughters attended the school and are now studying in the US.

“As a sister school, Repton UK is proud of our counterparts, as we collectively endeavour to create and develop innovative learning opportunities for Reptonians globally, building a stronger and deep-rooted understanding of the cultures of the world,” Mark Semmence, headmaster of Repton School, said.

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Tips for used car buyers
  • Choose cars with GCC specifications
  • Get a service history for cars less than five years old
  • Don’t go cheap on the inspection
  • Check for oil leaks
  • Do a Google search on the standard problems for your car model
  • Do your due diligence. Get a transfer of ownership done at an official RTA centre
  • Check the vehicle’s condition. You don’t want to buy a car that’s a good deal but ends up costing you Dh10,000 in repairs every month
  • Validate warranty and service contracts with the relevant agency and and make sure they are valid when ownership is transferred
  • If you are planning to sell the car soon, buy one with a good resale value. The two most popular cars in the UAE are black or white in colour and other colours are harder to sell

Tarek Kabrit, chief executive of Seez, and Imad Hammad, chief executive and co-founder of CarSwitch.com

First-round leaderbaord

-5 C Conners (Can)

-3 B Koepka (US), K Bradley (US), V Hovland (Nor), A Wise (US), S Horsfield (Eng), C Davis (Aus);

-2 C Morikawa (US), M Laird (Sco), C Tringale (US)

Selected others: -1 P Casey (Eng), R Fowler (US), T Hatton (Eng)

Level B DeChambeau (US), J Rose (Eng) 

1 L Westwood (Eng), J Spieth (US)

3 R McIlroy (NI)

4 D Johnson (US)

'Cheb%20Khaled'
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Rashid & Rajab

Director: Mohammed Saeed Harib

Stars: Shadi Alfons,  Marwan Abdullah, Doaa Mostafa Ragab 

Two stars out of five 

Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home.

Wicked: For Good

Director: Jon M Chu

Starring: Ariana Grande, Cynthia Erivo, Jonathan Bailey, Jeff Goldblum, Michelle Yeoh, Ethan Slater

Rating: 4/5

Tips from the expert

Dobromir Radichkov, chief data officer at dubizzle and Bayut, offers a few tips for UAE residents looking to earn some cash from pre-loved items.

  1. Sellers should focus on providing high-quality used goods at attractive prices to buyers.
  2. It’s important to use clear and appealing photos, with catchy titles and detailed descriptions to capture the attention of prospective buyers.
  3. Try to advertise a realistic price to attract buyers looking for good deals, especially in the current environment where consumers are significantly more price-sensitive.
  4. Be creative and look around your home for valuable items that you no longer need but might be useful to others.
Why it pays to compare

A comparison of sending Dh20,000 from the UAE using two different routes at the same time - the first direct from a UAE bank to a bank in Germany, and the second from the same UAE bank via an online platform to Germany - found key differences in cost and speed. The transfers were both initiated on January 30.

Route 1: bank transfer

The UAE bank charged Dh152.25 for the Dh20,000 transfer. On top of that, their exchange rate margin added a difference of around Dh415, compared with the mid-market rate.

Total cost: Dh567.25 - around 2.9 per cent of the total amount

Total received: €4,670.30 

Route 2: online platform

The UAE bank’s charge for sending Dh20,000 to a UK dirham-denominated account was Dh2.10. The exchange rate margin cost was Dh60, plus a Dh12 fee.

Total cost: Dh74.10, around 0.4 per cent of the transaction

Total received: €4,756

The UAE bank transfer was far quicker – around two to three working days, while the online platform took around four to five days, but was considerably cheaper. In the online platform transfer, the funds were also exposed to currency risk during the period it took for them to arrive.

The biog

Favourite hobby: taking his rescue dog, Sally, for long walks.

Favourite book: anything by Stephen King, although he said the films rarely match the quality of the books

Favourite film: The Shawshank Redemption stands out as his favourite movie, a classic King novella

Favourite music: “I have a wide and varied music taste, so it would be unfair to pick a single song from blues to rock as a favourite"

Hidden killer

Sepsis arises when the body tries to fight an infection but damages its own tissue and organs in the process.

The World Health Organisation estimates it affects about 30 million people each year and that about six million die.

Of those about three million are newborns and 1.2 are young children.

Patients with septic shock must often have limbs amputated if clots in their limbs prevent blood flow, causing the limbs to die.

Campaigners say the condition is often diagnosed far too late by medical professionals and that many patients wait too long to seek treatment, confusing the symptoms with flu. 

The specs: 2018 Dodge Durango SRT

Price, base / as tested: Dh259,000

Engine: 6.4-litre V8

Power: 475hp @ 6,000rpm

Torque: 640Nm @ 4,300rpm

Transmission: Eight-speed automatic

Fuel consumption, combined: 7.7L / 100km

MATCH INFO

Liverpool v Manchester City, Sunday, 8.30pm UAE

The Sand Castle

Director: Matty Brown

Stars: Nadine Labaki, Ziad Bakri, Zain Al Rafeea, Riman Al Rafeea

Rating: 2.5/5

Blackpink World Tour [Born Pink] In Cinemas

Starring: Rose, Jisoo, Jennie, Lisa

Directors: Min Geun, Oh Yoon-Dong

Rating: 3/5

The specs

Engine: 5.2-litre twin-turbo V12

Transmission: eight-speed automatic

Power: 715bhp

Torque: 900Nm

Price: Dh1,289,376

On sale: now

HAJJAN
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Specs
Engine: Electric motor generating 54.2kWh (Cooper SE and Aceman SE), 64.6kW (Countryman All4 SE)
Power: 218hp (Cooper and Aceman), 313hp (Countryman)
Torque: 330Nm (Cooper and Aceman), 494Nm (Countryman)
On sale: Now
Price: From Dh158,000 (Cooper), Dh168,000 (Aceman), Dh190,000 (Countryman)
Living in...

This article is part of a guide on where to live in the UAE. Our reporters will profile some of the country’s most desirable districts, provide an estimate of rental prices and introduce you to some of the residents who call each area home. 

Last 10 NBA champions

2017: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-1
2016: Cleveland bt Golden State 4-3
2015: Golden State bt Cleveland 4-2
2014: San Antonio bt Miami 4-1
2013: Miami bt San Antonio 4-3
2012: Miami bt Oklahoma City 4-1
2011: Dallas bt Miami 4-2
2010: Los Angeles Lakers bt Boston 4-3
2009: Los Angeles Lakers bt Orlando 4-1
2008: Boston bt Los Angeles Lakers 4-2

Federer's 11 Wimbledon finals

2003 Beat Mark Philippoussis

2004 Beat Andy Roddick

2005 Beat Andy Roddick

2006 Beat Rafael Nadal

2007 Beat Rafael Nadal

2008 Lost to Rafael Nadal

2009 Beat Andy Roddick

2012 Beat Andy Murray

2014 Lost to Novak Djokovic

2015 Lost to Novak Djokovic

2017 Beat Marin Cilic

Ad Astra

Director: James Gray

Stars: Brad Pitt, Tommy Lee Jones

Five out of five stars 

The specs: 2019 Mercedes-Benz C200 Coupe


Price, base: Dh201,153
Engine: 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
Power: 204hp @ 5,800rpm
Torque: 300Nm @ 1,600rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 6.7L / 100km

The specs: 2018 BMW R nineT Scrambler

Price, base / as tested Dh57,000

Engine 1,170cc air/oil-cooled flat twin four-stroke engine

Transmission Six-speed gearbox

Power 110hp) @ 7,750rpm

Torque 116Nm @ 6,000rpm

Fuel economy, combined 5.3L / 100km

The specs

Engine: 8.0-litre, quad-turbo 16-cylinder

Transmission: 7-speed auto

0-100kmh 2.3 seconds

0-200kmh 5.5 seconds

0-300kmh 11.6 seconds

Power: 1500hp

Torque: 1600Nm

Price: Dh13,400,000

On sale: now

How much do leading UAE’s UK curriculum schools charge for Year 6?
  1. Nord Anglia International School (Dubai) – Dh85,032
  2. Kings School Al Barsha (Dubai) – Dh71,905
  3. Brighton College Abu Dhabi - Dh68,560
  4. Jumeirah English Speaking School (Dubai) – Dh59,728
  5. Gems Wellington International School – Dubai Branch – Dh58,488
  6. The British School Al Khubairat (Abu Dhabi) - Dh54,170
  7. Dubai English Speaking School – Dh51,269

*Annual tuition fees covering the 2024/2025 academic year

Benefits of first-time home buyers' scheme
  • Priority access to new homes from participating developers
  • Discounts on sales price of off-plan units
  • Flexible payment plans from developers
  • Mortgages with better interest rates, faster approval times and reduced fees
  • DLD registration fee can be paid through banks or credit cards at zero interest rates
Updated: February 11, 2022, 5:05 AM