DUBAI // A commitment to Arabic lessons and computer coding will form a core part of the new Gems Nations Academy curriculum.
In the first phase of development, the school in Al Barsha will have a capacity of 1,500 pupils, in KG1 up to Grade 8 when it opens next year.
Grades will be added, with the capacity rising to 2,500 in a second phase.
“This is an exciting new project for us, and between now and when we open in September 2016 we hope to attract some of the top teaching talent to our faculty,” said Tom Farquhar, the founding head of the school.
The Al Barsha school, which will follow the American curriculum, claimed it will have some of the most impressive facilities in the country. These will include the largest sports hall in the region, an Olympic-sized swimming pool, as well as a theatre and music and art studios.
“We will also use co-teachers in classrooms to support the work done by a teacher,” said Tony Little, chief education officer at Gems Education and a former headmaster at Eton College.
Dino Varkey, group executive director and board member at Gems Education, said: “We aim to provide a next generation educational environment for students, preparing them with 21st-century skills for an evolving world.”
nhanif@thenational.ae
