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Brighton College Dubai (BCD) is located in the Al Barsha South region of the city on a purpose-built campus close to several other international schools (the area is fast becoming informally known locally as ‘school’s road’). And despite the school’s central Dubai location, this is a school that feels truly, authentically British: of the 1000 pupils on the current school roll, more than 50 per cent hail from the UK, and it was rated outstanding in every category in its recent British Schools Overseas inspection. Proud of its links to Brighton College UK, there are photos of the historic British campus displayed all around this bright and modern Dubai version. 

BCD’s main entrance opens into an awe-inspiring, airy atrium which, as well as being architecturally stunning, is also the heart of the school. Stairs lead up to three floors of teaching space; the well-equipped and popular library is adjacent – the librarian works hard to ensure every child finds a book they will enjoy reading – and a collaborative Jackson Pollock-style artwork to which every pupil contributed decorates the space. This hub is not only for children, however: a parents’ coffee shop makes this a place for everyone to gather at drop-off and pick-up – parents often leave long after the school day has finished as they and their children catch up with friends. A big Brighton crest reinforces BCD as a valued member of the wider, international Brighton College family. And with a commitment to continuous upgrading and development, next on the list is a huge theatre project.

The welcoming pre-prep includes beach hut motifs, as a nod to their roots in Brighton, England. The interior is decorated in neutral tones so as to not overstimulate the children who themselves bring this tranquil space to life. 

Travel to and from the school is usually by car – although there is a bus service, it’s not used by many.  The large car park and staggered pick-up/drop-off times make the school run headache-free. Those parents unable to do the run themselves use a taxi app which offers tracking and payment package options.

Headmaster Simon Crane joined BCD four years ago, having previously been vice-principal at Brighton College Abu Dhabi for six years. Highly knowledgeable about the UAE educational system and the Emirati culture, he also has a thorough understanding of the Brighton College ethos. From the outset, he and his staff have instilled the core Brighton values of kindness, curiosity and confidence into every child and, as a result, he says ‘a golden thread of kindness’ runs through the school. He’s friendly and approachable – as he walks around campus, he makes younger children laugh with his impromptu high-fives, and parents are delighted by his care and interest: he knows every pupil by name. Mr Crane has three young children who attend the school, and his wife also teaches here. 

The senior leadership team includes staff members with extensive experience working in the UAE and at international schools. The board of governors includes the headmaster of Brighton College UK and the CEO of Brighton College International. This breadth and wealth of experience stands the school in good stead as it looks toward its future. 

BCD is a non-selective, co-educational all-through school. The school roll is currently 1,000 with 52 per cent of the pupils British; some year groups are full and the school will be at capacity when pupil numbers reach 1,200. 

Open days are held twice yearly in April and November, but if these dates don’t suit then parents can pop in for one of the school’s regular open-morning sessions, held on Mondays, Tuesdays and Thursdays – the perfect chance to meet the head and have a tour of the school, followed by coffee and a chat with members of the senior leadership team.

Admissions for early years include a playdate assessment for FS1 (ages three to four) and FS2 (ages four to five) and an in-person assessment with reading and phonics work for Years 1 and 2. 

What sets BCD apart is its commitment to including its youngest starters as members of the school community even before they formally become pupils. In the summer term before they enter, children are offered places on BCD’s Bright Start programme. One morning once a week throughout the term, children come to the campus to discover the environment and settle in and, while the little ones play, their parents are offered age-appropriate parenting workshops. This way, both children and parents make friends and form bonds before their September start.

The school week runs from Monday to Friday, with the day ending at noon on Friday to align with the working week in the UAE, leaving the weekends free for family time, except for occasional sporting events and fixtures. There are around 24 pupils per class, though this number reduces as the pupils progress up the school and specialist teaching increases. 

Right from the start, children at BCD are taught to consider their own learning journey: impressively, ‘growth mindset’ is part of even the smallest members of the school cohort’s vocabulary. BCD follows the British curriculum, with specialist teachers for music, PE and Arabic. 

Each modern classroom has free flow to a dedicated outside area filled with exploration activities and play equipment set in shaded areas (although in high summer, temperatures are monitored to ensure it is safe for the children to play outside). French is studied from Year 1. Arabic is mandatory for all non-native pupils in the UAE and one BCD teacher has developed a specialist Arabic phonics programme based on the extremely successful Read Write Inc model which keeps the children engaged and enthralled as they learn. 

BCD has a specialist, dedicated department for pupils requiring additional academic help (known as inclusion in the UAE) and one-to-one sessions take place when needed. While the majority of the pupil body is British, the school is seeing an increase in admissions from international students and, as such, has an highly involved and active EAL department to ensure any child who needs extra help with their English language will receive personalised support. For any child who is applying, EAL testing will be included in the admissions process if required; and when the place is offered, a bespoke programme of support will be created which can include additional English lessons to get them up to speed (at an additional charge). 

The large library adjacent to the atrium is used by pupils from FS onwards, and includes additional learning space and quiet rooms, as well as a seating area to accommodate story times, visiting authors and small presentations.

BCD offers a vast choice of more than two hundred co-curricular activities (CCAs) which are timetabled into the school day. The clubs and sports on offer and their timings vary according to the age and stage of the child, but can take place either before the school day, during lunchtimes or after school. All pupils must attend one CCA a week. Early years clubs on offer include such fun and disparate choices as ‘let's get moving’, coding, tennis and eco-club.  

Sport is a huge part of everyday life at BCD with pupils of all ages expected to have a go. The top-notch facilities include a large indoor sports hall, a fully equipped fitness suite, a 400-metre running track, full-size pitches, tennis and padel courts, and a stunning 25-metre indoor pool with additional learning pool. The main competitive sports are football, cricket, rugby, netball, swimming, tennis and gymnastics. Swimming is a particular strength – swim squad and fun swim are two of the most popular clubs.  

Walls dotted around the campus are flooded with impressive art and photography pieces, and the whole school contributed to the eye-catching mural which hangs in the central atrium (a new piece of collaborative art – where every pupil has input – is created each academic year). There are opportunities for musicians and those keen on the performing arts to hone their skills through the CCA programme.

In the pre-prep and prep school, pastoral care is provided by classroom teachers but as pupils enter senior school, this is done through the house system and the dedicated housemaster/mistress. There are four co-ed houses and four house rooms within the college that pupils can use as their common space. Daily face-to-face informal chats with teachers or the senior management team mean any parental queries are swiftly solved. 

As well as the Bright Start programme and the parents café in the atrium, parents are welcomed by an active Friends of Brighton College committee who arrange class coffees and onboarding coffee mornings for new joiners. Class reps organise class-specific evenings and events, with WhatsApp groups for purely positive interactions and necessary reminders. The school is also keen to keep the families involved – a parent council group meets with the senior leadership team each term. Those parents who relocated here with pupils in other Brighton schools say the transition between schools was seamless and they ‘didn’t look anywhere else’. Arabic lessons are offered to both parents and staff to help those relocating settle into the city. The Winter Wonderland festival celebration is the highlight of the school’s year, and parents, pupils and staff all work together to plan this glamorous and ever-growing event.

Whether as a tiny new joiner, welcomed to the school before their year group starts, or as a leaver supported by the extensive Brighton College network of alumni, every child at BCD is a valued Brightonian. Brighton College Dubai is a corker of a school set firmly in forward motion – and we can see why it’s on the lips of every in-the-know family in the UAE.