Beyond Classroom
Beyond Classroom
School Policies
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Academic Calendar
Kings’ School Al Barsha is open Monday to Friday, with a half-day Friday and a Saturday and Sunday weekend, as is standard practice for schools in the United Arab Emirates.
School starts at 8:00am for Secondary, 8.15am for Primary and 8.30am for those in Foundation Stage.
School finishes at:
Term dates 2024-2025
View the full calendar for the academic year 2024-25 here.
Kings’ House System
Life at Kings’ is built on our distinctly British house system, which creates a community for peers to support one another, to engage in friendly competition, and to work together to make a positive contribution to the school community. The house system is very much at the heart of our structure for effective and consistent pastoral care. It helps to develop a strong sense of identity and belonging, promotes both friendly competition and community cohesion, and creates opportunities to celebrate achievements and instil pride amongst students.
Tudor, Windsor, Hanover, and Stuart are the four houses at Kings’ and each represents an iconic era in British history. The Kings’ houses, chosen and illustrated by founding students, resonate with ‘Kingsonians’ past and present alike. On joining Kings’, each student is allocated to one of the four houses and becomes a member for life. Family members join the same house, a tradition that encourages camaraderie, loyalty, and commitment. The house system spans all Kings’ schools, and year groups, fostering an inclusive and community-centred culture that affords all students the opportunity to shine, to discover and nurture new talents, and to contribute to their school community.
Houses compete against each other in a range of cross-curricular events that stretch across academic, art, sport, and cultural activities, from staff versus student cooking competitions, Cluedo treasure hunts and World Book Day dress ups to sports days, talent shows, and Mastermind quizzes, as they battle it out for the coveted Kings’ House Cup, awarded at the end of the academic year. The Kings’ house system encourages teamwork and builds relationships, both vertically and horizontally, with opportunities for leadership, responsibility, coaching, and mentoring. The Kings’ house system has cultivated our celebrated spirit of Kings’.
After school care
We are pleased to offer a number of After School Clubs free of charge from Year 1 onwards. For more information review our Extra-Curricular Activities page.
Bookings can be made by the Parent Portal.
In addition, we offer Kings’ After School Care for after school wrap-around care for Foundation Stage 2 children with Primary siblings.
For more information email clubs@kingsdubai.com.
extra curricular
Kings’ School Al Barsha offers a rich and varied programme of co-curricular activities designed to extend learning, develop interests and encourage participation beyond the school day. The programme is available to children in Years 2 to 6, with Year 1 pupils able to join clubs from the second term, ensuring opportunities are age-appropriate and accessible.
Activities take place before and after school and are led primarily by Kings’ teaching and support staff, alongside a small number of specialist external providers. The programme is refreshed each term to reflect pupil interests and ensure a broad and balanced range of opportunities.
Our co-curricular offering spans sport, music, science, the arts and creative thinking. Student Voice plays an important role in shaping the programme, ensuring pupils can explore existing interests and discover new passions. Activities may include chess, rounders, origami, zumba, cooking, photography and enterprise-focused clubs such as Dragons’ Den. External providers currently offer activities including ballet, karate, yoga, engineering and LEGO-based learning.
Children may join up to two internal clubs per term at no cost, as well as any number of external clubs, which are available for an additional fee. Through this programme, pupils are encouraged to build confidence, develop skills and enjoy a well-rounded school experience beyond the classroom.
Expressive Arts
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Our spacious, light-filled Art Department offers inspiring facilities, including multiple studios, a sculpture and ceramics workshop, outdoor working areas and a sculpture garden, shared with the Design Technology Department. Students explore a wide range of disciplines including drawing, painting, printmaking, textiles, photography, ceramics and sculpture.
All students study Art and Design up to Year 9, building strong creative foundations. From Year 10, students may choose GCSE Art and Design (Fine Art), with progression to A Level Fine Art, developing independence, critical thinking and deeper conceptual understanding. Student work is regularly showcased through exhibitions.
Music is also central to the Expressive Arts programme. Through our partnership with the Centre for Musical Arts, students receive instrumental tuition across a range of instruments and are encouraged to participate in ensembles and orchestras, with lessons carefully timetabled alongside the school day.
Competitive Sports
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Supported by outstanding facilities, programmes are developed from Year 2, enabling students to progress both recreationally and competitively.
As full members of DASSA and BSME, our students compete in leading international school sporting events across the Middle East. Through structured training and competition, students develop skill, resilience, teamwork and sportsmanship, with opportunities to perform at a high level. All participants are required to follow the Kings’ Sports Code of Conduct to ensure a positive and respectful sporting environment.
School Trips
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Trips are carefully designed to enrich the curriculum, encourage hands-on learning and develop teamwork, confidence and real-world understanding. From local environmental projects to curriculum-linked visits across the UAE, students benefit from meaningful and memorable learning experiences.
Week Without Walls
Our annual Week Without Walls is a highlight of the school calendar for students in Years 7 to 10. This immersive programme provides opportunities to develop key skills such as leadership, communication, collaboration and resilience through experiences beyond the traditional curriculum.
The programme includes residential trips in Dubai and overseas, alongside immersive in-school experiences. Previous activities have ranged from conservation and community projects abroad to outdoor adventure challenges, cultural exploration and creative projects closer to home. Week Without Walls enables students to explore new environments, challenge themselves and develop a deeper understanding of the world around them.
Kings’ House System
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Every student is allocated to one of four Houses — Tudor, Windsor, Hanover or Stuart — each reflecting an iconic era of British history. Students remain members of their House throughout their time at Kings’, with siblings joining the same House to strengthen family connections and a sense of belonging.
The House system spans all year groups and encourages participation, leadership and teamwork through a wide range of academic, sporting, creative and cultural activities. Friendly competition and shared experiences culminate in the annual Kings’ House Cup, while leadership opportunities and mentoring across year groups help students build confidence, responsibility and lasting relationships that define the spirit of Kings’.
The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award
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The Award combines volunteering, physical activity, skill development and expedition experiences. Highly regarded by international universities, the Award develops self-motivation, resilience, responsibility and teamwork. Students value the programme for its challenge, sense of achievement and the lasting impact it has on personal growth.
For further details, families are encouraged to visit the official Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award website.
Holiday Camps
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The programme includes a wide range of adventure, sports and STEM-based activities, encouraging children to stay active, curious and creative while developing confidence and teamwork skills. Delivered by experienced professionals, the camps combine fun with purposeful learning, extending the Kings’ educational experience beyond term time.
Expressive Arts
Lorem ipsum We are the only school in the United Arab Emirates to have achieved an ‘outstanding’ rating by the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau every year since inspections began…
Expressive Arts
Lorem ipsum We are the only school in the United Arab Emirates to have achieved an ‘outstanding’ rating by the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau every year since inspections began…
Expressive Arts
Lorem ipsum We are the only school in the United Arab Emirates to have achieved an ‘outstanding’ rating by the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau every year since inspections began…
Expressive Arts
Lorem ipsum We are the only school in the United Arab Emirates to have achieved an ‘outstanding’ rating by the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau every year since inspections began…
