About the School
About Abu Dhabi
I). About the School
Q: When the school is founded and what is the Philosophy of the school?
Answer:
History
The Elite Private School (EPS) was established in 1992 to meet the educational needs of the multinational community of the U.A.E., through a highly academic international system of education. It is a private secular school without affiliation to any religious denomination, political party or interest group. Its premise consists of three villas renovated to suit the school purpose. Its location is in Albateen area, one of the best residential areas in Abu Dhabi. We are on the coast, with pleasant beaches and palm trees, 15 minutes by car from the city center and 20 minutes from the beach. The School is recognized and registered by The Ministry of Education as an American system school.
Philosophy
The Elite Pvt. School is highly academically oriented without being highly selective. Its aim is to materialize the maximum potential of its students and provide them with a comprehensive education to meet the challenges at their next school, whether that be university, secondary or primary level; and prepare them to become socially responsible citizens.
Our Educational Philosophy is summarized in the following:
Each student is unique and valuable.
A safe, caring, and stimulating learning environment and facility are necessary for fostering student growth.
Education should be student centered and is partnership among students, teachers, parents and broader community.
We must challenge and provide support for students to reach their personal potential.
By providing a broad based curriculum which emphasizes strong academics and creative expression, students will become critical thinkers and lifelong learners.
Education is not limited to the classroom; excursions and travel offer valuable learning opportunities.
Technology and computer literacy is an integral part of education.
Q: What are the average class sizes in the lower and upper schools and what is the size and make up of the student population?
Answer:
Now The School consists of three sections namely: The Lower Primary, The Upper Primary, and The Secondary
The Lower Primary consists of the classes KG 1 (3 –4 yr.), KG 2 (4-5 yr.), Gr.1 (5-6yr.) Maximum number of students we enroll in each of these classes is 22 students. At present the average class size is 13. There is a teacher assistant in KG 1 and one teacher assistant for both KG 2 and Gr. 1 because of the small no. of students in each of these classes.
The Upper Primary consists of the classes Gr. 2 (6-7yr.), 6 (10-11yr.) The maximum number of students we enroll in each of these classes is 24 students. At present the average class size is 13 students.
The Secondary consists of classes from Gr. 7 (11-12yr.) up to Gr. 11 (15-16yr.) only. We hope we will be able to open Gr.12 when circumstances allow. The Maximum No. of students we register in these classes is 24 students. At present the average class size is 15students.
Total No. of classes is 13 and we have 16 classrooms. Our student population size is about 300 students predominantly from various countries of The Middle East and most are second language English students. Few are Europeans They are nice students and respond well to a positive approach.
Q: What is the make up of the school staff? How many staff are there?
Answer:
Our staff is international, recruited from countries such as UK, Canada, USA, Australia, and the Middle East. We normally have 30 teaching staff of female majority.
Q: What is the social composition of the school?
Answer:
The School is coed, but from grade 5 upward, in the same class, boys are separated from girls by seating them at different sides of the class. Nowadays the Ministry of Education is exerting a considerable pressure on schools to separate boys from girls completely starting from Grade 6 upwards
As far as the nationality of the students is concerned, 40% of the student’s population is UAE citizens. The majority of the rest come from various countries of the Middle East. Few are westerners.
Q: What organization runs the school? Is the school non- profit or for profit.
Answer:
The School is not run by an organization or by a board. It is owned by His Excellency Ali Bin Ahmad Al-Dhaheri, a prominent business and government leader in UAE. In coordination with His Excellency the School is established and run by The Director, Mr. Abdel-Rahman Mansour since 1993. Mr. Mansour who is a graduate of The American University of Beirut holds a B.Sc. in Math and has a vast experience in the teaching and administrative field of education. (Over 35 years).
As it is the case with almost all private schools in UAE, The Elite Private School is a profit making school.
Q: What are the facilities in The Elite Pvt. School.
Answer:
We have 16 classrooms with a low teacher-student ratio, with classes averaging 15 students. We have 2 science labs, a library rich with resources, a computer Lab (non of the classrooms is provided by a computer), 7 offices, one staff room a cafeteria, two play grounds, one for the lower primary and the other for the upper school, one volley and Basket ball yard and a mini foot ball field.
Q: Does each teacher have a base classroom or do they move about the school?
Answer: Grades KG.1 to 4 are self-contained, while Gr. 5 to 10 are taught by subject teachers. We normally have 20 teaching staff, and all teachers teach extra subject when their classes are taken for Arabic, Islamic studies (for Moslem students) and French. Teachers receive at least five preparation periods per week, unless there is a need to cover an absent teacher’s class.
Q: Are the classes of mixed ability or streamed/set?
Answer: The Elite Pvt. School is highly academically oriented without being highly selective. Students are placed in classes after they achieve a satisfactory result in their entrance exams for applicants to Gr. 2 upward, and an interview for applicants to KG. 1 up to Gr. 1.There fore classes are expected to be of mixed abilities.
Q: Does the school have set schemes of work/topic that are followed or these developed by the teacher for the class?
Answer: The teachers have to follow the schemes of work set by The School and we not only highly appreciate any improvement but also we require teachers to make such improvements. After they discuss the matter with the Department head and have his consent.
Q: How much scope is there for the teacher to follow any teachable moments?
Answer:
Priority is given to follow the syllabus breakdown. If the teacher feels comfortable and efficiently ahead of the set plan then it is the teacher who can estimate the status and act accordingly.
Q: What sort of reporting to parents does the school use?
Answer:
The school year consists of three terms. In each term parents receive a Mid Term Report and an End of term Report.
The Mid Term Report: This report is subjective. It consists of one page/student. Each teacher teaching that student writes about 5 lines/subject to convey concisely the academic status of the student in that subject.
End of Term Report: This report is a summary of the average grade achieved by the student in each of the taken subjects in that term. The third End of Term Report is called End of Year Report since it reflects the average grade/subject of all grades attained by the student in that subject through out the year. The End of Year report includes information whether a student is to be promoted to the next higher class, to pass make up exams or to repeat the year.
Remark: There are other types of reports called Administrative Reports, not for parents but purely for The Administration. These Are: Daily, Grade, and Term Confidential Report.
Q: Does The School support the use of project work to help investigate a particular topic/theme?
Answer:
Yes it does.
Q: What is The Package Normally Given to an Expatriate Teacher?
Answer:
Salary: The salary range is between Dh 5000 and Dh 7000/month over 12 months.
For Expatriate Teachers all of the following are included in the package:
tax free salaries
furnished accommodation free
water and electricity free
house maintenance is free
annual gratuity
medical insurance(government) free.
Q: How many Heads of Department are there? And Which Departments?
Answer:
There are 5 Heads of Departments.These departments are: English & Social Studies, Math. & Sc., Arabic&Islamic Studies, Lower Primary, Discipline & Activities Department.
II) About Abu Dhabi:
Q: How big is the city? Where is The School situated in terms of the city centre? Is the city loud and bustling or more quiet and subdued? What sort of leisure activities are there available for staff? How is the cost of living?
Answer:
The School is located in Al Moshrif zone which is one of the best residential areas in Abu Dhabi. It is 15 minutes by car from the city centre.We are on the coast, with pleasant beaches and palm trees. Weather is hot and dry, with a more temperate climate from January to April.
Abu Dhabi is a bustling, modern cosmopolitan green city with lots of cheap shopping.It is very easy and comfortable to live here, having a good expat social life. Supermarkets are large and well stocked,with prices that are reasonable. There is a good rangeof western, Arabic and Asian food to be found. Restaurants and fast food outlets are plentiful and cheap. Electrical goods and clothing (even tailor made) are available at good prices. basic toiletries are also cheap. Late night shopping is the norm, shopping hours tending to be 8 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4:30 p.m. to 9 p.m. The working week is Sunday to Thursday with the weekend being Friday and Saturday. UAE Is an Islamic country, clothes for teaching are conservative. Dresses and blouses should have sleeves so that the tops of the arms are covered and no low necklines. However, Abu Dhabi is an international city and very western in daily life, so dress outside of school is more relaxed.
Taxis are very cheap and readily available, e.g. 50p for 2 km! It is the easiest way to get around. Local currency is stable and pegged to the US dollar.
English is commonly spoken here, and the country is peaceful and very safe. Women have a lot of freedom compared with some Islamic countries.
There are some picturesque trips to make within the country and we are well positioned for cheap holidays to other beautiful countries in the region.
Basic utensils, equipment and bed linen are supplied in your accommodatio. Anything else you need is best purchased here at cheap prices.
