Gulf Model School

• Gulf Model School location
• Years offered
• Gulf Model School curriculum
• KHDA rating
• How to apply?
• Fee structure
• Gulf Model School scholarships
• Gulf Model School transportation
• PTA and contact information

Gulf Model School is a private and co-educational K-12 school located in Muhaisnah 4. The school has served the expatriate community living in Dubai since its inception in 1982. It follows the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and Kerala board curriculum separately, the latter of which is available from Grade 8 onwards. KHDA rated the performance of the school as weak.

Around 2,500 students are currently part of the Gulf Model School Muhaisnah Dubai, with a majority of them holding an Indian passport. Those with Indian passports can apply for Indian passport renewal in the UAE when their passport expires. Other nationalities are also represented at this school. The dedicated teaching staff of 189 teachers and six teaching assistants supports these students.

Top-notch facilities are available that fully support the implemented educational programme. Its focus on the provision of quality education and non-academic activities helps in developing well-rounded students. This guide for Gulf Model School reviews the educational institute’s key details, features, admission, fees and contact information.

This institute is located in the popular residential area of Muhaisnah 4. The community is filled with extraordinary amenities for residential and commercial purposes. Availability of malls, supermarkets, restaurants, health care and schools makes it an ideal community for residence. The following residential communities surround the school:

• Muhaisnah 3
• Al Qusais
• Oud Al Muteena

Muhaisnah 3 is the nearest residential community to the school. This villa-based community has spacious and luxurious residential options. The availability of amenities also makes it an attractive place for families to shift.

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It is located on a spacious plot equipped with an incredible range of facilities. There is a parking space for teaching staff and visiting parents at the entrance. The school building represents modern architecture decorated with black-tinted glass windows. The entire campus is clean and dustbins are available at every corner to avoid littering.

It has technology-enabled modern classrooms that have interactive whiteboards and suitable furniture. Outside the classrooms, there are wide corridor spaces and indoor free-flowing areas for children to play. The campus also has separate laboratories for physics, chemistry and biology. These labs are equipped with chemicals and appropriate apparatus. A computer lab and mathematics lab are also available on campus.

To facilitate learning, there is a spacious library with comfortable seating arrangements. It has a wide range of academic and non-academic resources, including newspapers, reference books, periodicals and books.

They also have access to an art room, a dance room and a music room. To keep them healthy, physically fit and well-fed, there also exists a canteen, clinic and multiple indoor and outdoor sports facilities.

Gulf Model School is located behind the United International Private School on 33 Street facing Api Building Block C in Muhaisnah 4. Those looking to visit the school from the nearby communities can access it through Amman Street and Haleb Street. Beirut Street and Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road are the major streets that connect the school with the rest of Dubai.

An exciting feature of this school is the availability of two curricula. At Gulf Model School, students have the option to opt for the Kerala Board Curriculum from Grade 8 or can continue their studies as per the CBSE curriculum. The curriculum by the CBSE is an internationally recognised educational programme practised in over 24 countries. It focuses extensively on developing sound foundations in the early years.

Here, students feel safe and secure because of the outstanding school environment. The teaching staff follows practices that result in a gentle and caring environment. This is a major reason why parents select this school for their children. Additionally, it promotes Emirati culture as exhibited in various cultural activities.

The school emphasises on the overall development of learners by balancing academic and non-academic activities offered to students. It has a strong extra-curricular programme based on a plethora of activities targeting modern-day skills. Those completing their education are active learners equipped with skills to combat 21st-century challenges.

Another feature of this school that gains people’s attention is its affordable fee structure. It offers quality education without straining parents’ pockets.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has issued a revised set of protocols once the Ministry of Education reopened schools for the academic year 2021-2022. Most COVID-19 protocols remain the same with slight modifications considering the current health and safety situation in Dubai. The revised COVID-19 protocols are as follows:

• COVID-19 vaccination is not mandatory for students and staff members. Employees eligible for the vaccine but who are not interested will have to submit a negative PCR test result every week. Unlike schools in Abu Dhabi, students are not obliged to submit negative PCR test results.
• All students must physically return to school by October 3. The remote learning programme will be offered to students that show a relevant medical certificate issued by the Dubai Health Authority. Schools can switch to distance learning if a positive COVID-19 case is identified.
• Parents can now pick up and drop off their children from the classroom if the school allows. However, schools should ensure that parents do not have access to other facilities on campus.
• Moreover, KHDA has reduced the minimum physical distance to 1 metre. However, schools should continue to take precautions by maintaining a safe distance. Staff members and students above six years old should wear a mask at all times.
• Schools are now allowed to conduct swimming and sports lessons, holiday camps, extracurricular activities, after-school clubs and catering services under strict health and safety measures. Schools must clean and sanitise the changing and sports areas after each group of children.
• Students are asked to enter the specific gates wearing facemasks. The school has to check their temperatures at the entry points. Students with body temperatures over 37.5-degree centigrade are not allowed to enter. They will be sent home with their parents.

For more information, read the detailed COVID-19 protocols and guidelines issued by KHDA.

The educational system at this school is split into the following sections:

The educational programme at this school is based on two separate curricula. From KG1 to Grade 12, it offers the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum. It also offers Kerala Board Curriculum from Grade 8 to Grade 12.

The school’s curriculum is designed in a way to ensure that students are exposed to a broad range of subjects. A major focus of the curriculum is to deliver education based on an international context. This results in developing global citizens who are aware of their surroundings. Arabic and Islamic education are taught from an early stage. These subjects are mandated by the Ministry of Education (MoE) and are delivered from a very young age.

Gulf Model School has a distance learning based on the blended learning model. This mode of learning is adopted by many schools in the UAE. The school uses Google Classroom, Class Dojo, Google Meet and Zoom to deliver lectures. For this, students must have a laptop and a stable internet connection. Students visiting the campus can also bring their devices as per the Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policy. For more information, check out its distance learning policy.

As per the new COVID-19 protocols issued by KHDA, schools are discontinuing the distance learning programme from October 3, 2021. Those wishing to continue their education via distance learning have to show a relevant health certificate issued by Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Schools may revert to distance learning if COVID-19 cases are detected in a class or a group in a class.

KHDA is an education regulatory body that was established in 2006 to ensure the provision of quality education. It inspects schools annually and judges their performance based on a six-point scale: outstanding, very good, good, acceptable, weak and very weak.

KHDA rated Gulf Model School as a weak school. They have received this rating for the last nine years. Before that, they were rated acceptable for the academic years 2010-2011 and 2011-2012.

The positives highlighted by KHDA are:

• Improvements in the attainment of students in Arabic, science and mathematics
• The growing sense of direction of the senior leadership by adding digital resources
• Personal and social development of those in the middle and secondary schools

Nevertheless, it needs to improve the accuracy of its self-evaluation process. They should also speed up the progress and attainments in all aspects of education. They can also work on the quality of teaching and meeting the needs of students of determination to get better ratings in the future.

The academic year at Gulf Model School, Muhaisnah, starts in April and ends in March. Like most schools in Dubai, its academic activities are split into three terms:

• The first term starts in the second week of April and ends in the first week of July.
• After a two-month summer holiday, the second term starts in the last week of August and ends in mid-December.
• After a three-week winter holiday, the last term starts in the first week of January and ends in mid of March.

The Gulf Model School Dubai admission process is straightforward. To apply to Gulf Model School, fill in the online registration form with the required information. Once received, the school contacts parents to bring their child for an assessment. It is important to select the appropriate grade for your child. For this purpose, it has its age-grade guidelines that are as follows:

This is based on the age of the students on 31st March (for schools beginning in April). Source: Gulf Model School

* This is to cater to students transferring from systems that admit students of a younger age)

Please ensure that the following documents must be submitted within time:

For KG1 and KG2

• Candidate’s passport with a valid UAE residence visa (one copy)
• Parents’ (mother and father) passports with a valid UAE residence visa (1 copy)
• Emirates ID card of the candidate (one copy)
• Emirates ID card of the parents (one copy)
• Recent passport-size photographs (three photos)
• Original transfer certificate if applying from Dubai

Parents need to bring theirs and their child’s Emirates ID card for scanning purposes.

For Grade 1 and above

• Candidate’s passport with a valid UAE residence visa (one copy)
• Parents’ passports with a valid UAE residence visa (one copy)
• Emirates ID card of the candidate (one copy)
• Emirates ID card of the parents (one copy)
• Previous academic records
• Original conduct certificate
• Original transfer certificate

The transfer certificate must be attested by the:

• Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the UAE
• Education Board of that Emirate or Country
• UAE Embassy

Original Emirate ID cards of the candidate and parents are mandatory for admission. They will be used for scanning purposes. The decision to extend an offer depends on the outcome of the assessment. Interviews are held for admissions in the kindergarten phase. Whereas, formal entrance tests are conducted for Grade 1 and above. The entrance test syllabus is available on its official website. For further information, read the admission process at the Gulf Modern School.

The Gulf Model School fees are given below:

For further information, view the fees structure of Gulf Model School.

The school does not offer any scholarship programme.

There is a school canteen for students and staff. It offers a wide range of healthy and nutritious snacks to promote healthy eating habits. Students also bring home-packed lunch boxes they can eat in dining areas.

The school has a transportation department that caters to the travelling needs of students. It maintains an impressive fleet of buses that picks and drops students from designated pickup and dropout points in Dubai and Sharjah. These buses have outstanding safety features that ensure a safe and secure travelling experience for students.

The routes and related transportation fees are:

Karama, Bur Dubai, Al Quoz, Al Rashidiya, Al Warqaa/Mirdif, Deira and Al Qusais

Muhaisnah

Sports City/ Outlet Mall

Sharjah

Contact the transport department for more information.

It is a day-only school and does not offer any boarding facilities.

The school offers a few holiday camps to its students. In 2019, it arranged an overnight camp for all graders where they took part in painting and colouring activities.

Sport is an essential part of the extracurricular programme at Gulf Model School. These activities are conducted on campus that has the following sports facilities:

• Soccer ground
• Basketball court
• Badminton court (indoor)
• Skating rink
• Multipurpose hall (for indoor games and extra-curricular activities)

To maintain a balance between academic and non-academic activities, it offers a considerable range of extra-curricular activities. These activities ensure students learn a range of skills that will help them in their future life. The major extra-curricular activities at this educational institute are:

One of the most anticipated extra-curricular activities at Gulf Model School is the ‘You Festival‘. Popularly known as You Fest, it is a talent recognition programme. It discovers the hidden talents of students, especially those studying in Indian schools. Each year, participants showcase their skills to earn recognition. The first and second prizewinners further compete against each other for the mega prize.

Another popular extra-curricular activity at Gulf Model School is the field trip. The school organises field trips for recreational and educational purposes. Students in different grades visit popular places in Dubai and nearby emirates. A prime example of such field trips is the visit to the Dubai Museum. Recently, the students in the Kindergarten stage were taken on an educational field trip to the popular museum of the UAE. Here, the children witnessed the artefacts that depict the historical significance of the country.

The school organizes after-school activities like skating, karate, music, art etc on Monday and Wednesday from 1 pm to 3:30 pm. This is for grades 1-6.

After-school care is unavailable in the current circumstances.

It has a clinic where medical staff is available to treat children. It has the equipment that ensures timely and accurate medical intervention. The medical staff includes a resident doctor and 2 full-time nurses.

To establish solid communication between teachers and parents, the Gulf Model School has some modes of communication. The school portal is the commonly used mode of communication by the school. Here, it shares important information such as attendance records, examination schedules, notifications for upcoming events and more.

In the parent-teacher meeting, teachers and parents discuss their child’s progress. Teachers share strategies to integrate parents into students’ learning. While the parents share their concerns with the teacher.

Parents can also access their official website to explore newsletters, galleries, circulars, notices and other key information. Gulf Model School Blog is also available for students, parents and a wider community to learn more about the school and recent events.

Other modes of communication include social media platforms and WhatsApp groups.

• Gulf Model School Location: 17A Street, Muhaisnah 4, Dubai, United Arab Emirates
• Email Address: gmschool@emirates.net.ae
• Telephone Number: +971 4 2544222
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Note that the cover image belongs to Gulf Model School.