Registration is open for children aged three – 14 (Foundation Stage 1 – Year 9)
Abu Dhabi, November 12, 2013 – Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, the first school campus to open on Saadiyat island, announced today that it is open for admissions, accepting applications for students looking to enrol in the school years Foundation Stage 1 to Year 9. Based on the ethos and curriculum of Cranleigh School, a leading UK independent school founded in 1865, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi’s extensive academic curriculum will emphasise on the individual; allowing pupils to explore their full range of talents in fine arts, performing arts, music, sports and cultural activities. Cranleigh Abu Dhabi will embody Cranleigh’s motto, ‘Ex Cultu Robur’ which means From Culture Comes Strength.
Cranleigh Abu Dhabi will provide a learning experience that is unlike any other school in the emirate. With classrooms operating at an average of 18 pupils per class, the school ensures that students are making the best of their time in class and are getting the best attention from their educators. At Cranleigh Abu Dhabi, students from Year 5 onward will be learning from specialised teachers in every subject, where typically this starts from Year 7. Built over seven hectares of land – four times the minimum requirements of ADEC – the school will be one of the largest school campuses in the emirate and will be able to accommodate more than 1,600 pupils, aged from three to 18 years.
“We are excited to begin the application process, and look forward to welcoming both parents and pupils to be part of the Cranleigh Abu Dhabi family. We anticipate being busy moving forward with parents who are keen to provide their children with top-quality education,” said Brendan Law, the school’s Headmaster.
The school is scheduled to be delivered in phases with the first phase in time for the start of the 2014/2015 academic school year, where it will host co-educational facilities comprising separate Junior and Senior schools with each housing its own classrooms, faculty offices, administration offices, dining hall and library. The school will house specialist facilities for music, science, Arabic and Islamic studies, art, design and technology, drama, dance, and sport classes, as well as state-of-the-art IT facilities for pupils.
These will be complemented by a shared 650-seat auditorium, sports centre and outdoor fields with generously spacious recreational areas. The sporting facilities will include two grass pitches, an Astroturf pitch, tennis courts, swimming pools and an indoor arena comprising of two full-sized courts, which can be used for basketball, football, badminton, gymnasium, dance studio and drama suite.
Brendan Law answering Q&A’s by the media
Part of the school’s plans is to offer boarding facilities – a first for the emirate. Various boarding arrangements in purpose-built houses – separate for males and females – will be offered, including full-boarding as well as individualised day and weekly boarding options.
Located next to Manarat Al Saadiyat and the UAE Pavilion in the Saadiyat Cultural District, Cranleigh Abu Dhabi will be one of the premier educational institutions located on Saadiyat that include New York University Abu Dhabi, which will open in 2014, and Redwood Saadiyat Nursery by Kids First Group – providing all educational levels from pre-school to university on the island. In addition, students will be able to take advantage of the great cultural opportunities available as a result of the school’s strategic location, especially those presented by the island’s renowned museums.
