British Secondary through to 6th Form

JESS Arabian Ranches Secondary

According to the school’s website, the community at JESS is overwhelmingly positive as the school strives to identify and tap into every individual student’s gifts. Strong pastoral and tutoring systems, alongside an extensive extracurricular programme, are designed to allow students to find areas in which they can shine and build confidence. Every boy and girl is important at JESS.

Having built on the foundations of 35 years of JESS providing excellence in primary schooling in Dubai, 2011 has seen our first IB Diploma cohort graduate with resounding success. The IB ethos and the JESS Learner Profile is now permeating the learning and teaching at all levels whether it be the exciting, broad based Key Stage 3 curriculum or preparing for GCSE’s in Key Stage 4. JESS is producing motivated, confident, high achieving and adaptable young people, well prepared for the challenges presented by today’s fast moving, global environment.

The school enjoys outstanding, purpose built facilities on an attractive campus. JESS continues to develop its systems and methods to ensure the best opportunities are available for all of students.

Location

JESS Arabian Ranches Primary is located at the Arabian Ranches, just off Emirates Road.

Who runs the school?

The headteacher is Shane O’Brien. Julie Fantham is the Head of Sixth Form.

Is this a non-profit school?

Yes

What facilities does the school offer?

What is the school’s philosophy?

At JESS children are supported in their development as active learners.  They are involved in target setting and evaluation of their own success.  Self and peer evaluation skills are developed systematically from an early age to enable children to develop critical thinking skills.  Staff are trained in Brain Gym – a system whereby children are given regular breaks to engage in a series of exercises that encourage left and right sides of the brain to function at equally optimum levels.

As children all learn in different ways, teaching planned with learning styles is a key factor; visual, auditory and kinaesthetic learners are all catered for within lessons, just as all levels are extended or supported as necessary through a thorough implementation of differentiation across all areas of the curriculum.

Curriculum

JESS is committed to developing the whole individual and in helping students to achieve their potential in academic studies whilst promoting their social, cultural, emotional, aesthetic and physical development. Accordingly, this is reflected in the broad and balanced curriculum on offer.

The academic programmes are based on the National Curriculum of England, delivered in English and adapted to take into account our international context and local circumstances. Being a Dubai school, Arabic is an important language for our students to learn and Islamic Studies is delivered to our Muslim students, as directed by the Ministry of Education.

JESS enhances the National Curriculum and seek opportunities to increase skills acquisition and development. The JESS Key Stage 3 course of Art, Design and Technology is a good example of this in which the students’ skills and understanding in the area are developed beyond that normally expected in this age range.

Work undertaken in Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), delivered through target days, further enhances the development of the whole individual; as too, the extensive extracurricular activities programme which takes place outside of the normal classroom hours.

Extra-Curricular Activities

JESS Secondary School supports the philosophy that education goes beyond the limitations of the classroom. Consequently, there is a varied and exciting range of extracurricular activities. Understandably, the range of extracurricular opportunities will grow as the number of teachers in the school increases. We will, however, be looking for ways to enhance the programme by opening up off-site opportunities that would allow us to take advantage of the excellent facilities and high level of expertise that exists within Dubai.

By its very nature, the extracurricular programme of activities will be dynamic and respond to the expertise and interest that exists within the staff. It will change with each term and take into account the local climatic conditions. Generally, activities will include traditional clubs such as football, swimming, Spanish and drama as well as more unusual hobbies such as Islamic art and juggling. The important thing for the student is that he or she is given the opportunity to experience new areas of activity and to develop as an individual with a range of interests that may go beyond the school based years.

Admissions requirements

At Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS) the academic year runs from September to June; however children can be admitted during the academic year if a place becomes available subject to KHDA guidelines.*

- Fluency in English

All children admitted into Jumeirah English Speaking School must be fluent in English and able to access all areas of the curriculum through the medium of English. For further details, read this document.

Language entry requirements for JESS

Admissions are also subject to criteria which will vary according to the child’s age group, as follows:

- Foundation, Primary and Secondary

Reports from previous schools / nurseries will be assessed by the academic teaching staff and if deemed necessary, may be followed by an assessment or interview.

The school operates tours of both JESS branches throughout the year.  These tours are pre-arranged and give parents and children the opportunity to visit the school premises and see the children in their classroom environment whilst viewing the facilities available at each branch.   The tours are conducted by a member of the Senior Management Team who will be able to answer any questions you may have.

If you are eligible to apply to JESS and would like to arrange a visit, please contact the receptionist at the relevant branch of JESS.

Can I apply?

If the year group to which you are applying is open to admissions, the school will accept registrations at any time throughout the year regardless of where you reside. If you have access to a corporate debenture or if the application is for a younger sibling of a current JESS pupil(s) registering for Foundation 1, you are able to apply to the waiting list even if it is closed.

Please check Availability & Waiting Lists for the current status of the school’s waiting lists.

If you are unsure of your debenture status or need help with any other aspect of your application, you can complete the school’s online enquiry form on the following link, Expression of Interest.

How do I apply?

A separate registration form is required for each child and must be completed in full and personal information must correspond with the child’s passport. It is essential that all sections of the registration form are completed and the parental statement must also be signed.

There are two branches of JESS, one in Jumeirah and the other at Arabian Ranches. Registration forms are branch- specific. Therefore please complete the appropriate form for the branch of JESS that you wish your child to attend. Parents who wish their children to be registered at both Jumeirah and Arabian Ranches must complete separate registration forms and pay a non-refundable Dhs300 for each one. Registration fees are accepted in the form of Dirham cheques, made payable to JESS, or cash. Unfortunately we cannot accept credit card payments.

What information is needed?

It is a requirement that you inform the school of any social, medical, physical, behavioural or academic circumstance that has, or may have, an effect on your child’s ability to cope independently within the normal classroom situation. Relevant medical or educational psychologist’s reports should be forwarded to the school together with your registration form. Any offer made by JESS is subject to the school being able to meet the individual needs of any child.  JESS reserves the right to contact the previous school for further educational information.

If it is discovered that important educational / behavioural / physical / medical information has been withheld at registration, dismissal from the school may result.

The supporting documents that are required when a registration is submitted are:

-    Photocopy of your child’s passport (in which the residence visa is, or will be, stamped)

-    Photocopy of your child’s birth certificate

-    Full end-of-year school report for the last academic year, if currently attending a school or nursery.
 This must include comments on academic and social progress as well as behaviour

-    An interim report for the current academic year, if available (Primary & Secondary applications only)

-    Letter of Recommendation (applicable to Secondary applications only)

-    Student & parental statements (Sixth Form Only)

A check-list of all documents required can also be found on the back page of each registration form. All completed forms, documentation and registration fees can be submitted to either JESS school – Jumeirah or Arabian Ranches.

Applications will not be processed until all of the above information is received. If any of this information proves to be incorrect at a later date JESS reserves the right to cancel the application.

Sixth Form and IB

The Sixth Form is perhaps the most intensive and demanding period of education that any individual undergoes and in a highly competitive world we recognise that our students need strong academic results to increase their opportunities and choices for the future. JESS recognises that to make the most of those opportunities and choices, students will require maturity, confidence and a repertoire of learning skills.

The Sixth Form Team has been planning and developing the post-sixteen curriculum for the past two years. JESS became an IB World School following a highly successful inspection visit from the IB in February 2009 and now offers the IB Diploma Programme. IB World Schools share a common philosophy – a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education which JESS believes is important for students.

The secondary school has been working hard at establishing the IB ethos and students throughout the school are very aware of the JESS Learner Profile. Further IB activities regularly take place throughout the academic year as part of our PSHE programme, focusing on internationalism, critical thinking, preparation for essay writing, and academic honesty.

The school’s leaders and management is confident that the JESS Sixth Form will build upon the excellent reputation already earned in the rest of the school. JESS is moving forward with plans to build state-of-the-art facilities, students are looking forward to a continuation of the supportive learning environment and are motivated to meet the many challenges that life in the Sixth Form will pose.

IBDP Subjects at JESS

Students wishing to take the full IB Diploma must ensure that they take one subject from each group and that they have three subjects at Higher Level and three at Standard Level.

The above is subject to change. Please be aware that if there is high demand in certain subjects, late applicants may be unable to secure a place in their first option choice.

The JESS Advantage

Fees

Fee Structure 2011/12

KHDA rating

Good (as of 2011)

JESS Arabian Ranches Primary

Click on the link above to go to the Primary School Page