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GEMS FirstPoint School inspires students to develop a love of learning by providing infinite opportunities and enriched learning experiences
31 August 2022
| Last updated on 9 September 2022
The start of the school year is always a moment of great anticipation and excitement. Whether you're moving to Dubai, your child is new to school, they are making a change and this is going to be their first experience in a particular school, or they are simply returning to their school after a fun-filled summer, this is going to be a very special moment for them. For everyone, students, parents, and teachers alike, there is that wonderful sense of a new beginning and a fresh start. At GEMS FirstPoint School (FPS), they inspire students from across the world to develop a love of learning through providing infinite opportunities and enriched learning experiences. The school is very excited to share their developments and open their doors, as they welcome new and returning families!
How is FPS different from other British Curriculum schools?
Family First Community School
GEMS FirstPoint School is a Family First community offering the British Curriculum in the heart of the Villa. The school's family is made up of teachers, students, parents, friends and specialist industry partners all working together to provide their learners with the skills and opportunities to operate in an ever-changing world successfully. To further support their community, FPS also offers a bus service and flexi-timings for younger students, so that the whole family can be collected at the same time! In addition to pursuing outstanding academic standards, the school provides the very best sporting opportunities through recreational groups, and competitive school teams. To find out more about our Extra-curricular activities (ECA) provision, please click here.
Why should I enrol my child in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) at FirstPoint School?
Every child deserves the best possible start in their learning life, the experiences children have from birth to five have a remarkable impact on their health, wellbeing, development and future life. At GEMS FirstPoint School, they understand the importance of play as Albert Einstein expressed, “Play is the highest form of research”. The British Schools Overseas (BSO) inspection rated their EYFS department at FPS as 'Outstanding' (2022), as the school puts the children at the centre of all their decision making. The children learn and develop through play, exploration and discovery. GEMS FirstPoint School aims to nurture, stimulate and challenge students, in order to build the fundamental skills to become lifelong learners.
Unique and Stimulating Learning Environments
FPS students are immersed within the school's unique and stimulating learning environments that open up a world of possibility and opportunity. Since the COVID-19 pandemic, GEMS FirstPoint School has placed a stronger emphasis on developing children’s fine and gross motor skills, communication and language and their physical, emotional and social development. Therefore, to further support their development and opportunities, the school is delighted to share exclusive photos of their world class outdoor provision area!
Active Learning at FPS
- A playground that features contrasting levels and contours for students to explore bring a new dimension to outdoor play and learning.
- Sensory walk covered walkways to allow students to become immersed in the scents and sounds they can smell and hear.
- Wooden Climbing Frame enables students to improve their balancing, take risks and develop their critical thinking.
- Bike Track and the Bridges create an element of challenge with bridges and bumps, enjoyment and relaxation whilst the students exercise.
- The ramps and mounds encourage problem-solving and predicting what’s going to happen next.
- Water play with dams, to develop their cooperation, team work, free choice of how to do something, challenge and reward for successes, recycling and reusing.
- Outdoor teaching willow dome for interventions, small group teaching time, wellbeing circle times, sensory SEND space.
- Opportunities to build different types of dens offers students the chance to use their imaginations for some creative thinking and learning; planning, investigating, negotiating, engineering, constructing, evaluating and connecting.
Innovative and stimulating environments are also echoed throughout GEMS FirstPoint's indoor provision. From their Dubai Souk, Bamboo Garden to Mars Technology Station, the children time travel, learn and explore the past, present and future! That’s not it…the school also has their Desert School, Physical Education and Arabic lessons all taught by specialist teachers for youngest students.
Curriculum Offering
Further to this, GEMS FirstPoint School places great emphasis on a rich, diverse, challenging curriculum through the Reggio Emilia philosophy that centres around experiential learning. FPS students learn through the mastery maths approach, enabling students to develop a deep, long-term, secure and adaptable understanding of the subject. Learning is individualised, with personalised pathways. To develop the student’s Communication and Language and Literacy skills, Talk for Writing is embedded through their provision, which enables students to imitate language and become inspiring, imaginative, creative writers. GEMS FirstPoint School is also very proud to be the only school in the UAE to adopt the Sounds-Write Phonics scheme, which is the finest system of literacy tuition in the English language.
Exciting Update – FPS Nursery to open at FirstPoint School 2023!
The transition from Nursery to School has a significant impact on students' development and wellbeing. To aid a smooth and successful transition, GEMS FirstPoint School will be opening their very own Nursery for 2–3 year olds in January 2023 (subject to approval from the relevant authorities). Their nursery will follow the EYFS curriculum with a Reggio Emila inspired approach and will support the transition for their students into the school's ‘Outstanding’ Foundation Stage.
To find out more and to register your interest, please click here.
What else is unique at GEMS FirstPoint School?
Desert School
FirstPoint’s "Desert School" is a play-based initiative to promote an innovative educational approach to outdoor learning. The philosophy of the Desert School is to encourage and inspire individuals of any age to engage and learn through positive and safe outdoor experiences. By participating in fun, engaging, motivating and achievable activities within a natural and safe environment, each student has an opportunity to develop their intrinsic motivation, sound emotional and social skills through self-awareness that can be nurtured to reach personal potential and increase self-esteem. Students have the opportunity achieve their curriculum learning objectives, learn about their natural environment, how to handle risks and most importantly to use their own initiative to solve problems and co-operate with others. Students safely use tools, play, accept behavioural boundaries of both a physical and social nature, establish and grow in confidence, self-esteem and become intrinsically motivated.
To find out further information please visit GEMS FirstPoint School - The Villa.
If you have any further questions, would like to book a school tour, or meet with the Leadership Team, please get in touch below.
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