Repton Dubai Senior School

I am a bonafide Repton parent :cool: Infant School: Very very happy. Junior School: Very Happy Senior School: sigh.....three years ago had moved DS out of senior school to JC. That was the year hoards of teachers left Repton en mass over package issues. Very happy there. DD has now moved to senior school. Decided to give the school a year to see if they have sorted themselves. They have....kind of. Will probably leave her there. My issues revolve around the fact that its HUGE school and parents don't have any voice. Communication with parents is still poor (mandarin teachers had left...did not come for 4 classes but no formal word was sent to parents until now...after I raised a fuss). Not enough home work is given in Yr 7. On few occasions, teachers don't mark books but its self/peer assessed (Math). Trips/photographs are SO much more expensive than other schools. Arabic curriculum is very low standard (JESS Ranches has the best I believe). Since its such a big school, only the best few get selected for sports. These are those who play outside school so no real "development" by school. Quality of plays/drama is inferior to what I've seen elsewhere. . Cannot believe there still isn't a theater!! Junior school plays are held in corridors. Overall I feel children can be challenged much more. hth.

Daza. Thanks for your post. Glad, very glad to hear things aren't like this on ground. Stix thanks too. I believe i am much better placed now. Hope we all make the right decisions. The criteria for selecting a school in the UAE is the same as selecting one in the UK. I would be looking at results in the core subjects (maths, English and science) IGCSE, IB and A levels I would be looking at the work books of the years your child is going into, how do they compare back home and how do they compare to the 3 schools you mentioned? Established schools that have been here years are very hard to get into. Its the same in the UK, all the good schools are full, with wait lists. I always worry when there is a mass Exodus as parents generally dont uproot happy children.

Stix has written an excellent post and great advice, and that is where the buck stops really. The individual child and what works for that child. Completely agree. The first part of your post has gone but fair point, I've been on EW for nearly nine years and I'm still utterly [i'>hopeless[/i'> at identifying agendas. I'm not backing myself to wising up any time soon :lol: I'm surprised you missed it Daza........lol

Stix has written an excellent post and great advice, and that is where the buck stops really. The individual child and what works for that child. Completely agree. The first part of your post has gone but fair point, I've been on EW for nearly nine years and I'm still utterly [i'>hopeless[/i'> at identifying agendas. I'm not backing myself to wising up any time soon :lol:

Daza. Thanks for your post. Glad, very glad to hear things aren't like this on ground. Stix thanks too. I believe i am much better placed now. Hope we all make the right decisions.

Wow - what a post! So overwhelming and such important decisions for people to make! As a teacher, one thing I will say is this: everyone who has BEEN to school, thinks they are an expert on schools. Things change in education, Dubai is transient, who achieved the highest results in one year means little the next year, cohorts change, parent body changes, staff and leadership change, best practice in pedagogy changes. Determine what your criteria are for your children and look for evidence of success in those areas to determine the best fit for your children. Schools with high academic standards aren't the best fit for every child. Schools with the highest fees may not meet the needs of your child either. You know them best, interview the schools. People here may be Repton parents, Kings parents, NAS parents etc etc, but none of them are the parents of YOUR child. Only you can find the best fit for them. Good luck everyone! Stix, great post. I'm glad you highlighted results, many schools worldwide now refuse to share results publically for good reason, whilst some I’m afraid to say can distort them (worldwide). Not all schools follow the same exam boards for starters. Being such a transient society it’s also hard to gage if those results came from students who had been in the school long-term or joined from another. Also with the huge tutoring mentality and educationally active parents it is difficult to put results down purely to what happens in a classroom. I certainly know that had I not engaged tutors, results would not have been as they were due to gaps in content covered in the classroom. And I know I am not alone on that. Education is evolving and new schools are providing parents with more choice. Some schools are going to have to up there game to retain clientele, unlike a free sector, parents have the right to change schools. Like any service sector businesses will have to adapt to survive. Parents are soo much more involved in their schools now it really has changed how schools have to look at what they provide and how they deal with issues when they arise.

Wow - what a post! So overwhelming and such important decisions for people to make! As a teacher, one thing I will say is this: everyone who has BEEN to school, thinks they are an expert on schools. Things change in education, Dubai is transient, who achieved the highest results in one year means little the next year, cohorts change, parent body changes, staff and leadership change, best practice in pedagogy changes. Determine what your criteria are for your children and look for evidence of success in those areas to determine the best fit for your children. Schools with high academic standards aren't the best fit for every child. Schools with the highest fees may not meet the needs of your child either. You know them best, interview the schools. People here may be Repton parents, Kings parents, NAS parents etc etc, but none of them are the parents of YOUR child. Only you can find the best fit for them. Good luck everyone! LOVE this reply Stix! As parents, we all try and do the best for our kids, but I don't understand why it gets so competitive and nasty?? I 'uprooted' as some say, my children in January from one school to another, not because of hype, but because of the native language program they offer and smaller class sizes. Places were available, so we saw it best to move sooner, rather than later, as the kids would have more to catch up on if they waited until next Sep. To insinuate that I/parents are selfish to make such a move because of hype and marketing is completely insulting. As a multilingual family, this decision was made for their education and family environment, not to win any brownie points. It was a family decision and it was unanimous. Our kids LOVE their new school, they are THRIVING in it, and they often say they are glad they moved. Me too! DH too! We did what we thought to be the best move for our family. To the OP, kids are individuals and therefore whilst it is good to do your research about the various options available, at the end of the day, do what works best for you and your family. NO SCHOOL can possibly have a 100% happy rate, they all have their pros and cons. There have been a number of schools mentioned on here which are all good in their unique ways. You just need to find one that suits your needs best. I wish you the very best of luck :)

Personally I dislike misinformation and blindsided critic. Mrs Mozz actually posted a really good genuine post. Information posted about schools should be accurate, but accurate depends on perspective and own personal bias I suppose. Every school has issues wherever it is in the world, some parents will tolerate those issues others will not. Those who have/are experiencing issues are limited in response, hence such threads always become distorted. Stix has written an excellent post and great advice, and that is where the buck stops really. The individual child and what works for that child.

I've been at Repton for six years and have three children there. In my experience the vast majority of parents are nice people (honest!) and the vast majority of teachers are excellent and passionate about what they do. My children are happy and they are doing well. I have a few complaints, mainly to do with the size of the school and some decisions that are made but on the whole I'm happy and have no intention of moving. And nor should you if you're happy there and your children are happy and doing well that's the most important thing in the world :) edited by lovingthesun on 27/01/2015

A reasonable question and I shouldn't have posted post early morning run! I think it's because so far on various threads "Repton parents" have posted a number of factual untruths in a blizzard of comments. It goes on...and on, each carefully qualified with "I have heard". Some have been removed by the moderators. I think it's just a shame that what should be a resource for prospective parents has been polluted. I agree that opinions are fine, and people have them and should be free to express them. But when it crosses into simple factual untruths I think that's a bit naughty. I shouldn't have reacted :lol: Thanks for the reply lovingthesun :) It would be a shame if people are making things up to try to discredit other schools. There is a lot good about Repton so much more positive to highlight that rather than engaging in mud slinging. I've been at Repton for six years and have three children there. In my experience the vast majority of parents are nice people (honest!) and the vast majority of teachers are excellent and passionate about what they do. My children are happy and they are doing well. I have a few complaints, mainly to do with the size of the school and some decisions that are made but on the whole I'm happy and have no intention of moving.

Wow - what a post! So overwhelming and such important decisions for people to make! As a teacher, one thing I will say is this: everyone who has BEEN to school, thinks they are an expert on schools. Things change in education, Dubai is transient, who achieved the highest results in one year means little the next year, cohorts change, parent body changes, staff and leadership change, best practice in pedagogy changes. Determine what your criteria are for your children and look for evidence of success in those areas to determine the best fit for your children. Schools with high academic standards aren't the best fit for every child. Schools with the highest fees may not meet the needs of your child either. You know them best, interview the schools. People here may be Repton parents, Kings parents, NAS parents etc etc, but none of them are the parents of YOUR child. Only you can find the best fit for them. Good luck everyone!

A reasonable question and I shouldn't have posted post early morning run! I think it's because so far on various threads "Repton parents" have posted a number of factual untruths in a blizzard of comments. It goes on...and on, each carefully qualified with "I have heard". Some have been removed by the moderators. I think it's just a shame that what should be a resource for prospective parents has been polluted. I agree that opinions are fine, and people have them and should be free to express them. But when it crosses into simple factual untruths I think that's a bit naughty. I shouldn't have reacted :lol:

Can I ask though - why is there such animosity between Reption and NAS parents - very odd again? I feel new NAS parents are trying to justify their move to the school but do not understand why they need to do so if they feel they made the correct decision? Also its like its a fight to be right? Did this happen with the moves when Kings and Repton opened too Ladies? Did parents that moved do the same almost in defense mode (sorry do not mean to offend anyone with this - just an observation)? I'm a Repton parent with friends who have moved to NAS from Repton and other schools and the only animosity I have ever seen or heard about between parents is on EW. My friends that have made the move are happy with their decision and I'm happy for them. None of us have ever felt the need to be 'right'. Certainly none of them have ever been defensive about the move, why should they? From my experience, any impressions you have gotten from EW are from a tiny minority of parents (who are completely entitled to their opinion), it's not indicative of any overall bad feeling between the schools.

Lolacat. Not sure what you are referring to. I've been following posts on expat woman since the beginning of this year. The tension between NAS and Repton seems obvious and plain to see to anyone with reading abilities. There are many schools that we've heard of that are new but the tension is only there between these two schools on these posts. That is why I asked my question. I know nothing about these schools as I am not yet in Dubai but I have visited both as well as 7 others last year. I am however trying to pick the best school for my kids. I'm sorry if I offended you especially as you seem to be a NAS parent but can I ask please...Why the rude comment?

Dear desert_doggie Thank you so very much for your comments. Nothing like speaking to a mum going to the school as I must say all the comments I heard about Repton were from people 'not' at Repton. Or children who were lagging behind at Repton and according to parents did not get as much attention as the rest. Luckily my kids have been in the top sets plus I am very involved in helping them in their school work so not too much of a worry for me. I have been to see Repton and loved it plus the admissions staff were very good. Marink and March - how very interesting - in the UK and in my area we do not move kids at all - its a big no no as stability is so prime. I can understand Marketing gimmicks and the lure of new facilities pulling people i guess but I am so adamant that I do not wish to move my kids back centre and forward. It would therefore be good to make the correct decision (as much as in our control at this time) from the word go. I would like to keep them in one school whilst we are in Dubai and only move them when we return back to the UK. Thanks for all your help. xx Can I ask though - why is there such animosity between Reption and NAS parents - very odd again? I feel new NAS parents are trying to justify their move to the school but do not understand why they need to do so if they feel they made the correct decision? Also its like its a fight to be right? Did this happen with the moves when Kings and Repton opened too Ladies? Did parents that moved do the same almost in defense mode (sorry do not mean to offend anyone with this - just an observation)?

Also why did so many children move ? This I do not understand, yet I see it happen every year. Why do parents uproot children (sometimes mid school year) and join a new school. The same happened when new schools opened years ago, when parents left pretty established schools like DESS/JESS. A new school (no matter how well managed and funded), does need time to get their system ready. Be it working culture, staff rapport, PTA, logistics, ECA's etc. Yes, there are several moving to Nord right now, but it happens with every new school- Some parents rush for greener grass. - I still remember when DAA opened years ago and it was touted as the best thing then, then World Academy, Gems Wellington, Foremarke, and soon will be Hartland in September. So true. When Kings opened people left the non-profit schools for 'a proper prep school' only then Kings lost people to Repton which was 'really, really a proper prep school' and was lauded to the heavens on here but of course had to deal with teething problems. I think it would be good to wait a bit with Hartland, good principal and staff but let them settle down and form a good working relationship with the management.

This I do not understand, yet I see it happen every year. Why do parents uproot children (sometimes mid school year) and join a new school. The same happened when new schools opened years ago, when parents left pretty established schools like DESS/JESS. A new school (no matter how well managed and funded), does need time to get their system ready. Be it working culture, staff rapport, PTA, logistics, ECA's etc. Yes, there are several moving to Nord right now, but it happens with every new school- Some parents rush for greener grass. - I still remember when DAA opened years ago and it was touted as the best thing then, then World Academy, Gems Wellington, Foremarke, and soon will be Hartland in September. Well said! I personally think its super selfish to uproot your child out of a school they love and are established in just because you are lured by the hype of a new school. Its called marketing people! They will promise rainbows and unicorns if they have to.

Also why do so many children move? This I do not understand, yet i see it happen every year. Why do parents uproot children (sometimes mid school year) and join a new school. The same happened when new schools opened years ago, when parents left pretty established schools like DESS/JESS. A new school (no matter how well managed and funded), does need time to get their system ready. Be it working culture, staff rapport, PTA, logistics, ECA's etc. Yes, there are several moving to Nord right now, but it happens with every new school- Some parents rush for greener grass. - I still remember when DAA opened years ago and it was touted as the best thing then, then World Academy, Gems Wellington, Foremarke, and soon will be Hartland in September.

To the original poster, this will be my final post on this thread however I will say this: I am a parent with my opinion of the school I have chosen to send my children too. If for one minute, I thought they could get a better education/experience elsewhere I would move them. I pay for my children's education out of pocket - its not an allowance so to be honest, I am constantly evaluating and re-evaluating my choice. As parents we strive to give our children the best. I think i highlighted both good and bad points at Repton depending on what you're looking for. As to which school had the pupils with the highest scores in the UAE for English, Maths and Science....I have no idea... I can only speak to publicly available information that I have. For the IGSE results, these were posted on Reptons facebook page. https://www.facebook.com/pages/Repton-School-Dubai/60022609996?fref=nf I agree this would be something you should raise when you're meeting with the prospective schools to find out how they did and evaluate that once you have all the relevant information. My advice - go to the schools, and see which is the best fit for your child but certainly don't rely on EW to make that decision for you. Later ladies!

As for the rest...it only takes a few minutes to find this http://www.nordangliaeducation.com/contact-us

I would go and visit the school and definitely take the comments on this thread with a pinch of salt. I am a Repton mum, have been for 7 years. I am very happy with the school, both academically and in respect of the pastoral care. Repton has always received flack from parents whose children didn't attend based on hearsay. I recall sitting with a bunch of mums at a ballet class once, to have the women spend almost an hour criticizing Repton - the academics, what the mums wore, the kinds of people that attended there....interestingly none actually had first had experience and when I did let them know that I did, most were quite embarrassed for participating in hearsay. Here is some feedback that may or may not help you IGCSE results - Best in the world for French, Best in the UAE for German, Mandarin, Drama, Design Technology, History and Geography, this year. Diversity - The school is diverse. There are Emiratis, there are children from neighboring GCC countries, the UK, Australia, Canada, Western Europe, Eastern Europe, and Asia. All must pass the entrance exam to get it, so while English may not be their parents mother tongue, these children speak fluent English. ECA's - they offer a wide range of free ECA's run by the teachers as well as paid activities. There are a number of squads but because there are 200 or so kids per year group and only 10-15 spaces, only the top children are selected. This is an issue for some parents and again a reason for moving them a smaller school. Unfortunately, life is like that and generally people will make the cut in activities that they are skilled in...would rather they learn that earlier then later Massive - the school is huge and if children are not used to big crowds, they may find this overwhelming. There are 8 classes per year with 17 to 20 children per class. I've not found this to be an issue and my kids love it...but again not for everyone. People ask why there is no wait list well perhaps because the schools that do have wait lists have less classes in each year group...sometimes its simple math So hope the above helps - but again, I think the best thing for any parent to do is visit the school with their children and see how they like it. If you have the flexibility to choose then you have the power. Your children are old enough to know which one will meet their needs. From an academic perspective most of the schools mentioned above are in the same range and you'll have nothing to worry about. Good luck with your decision!!

Dubaiornot, Repton senior school is excellent and it's getting better and better every year as more children move up from the prep school... It is very academic and they do push the children...they also expect them to work independently which they thrive on...the IB results have been improving and are now excellent and, in IGCSE, one child was top in the world in French, with six others top in the UAE in different subjects last year... It's a tough workload, as with any IB curriculum, and so not for every child... Hope that helps...!

Hi all. Can you help please. We're moving to Dubai in April. Have an offer from Repton and two of the newer schools. We're not going to opt for the newer ones as our kids are in a very good private school over 250 years old so it seems wrong for us. Please can someone feedback on Repton. Please can someone guide us here. Should we look for another school? We do want the kids to be in a typical British school to ensure their transition is not disruptive. Have you visited the schools you mentioned?

Hi all. Can you help please. We're moving to Dubai in April. Have an offer from Repton and two of the newer schools. We're not going to opt for the newer ones as our kids are in a very good private school over 250 years old so it seems wrong for us. Please can someone feedback on Repton. Please can someone guide us here. Should we look for another school? We do want the kids to be in a typical British school to ensure their transition is not disruptive.

Thanks everyone for all your comments. goodytwoshoes, thanks for your comments, just wondering did you happen to look at any other schools before deciding on Repton? If so are you able to share? Was also wondering what the views are about Nord Anglia, does anyone have anything to share about the school so far? I'm only interested in the senior school division. Many thanks. I did look at other schools, but my criteria included one campus for both my kids. I hadn't much choice at short notice (only found out late May/early June of our imminent move) so with availability of places in the relevant year groups had it narrowed down to four schools, two of which were new schools and two more established including Repton and a GEMS school. I had experience of a new school in another country in the region and I saw first hand all the teething problems that come with start-ups (and there were a lot!) and therefore decided that - particularly not wanting to take that chance with senior school - to choose Repton for both kids. It seemed more organised and structured and I was given part of my tour by a Yr 7 student who was confident, friendly and happy in the school. I really can't find any cause for complaint since September, my child is happy (and given that this child did not want to move from their old school, it was both a relief and an achievement) , the school is organised, the teachers come across as invested and interested. Hope this helps!!

I do not have children at Repton however I do have friends with children there who love the place (academically and sports wise) and I also have a friend who removed her daughter as the school wasn't working academically for her. In my opinion I would look at Repton and 3 or 4 others and make a choice after you see their IGCSE/GCSE results and get a feel for the place (ask current students there) If you are not favouring IB (in Reptons case) you can always move to an A level school after y11? Anyhow, the purpose of the post is that mummys will ALWAYS feel that their school is the best and if they didn't they would hopefully not have their children in there! You are best taking ALL comments with a pinch of salt and making the decision after researching and taking into account your child's thoughts on the matter. Good luck :)

Why don't you look at senior school IB and A level results ? Every person has a different criteria when looking for a school.

Of course DC have a lot of Oxbridge students. They are a long established school with a v selective entry process. I just think Repton are doing well for a relatively new school and they keep on improving every year. I don't know how much sport they do in the senior school sorry. But DESC are not academically selective and they have also had Oxbridge students. I am not sure how long DESC has been going but quite a bit longer than Repton - maybe 9 years. Repton has a lot more students from non-English speaking families. Not much longer but non profit, huge value added, strong management, hard working teachers, outstanding for good reason. Yes a big DESC fan, experienced both, no comparison IMHO.

Of course DC have a lot of Oxbridge students. They are a long established school with a v selective entry process. I just think Repton are doing well for a relatively new school and they keep on improving every year. I don't know how much sport they do in the senior school sorry. But DESC are not academically selective and they have also had Oxbridge students. I am not sure how long DESC has been going but quite a bit longer than Repton - maybe 9 years. Repton has a lot more students from non-English speaking families.