With its multicultural environment and cutting-edge learning facilities, SISD represents the best of what Dubai’s education system has to offer
Dubai is known for its skyscrapers, luxury shopping and a larger-than life leisure and entertainment scene, but there is another side to this glittering city that is just as impressive – its world-class education system.
One only has to look at the long list of top-flight foreign universities setting up campuses in the city to understand the huge progress Dubai has achieved as a global hub for quality education.
With a distinctive mix of top-notch facilities and a culturally diverse student population, Dubai offers a uniquely enriching educational experience that fosters a sense of openness and understanding that is increasingly important in an interconnected world.
The big strides made by the Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai (SISD) as the emirate’s first bilingual International Baccalaureate School offers unique insights into the reasons Dubai is gaining attention as an international hub for learning.
Recently ranked as one of the world’s top 100 private schools in Spear’s 100 Schools Index, SISD is global in outlook, Swiss in culture, and yet firmly rooted in the local community as it boasts a diverse student body of 1,800 pupils from more than 100 different nationalities.
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Inaugurated in 2015, SISD is now the largest Swiss school outside Switzerland and stands out as one of only a handful of educational establishments globally classified as an IB Continuum school, which means it offers International Baccalaureate education to pupils from age three to 18.
Multilingual environment
Even the co-teaching of languages is unique at SISD, where bilingual classes from KG1 to Grade 4 have two native speakers per classroom – English and French or English and German. The bilingual options continue until Grade 12 (age 18) where students can choose to take a bilingual IB Diploma. Apart from English/French and English/German, the school also offers students the option to take up a third language.
Steam
In line with its commitment to diversity and inclusion in learning, the school also offers an alternative programme for students who do not wish to pursue a fully bilingual programme.
SISD’s STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths) education for children four to 11 years old focuses on a range of subjects that are critical in preparing students for real-life challenges of the 21st century. In fact, SISD is said to be among a few schools in the UAE that places such a high level of focus on STEAM at a young age.
The school has also recently added a BTEC International Level 3 Extended Diploma in Business and Hospitality, becoming the first school in the region to offer a BTEC Hospitality Management Course.
The courses are delivered via the hotel.school platform, while weekly on-site practical lessons are taught at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM), one of the world’s leading hospitality business management schools.
Athletics academy
Sport plays an equally essential role in education and SISD is giving students the best platform to pursue a well-rounded education that promotes the benefits of sports in acquiring valuable life skills such as discipline, teamwork, leadership and resilience.
SISD has recently added a state-of-the-art track and field athletics academy to its Al Jadaf-based site, partnering with AIS Athletics, a leading provider of track and field athletics for young athletes in the UAE.
The partnership gives SISD students access to world-class coaching, including current and former Olympians, world championship medallists, and accredited coaches. The new academy complements the school’s existing world-class facilities that already include a 400m running track, an Olympic-size swimming pool, a full-size Techno Gym and a cardio suite.
SISD’s major inroads in creating a learning environment that inspires lifelong learners is a testament to Dubai’s significant strides in raising the bar of excellence in education and becoming a leading international hub for learning.
With its multicultural environment, cutting-edge facilities and wide range of academic programmes, SISD represents the best of what Dubai’s education system has to offer, preparing students to become global citizens who are ready to succeed in an ever-evolving world.
For more information, visit sisd.ae
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Image source Swiss International School Dubai