The National Curriculum: A Foundation Stage

Launched in 2021, Repton School Dubai is home to more than 1, 770 students, more than twice as many as its closest peer school in the UK. Repton School Dubai offers the English National Curriculum (ECON) from FS1 to year 11, and the IB Diploma, IAS, and IB Careers related programmes in Years 11 and 12. The International Student Services (ISDS) is the internationalised arm of the Repton School and is responsible for the recruitment of local and international students and their families. International students generally pay for their tuition and receive funds to support them in living and studying in Dubai. There are also scholarships available.

The Repton School is part of the Education Association of the Middle East (EAS) and is affiliated to the United Kingdom Muslim Academy (UMA) and the Muslim Educational Trust (MET). The International Middle East Schools Association (IMESA) is the educational governing body of the international school education sector. The National Curriculum (NCLEX) that governs the curriculum in all the UK state schools also identifies a number of courses that have been recommended by the British government, which include those offered by the Repton School. It is a reading course and is taken at the beginning of each school year. This enables students to begin to prepare for the national curriculum.

During the year, there are four foundation courses: Careers and Management; Environment and Sustainability; Leadership and Management; and Technology, Arts and Careers. Pre-primary and nursery school pupils take up kindergarten and primary school classes, while students in secondary school study the general education, taking up courses in English, Math, Science and Social Studies. Pupils in post-secondary institutions also study the NCLEX. At the end of the foundation stage, they study the national curriculum for a further two years. The National Curriculum sets out the academic requirements for entrance to university, college and special schools in Britain.

The National Curriculum has helped to transform the way in which schools teach and how pupils learn. For example, all UK schools follow a discipline based teaching approach that concentrates on the fundamental skills taught by Repton faculty. Students have access to a personal academic advisor and to the school's academic library of printed work and electronic resources. In the past, students' achievement was measured by marks awarded on a periodic academic examination called the examinations performed by the English Council. Today, the exams are provided electronically so that marks can be shared online.

The Repton School also takes a positive approach to class composition, setting the Boarding Examination Board (BEC) examapstrictly. In order to achieve success in this discipline, students must be prepared to complete written tests from the start of their education. Therefore, it is important to begin with a well prepared composition course. The Repton School prepares pupils for both examination day and the end of year performance examination.

For students who wish to excel in their chosen subject area, the Repton School offers courses that lay the groundwork for a bright future. For example, the foundation stage provides foundational learning, such as reading, writing and the English language. During this stage students are tested on reading, listening and understanding, along with various other comprehension components. The results of these tests help to determine if a student will be deemed to have achieved 'excellent' or 'well done' status at the end of the foundation stage.