SISD becomes Nord Anglia’s second school in Dubai

LONDON: Leading international schools’ organisation Nord Anglia Education has announced that Swiss International Scientific School Dubai (SISD) has joined its global family of schools.

Founded in 2015, Swiss International Scientific School Dubai is now the second Nord Anglia school in Dubai, joining Nord Anglia International School Dubai. Both schools are listed in the prestigious Spear’s Schools index of the world’s top private schools.

Nord Anglia’s global network is now 84 premium schools in 33 countries worldwide, with four schools in the UAE.

A premium Swiss school in Dubai

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai is a private premium K-12 day and boarding school. It is the largest Swiss school outside of Switzerland — with 2,150 students, including 100 boarding students — and is connected to its Swiss heritage through its language offering and extracurricular activities.

Based in Dubai’s Al Jaddaf district, the school has a strong focus on science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics (STEAM) and is considered one of the top International Baccalaureate schools in Dubai. It is also one of only a few boarding schools in Dubai.

As a full IB day and boarding continuum school, the IB programme is offered from 3 to 18 years old, with three learning streams from Pre-K to Grade 10: an English-French bilingual programme, an English-German bilingual programme, and a IB English STEAM programme. The Grade 11 and 12 IBDP and CP stream is taught in English, with opportunities for students to gain a bilingual or advanced bilingual diploma.

Graduates go on to attend the world’s top 100 universities, including King’s College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Bristol, University of California San Diego, Georgia Tech, McGill University, and University of British Columbia. Other prestigious destinations include Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, the Glion Institute of Higher Education, University of St Gallen, the Paris Institute of Political Studies, EDHEC Business School, and ESSEC Business School.

Andrew Fitzmaurice, Chief Executive Officer of Nord Anglia Education, said: “As the world’s largest provider of the International Baccalaureate, our focus on bilingualism is a cornerstone of our educational offer. The cultural and educational fit between SISD and Nord Anglia is a very strong one, and we’re delighted to welcome our new students, their families, and colleagues to our global family.”

Ruth Burke, Principal of Swiss International Scientific School Dubai, said: “Our shared educational philosophy was a key factor in us choosing to become part of Nord Anglia Education and today’s announcement is another major milestone in our school’s history. We’re looking forward to our students and colleagues benefiting from all the incredible opportunities being part of Nord Anglia creates for our day and boarding school provision.”

Omar Danial, Founder of Swiss International Scientific School Dubai, said: “As the school’s founder, I am very proud of what we have all achieved as a community. Joining the Nord Anglia family, as part of their global network with access to multi-lingual and boarding expertise, will enhance the next era of development for SISD as well as ensure the school’s legacy for the generations to come. Becoming part of Nord Anglia will build on SISD’s many successes while upholding our school’s values.”

Exceptional academics and facilities

The school has exceptional facilities in Dubai thanks to its world-class 70,000m2 campus featuring state-of-the-art boarding houses, computer labs, science labs, and numerous sports and music facilities. These include an Olympic sized pool, tennis courts, basketball courts, beach volleyball courts, padel tennis courts, a multi-use sports hall, dance studios, a full gym/cardio suite, and a full-sized football pitch surrounded by a 400m athletics track. There is also a first-class auditorium seating 600.

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai also has the region’s first ever purpose-built infrastructure in a desert climate to meet Minergie standards — Switzerland’s highest standard for ecological buildings, recognising school facilities that are extremely energy efficient.

In addition to achieving the Minergie standards, the school received the DEWA Conservation Award (2018) and the Public Health & Safety Standards Award (2018). For the upcoming year, the school has partnered with Yellow Door Energy to equip the school’s car park with solar panels that will produce 30,680 megawatts of clean energy and cater to 25 percent of the energy consumption of the school buildings.

Benefits for students and teachers

As part of the Nord Anglia family of schools, SISD’s students and teachers will have access to exclusive opportunities and experiences.

Students will benefit from collaborations with world-leading institutions such as UNICEF, The Juilliard School, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, and IMG Academy, while connecting with thousands of classmates globally through technology-enabled learning via the Global Campus platform. Unique experiences around the world include global expeditions to Tanzania and Les Martinets in Switzerland, as well as regional events.

The school’s 300+ teaching colleagues will also benefit from world-class professional development through Nord Anglia University, training programmes through Nord Anglia’s collaborations, and access to an Executive Master’s in International Education from King’s College London.