Foremarke School Dubai opens to first intake of pupils 25.09.2013: New British preparatory school creates nurturing environment for Dubai children photo caption: Foremarke pupils with, from left: Marwan Abdulaziz

New British preparatory school creates nurturing environment for Dubai children




photo caption:  Foremarke pupils with, from left: Marwan Abdulaziz, DuBiotech and Enpark; Khaled Al Muhairy, Evolvence Capital; Saeed Ghubash, Enpark; Iyad Al Moosa, KHDA; Mark Atkins, Foremarke School; Dr Amina Al Rustamani, TECOM Investments; Fareed Abdulrahman, SmartCity; Dr Abdulla Al Karam, KHDA; and Ali BuRuhaima, Dubai Technology & Media Free Zone Authority.


Foremarke School in Dubai has opened the doors to its first intake of pupils, from Nursery (FS1) to Year 2, ready to start the new academic year at the first school in Dubai to be partnered with a UK preparatory school.


Located within the DuBiotech Business Park, a TECOM Investments development in Al Barsha South, the school is led by Headmaster Mark Atkins and Deputy Headmaster Julian Pederick in a facility which has been built to the highest standards of care, quality and environmental consciousness.


“We have provided exceptional facilities for academics, extra-curricular activities and sports,” said Mark Atkins.  “Each building is designed and built specifically for the age group it will house.  The Early Years building is totally segregated from the Junior School and has its own entrance and car parking."  


“We believe the building is second to none in Dubai; no expense has been spared on the finish and the school has been built to last.  We have very large classrooms and spacious circulation areas, which combined with a low pupil to teacher ratio allows us to provide the very best educational experience for all our pupils.”


In addition to appointing specialist consultants to advise on acoustics, lighting and interior design, Foremarke’s senior management worked closely with its own teachers to create the most nurturing environment possible for young children.  The building features environmentally friendly rubber flooring, avoiding the use of vinyl material and meaning the school is entirely PVC-free.


Car parking has been carefully considered by employing a highly regarded regional traffic consultant in order to avoid the problems that typically plague schools in Dubai. 


Parents of the first intake of Foremarke pupils have been heartened by the news that the school timings fall in line with traditional standards in the UK.  The school opens at 8:25am, with Early Years pupils in class until 1:30pm, Years 1 and 2 until 2:30pm and Years 3 to 6 until 3:30pm, avoiding the drastically early starts that are typical for other schools and which put an unreasonable strain on young children.


Pupils in Years 3 to 6 will have the opportunity to engage in extracurricular activities, typically lasting for 90 minutes after the end of the regular school day, making the school run easier for working parents.


“We are extremely happy with our decision to send our daughters to Foremarke School,” said Mrs Aitken, a Foremarke parent.  “The building is simply stunning, but most importantly, the teachers are amazing.  As parents, we are very impressed with how the Headmaster and Deputy Headmaster are so committed to the children and the success of the school." 


“Our daughters look forward to going to school each morning and Foremarke is the first school or nursery that they have gone to with a smile on their faces.  We would not consider any other school in Dubai for our children.”


Mark Atkins added, ‘The first few weeks have gone remarkably well and it’s just incredible to see this building come to life with our pupils enjoying their classes every day.  Preparatory junior education is a model which we have seen work very successfully for hundreds of years in Britain, and it has been great to see this implemented so well in the Middle East.”


Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Chairman of the Board of Directors and Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) said: “We welcome new schools offering a high quality education, particularly in early years and primary grades where demand is high. As Dubai continues to grow and develop, the increased availability of school places will offer parents greater choice than ever before.”


Dr Amina Al Rustamani, Group CEO of TECOM Investments said: “We congratulate Foremarke School on the opening of its campus at Dubiotech. We wish Foremarke, and its sister school Repton, great success. 


“We encourage Foremarke and other great institutions to explore how they can be a part of TECOM’s 10 business parks that are home to 5,000 companies who in turn employ 70,000 knowledge workers and their families.”





photo caption:   Foremarke School in Dubai



The co-educational junior school follows the Early Years Foundation Stage and the New National Curriculum for England which is adapted for Dubai as necessary.  Initial intake of pupils has been for Early Years and Key Stage 1 (Year 1 and 2), while Years 3 to 5 will be accepted from September 2014 and Year 6 will follow in 2015.  At full capacity, the school will accommodate 1,280 children.


Foremarke School is the first overseas venture for a UK preparatory school, the result of a partnership between Foremarke Hall (Repton’s Preparatory School) and Evolvence Knowledge Investments Limited, the wholly-owned education subsidiary of Evolvence Capital Limited, one of the leading alternative investment firms in the GCC.


In keeping with the ethos of its UK partner school, Foremarke Hall, the Dubai campus lays a strong foundation for the successful transition to one of a wide network of quality senior schools both locally and overseas.




- Lindsay Johnston, Total Communications Dubai - also photos