Abu Dhabi: Saadiyat Island will have its first school when Cranleigh Abu Dhabi opens in September next year.
An offshoot of the 150-year-old Cranleigh school in the UK, the school will be the first in Abu Dhabi to offer boarding facilities.
“If ever a school was meant to be on Saadiyat Island, it has to be Cranleigh,” said Headmaster Brendan Law, alluding to the school’s motto ‘From Culture comes Strength’.
“The motto that was written some 150 years ago is in such strong synergy with what we are doing on Saadiyat. What Saadiyat stands for in the cultural profile of Abu Dhabi as well as the standard of excellence and uniqueness of our school is being beautifully translated into the campus,” said Law.
Cranleigh Abu Dhabi is currently open for admissions from Foundation stage 1 to Year 9, Law announced on Tuesday at a press conference.
Built over seven hectares in the heart of Abu Dhabi’s cultural nerve centre, the campus is one of the largest in the emirate. It boasts an extensive landscape and an ambient environment and can accommodate up to 2,000 students. But Law said the school will limit its student intake to 1,600 with classrooms operating at an average of 18 pupils per class. This limitation will help the school place emphasis on individuals.
“We have the facilities. But it is the people that make a school special. So our students will be in the forefront of all our activities,” said the headmaster.
The annual tuition fee will range from Dh65,000 to Dh80,000.
He added that recruitment of teachers has begun, and that they are putting together “an exceptionally talented and dedicated team”.
A purpose-built staff accommodation overlooking the Saadiyat beach will allow at least 40 per cent of the staff to live on site.
The school is being built in phases, starting with the junior school and its associated facilities for science, arts and technology, sports, dance and drama as well as dining.
The senior wing will follow along with a 650-seat auditorium, boarding facilities – separate for male and female students – and outdoor sports.
The sporting facilities will include two grass pitches, an Astroturf pitch, tennis courts, swimming pools and indoor arena comprising two full-sized courts that can be used for basketball, football, badminton, gymnasium, dance studio and drama suite.
In addition to the broad acad-emic curriculum, the headmaster said students will have a wealth of opportunities to explore their talents in fine arts and cultural activities taking full advantage of the school’s proximity to iconic cultural landmarks like the Zayed National Museum, Louvre Abu Dhabi and Guggenheim.
