Page 26 - EW March 2021

Institution Profile

Clarion School, Dubai

This new-age pre-primary to class V co-ed day school sited in the shadow of Burj
Khalifa, the world’s tallest building, has quickly established an excellent reputation
within the emirate’s expatriate parents community

SUMMIYA YASMEEN
ITED IN THE HEART OF
Dubai — the commercial
capital of the United Arab
SEmirates and one of the
world’s most diversely cosmopolitan
cities with 83 percent (2.6 million) of
its residents foreign-born — the new-
age Clarion School (CS, estb.2016)
has quickly established a reputa-
tion within the emirate’s expatriate
parents community for providing a
rigorous American-style curriculum,
experiential and inter-disciplinary
pedagogies and excellent sports and
co-curricular education.
This five-year-old school was
adjudged runner-up in the ‘Best
American School in the UAE’
competition organised by the
Dubai-based schoolscompared.
com. Recognised by the Knowledge
and Human Development Authority
(KHDA), the Dubai government’s
education quality assurance and Clarion School main block: premier American model primary school
regulatory authority, Clarion is
currently a pre-kindergarten to class
V co-ed day school with 240 children highest tier American owns and manages the
of 42 nationalities instructed K-12 education Cambridge International
by 35 teachers. New grades are standards, including the (UK)-affiliated Dubai
being added each year with the Common Core, which Scholars Private School
management having applied for is interdisciplinary, (promoted as a nursery
accreditation with the US-based New stimulating and taught by Aparna’s mother in
England Association of Colleges and by highly qualified 1976) and the Scholars
Schools (NEASC). Clarion reopened educators,” says International Academy,
last August after almost five months J ame s P as t o re , Sharjah, UAE. Together,
of closure because of the Covid-19 principal of Clarion the three schools have an
disruption with students given the School. An alumnus aggregate 3,346 students.
option of in-person, online and of the University James Pastore The newest greenfield
hybrid classes. However, 92 percent of Notre Dame and venture of SIG, Clarion
of students attend in-person classes College of New Jersey, is sited on a modern 4.7
every day. USA, Pastore has over 30 years of acre campus built in the shadow
“Clarion School is UAE’s international teaching experience of Burj Khalifa, the world’s tallest
premier American model school having taught in schools in Latin building. The school’s open free-
conceptualised as an experiential America, Italy, and the US, before flowing campus houses 27 Smart
learning and discovery academy. We being appointed principal of CS last Classrooms, a carpeted library
believe that a child with a curious August. with 7,200 print volumes, several
mind will become a life-long learner This 21st century school is pro- Apple computer workstations and
capable of succeeding anywhere in moted by the Dubai-based Scholars a mini ‘amphitheater’ for read-
the fast-changing world. Therefore, International Group (SIG) founded aloud presentations. Moreover, 150
A
we have designed a unique by Indian-origin entrepreneur p ar- ipads are distributed among the
curriculum to deeply engage children n a V e rma, a graduate of George- school’s 27 classrooms for use by
in purposive and meaningful town University, USA, and Parsons students. Sports facilities include
learning. This curriculum meets the School of Design, New York. SIG also two swimming pools, a synthetic

26 EDUCATIONWORLD MARCH 2021