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STUDENT CARE AND WELLBEING
JAS is well-known and well-respected for our holistic approach to education, we have a reputation for our student care and know that student's wellbeing and their academics go hand in hand. We know that when students are happy and healthy they will be better placed to truly believe in themselves, to take on new challenges, and experience increased success both inside and outside of the classroom. JAS has a strong culture of community, care and support, driven by wonderful relationships built on trust and respect amongst staff, students and parents. These genuine relationships allow us to really get to know our students on an individual level and personalise their learning experience.
“99% of the students reported having high levels of emotional engagement with their teachers"
- Dubai Schools Wellbeing Census, 2020
“Students' attitudes and behaviour are exemplary. Their sense of responsibility and their respect for others make a significant contribution to the school’s inclusive, welcoming and purposeful learning atmosphere”
- KHDA Inspection Report, 2020
“Perhaps the most overwhelming proof of parents' appreciation of JAS is that 94% of respondents to our survey would recommend it to other parents”
- Which School Adviser
"94% of students reported a strong connection with adults at school”
- Dubai Schools Wellbeing Census, 2020
“84% of parents say that the school has significantly improved the confidence of their child”
- Which School Adviser
HOUSE SYSTEM
The Jebel Ali School houses are Water, Earth, Fire and Air
At JAS the pastoral house system is used to promote a sense of teamwork, camaraderie, and friendly competition amongst the students. This presents itself in cross-phase events such as Sports Day, inter-house swimming galas, musical performances, drama productions, literacy competitions, and cross-curricular events such as STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics) and creative arts. These events allow students to work collaboratively and develop relationships with students beyond their regular social circles.
Our rewards programme includes house points that students are able to earn for positive contributions to the school, outstanding work, consistent levels of effort. Students are encouraged to reach the house point milestones available here.
THRIVE AT JAS
THRIVE is our Positive Education Programme which blends academic learning with character and wellbeing development. Preparing students with life skills allows them to not only cope with the pressures of everyday life, but take on challenges and achieve aspirational goals. These skills include grit, optimism, resilience, growth mindset, engagement, and mindfulness amongst others. We encourage our students to take ownership of their happiness and well-being and give them the tools to do so.
“Students who demonstrate high levels of perseverance, growth mindset, grit, and school engagement also perform better academically” (White, M. A., & Kern, M. L., (2018). Positive education: Learning and teaching for wellbeing and academic mastery. International Journal of Wellbeing, 8(1), 1-17.)
We have designed a bespoke curriculum following the science-based PERMAH framework from the field of positive psychology. PERMAH encompasses six main elements that have been identified as critical for long-term wellbeing:
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Positive Emotions: Feeling positive emotions such as joy, gratitude, interest, and hope;
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Engagement: Being fully absorbed in activities that use your skills but still challenge you;
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Relationships: Having positive relationships; being able to connect with others
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Meaning: Belonging to and serving something you believe is bigger than yourself;
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Accomplishment: Pursuing success, winning achievement, and mastery.
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Health: understanding the importance of aspects such as sleep, exercise, and diet.
SECONDARY CARE &
WELLBEING
We believe in a ‘No Fail’ culture where FAIL stands for First Attempt In Learning. This message sets the tone allowing our students to feel safe in the knowledge it is ok to take a risk and it is what you learn from each experience that is most important.
Our bespoke multi-faceted pastoral curriculum includes Moral Education that encourages students to reflect on their own morals and values and promotes mutual respect, cultural engagement and inclusivity. This coupled with our Positive Education programme that gives the students the skills to build positive relationships, regulate their emotions, engage in their environment and find purpose in living a meaningful life. We also introduce our Options and Ambitions programme in Year 9 that motivates our students to think about their future and aspirations and guide them in planning how they will reach these goals.
The holistic learning experience at JAS is further enhanced through the broad range of extracurricular opportunities available to our students including sports, music, creative arts. STEM projects, inter-school competitions, and a variety of local and overseas trips. One such example is the Duke of Edinburgh's International Award that encourages students to engage with their local community and develop new skills and take on new challenges.
We have a variety of support services to meet the needs of our students including our Medical Team, Inclusion Team, School Counsellor, IT Support Team and of course the subject teachers. In Secondary, students are allocated to a form group with a Form Tutor who is their main source of support and point of contact on a day to day basis. Each year group is then overseen by a Head of Year who monitors students progress, attainment and wellbeing.
Positive actions and behaviours are reinforced through our House system and the prestigious ‘Student of the Month Award’ which is awarded to a stand-out student in each year group who consistently performs to the best of his/her ability across a variety of subjects and/or has made a positive contribution to whole school life, often going above and beyond expectations.
We believe the learning experience at JAS will give our students the confidence, independence and life skills to thrive in adulthood and have a positive impact on the people around them.
SIXTH FORM CARE & WELLBEING
At JAS Sixth Form students are part of a vertical tutor group, this system allows Year 12 and Year 13 students to collaborate, communicate and learn from one another as they prepare applications for university or revision schedules for examinations.
Each tutor group has an experienced and approachable member of staff that will guide, advise and support our students academically, professionally, and personally. Our student support team; Head of Sixth Form, Head of Year, Wholeschool Counsellor, and the student’s tutor will all care for and monitor student’s wellbeing, options, aspirations, and of course, their academic achievements.
As part of the Tutor Programme in Year 12 and 13, students will complete our Skills Curriculum (life skills and study skills), and will develop essential skills for successful study (note-taking, researching, essay writing, revision techniques, and much more) and long-lasting life skills (cooking, cleaning, laundry, car maintenance, self-preservation, and much more). Students will also complete a comprehensive Options and Aspirations Programme which allows students to discover university courses and campuses around the world, courses, and careers in line with their aspirations and passions, and apply for universities, apprenticeships and/or jobs successfully.
At JAS, we care for students' health and wellbeing just as much as their academic achievements. Our sixth form timetable offers students a delayed start to the school day to support research that the onset of melatonin, the hormone that allows us to sleep, occurs a lot later in adolescents, and they often don’t wake up until 8am. Our A-level pathways are created to challenge yet support our students academically and each student’s wellbeing is considered to ensure they do not become unnecessarily overwhelmed and stressed throughout their two years of sixth form study.
Our experienced staff understand that students aged 16-18 years old often achieve many milestones (driving lessons, turning 18, acceptance of a place in higher education or employment) and have to overcome many challenges (A-level exams, apprehension of examinations, and moving away for work/university). Our small class sizes and small tutor groups allow for teachers and students to develop fantastic and effective working relationships and allow for personal provision and support as and when required.
