New Search Associates member school Dunecrest American School, located in Dubai, has opened its doors to students for the 2018–2019 school year. Dunecrest has a rich heritage of educational excellence, spanning over 40 years; the brand new school in Dubai will follow in the footsteps of Esol Education, a worldwide network of exceptional schools serving a community of over 10,500 students.
It’s no surprise that Dubai is one of the world’s top 10 cities to visit, live, and work, with year-round sunshine, pristine beaches, and impressive shopping, entertainment and leisure attractions. Now indisputably a city in the fast lane, Dubai’s remarkable transformation from a sleepy fishing and pearling town to a powerful trade, tourism, and logistics hub has followed a dizzying trajectory. Home to people of over 200 nationalities, this dynamic metropolis offers residents a cosmopolitan lifestyle that combines the historic charm of the region with modern amenities, a superb infrastructure, and top healthcare facilities. The purpose-built campus of Dunecrest American School is located just off the 311 Highway, near the Al Barari and Living Legends developments. The school, which has been designed in line with the latest research to provide students with a modern learning environment, says of its facilities,
“Naturally lit classrooms and open spaces encourage collaboration, project-based learning, and interactive teamwork, while state-of-the-art connectivity and seamless technology integration optimize the learning environment for modern teaching. High quality sports facilities offer ample opportunities for students to develop their physical skills and adopt a lifelong love of wellness.”
An American international day school in Dubai, Dunecrest American School will offer the K–12 U.S. Common Core Curriculum, with the option of the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12. At present, 335 K–12 students of 50 nationalities have enrolled, with 10% from Dubai and 30% from North America. The teaching staff of 42 comprises 32 from North America, two from Dubai, and two from the U.K. The school holds candidate status with the International Baccalaureate and is working to obtain full accreditation with the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the Middle Schools Association, and the Council of International Schools.
Dunecrest American School, Dubai is interested in hiring single and married teachers, including those with a non-teaching spouse. The school says it prefers “teachers with enthusiasm and interest in extra-curricular activities [and those who] have a minimum of three years’ teaching experience at an accredited North American school.” The school will, however, consider newly certified teachers with outstanding personal qualities, candidates certified in non-English speaking countries, and exceptional, experienced teachers who lack certification. There is no age limit to obtain a work visa in Dubai.
Head of School Bill Delbrugge says that his priority is to immediately bring new staff and new students together for orientation. He explains,
“Our team is already developing social and educational activities for new incoming staff and students to learn about each other, their cultures, their dreams and their goals. . . At Dunecrest we believe in the foundational importance of scholarship, the value of dialogue, and the need for academically curious young people to belong to a kind, creative, diverse, and joyful community. We will challenge our students to engage deeply in learning, appreciate one another, and grow into adults who are intellectually adventurous, ethically sure-footed, and generous of heart and spirit. Helping our families and staff understand this ethos, as well as helping our students develop their educational goals, will be an initial priority for us."
The benefits package at Dunecrest American School, Dubai allows for some savings. The school provides a one-time settling-in allowance, one annual round-trip airfare home, and a 50% discount on the cost of the school-provided housing. The school offers a tuition benefit of 50% for up to two children for single teachers and 100% for up to two children for couples. Worldwide health insurance, including emergency evacuation, is fully covered, and the school boasts a robust in-house professional development (PD) program in addition to financial support for external PD opportunities. Finally, there are local employment opportunities for non-teaching spouses.
To gain access to Dunecrest American School’s full profile on the Search Associates database, including a list of all open positions, candidates can apply for membership by clicking here. Candidates already registered can easily access the school profile directly through their dashboards.
Please note: The information presented about this school was valid on the date published. This information may change, and the most up-to-date information can be found on the school profile.
