The Best School for Music in the United Arab Emirates 2023 – 2024 Revealed. Top Schools Award Winner. Official.

The Winner

The SchoolsCompared.com Top Schools Awards for

The Best School for Music in the United Arab Emirates 2023 – 2024

is awarded to:

Nord Anglia International School Dubai

Our view of Nord Anglia International School Dubai

Web: https://www.nordangliaeducation.com/nas-dubai

KHDA: Outstanding

Review: https://schoolscompared.com/all-through/nord-anglia-international-school-dubai-al-barsha/

Review: https://whichschooladvisor.com/uae/school-review/nord-anglia-international-school-dubai

Pictured above: The Department of Music at Nord Anglia International School Dubai photographed for the SchoolsCompared.com Top Schools Award for Best School for Music in the United Arab Emirates 2023 – 2024

Nord Anglia International School Dubai was founded, ground-up, on its ambitions to craft the world’s most outstanding education in Music for its students – and it shows. The backing does not come more impressive. From the deep Performing Arts Programme partnership with world-renowned Juilliard, to the The NAS Music Academy, and from The National Youth Orchestra to being the Exclusive Education partner of Dubai Opera, Music is absolutely centre stage at this KHDA Outstanding School. Faculty are passionate about delivering “the best and most holistic Music Department in the UAE”, one that “offers students a unique window into the professional world of music through our important partnerships this always supported powerfully by our highly qualified music professionals on faculty.”

The extraordinary, quite exceptional talent within the Department of Music at Nord Anglia International School Dubai… takes your breath away

In IB Music students and teachers engage in a journey of imagination and discovery through partnership and collaboration. Students develop and affirm their unique musical identities while expanding and refining their musicianship. Throughout the course, students are encouraged to explore music in varied and sometimes unfamiliar contexts. Additionally, by experimenting with music, students gain hands-on experience while developing their musical skills. Through realizing and presenting samples of their musical work with others, students also learn to communicate critical and artistic intentions and purpose.

The breadth of opportunity, and outstanding achievements of students, at Nord Anglia International School Dubai is showcased in this exclusive insight into performances for GCSE and IB Music:

Enrichment is outstanding through the school’s CCA programmes. The current programme is structured as follows:

Busking at Nord Anglia International School Dubai is a highlight of the School, and evidences just how deeply Music is integrated into the life of the school.

Every other Friday  students perform to live audiences which span from children in EYFS through to Year 13, parents and staff. This is a highlight of the week for the school affording children the opportunity to perform a song or piece of music of their choice to large audiences.

NAS Dubai is the only school in the UAE to provide weekly orchestral instrumental tuition to every student in Years 4-6, currently reaching over 500 students. To enable this, the school has invested heavily in the music department, purchasing over 100 orchestral instruments and employing three dedicated group instrumental teachers: a woodwind specialist, upper strings specialist and lower strings specialist, all of whom are professional musicians and experienced teachers.

The Department of Music allocates instruments to students based on a range of factors, including teacher-assessed suitability, prior instrumental experience and students’ own preferences. As students progress through the primary instrumental programme, and develop skills on their instrument, they have opportunities to perform with their year group, as well as take part in the various instrumental ensemble groups provided by the Department of Music.

Providing children with high quality music-making opportunities and experiences in their primary school years increases the likelihood that they will develop a lifelong engagement in music – the ultimate goal of any music education programme.

As part of our consideration, Judges looked at the outstanding ways Nord Anglia International School Dubai invests in inspiring a life-long love for Music in even the youngest children. Music is now addition here that has to be sought out – it is absolutely intrinsic to an education at this school, one in which the Department of Music plays a foundational role in every aspect of school life.

The Juilliard Collaboration with Nord Anglia International School Dubai began in 2016 provides unparalleled opportunities for students to work with experts in the Performing Arts both inside and outside of the classroom. NAS Dubai Students have worked with Juilliard Curriculum Specialists Jessica Meyer (Viola), Juilliard Visiting Artist Claire Bryant (Cello), Abby (Actress) & Benal (Piano)… the list is endless, through both Workshops and Masterclasses. Juilliard curriculum specialists and visiting artists continue to provide Assemblies to all Primary and Secondary students, as well as Masterclasses and Workshops to selected students. 52 students visited New York in December 2022 to visit Juilliard and take part in Masterclasses and Workshops. They worked with a cast member from ‘Hamilton’ and were taught a song from the show before seeing ‘Hamilton’ on Broadway.

The Music curriculum draws students into a repertoire of iconic works. Classroom activities and connections with Juilliard are also key elements of the curriculum. In Early Years to Year 8, the music repertoire centres on 12 core categories which encompass a wide range of genres, styles and cultures. Each category is exemplified by an iconic work, ranging from Ambush from Ten Sides, a traditional Chinese Pipa solo, to Beethoven’s Fifth Symphony. Several extension works for each category aid further exploration. Students study these pieces throughout their lives at Nord Anglia International School Dubai, this to give them a deep engagement with, and appreciation of, each piece:

The Ayoub Sisters performing at Nord Anglia International School Dubai as part of the landmark exclusive school Department of Music partnership with Dubai Opera

Nord Anglia International School Dubai is today entering the sixth year of its exclusive relationship with Dubai Opera. During this time students have participated in more than 40 events from attending dress rehearsals for major shows such as: Ghost, Othello, Turandot by Shanghai Opera, Harry Potter live in concert, the Nutcracker, Riverdance, La Traviata, Footloose, The Ayoub Sisters, Vadim Neselovski & Piers Lane.

The NAS Music Academy was created in 2017 to provide a solid base for peripatetic Music Tuition taught by highly qualified professionals supporting and encouraging the performance of music to a high level. The NAS Music Academy offers over 30 student recitals each year promoting student performances at all levels of music making including ensembles. Several students have gone on to feature in Masterclasses and Concerts at the Dubai Opera.

Activities of the Nord Anglia International School Dubai Music Academy include:

• One-to-one music tuition
• One-to-one lessons to those students pursuing GCSE Music, IB Music and A-level Music following the required chosen syllabus
• Performances including 10 Ensembles with other students each year
• 15 plus performance opportunities each year at the school’s Recital Platform series of student concerts
• Preparation, audition and participation in Performance Workshops and Masterclasses at Dubai Opera
• Preparation classes for ABRSM and Trinity Practical Music and Theory Exams. Many students go on to achieve ‘Distinction’ at all levels including Grade 8 and Diploma
• Support for The National Youth Orchestra at NAS
• Preparation for local, regional and international competitions and auditions including The WSA Young Musician of the Year; The BSME Young Musician of the Gulf in Bahrain; The Fujairah Piano Competition; The Music in the Studio Masterclass auditions (monthly); The EYSO annual music competition; The NAS Dubai House Music Competition; The Nord Anglia Education Young Musician of the Year

The Nord Anglia International School Dubai Music Academy  has a faculty of 15 highly-qualified professionals offering  lessons on the following instruments/disciplines:

• Piano
• Voice
• Guitar
• Violin
• Viola
• Cello
• Double Bass
• Flute
• Clarinet
• Saxophone
• Trumpet
• Trombone
• Drums
• Music theory
• Music composition

The NAS Music Academy students take exams with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music, ABRSM and Trinity College achieving qualifying points towards university entrance on UCAS.

Nord Anglia School Dubai is the home of the National Youth Orchestra for advanced young musicians, the premier youth orchestra in the region.  Students from over 25 schools in the UAE are represented in the National Youth Orchestra bridging cultures at the same time as promoting a high level of music making. The Orchestra works with international orchestral players from the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the London Mozart Players and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra artists in rehearsals, workshops and masterclasses.

The Department of Music at Nord Anglia International School is led by Head of Music Joy Stibbs, a fully qualified Music Teacher for the Secondary sector, and a Primary Music Specialist. Miss Stibbs brings to the school more than a decades classroom experience and study of Music Education, a passion for the piano and singing, and learning from her study at The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.  Miss Stibbs told us:

“Music has the power to awaken the soul, inspire the mind, and bring joy to the heart.

“It is not just a subject to be learned in school, but a language that transcends boundaries and speaks to the universal human experience.

“By incorporating music into the education of children, we are not only fostering their musical abilities, but also nurturing their creativity, empathy, and cultural awareness.

“The study of music is an investment in the future, one that will enrich their lives and the world they live in.”

Nord Anglia International School Dubai was the recipient of the Top Schools Award for Best School for Music in The United Arab Emirates 2021 -22, and the Top Schools Award for Best School for Music in the United Arab Emirates 2019 – 2020

Award Presentation

The Top Schools Award for the Best School for Music in the United Arab Emirates 2023 – 2024 will be presented to Nord Anglia International School Dubai at a special Breakfast Celebration at The Emirates Golf Club on the morning of 16th November 2023. At the event the recipient of The Top Schools Awards 2023 – 2024 for Outstanding Contribution to Education will be revealed.

Historic winners of the Outstanding Contribution to Education in the UAE Award include H.E. Dr. Abdulla Al Karam, Director General of the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, recognised for his era defining leadership of Education in Dubai as a force for good; and the Varkey Family, for their instrumental role in shaping education in the UAE, and ensuring the life chances for generations of children, following the founding of GEMS Education in 1959.

Our Finalists.

Our extraordinary Finalists and those schools which have achieved outstandingly in so many ways for children in the Best School for Music category follow.  Each of the following schools are recognised for their profound contribution to UAE Education in the Field of Music:

American School of Dubai

Web: https://www.asdubai.org

KHDA: Good with Predominant Outstanding Features

Review: https://schoolscompared.com/all-through/american-school-dubai-al-barsha/

Review: https://whichschooladvisor.com/uae/school-review/american-school-of-dubai

Dubai College

Web: https://www.dubaicollege.org /https://www.dubaicollege.org/community/development-office

KHDA: Outstanding

Review: https://whichschooladvisor.com/uae/school-review/dubai-college

Review: https://schoolscompared.com/secondary-schools/dubai-college-al-sufouh/

GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail

Web: https://www.gemswellingtonacademy-alkhail.com/en

KHDA: Very Good with Outstanding Features

Review: https://schoolscompared.com/all-through/gems-wellington-academy-al-khail/

Review: https://whichschooladvisor.com/uae/school-review/gems-wellington-academy-al-khail

The British School Al Khubairat

Web: https://www.britishschool.sch.ae

ADEK: Outstanding / BSO Outstanding

Review: https://whichschooladvisor.com/uae/school-review/british-school-al-khubairat-abu-dhabi

Review: https://schoolscompared.com/curricula/a-levels/the-british-school-al-khubairat-al-mushrif/

A final note.

The Top Schools Awards takes over a year to produce. It engages with parents, students educators and educationalists over countless months, and the work invested in these Awards is the stuff of sleepless nights and deeply felt responsibility. We produce these Awards to celebrate our amazing schools, our magnificent teachers – who are the centre of the universe, our school leaders, whose lives will be judged by their impact on children, and the amazing students that they build a future for. These Awards are only about recognising this – in a world in which our schools and educators have far, far too little recognition. If, on exploring these Awards, you do one single thing, it should be to reach out to each and every one and thank them for all they do, each and every one of our schools, teachers and school leaders. You have absolutely no idea how much that would mean.

© SchoolsCompared.com. A WhichMedia Group publication. 2023 – 2024. All rights reserved.