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Join us! At the UAE’s first Festival of Schools this weekend
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Join us! At the UAE’s first Festival of Schools this weekend

by Tabitha BardaNovember 1, 2021

Looking for things to do with kids in Dubai this weekend? This Friday kicks off the first edition of the UAE’s fantastic Festival of Schools, and you are invited to come and join all the fun!

This Friday 5 November, from 9am to 12pm, join the Which Media team at Safa British School in the heart of Dubai, for a glorious day of family entertainment, tasty treats and outdoor activities.

From the school’s flowing river and ‘hills and dales’ landscaping, to its organic farm and animal menagerie, inspirational amphitheatre, landmark library and state-of-the-art sporting facilities, this is a unique opportunity to experience Safa British School’s staggering new premises, alongside a line-up of wonderful games and family fun that are sure to delight the kids and make parents’ lives easier.

Tickets to this exciting event are currently free of charge, but spaces are limited and must be booked in advance, so sign up today to secure your spot.

What to expect?

Brought to you by the parenting and education experts behind SchoolsCompared.com and Which School Advisor, the Festival Of Schools is designed to give families a big day out of fun and excitement, while also showcasing the amazing facilities and friendly communities on offer at each school venue.

Here’s what Safa British School has put together for parents to take advantage of this weekend…

Face painting, bouncy castle, music making and games will all be a part of the entertainment at this Friday’s Festival of Schools

Free family activities

Mums and dads can relax and look forward to an amazing array of free entertainment to delight the kids, from bouncy castles and face painting to music, games and scavenger hunts.

GEMS_INARTICLE  

There will also be six fabulous kids activities on offer throughout the day, including delicious cookie baking in the food tech labs, animal care at the school’s adorable mini farm, and some wild and wacky science experiments.

Kids challenges and rewards

Children will be challenged to collect stamps in their Festival of Schools passport (received on entry) from each of the edu-taining activities dotted around the festival. Once children complete each activity, they will also be rewarded with special sustainable materials, which they can gather together to use in the final challenge: The Safa British School Trashion Show. Here, budding designers and eco warriors can get their creative juices flowing, as they invent and craft sustainable outfits for the green fashion show that will also be held on the day.

Kids will love meeting the bunnies, tortoises, ducks and chickens at the school’s organic and animal farm

A taste of community

One of the most special elements of the Festival of Schools is the opportunity to experience the unique community and facilities on offer at each school.

There’s no decision more important than choosing where your child is educated, but regardless of how an establishment looks on paper, every parent knows that the clinching factor of their choice of school comes down to simply the “feel” you get when experiencing it in person. So this Friday, Safa British School is pulling out all of the stops to demonstrate to UAE mums and dads what makes their British-curriculum school so special and welcoming for children.

Dating back to 2004, Safa British School has both established heritage in Dubai and the benefit of the most cutting-edge, modern facilities at its recently opened, brand new campus in Al Safa 1.

Exclusive aerial photograph of the new Safa British School opening in Dubai in 2020. Architect John R Harris.

Safa British School’s new premises features stunning landscaping and impressive sporting facilities

Parents can wander through the gorgeous, leafy new premises and enjoy the picturesque surroundings, while children experience it through a line-up of hands-on learning and play activities that make the most of the state-of-the art sporting, art and design and science lab facilities. Highlights include:

  1. Be a farmer and care for the creatures at the school’s organic and animal farm

  2. Be creative with arts and crafts

  3. Be a chef and make cookies in the food tech lab

  4. Be a scientist and work with gravity

  5. Be a book worm and complete a quiz

  6. Be a designer and create an outfit for the “trashion” show

Read the SchoolsCompared.com full review for Safa British School.

EXCLUSIVE foodie and fun discounts for Festival goers!

But this weekend’s festivities are not confined only to Safa British School. We’ve also partnered up with family friendly cafes and activity centres in the Safa area to offer some exclusive discounts to festival goers.

A lovely lunch at Alpys Café

Just a couple of minutes walk from Safa British School lies the hidden gem that is Alpys Café. From salads to tex mex and a great value children’s menu, Alpys Café will make a delightful post-Festival lunch stop.

Grab a delicious bite to eat at nearby Alpys Cafe, which is offering a 20% discount to Festival goers

Present your Festival of Schools passport (issued on entry to the event) and you will be entitled to a generous 20% off the entire Alpys Cafe menu (1-5pm, Friday 5th November only).

A bouncing good time at Street Maniax and Air Maniax

On the opposite side of Shiekh Zayed Road from Safa British School lies Al Quoz, home to the fantastic freestyle trampoline and parkour park, Street Maniax and its sister venue, the mammoth inflatable playground Air Maniax.

Play parks Air Maniax and Street Maniax are giving Festival goers 20% off tickets throughout November

Visit either centre and present your Festival of Schools passport for 20% off premium tickets (2-6pm, Friday 5th November). If you don’t make it down to Street Maniax or Air Maniax on the day, you can still use your Festival passport for 20% off premium admission Sunday-Wednesday through the month of November.

Immersive learning and play at OliOli

And finally, premium children’s play museum OliOli is also offering a spectacular 20% discount for FOS goers through the whole of November.

Children can play in Toshi’s Net at one of OliOli’s many immersive galleries when FOS-goers use the 20% discount that’s available throughout November

Featuring amazing, immersive and interactive activities, spread across a vast array of galleries in its creative warehouse in Al Quoz, OliOli rarely ever gives discounts, so this is worth the Festival of Schools (FOS) visit alone! Present your FOS passport at Oli Oli through November for 20% off access (advance booking required, and please note this is not valid on public holidays).

How to sign up for this Friday’s Festival of Schools on November 5

Come and join us at this wonderful family event at Safa British School this Friday 5th November, 9am-12pm by signing up for your free tickets in advance here.

Please note: in order to ensure a healthy and safe Festival for all, spaces at each event will be limited and you need to sign up in advance. Entrants will be required to show their vaccination record, negative PCR or ‘green’ Al Hosn app. 

Getting There – Safa British School

The Al Safa area is situated right in the heart of Dubai, within striking distance of the E11 Sheikh Zayed Road (exit 47, towards Safa Park/D69). The school has ample parking, having cleverly incorporated an underground car park in the design of the brand-new, purpose-built campus.

If you plan to come by metro, the nearest station is the Al Safa metro station. We would advise taking a taxi from the metro to the school (RTA taxis are usually in plentiful supply, just outside). For those who prefer to take the journey by bus, nearby Safa Park is well served by several routes. Plan your journey with the RTA journey planner.

What other schools are taking part in the 2021 Festival of Schools?

The Festival of Schools is running every weekend throughout November 2021, and each event will be equally fun but very different, depending on what each school decides to showcase. The other venues in November are GEMS FirstPoint School in The Villa, Arcadia School in Jumeirah Village Triangle and Victory Heights Primary School, in the heart of the Victory Heights community.

Add the dates to your diary NOW and secure your free tickets using the links below…

Friday 5th November, 9am-12pm – Safa British School
Saturday 13th November, 9am-12pm – GEMS FirstPoint School
Saturday 20th November, 9am-12pm – Arcadia School
Saturday 27th November, 9am-12pm – Victory Heights Primary School

Got any parenting or UAE education questions?

Are you looking for a school for your child, or do you have questions regarding parenting or education in the UAE? Join Which Media’s friendly and informative Facebook Group Parents United UAE.

About The Author
Tabitha Barda
Tabitha Barda is the Senior Editor of SchoolsCompared.com. Oxbridge educated and an award winning journalist in the UAE for more than a decade, Tabitha is one of the region's shining lights in all that is education in the emirates. A mum herself, she is passionate about helping parents - and finding the stories in education that deserve telling. She is responsible for the busy 24x7 News Desk, our Advisory Boards and Specialist Panels - and Parents United's WHICHPlaydates - a regular meeting place for UAE parents to discuss the issues that matter to them, make friends and network with others. You can often find Tabitha too on Parents United - our Facebook community board, discussing the latest schools and education issues with our parent community in the UAE - and beyond.

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