Exploring an Education at Bloom World Academy
WhichSchoolAdvisor.com Senior Editor, Susan Roberts, paid a return visit to Bloom World Academy, to find out if this headline-grabbing school is truly as different as it sounds. Find out what she discovered and experienced with ‘behind-the-scenes’ access, observing classes in action and quizzing the school’s leadership team.
What the School is Known For…
Bloom World Academy launched in September 2022, initially opening its doors to 280 students. The school’s message of boldly doing things differently has been very eagerly welcomed by Dubai families.
Perhaps the most talked about aspect of this school has bene its later start time of 9am. The later start time of 9am is supported by a combination of optional wraparound care from 8am to 9am and from 4pm to 5pm, along with an extensive selection of Bloom Enrichment Learning Activities (BELA) with more than fifty activities including sports, arts and homework clubs.
Arriving at the School…
Our reviewer arrived at the school at 8:30am, in the middle of the school’s drop off period of between 8:00am and 9:00am. As you might expect with such a flexible drop off time, as well as this being later than any other school in the area, the roads were quiet and the parking spaces were plentiful.
We were warmly greeted at the school gate by Senior Vice Principal of Secondary School and the Nexus Pre-University Centre, Mr Nishi Saran, and Vice Principal of Student Development, Ms Nichola Upham. This welcome, we were informed, was not due to our visit, but is the standard at Bloom World Academy for every child.
Community Forum
The Primo (Early Years) Community Forum got into full swing at 9am. This dynamic school assembly takes place weekly in the school for each section, bringing the school’s community together to celebrate achievement, showcase student talent and reflect on important messages and events from the school’s leaders.
With children from Pre-K to KG2 in attendance, as well as many proud parents present, the atmosphere was very positive indeed. What stood out to our reviewer was the sense of mutual encouragement between even the school’s youngest students, cheering each other on, particularly as students showcased skills in music, dance and sports.
Individual Pathways
There’s no question on this issue, Bloom World Academy is about as far from a standardised education as you can find in the UAE. In addition to the school’s ‘stage not age’ approach, which allows students to learn at a level that fits their abilities and aptitude, the school also provides individual pathways, integrated into the every-day curriculum.
Our reviewer was able to witness this close up, as senior students participated in a surfing and water life saving class, while others enjoyed additional performing arts classes, with a small group enjoying the focused expertise of a specialist teacher in robotics.
The options for students in these individual pathway classes are considerable, and students can change between fields of interest term by term, benefiting from exposure to an impressively wide range of specialist subjects and learning areas.
Many of these pathway options provide the opportunity to work towards specific qualifications and certificates, which will be particularly beneficial for senior students, developing their resumes and portfolios for university applications.
Thriving Performing Arts Scene
Our reviewer enjoyed the opportunity to observe a dress rehearsal performance of the senior school production of Legally Blonde while visiting the school. The skill level of the student performers was impressive, particularly considering the relative newness of the department and school as a whole.
Head of Junior School, Mr Damien Marshall, explained that Junior School performers had impressed audiences with their end of year production of the Jungle Book in the week prior.
New Nursery Provision
Our reviewer enjoyed a visit to the school’s new nursery section, for children from two to three years old. This part of the school has been recently developed for the 2023-24 academic year. Children enjoy a range of facilities, including indoor and outdoor climbing and play space and spacious classrooms with plentiful natural light.
Nursery provision is play-based and led by experienced and highly qualified early childhood educators.
Our View
So just how different is Bloom World Academy; is this truly a school doing things differently or simply some clever marketing? Now completing its second year of operations, the school is establishing its approaches and routines and, it appears, delivering on their promises.
While the school’s flexible start and finish times have been a major talking point, what really stands out about this school is the very tailored educational experience for each child. There is an impressively broad range of specialist and often niche classes in addition to the usual subjects, that students in most schools quite simply would not have the opportunity to participate in.
The key phrase here is perhaps diversity, yes in terms of the school’s very international community, but also in terms of talent, abilities, interests and learning experiences.