A dynamic learning environment is characterised by change, activity, and progress. It is purposely designed to meet the needs of all students while enhancing existing skills, interests, and understandings and challenging them to build meaningful new ones. Crown Private School (CPS), located in Ajman, United Arab Emirates, promotes a practice approach to building a visible connection between learning and life. Children are encouraged, much beyond the age-old mind-numbing education pattern, to discover their inner selves and 21st-century education in a highly practical environment. CPS endeavours to provide its students with an ideal learning environment, thus contributing to their holistic personality development.
Establishment of Crown Private School with a vision and mission
CPS is a private co-educational day school that caters to students of all ages, starting with the newly established Pre-KG section for children aged 3-4, which extends all the way up to grade 12. As an established leading British curriculum school in Ajman, CPS is committed to providing a premium British-style education within a brand-new expanded campus with state-of-the-art facilities and first-class teachers. “Now rated as an acceptable school from the last inspection, we can offer an Enriched British curriculum taught by native speakers of English, Exceptional Pre-KG and EYFS facilities, Excellent teaching and learning, a Strong Senior Leadership Team, and High Standards of Health and Safety,” says Dr. Kishor, Principal of CPS. At CPS, students will be part of a vibrant and happy school community. The school helps its students reach their full academic and social potential in a supportive, caring environment. “We strive to make every child successful by encouraging them to work hard and develop self-confidence and a love of learning. CPS believes in a child-centred approach where every learner is provided opportunities for individual growth,” says Dr. Kishor.
CPS’s mission is to inspire learning within a caring, creative, and international community, to pursue excellence, and to challenge students to think critically as they prepare for the world beyond. The school aims to provide students with a global outlook rooted in UAE culture. CPS teachers create a dynamic and interactive learning environment where lasting love for learning is cultivated. Dr. Kishor shares, “At CPS, we promote a practical approach that makes a visible connection between learning and the real world.” CPS learners are encouraged to discover their inner selves by developing their curiosity and imagination through various student-centred teaching methods. Dr. Kishor further states, “We provide a curriculum based on an amalgamation of the National Curriculum of England and the Cambridge curriculum. CPS students are prepared for GCSE examinations in Year 11 and A-level examinations in Year 13 – qualifications that are recognised and highly valued by universities worldwide.” CPS focuses on developing a child’s entire personality, and students are nurtured to expand their potential by exploring the world around them and taking responsibility for themselves and their learning. The teaching style at CPS places equal emphasis on independent learning and groupwork to promote collaboration and independent learning skills. “The curriculum is structured to cater to our students’ varying needs and different learning styles, including challenging brighter students with enrichment activities or supporting weaker students with an extensive array of differentiated teaching and learning strategies,” states Dr. Kishor.
A Notch Above Its Peers
CPS endeavours to create lifelong learners with the confidence to become socially responsible, successful global citizens and leaders of the future. Their teachers are well-groomed as per the norms of the Cambridge Curriculum and have had vast experience working with diverse cultures across the globe. Their innovative and up-to-date teaching methodologies train their students to develop critical thinking skills and challenge their abilities beyond the classroom environment.
For instance, the CPS specialist science team encourages students to investigate the world around them. They provide opportunities for students to unleash their inner scientists while creating a safe environment for their curiosity by offering experiences that are responsive to children’s interests to support their explorations. “We are devoted to your child’s ongoing development. Our energetic Math team designs ground-breaking and pioneering mathematical techniques to help your child solve real-world problems and pursue academic excellence through inquiry-based learning, which is one of our leading mission statements,” reveals Dr. Kishor.
CPS has a talented team of native English-speaking teachers from around the world who have worked in amazing institutions in countries like The United Kingdom, America, Ireland, South Africa, Australia, and many more. Your child is guaranteed to advance their reading and public speaking skills in no time. They engage students in life-long learning skills that benefit their longterm goals. Teachers at Crown Private School are qualified with either a Bachelors/Masters/QTS/PGCE. Teachers at CPS are provided with internal and external professional development workshops that help to hone their educational knowledge, methodologies and strategies.
Dr. Kishor says, “We work hand in hand with our Robotics and IT team to ensure that our students are kept abreast of the latest technological platforms to advance their digital skills. As part of the country’s progressive vision, we proudly present our Immersive room – a virtual reality room customised with embedded technology that delivers a highly immersive multimedia experience for our students.”
Immersive learning is a digital approach to education that facilitates student interest and engagement, creating a unique learning experience for all. Immersive learning, as the name suggests, allows students to immerse themselves in interactive digital environments. The program uses sounds, images, and other sensations to give students a whole sensory experience, causing them to get an actual “feel” for the environment. “Immersive learning techniques help our students to experience, explore and navigate real-world subjects and destinations within the comfort of their school,” Dr. Kishor adds.
Gearing Students Towards a Brighter Future
“The sudden closure of schools gave rise to emergency remote learning. Given the abruptness of the situation, teachers and administrators were unprepared for this transition and were forced to build emergency remote learning systems almost immediately,” says Dr. Kishor. CPS organised online professional development and peer-to-peer learning opportunities for teachers to meet remotely and share experiences while online teaching took place. They started with broadcasting video lessons via YouTube and then moved on to fully implementing online classes via Zoom. “Due to remote learning, one of the long-term challenges identified included gaps in student knowledge. At present, we offer learning recovery programs to bridge the learning gaps identified,” Dr. Kishor adds. It has become imperative for schools to not only recover from the pandemic, but to also use it as an experience to better prepare for future crises. CPS now offers a blended education model to prepare its students to switch easily between face-to-face and remote learning as needed. This will protect the education of students not only during future pandemics, but also during other unforeseen circumstances that might cause school closures.
With the blended model of education in mind, our curriculum has been adapted to become more flexible in that content can be taught in person or online. Additionally, teachers need to be better equipped to manage a wide range of interactive platforms which supports teaching and learning. As such, we endeavour to offer short training courses regularly to improve teachers’ digital skills,” says Dr. Kishor. He also adds, “We believe it is important to build a future education system that can better use blended learning models to reach all students and their levels and to provide more individualised approaches to teaching.”
CPS prides itself on maintaining healthy parent-school partnerships by actively involving parents in every step of their child’s learning journey. CPS’s students’ parents are well-informed about the day-to-day events in the school. Parents are connected with their child’s teachers via the ClassDojo app and the iCampus parent portal. They conduct regular parent-teacher meetings and information sessions with parents to always keep them in the loop. Dr. Kishor goes further by having an open-door policy to accommodate parents whenever the need arises. These proactive initiatives empower parents to maintain active involvement in their child’s day-to-day learning. CPS also hosts regular activities (Grandparents’Day, National Day, Feria, etc.) in partnership with all parents, thus enabling them to become a pivotal part of their child’s education.
The Individualised Focus on Every Student
CPS maintains a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:25. In the lower grades, the school has teaching assistants, thus, there are two adults per 25 students. Furthermore, CPS has in-class and after-school support classes to provide individualised learning to students. Lessons are carefully planned and incorporate differentiated instruction which considers varied students’ learning styles. Dr. Kishor states, “A learning styles test is administered at the beginning of the academic year. This test is taken by all students for us to ascertain their learning styles. The data equips teachers to plan lessons accordingly.”
Modern Infrastructure & Facilities
CPS has 50+ Smart classrooms that are richly decorated to create an inspiring learning space. Its classrooms are modern and spacious, enhancing children’s learning experience. The school possesses a specialised Creative Arts Room with internet access where students are encouraged to explore their creative talents and showcase their creative expressions. The school houses a well-stocked resource centre that offers textbooks, notebooks, and a range of stationery. To maintain uniformity, parents are encouraged to make use of this facility. CPS offers attractive stationery kits to their kindergarten students to use continually for the year, enabling them to perform to the best of their ability. “Our school libraries serve as a central hub for supporting every student and staff member. Well stocked with a variety of content, the library is fundamental in developing engaged readers who have the capability and inclination to read and learn beyond their years at school. Students are encouraged to use the facilities to inculcate a love for books and a habit of reading from an early age. Additionally, we offer a mobile library during the breaks, where books are availed to students outside the bounds of four walls,” revels Dr. Kishor.
The school has interactive LED displays installed in every classroom. It is a leading educational interactive flat panel, a highly effective collaborative device to facilitate classroom teaching and digital learning. CPS Laboratories have several well-equipped Information and Communication Technology Labs (ICT labs) that allow their students to use computers and become capable and skilled in all areas of the ICT curriculum. Technology is used to make teaching and learning meaningful and fun. Also, the Science Laboratories are an integral part of the Science Curriculum. The Science Department is fully equipped with outstanding facilities and is home to the Physics, Chemistry, Biology, and Homeroom Science subjects. Inquiry-based laboratory investigations are conducted at every grade level and are at the core of the science program. “Beyond the development of skills, our sporting facilities support students in their goals of leading healthy and active lifestyles. Sport plays a crucial role in Crown Private School’sstudents’ physical, educational, and social development, encouraging them to explore their talents, develop their skills, and enhance their abilities while simultaneously enjoying an active, healthy lifestyle,” adds Dr. Kishor.
Encouraging innovation and creativity in students for a Brighter Future
“We have a special unit established called “the sensory room’ for students with special needs, additional e-learning resources for self-learning of students and a plethora of resources and support for the professional development of teachers. We are in the process of adding New Assessment tools which will enhance our effective assessment system,” says Dr.Kishor. Moreover, the CPS innovation club conducts a “Junior Engineering Program” for students with activities from different categories, which are most important in present technology-oriented education. The innovation lab mainly teaches students STEM-related concepts, enabling young minds to think innovatively. Each grade level is actively involved in learning about Drone Technology, 3D Printing, Space Technology, Aero Modeling & Rocketry, Robotic Technology, Computer coding- Scratch Program, Green Energy, Solar Energy, Hydro Energy, Wind Energy, and Recycling.
Achievements so far
One of CPS’s students was selected as a member of the Ajman Children’s Advisory Council for 2022-2025. The Children’s Advisory Council is a platform to express children’s needs, challenges, and a vision for their and the country’s future. Furthermore, various students participate in the production of Crown News which is showcased on our social media platforms. “Our latest accolade is the Stem Mena Award for Innovation in the classroom 2022. This award celebrates and recognises the work of schools and educators in delivering effective STEM education to students across the Middle East and North Africa. Additionally, we are an accredited e-safety school and have recently been rated as an acceptable school by the Ministry of Education. Moreover, the Government of Ajman awarded us “The Best School in Ajman” for 2021,” adds Dr. Kishor.
For More Info: https://www.cpschool.uk/