Curriculum Information

GEMS World Academy, Abu Dhabi, follows the IB curriculum for primary years.

The PYP’s curricular frameworks are our guide when planning units, lessons, and educational experiences for our students. Our goals are to:

• Establish a firm foundation in the core subjects of Language (English/Language Arts), Math, Social Studies and Science (through the Units of Inquiry).
• Enrich the curriculum through specialist classes that connect to the Units of Inquiry including Arabic, the Arts (visual and performance), Technology, Library, Personal, Social and Physical Education and Islamic Education for Muslim students.
• Enable students to promote their own international mindedness through the Learner Profile and the opportunity to take action.
• Respond to the individual intellectual, physical, emotional and social needs of students. Read more about the PYP Curriculum on the IB website. http://www.ibo.org/pyp/curriculum.

Our standards are derived from both the Primary Years Program and the Commonwealth of Virginia, USA. We pride ourselves in offering outstanding curricular materials from around the world. Many of them are from the U.S. such as Every Day Mathematics which is endorsed in the U.S. by the NCTM (National Council of Teachers of Mathematics).

Our curriculum is organized by subject area and balanced by a broad range of age appropriate inter-disciplinary studies. GEMS World Academy-Abu Dhabi provides a PYP Coordinator who trains and works closely with all classroom teachers to ensure curricular alignment while incorporating PYP practices.

Departments and Subjects

Students attend specialist classes at least two times during the 7-Day Cycle with the exception of Arabic Department classes which are conducted more days during the cycle. A brief description follows each specialist class:

Music begins in Kg2-4 wherein students learn to use the instrument they are given at birth, their voice. As they progress to higher grades, they learn the benefits of music in society and study to learn to read musical notes.

Library begins in Kg2-4 wherein students attend classes given by the librarian and have the chance to take out books from the library. Kg1 students go to the library and take out maximum of one book but do not have formal library classes given by the librarian.

Art classes begin in the Art Room for Kg2-4 wherein students explore art in many ways. They participate in creative art with clay and field trips to various museums in the local area. Kg1 students have art in the classroom with their classroom teacher.
Physical Education begins in Kg2-5 wherein students participate in various activities including sports and games.

Movement & Music is for Kg1 and Kg2-4. This program is held in a safe environment in the gymnasium or a smaller room with a padded floor. These students are learning body control through movement with music preparing them for the upper grade levels of physical education.

Arabic/Islamic Education consists of Arabic Language Learning required by the Ministry of Education for all students to participate in the class beginning in Kg2-4 three times per week in the 7-day cycle, increasing the amount of classes each grade level. Students are taught this language according to their language. We have both native and non-native classes of study.

Islamic Study is a mandatory requirement by the Ministry of Education if the student’s parents indicate at time of registration the student is of the Islamic faith.