GEMS Founders School - Masdar City

GEMS Founders School Masdar City is committed to supporting the emotional health and wellbeing of its pupils and staff, with a supportive and caring ethos. The school aims to create a positive atmosphere and a sense of belonging so students feel valued and supported by staff and peers. It recognises the importance of safety in the digital world for emotional wellbeing and teaches students to recognise and manage emotions and resolve conflicts. The Be healthy, Stay safe, Enjoy and achieve, Make a positive contribution, and Achieve economic and mental health well-being framework guides its wellbeing aims. Counsellors are available to all students, staff and parents to help with mental health concerns or crises. The wellbeing provision is described in the GFA Wellbeing policy 2024-25.

GEMS Founders School Masdar City provides a broad and balanced curriculum with planning that starts from the National Curriculum to meet the needs of individuals and groups of learners. The school identifies and supports learners with additional learning needs (ALN), including English as an Additional Language Learners (EAL), Lower Ability, learners with ‘special needs', More Able, and Gifted and Talented. Admission is not conditional on gender, race, disability or SEN, provided the school can meet the needs of the child. Any student with ALN identified after admission is coordinated by the Head of Inclusion, with assessments and screenings guiding amendments to programmes. The school requires sharing of full details of any SEN, IEPs and related reports to ensure appropriate assessment and resourcing, and it maintains an effective transition process for those without a formal diagnosis. The Inclusion Policy English 2025-26 and related policies outline a rights-based, graduated approach to ALN, with appointed Head of Inclusion and dedicated coordinators for multilingual learners and for gifted/talented provision.

EAL learners are explicitly identified as a group within the Inclusion policy. The school identifies and supports EAL learners through screening and referrals coordinated by the Head of Inclusion. EAL is listed alongside other ALN groups such as Gifted and Talented and More Able in the inclusive education approach. There is allowance for language exemptions to provide additional learning time for subjects of interest or ability when beneficial. The policy also designates separate staff to coordinate multilingual learners and to coordinate provision for gifted and/or talented learners. These arrangements are documented in the Inclusion Policy English 2025-26 and related governance.

GEMS Founders School Masdar City is committed to emotional health and wellbeing for pupils and staff, with an emphasis on a healthy, safe and happy environment. The approach promotes a sense of belonging where every student feels valued and supported by staff and peers. It includes teaching students to recognise and manage emotions and to resolve conflicts to support emotional wellbeing. Promoting a healthy lifestyle—physical activity, sleep, healthy eating, and time management—is integral to mental wellbeing. Counsellors are available to all students, staff and parents to assist with mental health concerns or crises. A Wellbeing Policy for 2024-25 is published and implemented.

Safeguarding at GEMS Founders School Masdar City prioritises safety and wellbeing, with identification and access control requiring all visitors to sign in and wear an identification badge. Visitors must conduct themselves in accordance with child protection, confidentiality and rights policies. Child protection policies align with Abu Dhabi regulations to ensure safeguarding of all students. A designated safeguarding lead (DSL) and deputy leads are available to respond to concerns, and concerns can be reported via an online form. The school provides safeguarding resources including the ADEK and GEMS safeguarding policy documents. Safeguarding is described as everyone's responsibility.