GEMS Winchester School Abu Dhabi

GEMS Winchester School – Abu Dhabi is located in Madinat Zayed, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The campus sits in a central area and is accessible by main roads, with the Al Falah Street address noted as near Medeor 24×7 Hospital. The school's contact details and location are listed under Madinat Zayed in Abu Dhabi.

The school offers the National Curriculum of England from Foundation Stage to Year 9. Foundation Stage 2 is the starting point, progressing through Year 9.

The school is co-educational and operates as a day school with no boarding facilities indicated.

Publicly disclosed data on nationalities is not available. The school describes itself as multicultural and diverse, aligning with GEMS' Global Citizenship emphasis. The UAE context and the school's mission statements indicate a diverse international student body.

The school provides dedicated Special Educational Needs (SEN) support led by a SENCo. Support includes one-to-one and small-group sessions, with in-class support available for an additional charge. Staff receive ongoing SEN training, and parents must disclose SEN needs prior to admission; an educational assessment may be requested, and decisions about additional support are made in collaboration with parents.

No formal country affiliation; the curriculum is the English National Curriculum as delivered by a GEMS Education school.

There is no formal religious affiliation; Islamic Education is part of the UAE context and the school maintains UAE national identity and facilities such as prayer rooms. The school also has an Islamic Studies focus within its staffing and curriculum structure.

Gates open at 7:25 am, and the National Anthem is at 7:40 am. The day generally runs until around 3:30–4:30 pm for most year groups, with Fridays typically finishing earlier around 12:00 pm. Detailed daily timings are provided in the school's parent handbook.

The school uses STS Group for its transport, providing a fleet of air-conditioned buses with CCTV, GPS tracking, ADAS cameras, RFID, and a 24/7 Operations Control Centre. Bus routes cover areas inside Abu Dhabi, with trained drivers and safety protocols.

GEMS Winchester School Abu Dhabi follows the National Curriculum for England. Foundation Stage 2 uses the Early Years Foundation Stage program, and from Year 1 to Year 9 students progress through England's National Curriculum levels. The curriculum includes core subjects English, Mathematics and Science, and subject areas such as Arabic Language, Islamic Studies, Information and Communications Technology (ICT), Art and Design, Music, Physical Education, and Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE), with Modern Foreign Languages (French) offered from Year 3. The school is located in Al Danah, Abu Dhabi, and currently provides education from Foundation Stage through Year 9. There is no information indicating GCSE/iGCSE or A-Level provision at this campus.

The school places emotional wellbeing and positive mental health as a core aspect of its inclusion framework. It emphasises growth in emotional wellbeing and positive mental health as part of WSA's core values and approach to student development. It uses a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) to identify needs early and provide escalating levels of social, emotional, and academic support. The School Head of Inclusion coordinates educational, behavioural, social, and emotional provision for students, supported by the Inclusion Teacher and Inclusion Assistants, with collaboration from teachers and external agencies. A formal identification, referral, and tracking system supports ALN/SEN identification and informs SEL planning and progress monitoring.

ADEK Categories of Need are integrated into the Inclusion Policy to classify Additional Learning Needs (ALN)/SEN. Identification, referral, and tracking systems identify ALN at an early stage with specialist assessment guiding provision. The school appoints a School Head of Inclusion and an Inclusion Teacher (with Inclusion Assistants) to coordinate educational, behavioural, social and emotional support, including developing Individual Education Plans (IEPs) where appropriate. The majority of students with ALN attend mainstream provision with accommodations; referrals to more specialized provision may be considered when necessary. The school maintains a register of students with ALN and their IEPs/PEEPs to monitor progress and inform provision.

EAL support is embedded within the inclusion framework, with multilingual learners identified and coordinated by the School Head of Inclusion. The policy highlights inclusive admission and provision for multilingual learners as part of its approach to inclusive education. Multilingual learners are supported through differentiated teaching and appropriate accommodations within mainstream classrooms, coordinated by the Inclusion team. A separate named EAL program is not described; instead, EAL-related needs are addressed under the inclusion and multilingual learners provision. The school emphasises collaboration among staff to support multilingual learners as part of MTSS and overall inclusive provision.

Emotional wellbeing and positive mental health are explicitly named as core aspects of student development under WSA's values. The School Head of Inclusion coordinates social and emotional provision for students, with support from Inclusion staff and collaboration with external professionals as needed. MTSS provides a framework for identifying and addressing social-emotional needs and monitoring progress. The Anti-Bullying Policy supports SEL through staff training, student workshops, and resilience-building activities, contributing to mental wellbeing. Safeguarding and child-protection policies ensure a safe environment that supports students' mental wellbeing by preventing maltreatment and providing protective measures.

ADEK's School Student Protection Policy requires safeguarding measures to prevent maltreatment and to identify and support students at risk, with all staff and volunteers designated as reporters of suspected maltreatment. Roles and responsibilities for safeguarding span the Principal, safeguarding leads, staff, and parents, with clear procedures for responding to safeguarding concerns. The GEMS Student Protection Policy adds detailed safeguarding provisions, including reporting, whistleblowing, and mandatory staff training, plus case management and ongoing safeguarding oversight. The policy covers handling disclosures, online safety, bullying, and safeguarding-related governance and records, including adherence to UAE safeguarding guidance. A zero-tolerance stance on maltreatment is stated, with ongoing safeguarding training and compliance across staff to protect students and families involved in safeguarding concerns.

1. Online Registration. To begin the application process, submit your enquiry through the Enrol Online page. You will receive an opportunity number to keep for your records. An acknowledgement email containing next steps will be sent to the email address you provided. AY 2026-2027 admissions are open with revised age criteria.

2. Documentation. After receiving the acknowledgement email, complete your profile and upload the required documents: Emirates ID & visa of sponsor (both sides); Parent (sponsor) passport; Applicant's photo; Applicant's Emirates ID & visa (both sides); Applicant's passport; Applicant's Immunization Card; Applicant's Recent School Report / Nursery Report; Transfer Certificate (if applicable) with required attestations from MOE/MOFA/UAE Embassy for overseas transfers; Applicant Birth Certificate. The documents must be uploaded in PDF format. In overseas transfer cases, the Transfer Certificate should be attested by: Official School stamp and Principal's signature; Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the country from which migrating; UAE Embassy in the country from which migrating; Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Abu Dhabi.

3. Assessment. Documents will be reviewed and invited for assessments based on the availability of seats. You will be notified via email regarding assessment.

4. Enrollment. Seats will be offered once available; Admission Department will contact you (email/phone) if a seat becomes available. You will receive an offer letter via email. An online enquiry/registration does not automatically guarantee your child a seat. The school reserves the right to reject applications if the documents are not complete. Screening and assessments may be used to determine the right placement for an applicant. After registration and submission of required paperwork, students entering Years 3 to Year 9 may be asked to complete a placement test (CAT 4). Students entering Foundation Stage 2, Y01 and Y02 will meet in groups with a member of the educational team. The screening and assessment decisions are determined by the admission committee and may result in a seat offer, waitlist, or denial.

Waitlist. If a seat is not immediately available, applicants may be placed on a waitlist. Offers are made based on seat availability and can include waitlist status. The admission committee may contact families by email or phone as seats become available.