Our Curriculum
Our Curriculum: Creating Future-Ready Learners Through Head, Heart, and Hands
At Al Fanar, we are redefining what education can be. Inspired by the UAE’s bold vision for a knowledge-driven, human-centered future, our curriculum is crafted to prepare children not only to succeed in a rapidly changing world - but to lead with compassion, creativity, and purpose.
Grounded in the latest neuroscience of how children learn best, our approach is immersive, experiential, and deeply relational. Every aspect of our curriculum reflects the understanding that real, lasting learning happens when children feel connected, safe, and inspired.
In our Early Years, childhood is honored as a powerful time of learning in its own right — not merely preparation for later academics. Through play-rich, inquiry-led experiences, children develop the essential skills of adaptability, resilience, and focus. Our Head–Heart–Hands model nurtures thinking through language and exploration, emotional wellbeing through caring relationships and rhythm, and creativity through movement, making, and purposeful play.
Our macro–meso–micro framework integrates cutting-edge international standards (EYFS, NCfE) with UAE cultural heritage, Arabic language, and each child’s individual fascinations. Our sensory-rich environments, designed around the twelve senses, support children’s ability to regulate, imagine, and engage meaningfully with the world. Teachers act as Soulful Guides, honoring each child as a unique learner and co-creator of knowledge.
Our primary curriculum is intentionally designed to cultivate deep thinkers, empathetic leaders, and innovative problem-solvers. By blending the National Curriculum for England with a relational, culturally rooted pedagogy, children engage in complex inquiry, real-world connections, and collaborative learning.
Structured into 3-5 week inquiry blocks, learning goes beyond traditional subject silos to explore big ideas that matter in today’s world - aligning with the UAE’s emphasis on future skills and lifelong learning. Our classrooms are carefully curated spaces that support imagination, focus, and wellbeing, reflecting our commitment to the head, heart, and hands approach. Primary teachers remain Soulful Guides, building trust and empowering children to take intellectual risks, celebrate their voices, and thrive.
At Al Fanar, we believe assessment must honor the whole child, measuring not just knowledge but growth in wellbeing, character, and real-world skills. Our relational approach combines observation, dialogue, and rich documentation aligned with EYFS and NCfE frameworks, ensuring every child’s journey is visible and valued.