The Arbor School, Dubai, has been crowned winner of the World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action 2025, triumphing over 10 shortlisted schools worldwide to secure the top honour, out of thousands of entries.
The World’s Best School Prizes, run by T4 Education, celebrates schools that have made an extraordinary impact in transforming lives and communities. The Arbor School’s win brings national significance as the first UAE school to ever take a World’s Best School title; cementing its place as a pioneer in ecoliteracy and sustainability in education.
A model of sustainability-driven education
Located in Al Furjan, The Arbor School integrates the British National Curriculum with a unique ecoliteracy programme, giving students from Foundation Stage to Secondary the tools to become changemakers in a rapidly evolving world.
Living campus: biodomes, regenerative gardens, and native habitat areas provide immersive, hands-on learning.
Centre for Abundance: a dedicated Environmental and Ecological Education department where students collaborate with sustainability, science and systems thinking experts to tackle real-world challenges.
Student-led action: eco-committees, community conservation projects, and integration of environmental justice across all subjects ensures ecoliteracy is interwoven throughout the student experience.
These initiatives empower students to understand and address issues such as food systems, climate adaptation, and ecological resilience – making Arbor a beacon for sustainability in education in the UAE and beyond.
A win aligned with the UAE’s national vision
The recognition arrives as the UAE continues to advance its bold sustainability agenda, building on the Year of Sustainability and global momentum from hosting COP28. Arbor’s award is a testament to how UAE schools are innovating to shape future-ready learners equipped with the values and skills to lead global change.
The winners of the World’s Best School Prizes – including schools from the USA, Mexico, Brazil and Malaysia – will be invited to the World Schools Summit in Abu Dhabi, UAE, on November 15-16, where they will share their best practices and unique expertise with policymakers and leading figures in global education.
Gemma Thornley, Principal of The Arbor School, said:
“This recognition is a powerful affirmation of The Arbor School’s founding belief: that education can and must play a central role in addressing the ecological and social challenges of our time.
“Being named the world’s best school for environmental action honours the collective commitment of our students, staff, parents, and wider community to embed sustainability not as an add-on, but as a lived, daily practice. It validates our vision that young people can be leaders in shaping a more just and sustainable future, and that schools can be ecosystems of change.”
Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World’s Best School Prizes, said:
“I want to congratulate Arbor School in Dubai, UAE, on the tremendous achievement of winning this global schools prize.
“Our world stands at a crossroads. We need leaders who can rise to the 21st century’s greatest challenges, from climate breakdown to the AI revolution, from war to want, from populism to prejudice. Above all, we need leaders who recognise that at the heart of all these crucial questions lies the enlightenment of a quality education.
“It is in schools like yours that leaders worldwide can find the answers they need. As the winner of the World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action, your trailblazing work will inspire educators and policymakers across the globe. Thank you for everything you do.”
