Arbor School in Al Furjan, Dubai, has been shortlisted in three categories at the Tes Awards for International Schools 2026: International School of the Year, Curriculum Initiative of the Year and the Sustainability Award.
The nominations recognise different aspects of an Arbor education, from the learning that takes place at the school’s beehives to the care, teaching and opportunities that help students flourish.
The Curriculum Initiative of the Year shortlisting celebrates Arbor’s beekeeping curriculum. At the school’s working apiary, students observe colony behaviour, investigate bee biology and explore the relationship between pollinators, plants and food production.
Learning at the hive is carefully connected to classroom teaching. Scientific ideas become visible as students observe bees at work, while measurement and data provide opportunities to apply mathematics. Caring for a colony requires patience, close attention and informed decisions, giving students responsibility for the living things they study.
The Sustainability Award shortlisting reflects how ecological education runs through life at Arbor. From Foundation Stage to Sixth Form, Ecoliteracy helps students understand the relationships between people and the natural world, ask questions and consider the consequences of their choices.
The biodomes, BioPark and gardens are living classrooms where students investigate biodiversity, grow food and study ecosystems first-hand. As they develop their knowledge, opportunities such as mangrove propagation, marine conservation and Global Impact Projects allow them to contribute beyond the school gates. Students also examine the school’s own practices and suggest ways to improve how resources are used.
The International School of the Year nomination considers the Arbor experience as a whole. It brings together academic achievement, wellbeing, inclusion and the breadth of opportunities available to students through sport, the arts, leadership and service. It also recognises the investment in teachers’ professional learning that supports this work.
Across all three nominations is a shared ambition: for students to achieve well, understand the world around them and have the confidence to contribute to it. Arbor’s guiding ethos, “Enough for all, forever”, gives that ambition a common purpose.
The shortlistings follow the school’s win of the World’s Best School Prize for Environmental Action in 2025. They are an opportunity to celebrate the students, staff and families whose care and commitment shape Arbor each day.
Winners will be announced on 8 December 2026.
