It is a true joy and privilege to lead the Pre-Prep at Brighton College Abu Dhabi—a place where every child feels safe, valued, and inspired to learn. Rooted in our core values of Curiosity, Confidence, and Kindness, our community is one where everyone feels a genuine sense of belonging.
The happiness and wellbeing of each child lies at the heart of everything we do. We know that happy children flourish, and it is through strong, nurturing relationships between teachers, parents, and pupils that this happiness is sustained.
We place great importance on building meaningful partnerships with our families. Daily interactions and special occasions, such as the Pre-Prep Proms, provide opportunities for parents to be actively involved in their child’s school life, strengthening the bond between home and school.
Our vision for education extends beyond academic achievement. We are passionate about equipping children with the tools they need for life, prioritising emotional development alongside cognitive growth. From critical thinking and self-regulation to emotional literacy and metacognition, we deliver a curriculum that is dynamic, inclusive, and responsive to the needs of each child, ensuring their learning is meaningful.
Pre-Prep at Brighton College Abu Dhabi is a place filled with laughter, discovery, and endless possibility. Each morning, children arrive excited to learn, play, and grow alongside their friends. With a dedicated team supporting their academic and personal development, our pupils are empowered to embrace the future with confidence, knowing there are no limits to what they can achieve.
Ms Kelly Mansbridge
Head of Pre-Prep School
Pre-Prep at Brighton College Abu Dhabi is a place where young minds are encouraged to wonder, explore, and thrive. From the moment our pupils arrive, we focus on creating a caring and engaging environment that supports every child to grow in confidence and curiosity.
We believe that children learn best when they feel happy, secure, and excited by the world around them. In Early Years, our approach combines warmth with ambition, helping pupils develop not only essential early learning skills, but also the emotional awareness and resilience they need to flourish.
We know how important it is to choose a school where your child is truly seen, heard, and supported. That’s what we offer here — a nurturing space where values such as kindness, respect, and independence are lived every day.
At Brighton College Abu Dhabi, we tailor each pupil's learning journey through an engaging, child-centred curriculum. Our play-based learning approach in the Early Years nurtures confidence and creativity, building on pupil's interests. For example, hands-on water play exploring marine life fosters sensory exploration, curiosity and deeper connections to the world around them.
Our state-of-the-art facilities feature bright classrooms, sensory spaces and a dedicated Makerspace for creative projects. We integrate literacy, science and art, creating dynamic projects encourage collaboration and problem-solving, ensuring our pupils thrive academically and socially.
Our small class sizes naturally allow each pupil to receive personalised attention from both teachers and teaching assistants. Specialist teaching starts with our youngest pupils in Nursery (FS1), and as pupils progress through the school, they benefit from an increasing number of specialist lessons. These include music, PE, art, Arabic and swimming. We believe in fostering a strong home-school partnership and maintaining an ‘open door’ policy for all parents.
At Brighton College Abu Dhabi, we follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum, which starts in Nursery (FS1). Lessons are planned and adapted to meet each child's needs by our EYFS specialist teachers. Early Years is filled with purposeful, play-based learning, offering a well-rounded mix of activities such as phonics, fine motor skills, maths , art, cooking, and music. Our extensive outdoor learning environment provides ample opportunities for outdoor play, including ride-on toys, climbing trim trails, sandpits, mud kitchens and water play. The Early Years day runs from 7.20 AM until1:30pm.
Pupil wellbeing care is at the heart of everything we do. All staff contribute to this nurturing environment, guided by our Head of Early Years and Deputy Head (Pastoral). Positive behaviours are cultivated through our Personal, Social, Health and Economic Education (PSHE), through our assembly themes and through the Pelican Pathway, built on values like Perseverance, Enthusiasm, Leadership, Improvement, Creativity, Achievement and Nurture.
Discover Bright Start, our free school readiness program for pupils starting Nursery (FS1) and FS2. We believe in building strong foundations for our pupils at the earliest opportunity.
Bright Start is a school readiness programme for children joining FS1 and FS2 to ensure the best possible start to becoming a lifelong 'Brightonian'. The programme runs from May to June before the start of the new Academic year in August.
Children, along with parents or carers, will be invited into school once a week for stay and play sessions. Pupils will become familiar with the environment, meet the teachers, and engage in activities that will help build their levels of independence and confidence. Whilst children are busy having fun in the classroom with the teachers, parents and carers will be invited to attend workshops and talks from experts in the field of early education and child development.
Brighton College Early Years will become your families ‘home away from home’.
To learn more about our our nurturing Early Years, please contact our Admissions Team.
