What Extra-Curricular Activities Do UAE Schools Offer?

Learning doesn’t end at the classroom door – it extends beyond the school day through the wide world of extra-curricular activities (ECAs) offered by the UAE’s schools. 

As your child progresses through school, they’ll learn so much about themselves, their passions and their strengths from non-curriculum activities – from the ones they loved and devoted themselves to, as well as the ones they eventually let go of. 

This is not a compulsory journey, and universities (especially those in the UK) don’t pay that much attention to your child’s success on the football pitch (unless they are going for a scholarship) or love of baking club. But school is so much more than that higher-education end-game – it’s about building a full life, self-discovery, connection and community through ECAs. (They are also known as ASAs, CCAs, enrichment – or a school’s proprietary term. For the purposes of this article, we’ll call them ECAs.)

At the best schools, ECAs are not an afterthought.

“An enrichment activity programme that allows children to explore learning beyond the classroom and to explore further areas of interest is exactly what a school should do,” says Liam Cunningham, Principal of Nord Anglia School Abu Dhabi (NAS). Creating their Enrichment Activities Programme was a fundamental part of designing the school, which opened in 2023, says Cunningham. 

Enrichment has “got to support students’ well-being; their personal growth and areas of interest that can lie beyond the school gates. Lots of students will move into performing arts, sports, creative media, things that, sometimes, a curriculum model doesn’t allow them the opportunity to do. It’s a core part of our school and allows children to feel that strong sense of belonging.”

“Regular participation supports well-being, confidence, leadership, teamwork and time management, all of which positively influence academic engagement and outcomes,” says Sarah Harrod, Brighton College Dubai’s Director of Sport and Head of Co-Curricular Activities. 

With ever-shorter official school days, ECAs allow schools to broaden their education offering, support families and provide value. More and more schools are responding to fewer curriculum hours by providing wrap-around care, opening their doors early and having a vibrant community well into the early evening.

Just don’t call it babysitting.

“That’s sometimes the danger – if you don’t get it right it becomes an ‘after school activity’ rather than enrichment and learning – and parents want learning,” says NAS’ Cunningham. 

Bloom World Academy (BWA) calls its ECAs Bloom Enrichment Learning Activities – Belas – and has nearly 300 on offer, included in school fees and available before, during and after school. The school opened in 2022.

John Bell, the Executive Principal, explains the thinking. “I believe learning comes in all shapes and sizes and you can’t fit everything in the school day. So we offer an extended day. Particularly if it’s free, it becomes an opportunity for parents to take ownership and for children to choose things they want to do.” 

BWA, which is unique in Dubai for its later start time of 9am, is as busy at 5pm as it is at 3pm pick-up, says Bell; meanwhile he sees plenty of students arriving before 8am for personal study time or ECAs. 

(Another benefit of ECAs? Staggered pick-up times mean car parks are quieter – now that’s a win.)

NAS, which starts its school day at 8.30, opens its doors from 7am for #MEtime enrichment and homework club. “That flexibility has been one of the reasons people have chosen our school. Parents tell us it means we’re about children beyond just one simple factor, beyond academics.”

ECAs are such an important factor in a child’s education that you’ll even find them at online schools. Minerva Virtual Academy (MVA) is the only online school accredited to run the Duke of Edinburgh Award, a wildly successful ECA for older pupils. That’s in addition to popular activities such as cooking club, debate and photography. “We have around 40 clubs running and regularly survey students to see what clubs they are interested in,” says Suzanne Lindley, MVA Principal. “MVA is grounded in wellbeing and supporting students’ personal development, so enrichment is an integral part of our offer.”

The crucial social element of ECAs isn’t missing from online school offerings, either – in fact, says Lindley, their activities bring together students who avoided ECAs in a bricks-and-mortar environment. “Clubs can absolutely have a huge positive impact on well-being. A key example of this is our daily neurodivergent group, where students can spend time with other ND students.”

Are ECAs included in school fees?

At the core of ECAs are teacher-led activities, aka internal clubs, which usually change on a termly basis – although some popular ones take place throughout the year, every year. 

At NAS, around 95% of the activities on offer are internal. “Teachers can explore their areas of interest that lie behind and beyond the curriculum to form really beautiful relationships with our children,” says Cunningham. This academic year has seen an increase in student input on ECAs, he adds. It’s not just teachers, by the way – a cricket-mad admissions manager runs a popular club at the school.

Bell is especially proud of BWA’s inclusive sports clubs, where anyone at any level can show up and try a discipline – without paying for a specialist coach. “How do you become good at rugby if you’ve never played it? You’ve got to give children opportunities.”

At Dubai’s Brighton College, there are over 150 staff-led co-curriculars on offer each week, in creative and performing arts, STEM, language and sports – competitive and social. “They are considered a core part of holistic education, not an optional extra,” says Harrod. “They support personal development alongside academic learning.” BC students even go off-campus for some clubs, playing Golf at the Els Club on a weekly basis or rock climbing offsite.

Activities change with the seasons – sports wind down during term 3, although bigger schools with more facilities, such as large sports halls and shaded swimming pools can continue with more disciplines.  Schools are still awaiting guidelines for ECAs during Ramadan, starting in mid February, but going by past years, it’s likely they will be paused for the holy month.

What might you pay for?

Paid activities tend to be specialist, requiring professional training and/or equipment: Ballet and other dance forms; drama and martial arts, woodwork and engineering, tennis, swimming, gymnastics and football. This is where you will also find languages beyond the school’s curriculum offerings. 

However, it depends on the school and the abilities of the teaching staff – do they have a karate teacher or Mandarin instructor on staff? A large, all-through school with spectacular facilities and an emphasis on sports will offer more specialist internal clubs than a smaller, less-equipped or more academically focused school. 

What types of activities are there?

ECAs evolve along a child’s academic journey. 

Primary:

This is the time for experimentation. ECAs at this age are a low-stakes mix of special interest, social and academic clubs. Enrol your child in a variety and allow them to explore their interests. They might discover that dance is not in their wheelhouse, but thrive in Arabic games. They might get a confidence boost from extra reading in the library club or make new friends in art club. 

Academics: There should always be fun sessions in reading, maths and language, including Arabic. 

Creativity rules: Art, singing and musical clubs are among the most popular at many schools. In between, expect anything from Lego and Play Doh, animal lovers, origami and Spirograph, animation, friendship bracelets and sewing. Other termly clubs may explore the world, try out board games or bake cupcakes. 

STEM: No surprises here – Minecraft sessions are very popular, and you’ll fight for a spot in most STEM-related activities such as coding and robotics. Chess club has not been outmanoeuvred, however; it’s often a full group, too. 

Physical activities: These often focus on fun movement and early sporting education – think social football kick-abouts, table tennis or a multisport session in which children can try out a bit of everything. At one school, rollerblading and climbing are very popular. School sports teams and squads often start around year 3.

Well-being: As a cornerstone of modern private education, caring for children’s minds and bodies must make an appearance before or after school, too. Mindful colouring and mandalas, Cosmic yoga and calming, breathwork sessions abound. 

Secondary: 

As children move up, more focused academic clubs appear, reflecting the interest or need for extra study.

Academics: Expect specialist teachers to lead support clubs in key subjects. Students compete more, in both sports and academics – debate club, quiz teams, science Olympiads, World Scholar’s Cup. “The most popular of all is personal learning time,” says Bell. Students use a school’s study centres, supervised by teachers across various subjects.

Science clubs: They come into their own in secondary: One Bloom science teacher’s ECA in (safely!) “blowing things up” is so popular she runs three sessions.

Blowing off steam is just important as the stakes get higher: Well-being clubs take on an academic slant, focusing on supporting students with the stress of exams and high-level study.

Competitive sports: Playing and learning sport in school is enjoyable enough, but it’s competition that makes it university-application-worthy. If your child is doing sport at school, you’ll soon become familiar with Dassa – PE teacher-organised leagues providing a competitive framework for school sport. There are hundreds of fixtures every week. “It is a fantastic organisation and incorporates a very large range of sports and an opportunity for all to compete across the academic year,” says Harrod.  

Creative arts: Choirs, involvement in annual school shows – whether backstage or on-stage – watercolours and pottery.

Special interest: Anything goes – Dungeons and Dragons, Model UN, creative writing, business and entrepreneurship. 

Soft skills and autonomy: In secondary, students choose what to pursue, enhancing independence. “Children take accountability for what they want to do,” says Cunningham. 

For older students, ECAs are also an opportunity to show leadership, communication and collaboration. At Dubai International Academy in Emirates Hills, students in Year 5 and 6 can join the CCA leaders programme, running a CCA alongside a teacher.

If you don’t see something – ask for it! The best schools value the pupil voice. 

What does a child’s ECA journey look like?

Keep ECAs to a minimum for the youngest students, educators say. NAS begins Foundation Stage (FS) ECAs in October, to allow the younger students time to find their school day rhythm, while at BWA, early years ECAs take the form of organised play dates. 

“Primary is different – that’s when we want them to be a bit curious. A lot of them are in football clubs on weekends – so come on, try something different,” explains Cunningham. “Secondary is an area we’re really targeting. What’s their endpoint? Where are their gaps? They need to develop leadership skills, resilience, and push themselves out of their comfort zones.”

Brighton’s Harrod emphasises “sustained involvement”: While early years students can use ECAs to embark on a journey of discovery, it’s worthwhile for older children to show consistency in chosen fields later on, to get the most out of a club and cite it in university or job interviews.

Can you do too many ECAs? 

There’s a delicate balance between burnout, FOMO and maintaining academic results. Parents, teachers and students all play a role in deciding how much time to spend on activities, something that will need to be revisited over the years. “It’s dependent on the pupils and their areas of interest, age and individual resilience,” advises Harrod. 

At NAS, form tutors play a proactive role in hitting that balance. “Our role is to help families find the rhythm that works best for their child. What was working for them in primary might not work for them in secondary.” Tutors can also spot gaps in a student’s skill set and suggest targeted ECAs to fill them.

At MVA, students have a weekly mentor session to discuss their interests. “The mentor can also help to ensure each mentee has the right balance to avoid overwhelm,” says Lindley.

The balance also applies to how much a child is enjoying an activity: There are times where children are encouraged to push through nervousness, but don’t hang around too long if the interest wanes. Stick with it for a term, then move on, if for no other reason than places are often limited and another child may want to have a go. 

ECA housekeeping: What you need to check with a school

How and when to sign up: 

Each term, make sure you know the date and time that sign-ups open. 

Read through the brochure (or encourage your child to) so that you can decide in advance which clubs to select. You can always approach the head of ECAs, or the teacher running the club for information.

Are sign ups are first come, first served, or does the school has a preference-based system? ECAs are often signed up for online, and the most popular clubs get snapped up very quickly – for new parents, it can be quite a shock how fast this can happen. Set a reminder for sign-ups. 

While some schools rely on a fastest-finger-first approach, others are moving to a preference system, which has a window of time, usually a few days, in which parents or students can select a top list of clubs. Staff then use a computer programme to allocate places based on these preferences. 

How many ECAs are available? 

Ask how many internal ECAs are offered for your child’s year group, and what they include. Many schools publish their current or previous year’s ECAs on their website, but don’t hesitate to ask this question in during a school tour. Depending on the school, your child may be limited to one or two weekly internal ECAs, or they may be able to do something every day. Some schools require students to sign up for at least one or two ECAs. 

Getting home

Don’t forget to check the school bus schedule! While some providers do offer an extra bus service covering after school activities, this is not available everywhere, meaning mum, dad or nanny have to do a late pick-up. Check with the school’s provider (this is usually an external company, and the school can put you in touch, even before you enrol). 

How important are ECAs for getting into university?

The academic world is somewhat divided on whether ECAs are a required pathway to higher education – but advice suggests it’s about targeted involvement.

While crochet club and Warhammer at lunch are brilliant ways to connect socially and learn new skills, you probably don’t need to include them in your UCAS personal statement. More than anything, British universities want to see evidence of your interest in your chosen course, favouring results over ECAs (your personal statement should skew 80:20 academics to co-curriculars, according to universities, including Oxford). 

Super-curriculars – going beyond your subjects with further reading or learning through a MOOC – are more relevant to UK admissions. As you approach your final school years, if you have a clear view of what you want to study, consider factoring in an ECA that doubles as a super-curricular, demonstrating your passion for your degree choice, such as a law, medical, psychology or vet society that guides further reading, or an investing or entrepreneurial club. 

Running your own club also shows leadership. The first cohort of BWA students are headed to university later this year, and Bell proudly shares that several students mentioned their ECAs in their personal statements, including one girl who was recently offered a place at King’s College London. “I asked her how her application has gone, and she told me what they really liked is that she runs her own clubs after school.”

US universities do care about ECAs

While grades are the defining factor in an application, showing how well-rounded you are is important in American university applications. The Common App, the application form used by many US colleges, including many Ivy Leagues, has an activities section with space for up to 10 extra-curriculars, sporting achievements, jobs, volunteering roles and other hobbies or responsibilities. 

NAS has a relationship with Massachusetts Institute of Technology (including running an MIT ECA!). “Top universities are telling us that it is really important to offer something else. MIT gets thousands of applications every year, and selects a very small amount. They tell us that they look for things beyond the classroom and what can that child offer holistically, as opposed to just academic results.”

Do selective schools care about ECAs?

Again, academics win out – whether it’s a school’s own exam or the Common Entrance. However, many schools do look for ECA performance. A case in point: Dubai College asks applicants to showcase their best extra-curriculars in academic, creative, philanthropic and sporting fields.

The takeaway

Extra-curricular activities are far more than a timetable add‑on in UAE schools — they’re a powerful extension of a child’s learning journey. From early years curiosity to secondary‑school specialisation, ECAs help children discover who they are, what they enjoy, and where their strengths lie. They build confidence, friendships, resilience and independence, and they give students space to try, fail, grow and shine in ways the classroom alone can’t always offer.

For families, the key is balance: Enough opportunity to explore, but not so much that children feel stretched thin. The best schools guide this process thoughtfully, listening to pupil voice, supporting wellbeing, and helping each child find a rhythm that fits their age, interests and ambitions.