Secondary (Grades 6–12)

Secondary
(Grades 6–12)

Where Ambition
Meets Achievement.

At Horizon Private School – American Branch, Secondary School is where students define their path and prepare for the future. Through rigorous academics, leadership opportunities, and a strong sense of purpose, students develop the confidence, independence, and ambition needed to succeed at university and beyond, always known, valued, and prepared.

Where Ambition <br>Meets Achievement.

The Years That
Shape Who You
Become

Future-Ready Learning for a Changing World.

Middle School is one of the most important transitions in a student’s life. At Horizon, we understand that Grades 6 through 8 are about far more than academic content: they are about identity, confidence, and belonging. Our Middle School program balances intellectual challenge with genuine pastoral care, ensuring that every student is pushed academically while feeling known, valued, and supported as a person.

The Years That <br>Shape Who You <br>Become

Curriculum Overview

Common Core State Standards (CCSS) for English Language Arts and Mathematics, NGSS for Science, UAE MoE curriculum subjects, and subject-specialist teaching across all core and elective areas.

  • English Language Arts

    Literary analysis, research-based writing, argumentative writing, and public presentation. Students read across genres and write for real audiences.

  • Mathematics

    Pre-Algebra through Algebra I, proportional reasoning, functions, statistics, and problem-solving with increasing abstraction and rigor.

  • Sciences

    Physical, life, and earth sciences following NGSS progressions. Lab-based inquiry, engineering design challenges, and cross-disciplinary STEM projects.

  • Social Studies

    World history, geography, civics, and economics. Students develop historical thinking skills and begin to understand global systems and their place within them.

  • Arabic & UAE Subjects

    UAE MoE-aligned Arabic Language (A and B tracks), Islamic Studies, Moral Education, and UAE Social Studies.

  • Electives & Enrichment

    Middle School students choose from a range of elective subjects that develop creativity, technical skills, and personal interests. Options include visual and performing arts, technology and digital design, physical education, and world languages.

Advisory & Pastoral Care

Advisory & Pastoral Care

Every Middle School student is assigned to an advisory group led by a dedicated teacher-mentor. Advisories meet regularly to check in, build community, and ensure every student has an adult who knows them well. The advisory system is the backbone of our pastoral care model.

Student Leadership

Student Leadership

Middle School is where student leadership at Horizon begins. Student Council, leadership electives, and school-wide responsibilities give students genuine agency and the early experience of leading with integrity. These are not symbolic roles. They are real.

Assessment Approach

Assessment Approach

Standards-aligned assessment across all subjects. Formative feedback is continuous, and summative assessments occur each term. NWEA MAP Growth data informs instruction and tracks progress from year to year. Students receive term reports with achievement data and teacher narrative.

High School
(Grades 9–12)

University-Ready. Life-Ready. Future-Ready.

University-Ready. Life-Ready. Future-Ready.

Prepared for What Comes Next.

High School at Horizon is the culmination of 13 years of intentional education. Students in Grades 9 through 12 enter as learners and leave as prepared, confident, globally minded graduates who are ready for university, for career, and for a life of meaning. We do not simply prepare students for the next test. We prepare them for what comes next.

Curriculum Overview

Common Core State Standards (CCSS), NGSS, Advanced Placement (AP) courses, UAE MoE curriculum subjects, and elective pathways aligned to post-secondary goals.

  • English Language Arts

    Advanced literary analysis, argumentative writing, research, and communication. Preparation for AP English Language and AP English Literature.

  • Mathematics

    Integrated Math 1, Integrated Math 2, and Integrated Math 3. Preparation for AP Calculus AB/BC and AP Statistics.

  • Sciences

    Integrated Science I and Integrated Science II. AP options available across all science disciplines.

  • Social Studies

    World History, US History, Government, Economics, and AP options. Students develop historical thinking, civic literacy, and global perspective.

  • Arabic & UAE Subjects

    UAE MoE-aligned Arabic Language (A and B tracks), Islamic Studies, Moral Education, and UAE Social Studies through the required grade levels.

Advanced <br>Placement Program

Advanced
Placement Program

Ready to Lead, Think, and Innovate

Horizon offers Advanced Placement courses across core academic disciplines, providing students with the opportunity to pursue university-level study, earn college credit, and demonstrate academic readiness to competitive institutions worldwide.

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Career & University <br>Guidance

Career & University
Guidance

Our Career and University Guidance program is embedded in the High School experience from Grade 9. Every student has access to individual counseling, university research tools, application support, and a structured college-readiness curriculum. Our graduates earn admission to universities across the UAE, the US, the UK, Canada, Europe, and beyond.

Signature High School Experiences

Signature High School Experiences

  • Model United Nations (MUN): Students develop global perspective, research skills, public speaking, and negotiation through in-school and inter-school MUN conferences.
  • Business Day: An annual entrepreneurship simulation that gives students real-world experience of business planning, team leadership, and presentation.
  • AP Exam Season: Full school support structure for AP examination preparation, including study leave, revision sessions, and pastoral check-ins.
  • Graduation Traditions: Senior milestones, prom, and graduation ceremony that celebrate the completion of a Horizon education and the start of the next chapter.
The Horizon Graduate

The Horizon Graduate

A Horizon High School graduate is more than academically qualified. They are a critical thinker, an ethical leader, a confident communicator, and a globally aware citizen who knows who they are and what they stand for. The Horizon Graduate Portrait defines the seven domains of growth we develop across every year of schooling, culminating in Grade 12.

Every Child Known, Every Child Valued, Every Child Prepared.

Assessment Approach

Assessment Approach

Standards-aligned formative and summative assessment, AP-style assessments in relevant courses, external standardized assessments (NWEA MAP Growth), and term reports with achievement data and narrative feedback.

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