How Ash Mount School Thinks About the Holidays and What it Means for Your Child’s Development
At Ash Mount School, we talk about learning as something that happens far beyond the classroom walls. Summer holidays provide one of the most important opportunities for this. While children absolutely need rest, relaxation and freedom after a busy year, the summer months are also a powerful time for learning to deepen, embed and grow.
Why Rest and Retrieval Go Hand in Hand
Research consistently shows that learning is strengthened when children have time to process information, revisit experiences and retrieve knowledge over time. This process of retrieval, remembering, recalling and using learning again in different contexts, helps move understanding into long-term memory.
In simple terms, children do not only learn when they are “doing schoolwork.” They also learn when they are talking, playing, reflecting, exploring, questioning and connecting ideas to real life.
Summer does not need to become “school at home.” Instead, it can become a season of rich experiences, conversations, curiosity and balance
Screens, Attention, and the Case for Slower Experiences
One area many families are reflecting on is screen time and, importantly, the quality of what children are watching and consuming online. Increasingly, researchers and educators are discussing the impact of constant short-form media on attention, concentration and sustained focus. Fast-paced scrolling and rapid content changes can make it harder for children to practise patience, deep thinking and extended concentration, all skills that support successful learning.
This does not mean removing all technology. Instead, it is about thoughtful checks and balances.
Families may wish to consider not only how long children spend on screens, but also what kind of content they engage with and whether there are opportunities for slower, richer experiences alongside it
Education UAE Returns to Ash Mount School
Education UAE recently returned to Ash Mount School for its third site visit, capturing the latest progress at the Mudon campus ahead of opening.
The visit offered a closer look at the school’s outdoor play areas, covered swimming pool, shaded sports spaces and calm indoor learning environments, all designed to support movement, curiosity and connection. Watch the latest site visit video to see Ash Mount School taking shape.
Independence, Risk, and Real-World Skills
Summer is also an important time for children to take appropriate risks, build independence and strengthen social connections. Climbing higher, trying something new, ordering food independently, helping plan a journey, joining a club, cooking for the family or navigating disagreements with friends all help children develop resilience, confidence and problem-solving skills.
A Simple Framework: The Summer Balance Plan
One simple idea for families is creating a “Summer Balance Plan” together. Each day could include:
- Something for your body – movement, outdoor time, physical activity
- Something for your brain – reading, creating, building, exploring
- Something for your relationships – time with family, friends, or community
Families might also create a summer jar filled with activities, adventures or achievements they hope to complete before school begins again.
In Defense of Boredom
There can be pressure in modern life to constantly entertain children. But boredom is not a problem to be solved. It is often the starting point for creativity, imagination, and self-direction. Some of the best games, inventions, and conversations begin with the words: “There’s nothing to do.”
Equally valuable is the practice of delayed gratification – learning to wait, save, and work steadily toward something meaningful. Whether saving pocket money for a special purchase or completing a challenge before earning a reward, these moments help children develop perseverance and emotional regulation that will carry them well beyond the summer.
Come Back Ready
Most importantly, summer should include rest. Children need time to slow down, sleep well, laugh, connect with family and simply enjoy being together. Some of the most meaningful learning happens quietly, around dinner tables, during long conversations, on journeys, at the beach, in parks and through shared experiences with the people who matter most.
When children return to school after a summer filled with connection, balance, curiosity and rest, they return not only refreshed, but ready to learn again with energy, confidence and purpose.
Families interested in learning more about Ash Mount School or exploring admissions for the 2026 and 2027 academic year can contact Brooke McDonald, Admissions Lead, at ad********@******nt.ae or +971 52 3054989
Further Reading:
- Ash Mount School Takes Shape as One of Dubai’s Most Thoughtfully Designed New Schools
- Education UAE Returns to Ash Mount School and One Thing Is Certain, It Will Be Ready
- Exclusive Interview with Founding Principal Abigail Fishbourne on the Vision for Ash Mount School
- Inside Ash Mount School’s Family First Approach to Education