Located in Abu Dhabi, the Al Yasmina School is a progressive educational facility serving up to 1,500 students, and includes all grades from kindergarten to secondary level.  Al Yasmina is part of Aldar Academies, created by Aldar Properties to fulfill the need for increased access to quality non-for-profit education.  Modelled after British school planning that promotes a classroom pod cluster strategy, Al Yasmina represents a new iteration of that model and curriculum.  The curriculum followed is the National Curriculum for England, with additional lessons in Arabic Language and Islamic Studies to meet the requirements of the UAE Ministry of Education.  The suburban school site consists of a state of the art main school building and various outdoor sports fields, swimming pools, children playing areas and landscaping. In addition, the school provides amenities that can be used after hours for community use such as gymnasium, multi-purpose halls and library.  Due to the very hot weather and the environment of the Gulf region, the façades of the school are designed to create a comfortable internal climate using natural strategies and minimized air conditioning.  This is achieved by minimizing the area of glazed surfaces along high exposure elevations and by providing canopies and horizontal fins that screen the glass from the sun.