Hey Raha blog · Dubai school life
How to Brief Your Nanny or Helper on the School Week (With a Free Template)
A good weekly briefing for your nanny or helper covers five things: uniform by day, special days and what to bring, drop-off and pick-up times (and who's collecting), lunchbox and snacks, and homework or after-school activities. Send it on Sunday evening in one WhatsApp chat, then a short reminder the night before or each morning. UAE law gives domestic workers at least 12 hours' rest a day and a paid weekly day off, so plan the week around that.
Last updated: 7 October 2026
At 6.40am, I'm halfway through a work email when I remember it's PE day. My helper has already ironed the regular uniform. My son is in tears because "everyone else will be in their sports kit." Sound familiar?
For most of us, the problem isn't our helper. It's that the information lives in our inbox and our head, and only reaches the person doing the school run in bits and pieces: a voice note here, a "don't forget!" text there. Here's the system I wish I'd started years ago: one short briefing per week, plus one daily plan.
Why a weekly briefing beats a hundred quick messages
Scattered messages get missed, scrolled past, or arrive after the bag is packed. A single weekly briefing:
- gives your helper time to plan (washing the PE kit, buying fruit, finding the costume),
- cuts down on last-minute "where is the…?" calls during your workday,
- treats your helper as a trusted partner, not someone you hand instructions to on the fly,
- and gives you one place to check when something goes wrong.
Send it on Sunday evening, then send a short daily reminder the night before or first thing in the morning.
Want the daily part done for you? Hey Raha reads your school emails and sends you and your helper one clear daily WhatsApp plan. Try Hey Raha free for 14 days.
The five things your helper needs to know every week
1. Uniform by day
Most Dubai schools have a regular uniform and a PE or sports kit, and some have house-colour or "own clothes" days. Write it out day by day rather than "PE is Tuesday and Thursday." It sounds obvious, but a list is much harder to get wrong at 6am.
2. Special days and what to bring
Costume days, spirit days, international days, charity "bring AED 10" days, library book returns, show-and-tell. These usually arrive in a school email a few days ahead. Include what is needed, which day, and who is buying or making it.
National days are big in Dubai schools. Children often wear national dress or the UAE flag colours for Flag Day (3 November) and National Day celebrations, so put those in early. Our guide to Flag Day, Commemoration Day and National Day at school has the 2026 dates.
3. Pick-ups, drop-offs and who's allowed to collect
Write down drop-off time, pick-up time, early-finish days, after-school activities and their finish times, and who is collecting each day. If a driver, grandparent or another parent is doing a pick-up, say so, and let the school know through its usual process.
Times can change. KHDA now lets Dubai schools adjust start and finish times (with approval and parents' backing), and timetables are much shorter during Ramadan. When your school announces a change, update the briefing straight away. See Ramadan school timings in Dubai for what to expect next year.
4. Lunchbox and snacks
Note which days need a packed lunch, any class snack rota, allergies in the class, and your school's food rules. UAE health authorities' national school food guide bans items such as sugary and energy drinks, sweets, chocolate, fried foods, crisps, processed meats, and nuts or anything containing traces of nuts in the school environment. Your school's own policy explains how this applies to lunchboxes from home. Our KG packing checklist has more ideas.
5. Homework, reading and after-school
Library day, reading log, spelling test, project due date. A single line per item is enough, so your helper can help keep things on track in the afternoon.
The copy-and-paste weekly template
School week: [dates]
Child: [name], [class/teacher]
| Day | Uniform | Bring | Drop-off | Pick-up / by whom | After school |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mon | Regular | Library book | 7.30 | 2.30 – [name] | Swimming 3.30–4.30 |
| Tue | PE kit | Water bottle, hat | 7.30 | 2.30 – [name] | – |
| Wed | Regular | AED 10 charity | 7.30 | 1.30 early finish – [name] | – |
| Thu | PE kit | – | 7.30 | 2.30 – [name] | Football 3–4 |
| Fri | Regular | Show-and-tell item | 7.30 | 11.30 – [name] | – |
Lunchbox: packed lunch Mon–Thu; class snack rota Tue (fruit for 20). Remember: nut-free.
Coming up: costume day next Wednesday (theme: [x]). Can we find something at home by Sunday?
Changes this week: [new timings, events, anything unusual]
Questions? Message me any time before [time].
The times above are just placeholders. Fill in your school's real ones. If you have more than one child, use one table per child, or add a column, and colour-code if it helps. Print the one-page 2026-27 school calendar for your helper's room too, so the term dates are always to hand.
Make the routine fair and realistic
A good school-week plan also respects your helper's own time. Under UAE Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on domestic workers, a domestic worker is entitled to at least 12 hours of rest a day, including at least 8 hours in a row, and a paid weekly day off. If they work on their rest day, they're owed another day off or a day's pay instead. When you plan early drop-offs, late activities and weekend events, check that the week still adds up.
On photos, many Dubai and Sharjah schools now ask parents and visitors not to photograph other children or staff at the gate, in corridors or at assemblies, or to share those photos in WhatsApp groups. That applies to whoever does the school run, so tell your helper too. The details are in our article on new Dubai school rules for October 2026.
Small habits that make it stick
- Same time, same place. Sunday evening, same WhatsApp chat, every week.
- Use their language. If your helper reads more easily in another language, a short translated version can make a big difference.
- Ask, don't just tell. "Anything you need for this week?" often turns up the missing PE sock before Tuesday.
- Keep a shared "school box". Spare uniform, labels, hair ties, a few dirhams for charity days.
- Go through it together for five minutes, at least for the first few weeks.
- Put holidays in early. The 2026-27 term dates affect your helper's planning as much as yours.
Sources
- UAE Legislation: Federal Decree-Law No. 9 of 2022 on Domestic Workers
- UAE Government portal: Domestic workers
- Gulf News: UAE bans junk food, sugary drinks in schools under new health guide (14 Apr 2026)
- The National: Dubai schools allowed to change start and finish times (1 Oct 2026)
- Khaleej Times: Dubai schools tighten photography rules
- The National: Sheikh Mohammed calls on UAE residents to mark Flag Day (on pupils wearing national dress or flag colours)
Frequently asked questions
What should I include in a weekly school briefing for my nanny?
Uniform by day, special days and what to bring, drop-off and pick-up times and who's collecting, lunchbox and snack needs, and any homework or after-school activities.
When should I send my helper the school schedule?
Send the full weekly plan on Sunday evening, then a short daily reminder the night before or early in the morning.
How do I handle last-minute school changes?
Update the same WhatsApp chat as soon as the school email arrives, and flag it clearly ("CHANGE: early finish tomorrow 12.30").
Can my helper take photos at the school gate?
Many Dubai and Sharjah schools now ask everyone on campus not to photograph or film other children or staff, or to share such images in WhatsApp groups. Check your school's circular and pass the rules on.
How many hours can my helper work during the school week?
UAE law gives domestic workers at least 12 hours of rest a day, including 8 consecutive hours, and a paid weekly rest day. Plan school-run duties within that.
A little help from Hey Raha
I built Hey Raha for exactly this. It reads your school emails and sends you and your helper one daily WhatsApp plan: what to wear, what to pack, who's picking up, and what's changed. It's the same briefing you'd write yourself, without the Sunday-night admin.
If you'd like a calmer Monday morning.
Try Hey Raha freeMarie, founder of Hey Raha
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