Jumeirah College, Al Safa – The Review
“Our students’ success cannot be defined by qualifications alone.”
Nicholas Brain, Principal/CEO, Jumeirah College
GEMS Jumeirah College, founded in 1999, sets itself apart with an holistic, whole-child focused approach to the English National Curriculum,
Leadership
Hugely warm, Nicholas Brain, Principal and CEO, GEMS Jumeirah College, has forged a reputation for his focus on the exceptional high quality of the College’s personal development of students, this recognised in class-best KHDA scoring for the College’s whole child provision.
He is driven by an unwavering commitment to education, a belief in its value that is never less than a vocation – and delivering outstanding schooling for the children within his school.
According to Edstatica, Mr Brain has a strong presence at the College. He is certainly, in our view, one of the most inspiring, open, deeply committed and principled leaders of any in the UAE, with a deeply held convictions on the importance of leaving no child behind.
Examination Performance
Jumeirah College publishes its examination performance in full, enabling existing and prospective parents the ability to properly benchmark attainment. A Principal proud enough to “shout” about the attainment of his student’s is recommendation in itself and scores Jumeirah College highly in our transparency rating. Little wonder, however; this is, after all, the GEMS Education flagship British curriculum school. And it shows.
You can read about 2023 Examination success here.
Facilities
Facilities are outstanding, including video conferencing room suite; communication and resource centre; design and technology centres; a drama studio with spring floors for dance; extensive library, excellent music suites (with adjacent) practice rooms; dedicated art room; science laboratories; indoor/outdoor bistro; multi-purpose gymnasium; swimming pool; tennis courts; netball courts; medical centre; grass playing fields and recreational areas. The school’s focus is very much on creating an environment fit for each student, whatever their gift.
Happiness and the Whole Child
Edstatica data records extremely positive feedback from parents on its whole child approach but inevitably some parents also want even more attainment academically. The College, however, despite scoring academically well above UK benchmarks and within the top tier of UAE exam attainment, is resolutely not a hot house school, and refuses to be one. Nor is it academically selective. We think the result of this – for children, pays dividends. Jumeirah College is a very happy school populated by thoughtful, considered students with high levels of empathy and global concern. Just the sorts of rounded, inspiring young men and women Google argues are the lifeblood of the economy of the future.
A graduating class of well-adjusted, happy men and women, armed with a network of peers and friendships that will stand the test of time, with the examination grades to attend their University (or Performing Arts college) of choice, is the College’s bigger picture focus. Telling is the College’s increasing focus on developing its alumni network.
In our independent walk-in, inspectors made particular note of College staff who “could not have been any more passionate about the quality of their College and its students.”
KHDA Outstanding Plus Education
Jumeirah College has been rated Outstanding by the Dubai Inspectorate of Schools for twelve consecutive years – and has achieved this for eleven of the twelve years since inspections begun in the UAE. In an otherwise near faultless 2023 inspection, KHDA Inspectors identified minor weaknesses limited to Arabic subject areas, these a universal challenge for British schools across the sector. Telling is that Governance in 2023 is rated Outstanding – usually this is downgraded when schools are perceived as either not caring or not investing in this area. The value of Arabic subjects in developing cultural understanding, global knowledge – and in giving children a USP against their UK educated counterparts is recognised and embraced.
Breadth of Subject Choice
Sixth Form subject choice at A’ Level is beyond-outstanding. 27 subject options include Photography; Art; Government and Politics; Psychology (also impressively offered at O’ Level – a critical bridge subject between the Arts and Sciences and one with considerable draw for top tier university Admissions); sociology, music technology; Drama and Theatre Design – all subjects that get lost by the wayside in lesser schools that do not invest in the teaching staff to deliver choice. For us, this is a stand-out feature of the school.
At the time of our last major review we thought the school was missing a trick in not offering technical stream BTEC options, particularly given the launch of T Levels in the UK. T levels will best address, in a British Education context, the strengths of the alternative (and outstanding) IB Career Related Programme offered by the International Baccalaureate – but BTEC is, in our view, undervalued. The depth of subject choice at Jumeirah College does compensate, but technical stream education, then, was offered only in A Level Product Design. This has today been addressed in full and JC has one of the most outstanding Business BTECs in the Emirates.
British Sixth Form at Jumeirah College – “A World of Opportunity”
Jumeirah College Sixth Form Prospectus – September 2023“Our curriculum model is based upon the English National Curriculum, but goes significantly beyond the minimum expectations, covering a diverse range of subjects. In fact, at A Level, Jumeirah College offers the most extensive range of subject choices in the UAE.“
Nicholas Brain, Principal/CEO, Jumeirah College
Fees
School fees are top end, although you cannot fault its value proposition. ROI, if you can afford the fees, is outstanding.
In the UK, the College has exactly the type of dynamic, however, that would embrace the provision of bursaries for less financially privileged children and it is hoped that in the future that GEMS, across all its schools, will begin to embrace too the many opportunities for student culture and child development that bursaries provide. This is exactly the type of school that deserves, really deserves, all the investment that GEMS can afford.
Jumeirah College bottom line? The SchoolsCompared.com Verdict
Arguably Jumeirah College provides the exemplar of inclusive, globally outward looking schooling with the results that are so important to open doors on graduation. There are absolutely no hot house pressures here, but instead a celebration of the many types of gifts that all children have when schools invest in finding and nurturing them. Outstanding school leadership in the shape of Mr O’Connor has been instrumental in driving this hugely successful school for children. This is a school where intellectual curiosity flourishes for its own sake without being held hostage to league tables. Children with all their multi-faceted gifts and differences come first and last.
School leadership, teachers, parents – and students, should feel exceptionally proud of what they have achieved.
Jumeirah College comes very highly recommended.
GEMS Jumeirah College was awarded WhichSchoolAdvisor.com Good School status, the bodies highest award, in 2013-14, 2014-15, 2015-16, 2016-17 and 2017-18 – its fifth consecutive year.
GEMS Jumeirah College achieved a top 10 placement in our Best Schools in the UAE 2017-18, and shortlisting for the SchoolsCompared.com Best School in the UAE Award 2019.
© SchoolsCompared.com. A WhichMedia Group publication. 2023 – 2024. All rights reserved.
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
NA
NA
Outstanding
Outstanding
Private for-profit
Yes
FS1: NA
FS 2: NA
Year 1: N/A
Year 2: N/A
Year 3: N/A
Year 4: N/A
Year 5. N/A
Year 6. N/A
Year 7. 71,508
Year 8. 71,508
Year 9. 71,508
Year 10, 80,447
Year 11. 80,447
Year 12. 89,385
Year 13. 89,385
The National Curriculum of England
IGCSE/GCSE
A Level
Cambridge
Edexcel
AQA
27
Arabic (2018 New A’ Level)
Art and Design (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Biology (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Business Studies (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Chemistry (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Computing (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Design and Technology (2017-2018 New A’ Level)
Drama (2016 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Economics (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
English Literature (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
English Language (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
French (2016 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Geography (2016 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Government and Politics (2017-2018 New A’ Level)
History (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
ICT (2017-2018 New A’ Level)
Mathematics (2017-2018 New A’ Level)
Further Mathematics (2017-2018 New A’ Level)
Media Studies (2017-2018 New A’ Level)
Music (2016 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Music Technology (2017-2018 New A’ Level)
Photography (2018 New A’ Level)
Physical Education (2016 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Physics (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Psychology (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Sociology (2015 – 2018 New A’ Level)
Spanish (2016 – 2018 New A’ Level)
31% (8% A*)
93% (66% A*B)
96.2%
60.8%
20
English Language
English Literature
Mathematics
Science
Arabic
Art & Design
Business Studies
Computer Science
Dance
Design Technology
Drama
Economics
French
Spanish
Geography
History
ICT
Music
GCSE Physical Education
Psychology
No.
Notes:
(1) The school has asked us to emphasise to prospective parents that it is resolutely committed to being fully inclusive and does not cherry pick students. It promises a world class education for all students and will put in place whatever measures are required to ensure that all children meet their potential.
(2) Admissions Policy does give priority to students from JPS and siblings of JC students.
Yes
Not Published
1126
1:12
British
14% (low)
1999
Al Safa, Dubai
British (largest nationality)
Mixed co-educational
Yes
GEMS Education
+971 4 395 5524
NA
NA
100%
100%
NA
NA
100%
100%
NA
62.5%
NA
NA
50%
NA
NA
62.5%
50%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
100%
• Outstanding, visionary College leadership
• Focused, ‘whole child’ holistic educational approach
• Tier 1 academic attainment
• Outstanding KHDA personal development scoring
• Developing alumni network
• Courageous and transparent parental engagement, prospective and existing
• Passionate, committed, professional and highly effective teaching
• Tier 1 facilities
• Best-in-class subject choice at A Level
• Very high fees – though high value ROI
• Relatively weak Arabic subject area provision (an issue shared with all international schools) - but the investment and recognition in this area of the curriculum is here in abundance
• Lack of bursaries
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