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Global Indian International School Dubai, Al Barsha South
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Global Indian International School Dubai, Al Barsha South

by Jon WestleySeptember 13, 2017

New school first look September 2017 – The Global Indian International School Dubai

The Global Indian International School Dubai campus is a new, 2000+ capacity, hybrid CBSE – IGCSE – International Baccalaureate Diploma school opened in Al Barsha South, Dubai in September 2017.

Directions to the Global Indian International School Dubai

The school claims to have 20 campuses across a network of 18 schools in Thailand, (1 school in Pathum Thani), Vietnam (1 school in Ho Chi Minh), Japan (2 schools in Tokyo and Higashi), Malaysia (1 school in Kuala Lumpur), Singapore (4 schools), India (7 schools) and the UAE (2 schools, one each in Dubai and Abu Dhabi) – our review of the existing Abu Dhabi based CBSE curriculum Global Indian International School can be found here.

The school has two striking claims even before launch:

The Global Indian International School Dubai campus is one of the best schools in the world (“best global schools”.)

The school offers “a world class campus and infrastructure.”

The Global Indian International School Dubai will offer “world class sports infrastructure.”

GEMS_INARTICLE  

The schools says, rather ambiguously, that “{t]he orientation and nurturing of the students are based on the understanding of the real world that he or she lives in.”

If the marketing is perhaps overly ambitions and a little hyperbolic, the core facts of the school’s offer are much clearer – and if delivered will be genuinely impressive. 

Its uniqueness will lie in its hybrid curriculum will enable students to switch at 14 years Grades 8 – 10) from its core CBSE curriculum to British IGCSE and then the International Baccalaureate Diploma (Grades 11 – 12)

If successfully implemented, The Global Indian International School Dubai will be the first Indian school in the UAE to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

This is, however, some way off. Global Indian International School Dubai is phasing its launch with Pre-KG to KG 2 opening in 2017 and Grades 1 to 5 opening in April 2018. Grades 6 to 8 will open in April 2019. The core CBSE structure will be offered to all students and it will be interesting, if all goes to plan, to see how many children switch out of the CBSE to British O Level and International Baccalaureate Diploma.

Parents should note that a dual stream IB Diploma / A Level Sixth Form is not on offer.

Students can also choose to study the CBSE curriculum until Grade 10 and move to the IBDP for the final two years after taking a “crash course” to prepare for the IBDP stream. However, students who plan to choose the IBDP are encouraged to enroll in the British curriculum stream from Grade 8 onwards. The British IGCSE programme is being used as a way of enabling students to more easily convert from the CBSE to the structurally very different International Baccalaureate Diploma.

Parents should note that the ambition of the owners of the Global Indian International School Dubai is rooted in experience. The hybrid curriculum is currently, and successfully, implemented in the Indian Global Indian International School Singapore in Queenstown. The Singapore school is seen as the Group’s flagship and has developed over a 15 year period since the Group’s founding in 2002, teaching just 48 students on its original site in Mount Sophia.

Since moving to the hybrid curriculum, the Singapore school has achieved “four IBDP world toppers and 14 students with near-perfect scores.” Unfortunately, the school provides no information that enables us to make an informed judgment. We have written to GIIS for clarification on the percentage of students who have taken CBSE, IGCSE and the International Baccalaureate Diploma at the Singapore school and a full breakdown of grades. Without this information it is impossible to understand the dynamics of the school or even start to extrapolating a view of how performance in Singapore will translate to the Global Indian International School Dubai campus.

We do know, however, of those students that were able to sit for the Diploma in Queenstown Singapore, results were efficient with a school average of 36.09 points, 33.3% of students achieving 40 grade points and above and 61% of students achieving more than 35 points.

Fees at the the Global Indian International School Dubai are low for an International Baccalaureate School, topping just 50,888 DHS in Grade 12 in 2021 by which time IB provision should be open. These fee levels will deliver the lowest fees for an International Baccalaureate Diploma school in the UAE. Of course, as above, the devil will lie in the detail – and we need to understand the percentage of children that are likely to deviate from the core CBSE curriculum to IGCSE and IB. If we looked at the school in the context of its being a CBSE school it translates as an expensive school for this segment, even taking into account that Grade 12 fees are lower at AED 38,824

Discount Offered 15% 15% 10% 5% 0%
Tuition Fee 2017-18 2018-19 2019-20 2020-21 2021-22
Pre-KG 18,000 18,000 19,059 20,118 21,176
KG 1 19,000 19,000 20,118 21,235 22,353
KG 2 20,000 20,000 21,176 22,353 23,529
G 1 21,000 21,000 22,235 23,471 24,706
G 2 22,000 22,000 23,294 24,588 25,882
G 3 23,000 23,000 24,353 25,706 27,059
G 4 24,000 24,000 25,412 26,824 28,235
G 5 25,000 25,000 26,471 27,941 29,412
G 6 26,000 26,000 27,529 29,059 30,588
G 7 27,000 27,000 28,588 30,176 31,765
G 8 28,000 28,000 29,647 31,294 32,941
G 9 30,000 30,000 31,765 33,529 35,294
G 10 30,000 30,000 31,765 33,529 35,294
G 11 33,000 33,000 34,941 36,882 38,824
G 12 33,000 33,000 34,941 36,882 38,824
IB – 1 43,000 43,000 45,529 48,059 50,588
IB – 2 43,000 43,000 45,529 48,059 50,588

 

Parents should note that pre-primary KG phase children at the Global Indian International School Dubai are taught a proprietary  “Global Montessori Plus Programme for accelerated learning” curricula prior to standard CBSE teaching from Grade 1.

The Global Indian International School Dubai currently identifies its facilities as including an age-appropriate swimming pool for KG children, an area for water play and white board equipped classrooms. This is insufficient to enable us to take a view on whether the school does provide “a world class infrastructure and campus.”

We do know however that the existing JSS school site that the Global Indian International School has taken over is of a good quality with an open and modern feel and spacious classroom blocks, corridors and open areas. There are two covered outdoor sports arenas for basketball, tennis;  an outdoor running track; astro-turf pitch; covered play area for young children, two indoor squash courts; two shaded swimming pools; gardening area; extensive Science Lab provision; prayer room for Muslim pupils; a large exhibition hall for competitions and performances; a large circular library; small junior library; canteen; and warm reception area.

Reception at the Global Indian International School Dubai

All academic staff at the Global Indian International School Dubai have a minimum of two year teaching experience in the subject being taught and a B.Ed. degree.

Global Indian International School Dubai School Principal, Ramesh Mudgal brings with him two decades experience in education, almost ten of which have been within Global International Schools in Singapore and India. He has been instrumental in the launch of the Abu Dhabi sister school which secured an ADEC Band B “Acceptable Rating” on its first inspection.

Whilst this is below the minimum Band A “Good” school rating expected of all schools operating in the UAE some allowance must be made for the extremely rapid expansion of the school since launch and its early inspection. On the whole ADEC report positively and identify that the school is well supported by its parent body, is valued by parents, has a committed school Principal, “well maintained and stimulating indoor and outdoor premises” and has the capacity to improve. The Abu Dhabi school is not a hybrid curriculum school, but parents should treat positively the schools investment in faculty which has resulted in a staff to student ration of 1:13 at KG phase and 1:12 from Grades 1 – 8 which we would expect to see improved on certainly at IB phases.

As with all new schools it is early days to make a considered review. Even the very best schools need time to bed-in. The marketing is almost certainly over ambitious. The UAE has some exceptional schools operating in this segment and it is unlikely that the school will achieve Outstanding school status at its first inspection as suggested by its claim to be world class even before launch. However, being positive and ambitious about, and for, a school is no bad thing – and setting expectations and the benchmark high with parents will ensure that the school has pressure to deliver – and quickly.

A rendered photograph of children outside the new Global Indian International School Dubai

What we can say at this stage is the ambition of the owners of the Global Indian International School Dubai to deliver a hybrid CBSE International Baccalaureate school in Dubai is a welcome one – and the strategic use of IGCSE as a bridge between CBSE and the Diploma is considered.

It is far too early days however to see whether the school will succeed and the likely eventual weighting of the International Baccalaureate Diploma in provision. The Diploma is exceptionally demanding, and will be particularly so for an inclusive school. It may well be that the IB programmes are limited to the most gifted children, in which case parents should seek to evaluate the school not on the promise of a hybrid curriculum that may well only be available to a limited number of children, but as a standard CBSE school. In this sector there is competition from a number of established Outstanding schools operating at lower fee levels.

We will update our review as the Global Indian International School Dubai is given time to bed-in, but, on the basis of delivery to date in its Abu Dhabi sister and hybrid CBSE-IB school in Singapore this is certainly a school that (we think) parents should visit. Yes, our recommendations does come with all the typical qualifications and caveats that come with the opportunities of a new school including the risks of teething problems and the many years every new school inevitably needs to become established. But there is ambition here that deserves to be recognised. Many Indian parents have been asking us for a dual stream IB (as well as A Level) school for many years. They have wanted to find a school able to retain the best of Indian culture – but also one able to deliver a globally recognisable and respected Western qualification. The Global Indian International School Dubai promises to deliver on half that equation. For many parents this will come not a moment too soon.

Watch this space.

Note to parents: as a new school in launch phase gradings will follow later in 2017.

Are you looking for a place for your child, and want help from our school consultants? If so, click on the link below, and we will forward your request for information to the school or schools of the same type that we are confident have availability. This is a free service for our readers from our sister site WhichSchoolAdvisor.

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Details to consider
2016/17 Overall ADEC / KHDA Rating

First inspection due in 2018

2015/16 Overall KHDA / ADEC Rating

NA

Type of school

Private, for profit

Full WSA Review
Average Cost Per Year

Pre-KG: 21,176
KG1: 22,353
KG2: 23,529
YEAR 1: 24,706
YEAR 2: 25,882
YEAR 3: 27,509
YEAR 4: 28,235
YEAR 5: 29,412
YEAR 6: 30,588
YEAR 7: 31.765
YEAR 8: 32,941
YEAR 9: 35,294
YEAR 10: 35,294
YEAR 11: 38,824 (CBSE) OR 50,588 (IB DP)
YEAR 12: 38,824 (CBSE) OR 50,588 (IB DP)
Note: Fees are before discounts being offered at the school through a four-year period of phased launch

Curriculum

Indian hybrid dual stream CBSE / IGCSE-International Baccalaureate Diploma

External Exam Boards

CBSE
Cambridge
International Baccalaureate

IB DipM Pass Rate

School in phased launch

IB DipM Average Grade

School in phased launch

IGCSE A* to C

School in phased launch

IGCSE A* to A

School in phased launch

Number of I/GCSEs Offered

TBC: School in phased launch

I/GCSEs offered

TBC: School in phased launch

Selective

Inclusive for CBSE

Waiting list

No

Value Added

Not published

Number of Students

Capacity: 2000+

Teacher to Student Ratio

Pre-KG - KG2: 1:13
Grades 1 - 12: 1:12

Largest nationality teachers

Indian

Teacher turnover

School in phased launch
Notes
(1) Teacher turnover in the Abu Dhabi sister school in the first year of operation was 30%)

Year opened

2017

Location

Al Barsha South, Dubai

Student composition

Indian (largest nationality)

Gender

Mixed co-educational

School canteen

Yes

Owner

GIIS

Admissions Telephone

+971 (0) 4 2416 169
[email protected]

Web Address
Attainment Nur SEM

School in phased launch

Attainment Pri SEM

School in phased launch

Attainment Sec SEM

School in phased launch

Attainment Post-16 SEM

School in phased launch

Progress Nur SEM

School in phased launch

Progress Pri SEM

School in phased launch

Progress Sec SEM

School in phased launch

Progress Post-16 SEM

School in phased launch

Arabic Native Primary Results (Native)

School in phased launch

Arabic Secondary Results (Native)

School in phased launch

Arabic Post-16 Results (Native)

School in phased launch

Arabic Primary Results (Add.)

School in phased launch

Arabic Secondary Results (Add.)

School in phased launch

Arabic Post-16 Results (Add.)

School in phased launch

Islamic St. Primary Results

School in phased launch

Islamic St. Secondary Results

School in phased launch

Islamic St. Post-16 Results

School in phased launch

Leadership

School in phased launch

Community

School in phased launch

Facilities

School in phased launch

Quality of teaching

School in phased launch

Student personal responsibility

School in phased launch

Quality of curriculum

School in phased launch

School Governance

School in phased launch

SEN Provision

School in phased launch

Is this school on your shortlist?
Top of shortlist
8%
In my Top 5
36%
Shortlisted
28%
A possibility
12%
Pass
4%
No way
12%
About The Author
Jon Westley
Jon Westley is the Editor of SchoolsCompared.com and WhichSchoolAdvisor.com UK. You can email him at jonathanwestley [at] schoolscompared.com
2 Comments
  • Justin
    February 9, 2018 at 10:09 pm

    I am curious, is this the Dubai school acquisition reported in the Bloomberg or is it a different one? The legal case of 2014 ended since then so I expect that the new Dubai school is a new one by GIIS non profit Singapore without those investors coming in? There was also a GIIS Dubai school which became Ambassador school that that was not going to be acquired I think?

    • February 10, 2018 at 1:30 pm

      Thank you for your question. The history of GIIS in Dubai is complex, but now historic and we do not think, given the many years that have passed, it is relevant to parents in considering GIIS schools or historic franchised partners.  The main point to take from the history is that GIIS is now investing directly in its own schools with one each now in Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The Ambassador Schools in Dubai no longer have any relationship with GIIS.

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