Raffles World Academy, Umm Suqeim 3 – THE REVIEW 2023

Raffles World Academy – The Back Story and Location

The Top Schools Award-winning Raffles World Academy has a long and fascinating history. Raffles World Academy was established by Emaar Education in 2006 following negotiation with Raffles Campus, a school management company in Singapore, which eventually led to Emaar purchasing the company and “Raffles International” brand outright in 2007. Raffles World Academy currently provides mixed, co-educational education for around 1800 students of which the largest nationality is Indian, although the reality is a very mixed population in which no obvious nationality dominates. It is worth noting that the school role has been reduced and investment increased – today the school role perfectly matches the capacity of the school. 

Raffles World Academy occupies a 30,000 square metre campus in Um Suqeim with extraordinarily inspirational and inspiring views from its sporting grounds directly on to the Burj Al Arab and Jumeirah Beach Hotel:

Arguably the vista from the school is the most inspiring of any school in Dubai – and undoubtedly contributes to the sense of place and atmosphere. Map location follows:

The Raffles brand was rolled out to the then “Raffles International School – West Campus”; “Raffles International School – South Campus”; “Raffles International School – North Campus”; and “Raffles Nursery.”

As part of the purchase, Ng Boon Yew, the founding chairman of Raffles Campus Singapore, moved to Dubai to set up and run the UAE schools as the chief executive of Emaar Education.

In 2010 Raffles Campus was sold back to its original owners. At the same time Emaar Education completely outsourced management of all its schools to Innoventures as part of its withdrawal from active management in the education sector in order to focus on its core property business.

Despite losing the Raffles Campus link, the schools nevertheless retained the brand name.

In 2010, as Emaar transferred management, there were widespread impacts on the schools under the umbrella, with a number of original staff losing their jobs and significant changes including the loss of the school’s all-girls campus. Some parents withdrew their children and felt that with the change of management and loss of original Raffles link the school’s no longer reflected the Raffles values that had initially attracted them.

The irony in all this is that the Raffles International brand, developed by Raffles Campus, shares no links with the world famous Raffles Institution that initially attracted parents to the school.

Each school was renamed in 2012:

• “Raffles International School – West Campus” became Raffles World Academy;
• “Raffles International School – South Campus” became Raffles International School;
• “Raffles International School – North Campus” became the Collegiate American School;
• Raffles Nursery became Raffles International School Nurseries and numbers 8 Raffles International Nurseries across Dubai including the founding nursery in Umm Suqeim and nurseries at Arabian Ranches; Dubai Marina; The Springs; Dubai lakes, Hattan Gardens; Emirates Hills; and Town Centre.

Innoventures Education  runs not only the Raffles schools but also Dubai International Academy, which it opened in 2005, the new Dubai International Academy Al Barsha (opened in 2018-19) and Burj Daycare Nursery which it launched in 2012. In many ways Dubai International Academy schools are very much sister IB schools to Raffles World Academy – we rate both schools very highly.  

In the context of this complicated history, it is far easier to understand the schools as separate institutions and review them in the context of their individual development and provision since 2010 when they were effectively “re-booted” by Innoventures Education.

KHDA Inspection – Very Good School Status with Outstanding Features

Raffles World Academy, achieved KHDA “Very Good with Outstanding Features” school status in 2018. This aligned with the move to the school becoming a pure IB school in which its GCSE British programme of study was entirely replaced with the IB MYP. The school has also seen introduction of the International Baccalaureate Career-related Programme to provide outstanding subject breadth and choice for children. We rate the IB CP programme as exceptional for both its content and acceptance as a Tier 1 University pre-qualification for university entrance worldwide. The CP programme should, in our view, be offered by all UAE schools aiming to deliver an IB education for students. We currently, with rare exception, do not recommend schools that do not offer a technical or other alternative stream pathway education – and we credit Innoventures and Raffles World Academy very highly for their commitment to breadth of subject choice and qualifications, these ensuring that the school is able to meet the needs, potential and abilities of the broadest range of children.

Raffles World Academy had hitherto been rated a KHDA “Good School” with some Very Good and Outstanding features for six consecutive years since 2011. In our view the new rating is (very) richly deserved. 

KHDA Inspectors score the school as “Outstanding” in the areas of its  whole child personal development of each student’s sense of personal, cultural and environmental responsibility across all phases; dedication to the care and safety of its students; parental links; facility provision and governance. 

KHDA weakness essentially amounts to the regulator asking the school to do more of what the school already excels at.

It is worth noting, as above, that prior to the move to a pure, full-play, four phase IB school programme, the curriculum was a hybrid one, merging International Baccalaureate Primary Years Provision [PYP] with Cambridge International certified (I)GCSE and later International Baccalaureate Diploma level study in the post-16 phase. Even historically, the IGCE provision, in terms of subject choice, we rated of a Very Good standard. Feedback from parents and teachers with the move away from IGCSE to the IB MYP has been almost uniformly positive and it is arguable that the school’s offer today makes much more sense, particularly given that no parallel stream offer was historically extended to provision of A Level to run with the IB Diploma Programme.

International Baccalaureate Diploma results

It is worth noting that school transparency in the publication of exam results we rate outstanding.

In 2021, 55 students were awarded the International Baccalaureate Diploma – a 100% pass rate – with 81.8% achieving 30 points or more, 54.6% achieving 35+ points and 27.3% being awarded 40+ points. The average points score for the cohort was 35.1.

In 2020, 91 students sat for the International Baccalaureate Diploma. 87% of those who passed achieved 30+ points, 40% achieved 35+ points and 8% achieved 40+ points. The overall average point score was 34 points.

There has been grade inflation in the IB in all good schools – and it is to the credit of Innoventures and Raffles World Academy that it supported and cared for its students and families with strength and conviction. Not all schools fought for their children so robustly – and we think that parents can take from this that both Innoventures and Raffles World Academy “walk the walk” when it comes to investing in the success, welfare and education of all its children and students.  We strongly agued that every school should support students during the Covid 19 pandemic and ensure no student suffered as a consequence of its impacts. Raffles World Academy did not let their students down.

Worth noting too that the school is investing strongly in student choice and qualifications breadth. The Career-related Programme today is equally recognised by top-tier universities – but has a clear advantage with those seeking direct entry into business and industry. It is creditable that Raffles World Academy is investing strongly in both routes.

Historical results follow:

It is further worth noting that all children who remain for post-16 provision, whether full International Baccalaureate Diploma/Career-related Programme candidates, or those sitting individual IB courses, can qualify with an in-house award: “The Raffles World Academy High School Diploma.” Although not a recognised qualification in itself, this adds significant value to Raffles World Academy Students when they graduate by giving them a differentiator from competing students from other schools applying to both university and industry. 

Raffles World Academy School facilities and ECAs

We rate school facilities outstanding – and particularly in delivering to the breadth of requirements required by the individual course components of IB subject choices and broader child welfare. We have always been less interested in shiny bells and whistles – many parents pay for marketing baubles that are never used (we have on more that one occasion visited schools with so called facilities that are never actually used). This is not the case here. Raffles World Academy focuses facility provision on the needs of students academically, whole child – and as a means to build the culture, values and happiness of the school. And it works terrifically well.

Facilities include a cafeteria; “open and spacious” library set over two floors (“housing more than 27,000 volumes in multiple languages”); wide corridors giving a sense of space and freedom; AV equipped classrooms; Auditorium; Art rooms; computer clusters; prayer rooms; Music rooms; individual atriums in each section of the school for events, exhibitions and activities; Individual Science labs; IT Labs; tutorial rooms; dance studio, theatre and Language Labs. Languages, it should be noted, are a notable strength of the school.

Sporting facilities include a soccer field; two swimming pools (one shallow learner pool); a sports hall and dedicated courts for basketball, tennis and Badminton. 

One key deliverable that outstanding schools stand out for is ensuring the happiness of children. It is not at all easy to do this – depending on hugely complex factors all working together, including teachers committed to their vocation, outstanding school leadership that is able to build a values and ethics rich school ethos and framework – and a school framework that ensures both that children are inspired and that no child is ever left behind.  We rate Raffles World Academy outstanding in this regard  – it offers an extremely happy school environment  with abundant evidence of inspired children and teachers and students very proud of their school and work, Classrooms are fabulously and richly decorated with the children’s art and project work – and the slightly less than perfect displays of work evidence the thoughtfulness of celebrating every child’s achievements on their own terms. Too often it is easy to forget that success is relative, not an absolute. We have seen other schools all but crush the spirit of children by only highlighting the achievements of gifted and talented children, the results of which are sterile celebrations of work that has often come easily to those who created it. 

Extra-curricular Activities [ECAs] offer breadth and quality. Examples abound and change throughout the years but have included tennis; swimming; basketball; football; music; model United Nations; drama; painting; technology and clubs for pottery/ceramics; Interact Club (Junior Rotary); Duke of Edinburgh; dance and theatre. The school has a range of paid-for activities including gymnastics; Russian language; boxing; karate; KidzArt; ballet; maths classes by WhizzKids; and hip-hop and jazz dancing classes.

Raffles World Academy fees

Running between 31,013 AED at KG1 to 89,069 AED in Years 11 and 12, the school traverses mid-tier and premium fee structures. Parents should be aware of the trebling of costs as children develop their education. This said, for a pure play, four spoke all-through IB curriculum school of this quality, we rate the fees as offering very high ROI.

History of Outstanding School leadership

Former Raffles Head, Julian Williams, moved to head up Goldline Education in 2016.  A graduate in economics from the University of Wales, he completed his teacher training at the University of Birmingham and was a specialised teacher of economics and law prior to developing more than 14 year’s global experience as a Head working in Malawi, Colombia, China and the UAE. A consultant in EAL and SEN/G&T education, he holds a Masters in school leadership. He originally joined Innoventures Education in 2011 as Quality Assurance Director and was appointed Principal of Raffles World Academy in 2012. 

Current Raffles World Academy Principal, Timothy Roberts, took over as the Principal of Raffles World Academy from Mr Williams in September 2016, this immediately following a one-year posting as Principal of the The Centagon International School, a hybrid US/UK IGCE curriculum school in Abuja, Nigeria. A graduate in Business Education and Information Technology, Mr Roberts also has a Masters in Educational Leadership and Management.  He brings with him extensive experience as a Teacher, Head of School and as an inspector including as Headmaster of Secondary at  Prague British School, a British curriculum school today owned by Nord Anglia.

Raffles World Academy governing body includes its owners and a mixed who’s who of Dubai business leaders, including Abdulla Majed Al Ghurair; H.E. Dr. Anwar Gargash; Toby Hoare; Hamdi Osman and Avishesha Bhojani. Governors are particularly praised for their increasing financial investment in the school.

Innoventures’ Chief Executive Officer, Poonam Bhojani, is extraordinarily inspiring. Over many years we have found in her commitment to children and educational resolve to deliver outstanding education something of a tour de force. Ms Bhojani plays an instrumental role in the performance ethics and philanthropic values of all Innoventures Education Schools and we know that Raffles World Academy, and its students, hold a special place for her in the history and ongoing achievements of the group. We recommend reading the fascinating interview with Ms Bohaji here from our sister site WhichSchoolAdvisor which captures something of her spirit.

Raffles World Academy bottom line? The 2023 SchoolsCompared.com verdict

Parents expecting a shiny glass and steel Tier 1 will be disappointed. They shouldn’t be. In substance this is a genuinely very good, and in so many ways absolutely outstanding school – and one with significant capacity to improve. So much has improved (and changed) since our last review of the school, including its move to a pure, fully four stage International Baccalaureate Curriculum, including provision of the outstanding Career-related Programme rooted in BTEC. Much more information should be provided about this and we expect transparency to improve as both the MYP and enhanced post-16 education has time to bed in. We know that Innoventures has the ability to deliver class-best schooling given our extremely positive view of its sister DIA schools. 

So much can be learned about what is really going on in a school from its published values. We think the following is the most telling:

“Raffles World Academy aspires to be recognized by the success of our students in achieving their personal goals.”  [emphasis added]

Our Philosophy. Raffles World Academy. 2022.

We read far too many value statements and school missions that leave children with no voice of their own. At Raffles World Academy, the needs, potential, ambitions and talents of children are placed absolutely centre stage. 

In its mix of a genuinely cross-cultural student and (fabulous) teaching body, leadership aspirations for the school and its students; whole-child student dynamics, outstanding governance and a curriculum that certainly has the depth to push both academic, and now technical achievers, Raffles World Academy delivers, and highly. This is a school whose philanthropy shines a light on what can be achieved when values are made real for children, whose commitment to child happiness sees a school positively alive with inspiration and sense of shared purpose, where children are placed centre stage in the understanding of what success really is and can be – and whose breadth of qualification and subject choice within the International Baccalaureate sets benchmarks across the sector. Internationally inclusive, humane, high achieving and successful, Raffles International Academy is a school that positively wows.

The future looks extremely bright…

Very highly recommended.

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