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Credence High School, Al Quoz 1 – The Review
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Fabulous school, which since its launch in 2014 has proved that continuous investment and committed and talented school leadership and teaching faculty can, over time, make a genuinely good school that absolutely deserves its place on a parent’s shortlist for high performing CBSE schooling. 

Backstory: Our original 2016 review

Credence High School is a new Indian all through school undergoing phased FS to Grade 12 launch. The school will follow the CBSE curriculum from Year 9.

The school aims, however, to radically differentiate itself from other Indian schools in the Gulf by replacing the standard CBSE curriculum to Year 8 with a curriculum provided by a relatively young start-up, XSEED, based in Singapore and founded by Ashish Rajpal, an MIT educated Indian entrepreneur.

The basic approach is to tackle one widely held critique of Indian education – that it teaches facts by rote with little relevance to the skills required later in life, with a model of education based on experiential activity-based learning in which students learn to think for themselves within a curriculum based on problem solving and the “why” of learning rather than the “what.”

To this end the XSEED approach is much more closely aligned with the International Baccalaureate early years’ approach.

It’s a risk.  Although XSEED advertises itself as having taken 2 million families through its programmes in India, it does not have the international recognition of the English National Curriculum, IB or American foundations – or the Indian Early Years curriculums it seeks to supplant.

The degree to which the programme transfers to later CBSE study is also relatively untested. This is not to say the programme is not impressive.

XSEED provides its own study materials which are excellent and particularly well structured for parents to support and engage with the curriculum. They also provide transparency between the school, parents and students of the degree to which a child is progressing – and the degree to which the school is meeting the requirements of the XSEED curriculum.

GEMS_INARTICLE  

 

As of 2016-17, the school’s highly regarded founding Head, Kulbhushan Kain, left the school to return to Delhi Public School [DPS] in Jaipur. New Principal, Deepika Thapar Singh, has been leading the school since and feedback to SchoolsCompared.com and EDSTATICATM has been uniformly positive.

Facilities are sufficient and include multiple shaded play areas; large playing field; running track; small swimming pool; 14,000 square foot multi-purpose hall, auditorium, sports arena and theatre; library; IT Labs; Medical Centre; dedicated Arabic language faculty; 5,000 square foot, air-conditioned dance and drama hall with wooden flooring; cafeteria and a digital campus. The degree to which current facilities will support a 3000+ capacity role, given that the owners want to push at the boundaries of the Premium Sector schools, is unclear, but the large site has the capacity for future investment.

Our 2023 review

“It was the day I attained fatherhood it dawned upon me that the role of education in the life of a child is next to none.

With this thought in mind and after years of relentless research into the educational landscape of the region and beyond, this dream turned into reality on 1st of April, 2014 with the opening of Credence High School Dubai.”

Nalapad Abdulla. Chairman.

Today Credence High School is deeply committed to the CBSE curriculum and offers a complete Pre-KG to Grade 12 education for its students, Its location in Al Quoz has seen its catchment extend across Dubai, Deira and Sharjah given easy access from the Sheikh Zayed Road and growing reputation for delivering for students. For us, standout  are the happy school dynamics, something we think stems from the groundwork originally invested in Xseed and the ethical underpinnings of the school established by School Principal and CEO Deepika Thapar Singh. The school’s owners, Nalapad Investments, have clearly invested in Credence as something of a labour of love. Staying the distance has reaped dividends and today the school is ranked creditably Very Good with Outstanding Features by the KHDA, Dubai’s respected (and demanding) Inspectorate of Schools. If there are still remnants of the radical Xseed experiment, it lies in the very early years in which Credence still innovates with its own curriculum.

We are still of the view that the curriculum remains unduly limited, but it is much improved from the foundations of its launch. The absence of either a celebrated Arts or Social Sciences pathway leaves students with the typical choice between Commerce or Science streams – and this does not reflect the world we live in, closes off opportunities for students in countless employment areas and pushes students into boxes. This is an issue not unique to Credence High School, but for an aspirational school with so much potential, the absence of either leaves the school meeting the demands of parents for Medicine and Accountancy related careers – but at the cost of failing the responsibilities of conviction educators to provide a rounded education for students steeped in the whole child. If any school could start to change mind sets we think it is Credence under its accomplished leader, but that takes courage and investment to stand above the crowd that may well be asking too much of a school in the relatively early days of its journey. Whilst not a CBSE school, GEMS Modern Academy, for example, does deliver these much broader opportunities for students. With its original and pioneering roots in XSEED we perhaps hoped for more.

Fees

Fees are firmly in the value segment and we rate ROI outstanding plus. The fact that the school continues to offer a discount on KHDA agreed fees nods to its listening to parents and making a gesture that recognises the many challenges faced by families across the UAE.

GRADE 2023 Fees Discounted Fees
PRE-KG 16,115 13,000
KG 1 / KG 2 16,115 15,000
Grade 1

to

Grade 2

18,263 17,000
Grade 3

To

Grade 4

20,411 19,000
Grade 5

to

Grade 6

22560 21,000
Grade 7

to

Grade 8

24,708 23,000
Grade 9

To

Grade 10

26,858 25,000
Grade 11 27,365 26,000
Grade 12 27,365 26,000

KHDA Inspection Report 2023

Credence High School Review and Inspection Report 2023

Bottom line? The SchoolsCompared Verdict 2023

If our critique of Credence High School for its outward projection and curriculum seems harsh, it is because this is a school that is now engaging at very high levels of delivery for students in what it does – and the expectations on it now also increase. On current trajectory this is a school whose next step is Outstanding school Status – and that will require further investment across-the-board – including in the breadth of subject options provided to its children, young men and young women. They deserve it – and 21st century employers like Google demand it.

In almost every other areas this school sparkles. Fabulous, committed, compassionate and inspirational school leadership. Genuinely outstanding feedback from parents, teachers and students. Happiness is placed centre-stage in school life and parents recognise and embrace this – this is a school that achieves for its students in the best way – absolutely rejecting the hothouse approach of that of pushing learning by rote factory style.

The Arts, Music and Literature are part of school life – it is just that they play second fiddle to the focus on Science and Mathematics, the two core areas in which students absolutely excel. Investment in Music and Dance is ongoing – and we would encourage even further investments in these areas. A Board option in Art is available to students which is a definite plus, but we would like gthis extended to the Social XSciences and Broader Arts.

“We Learn, We Laugh, We Play, We Grow” is the school motto – and we applaud the schools confluence of child happiness, engagement and ambition as non-negotiable central pillars that define the school’s approach to education. At Credence it is not marketing fluff, but driven by conviction and made real. This is a genuinely caring school on a trajectory to achieve the best for children – and this shows and matters.

Teacher:student ratios have crept up as the school has grown in popularity. At 1:14 we rank investment good, and ROI strong given the fees – but we would not want to see this rise further.

All in all this is terrific school, led by a really impressive team of leaders and educators with the same goal – meeting the needs of its children and giving them every chance to have a happy, successful and meaningful life both within school and on graduation.

The future is bright for Credence High school Dubai. Now is not the time though to rest on laurels – it is time to start setting benchmarks and paving the way for Outstanding school status. it is a credit to all at the school that we do not believe this is outside their reach.

Best Indian School: Best Schools in the UAE. Best Schools in Dubai. Best Schools in Abu Dhabi. Top Schools Award shortlist 2023.

In 2023, Credence High School Dubai was awarded commended status by the region’s Top School Awards, achieving shortlisting in the Best Indian Curriculum School in the United Arab Emirates category.

At the end of it all, this is a school with a heart. That is a rare and very special thing.

Highly recommended.

© SchoolsCompared.com. A WhichMedia Group publication. 2023 – 2024. All rights reserved.

Details to consider
2018/19 Overall ADEK / KHDA Rating

2023 Very Good School

Type of school

Private, for-profit

Full WSA Review
Average Cost Per Year

Pre-K: 13,000
KG1: 15,000
KG2: 15,000
GRADE 1: 17,000
GRADE 2: 17,000
GRADE 3: 19,000
GRADE 4: 19,000
GRADE 5: 21,000
GRADE 6: 21,000
GRADE 7: 23,000
GRADE 8: 23,000
GRADE 9: 25,000
GRADE 10: 25,000
GRADE 11: 26,000
GRADE 12: 26,000

Curriculum

Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSCE)

External Exam Boards

Central Board of Secondary Education, New Delhi

Selective

Inclusive

Waiting list

No

Value Added

Not published

Number of Students

Capacity: 1650
Current: CIRCA 1530 (2023)

Teacher to Student Ratio

1:14

Largest nationality teachers

Indian

Teacher turnover

8%

Year opened

2014

Location

Al Quoz, Dubai

Student composition

Indian (largest nationality)

Gender

Mixed, co-educational

School canteen

Yes

Owner

Nalapad Ahmad Abdullah, Managing Director, Nalapad Group Overseas (Chairman, Credence High School)
Dr Azad Moopen, Chairman, Aster DM Healthcare
Sameer K. Mohammad, Managing Director, Jaleel Holdings

Admissions Telephone

+971-43212144
+971-529858300
[email protected]

Web Address
Strengths

• A school driven in no small part by placing the happiness of each child centre stage in their learning journey
• Founded by a a conviction led educationalist who wants to make a difference in the live opportunities of children - and give back
• Outstanding school Principal driven by the needs of children
• Outstanding ROI on fees
• Extraordinarily positive feedback from parents, teachers and children - this is a much loved school
• Outstanding progress and attainment in Mathematics and Science

Weaknesses

• The opportunities for students that would come with growing the curriculum pathways in the broader Arts and Social Sciences are too important to avoid - but at these fee levels it is a challange.

Rating
Our Rating
User Rating
Rate Here
Academic
A-
C+
Value
B+
C+
ExtraCurricula
B+
B-
Languages
B+
C+
Sports
B+
B-
Arts & Drama
B
B-
Teaching
A-
C+
Communications
A-
C+
Warmth
A+
B
Differentiation
A-
C+
SEND Provision
B+
C+
Scl Community
A+
B+
Scl Facilities
B+
B-
Opportunities

• A beautiful, inspirational and high performing school that has come so far in its journey in such a short of space of time it takes the breath away. This is one of those hidden corners in Dubai education that make a difference - and make a powerful contribution to the Dubai schools sector's reputation for leading the world. That this school achieves what it does at these fee levels is an absolute credit. Highly recommended.

B+
Our Rating
C+
User Rating
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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

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Academic
Value
ExtraCurricula
Languages
Sports
Arts & Drama
Teaching
Communications
Warmth
Differentiation
SEND Provision
Scl Community
Scl Facilities