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Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, Jumeirah Park -The Review
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Arguably the defining school for Performing Arts provision in the emirate, Dubai British School Jumeirah Park, established in 2015, is a relatively new school with all the opportunities that brings with it. Today it stands alone in its own right even when set against its more established sibling in Emirates Hills. It is worth noting that its more established sister school in Emirates Hill has been rated consistently Outstanding and we do no think the Jumeirah School, as of 2023, deserves any less an accolade. Positives abound. The school draws on a considerable history from Taaleem, its experienced owners, and in particular, on the ground, its namesake Dubai British School above which opened in 2005. The Dubai British School in Emirates Hills achieves its Outstanding rating rating from the Dubai schools inspectorate, and, in part, the new Jumeirah Park school was established to respond to its sister being at capacity with a long waiting list in key years. Its sister school was also accredited by WhichSchoolAdvisor.com in its happiest school category in 2015-16. Facilities are excellent and the school has invested to ensure that children are given every opportunity to meet their potential, as well as to compete at the premium end of Dubai Schools provision. Performing Arts provison is stellar. Photograph of the landmark auditorium at Dubai British School in Dubai in its sister school location in Jumeirah Park Specialist dance facilities at Dubai British School in Jumeirah Park, Dubai Beautifully designed buildings with extensive external shaded sails provide examples of the care and attention of Dubai British School to the needs of its students As a relatively new school, scale too is an advantage; as the numbers of children and year provision increases, children still have a real sense that they are pioneers in building their own school and parents and children have genuine involvement in shaping its identity. Class sizes too are small, on average around 1 teacher to 12 students (with further teaching support). The founding Principal, Heather Mann, brought a wealth of experience to Jumeirah Park, joining the school from Sheikh Zayed Private Academy in Abu Dhabi, where she was Principal from 2012 and, prior to that as Principal of (the outstanding) Al Yasmina School in Abu Dhabi. The thought that has been invested by its owners in establishing the new school is evident. Today the j=hugely respected Rebecca Coulter is at the helm and the feedback we have received at SchoolsCompared.com has been unambiguously supportive and positive. 

The details here matter. One example is the Gary Rhodes organic menu, personally defined and managed by the celebrity chef.  

The school fees in our view, given the scale and ambition of offer, deliver exceptionally good ROI. Taaleem has been probably the most responsive of any school’s group to the concerns of parents and the seemingly never ending increases in fees the sector has seen over the last few years. For this it deserves significant credit. Location too is a significant draw for many parents; Jumeirah Park is set within a stone’s throw of Jumeirah lake Towers and the Jumeirah Islands. 

GCSE provision can be found below: DBS JP GCSE-Options-booklet-2019-2020  

We rate subject breadth highly – and we are particularly pleased to see the outlier subject Psychology which is one of the few bridging subjects between the Arts, Social Sciences and Sciences. Missing for some students will be Economics (although Business is represented) and a broader splay of Social Sciences including Sociology and Philosophy. A highlight, however, is an excellent choice of technical stream options  with, as above, beyond-Outstanding  provsion in the Performing Arts, this through a defining Level 3 BTEC. 

Post launch KHDA inspections show a school carefully and sensitively bedding in provision – with an array of Outstanding ratings within the overall Very Good view of Inspectors over the last two years. Note this is about the highest Award any relatively new school can expect on its third or fourth inspection. Fees were high. Compared with its sister school, the original British School, fees at launch were not an insignificant one third more expensive (DHS49,883 – DHS59,239 at its sister compared with DHS75,000 – DHS85,000 at Jumeirah Park). Its feeder school, the Dubai British Foundation had, relatively, equally high-end fees, running at DHS60,000 each year. Whilst these are very much for the course with new schools operating at the premium end of the sector, they also draw attention to the value offered by alternative young schools (the Dubai British School is only 11 years old – a new school by any standards other than those in Dubai) – if you can get a place. However, published fees for 2023-24 at Dubai British School Jumeirah Park see these original feeds reduce very considerably, on a new scale that runs between AED 59,700 in Year 1 through to AED 77, 250 from Year 8 to Sixth Form.

Some parents may well be frustrated that its foundation school feeder is not only separate, but considerably so (it is located off-pitch close to the original DBS Meadows). There are benefits to this, however.  The Foundation School is specialist, set up to target early years’ education, and its separation helps re-emphasise this. For many parents, this separation ensures that childhood is protected.

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This said, however, The British School Jumeirah Park, because of the success of its sister schools and (seriously) impressive management by its owners Taaleem, offers none of the more severe risks to prospective parents of a new school opening in a vacuum, without any history of delivery or any guarantee of continuity. Quite the opposite. As above, we think, at risk of fireworks, that this school is in many ways betterand that is saying something.  

Practically, the school follows the England and Wales based National Curriculum and caters for children from Year 1 to Year 13.  Facilities include an impressive 500+ seater auditorium in the right wing and, outside, outside, a very large open play area with plentiful outdoor play equipment; two large sports halls with enormous indoor sports areas; 2 swimming pools (both 25m); a learner pool; and a very large astro-turf pitch and much more.

We adore this school.

Very highly recommended.

©SchoolsCompared.com 2023 – 2024

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Details to consider
2018/19 Overall ADEK / KHDA Rating

Good with Very Good and Outstanding features

2017/18 Overall ADEC / KHDA Rating

Good with Very Good and Outstanding features

2016/17 Overall ADEC / KHDA Rating

NA

2015/16 Overall KHDA / ADEC Rating

NA

Rating FS

NA

Rating Primary / Elementary

Good to Very Good

Rating Secondary / Middle

Acceptable to Very Good

Rating Post 16 / High

NA

Type of school

Private for-profit

Full WSA Review
Average Cost Per Year

FS1: NA (Refer feeder school: Dubai British Foundation 60,000)
FS2: NA (Refer feeder school: Dubai British Foundation 60,000)
YEAR 1: 58,000
YEAR 2: 58,000
YEAR 3: 61,000
YEAR 4: 61,000
YEAR 5: 65,000
YEAR 6: 65,000
YEAR 7: 70,000
YEAR 8: 75,000
YEAR 9: 75,000
YEAR 10: 75,000
YEAR 11: 75,000
YEAR 12: 75,000
YEAR 13: Phased launch TBA

Curriculum

National Curriculum of England

External Exam Boards

Cambridge
Edexcel

Number of A Levels offered

TBC - school in phased launch

A Levels offered

TBC - school in phased launch

A Level A* to A

NA

A Level A* to C

NA

IGCSE A* to C

NA

IGCSE A* to A

NA

Number of I/GCSEs Offered

21

I/GCSEs offered

English Language (core)
English Literature (core)
Mathematics (core)
Science (Double Award) (core)
Options:
Arabic
Art and Design - Fine Art
Art and Design - Photography
Art and Design -Three Dimensional Design
Food Preparation and Nutrition
Business
Information and Communications Technology
Computer Science
French
Spanish
Geography
History
Music
Psychology
Drama
Triple Science
Physical Education

Selective

No

Value Added

Not published

Number of Students

300+ (Capacity 1600)

Teacher to Student Ratio

1:26

Largest nationality teachers

British

Teacher turnover

0%

Year opened

2015

Location

Jumeirah Park, Dubai

Student composition

British (Largest nationality)

Gender

Mixed co-educational

School canteen

Yes (Gary Rhodes OBE)

Owner

Taaleem

Admissions Telephone

+971 (0)4 552 0247

Web Address
Leadership

100%

Community

100%

Facilities

100%

Strengths

• Excellent design and a very high standard of facilities
• Empowering and experienced leadership
• Recognised pioneering Taaleem ownership
• Significant lowering of fees offering outstanding ROI
• New school opportunity to grow with, and shape the school ‘feel’ and dynamics
• Location

Weaknesses

• No school alumni network
• Off pitch feeder school
• Shape of Sixth Form provision still to be defined.

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

• Opportunity to join a potentially trail blazing school in its relative infancy
• Huge potential for children and parents to make their mark on the school
• A school with all the makings of one of Dubai’s best, but with no guarantees

B+
Our Rating
B+
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