20 Best schools in Dubai revealed: New KHDA Inspections released, some schools rated Outstanding for the first time – Updating live!

Which are the best schools in Dubai? The emirate’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) has just released (April 2023) the latest school inspection reports for 2022-23. There are now 20 schools out of the total 216 schools in Dubai that have been rated as Outstanding, which is the highest rating that schools are able to achieve. The number of Outstanding schools in Dubai has increased since the last round of inspections, with several schools receiving the rating for the first time, including the Top Schools multi-award winning Victory Heights Primary School, the extraordinary Nord Anglia International School which excels in its whole child focus and breadth of curriculum, and the  flagship not-for-profit Deira International School led by the formidable Simon O’Connor, a finalist for Best Principal in the UAE.

Of the 20 schools rated Outstanding for 2023, only one offers the American curriculum (GEMS Dubai American Academy is the only KHDA ranked Outstanding American school in the UAE, an accolade which it has held since 2011), only one offers the Indian curriculum (GEMS Modern Academy – alongside the IB, also achieved in consecutive years without interruption since 2011), one offers the French curriculum (LFIGP Lycée Francais International Georges Pompidou – Oud Metha) – and the rest are either British curriculum, or IB/ blended British and IB curriculum. Worth noting too that Dubai International Academy-Emirates Hills is today the only IB continuum (all-through) school to be ranked KHDA Outstanding – you can read our review of this remarkable school here.

What do the ratings mean?

Every year the KHDA inspects Dubai schools in partnership with the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB). The aim of the inspections is to raise the standard of education within the Emirate’s schools using a common framework across all schools and curricula. Schools are rated on a scale of 6 results from Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Acceptable, Weak to Very Weak.

There are a total of 216 Schools in Dubai, offering 17 different curricula and catering to 326,001 students.

This is the first time all schools have been inspected since before the pandemic, when school inspections were paused.

This is also the first time that inspections have put a specific focus on happiness in schools, with every single school now also being rated on the KHDA’s new Wellbeing Framework of 2022.

And this is the first year that parents have been put at the heart of the KHDA school rating results: Customised Parent Summary Reports are now available for each school to give you all the info you need to know quickly.

If you want to share the story of your school’s achievement and bring it to life for parents, please contact us at [email protected]

 

Here is a list of all the schools currently rated as Outstanding in Dubai:

KHDA Best Schools in Dubai 2023

Deira International School – 2023 review published today.

Dubai British School, Emirates Hills

Dubai College

Dubai English Speaking College (DESC)

Dubai English Speaking School (DESS)

Dubai International Academy Emirates Hills

GEMS Dubai American Academy

GEMS Jumeriah Primary School

GEMS Modern Academy

GEMS Wellington International School

Horizon English School

Jumeirah College

Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS)

Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS) Arabian Ranches

Kings School Al Barsha

Kings School Dubai

Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou – Oud Metha

Nord Anglia International School

Repton School

Victory Heights Primary School

What the Schools Say

The English College celebrated an Outstanding ranking by the KHDA in 24 areas of the inspection, with 80% of the assessed areas given a rating of Outstanding or Very good. The achievement follows an across-the-board Outstanding righting by BSO [British Schools Overseas] placing the school one of fewer than 200 elite British curriculum schools globally to be recognised by the inspectorate. Mark Ford, Principal, speaking exclusively with SchoolsCompared, shared news of the success of The English College in 2023:

“We are thrilled to have achieved a Very Good rating from the KHDA, a consequence of the hard work and dedication of our staff, students, and parents.

This achievement is a testament to our commitment to provide a world-class education, preparing our students to thrive and succeed in life.

At The English College, we will continue our relentless pursuit of excellence and to maintain our high standards to ensure that our students receive the best possible education.”

Simon Herbert, Principal/CEO, GEMS International School – Al Khail, speaking with SchoolsCompared, makes a fascinating point about how KHDA Inspections might one day evolve to include a focus on areas like Sport, STEAM, Music and the Performing Arts, this building on the new creditable and progressive focus of the KHDA on child happiness. It is certainly an area in which the UAE is now leading the world in Inspections, particularly when comparing the UAE approach with that of the UK:

“The inspection experience was a positive one for the school, reflecting the excellent teaching and learning taking place and providing a useful third-party perspective.

GEMS International School is a full IB school and accredited by the Council of International Schools, and I would love more subjects to be included in the inspection, not only the ‘core’ subjects. [Emphasis added. Ed.]

Nonetheless the experience was highly valuable and another reinforcement of the school’s journey. I am pleased that the school’s self-evaluation aligned so well with the inspectors’ views, which made for a healthy and collaborative visit.”

Pictured: Simon O’Connor, Director of the KHDA Outstanding, Ivy League not-for-profit, British-IB curriculum Deira International School in Dubai

Simon O’Connor, Director, Deira International School, speaking with SchoolsCompared, commented:

“I am enormously proud that Deira International School has been rated as Outstanding by the DSIB inspection team. The excitement and buzz which this has generated across the school is fantastic.

The school has now been recognized as one of the highest achieving schools in the UAE, which is a particular achievement when considering our fully inclusive admissions. Since the last inspection the school has worked tirelessly to raise standards across all parts of the school and to develop an holistic culture in which all of our community are able to thrive. I am particularly pleased that the work on wellbeing has been recognized in the report, as we strongly believe that this is the foundation of everyone’s success.

I would like to thank everyone at Deira International School for their hard work without which this success would not have been possible. We are very much looking forward to sharing the full report with our community once it is published.”

Sasha Crabb, Principal, Victory Heights Primary School, pictured with Dinesh Kothari, Chairman, at the tenth anniversary celebrations of the newly ranked KHDA Outstanding school.

Responding to the new Outstanding ranking, Sasha Crabb, Principal, Victory Heights Primary School, in Dubai, told SchoolsCompared:

“Turning 10 this year has covered VHPS in a warmth of nostalgia.”

“We are exceptionally proud of all the unconditional love and support poured into our school over the last decade to ensure that we can be the best that we can be for all our children.”

We appreciate the courage of the choices that we have made that are our right for our community and are aligned with our values.

A huge thank you to our colleagues across Dubai who have shared expertise and encouraged us to believe that we really can have “Method in our Madness”.

Pictured Matthew Farthing (Centre), Principal, Nord Anglia International School Dubai, with proud students, being presented with a Top Schools Award by a member of the team.

Matthew Farthing, Principal, Nord Anglia International School Dubai, told SchoolsCompared:

At NAS Dubai we are delighted to be judged as a school that is ‘Outstanding’ in Dubai.

We are particularly pleased by the way that our Arabic and Islamic departments have managed the continuing and steadily improving standards of effective teaching and learning.

This is the model for us all to follow, but in the knowledge, too, that ‘Outstanding’ is not the end of the story. There are no limits to what we can achieve moving forward.”

A delighted David Flint, Principal, South View School Dubai, commented:

“As a school constantly striving for honest, progressive improvement, my team and I are encouraged, pleased and, importantly, further motivated by this report and the constructive support it gives to SVS and its continuing upward trajectory.”

Giles Pruett, Executive Principal, The Arcadia School Dubai, told SchoolsCompared:

“We are absolutely delighted with our DSIB evaluation of Very Good, particularly as this is only our second inspection, due to the hiatus of the global pandemic.

It is a testament to all the hard work that has been put in by the teaching team and cadre of high quality leaders we have in post across the school.

This is a great way to repay the families who have placed their faith in Arcadia to deliver a fantastic education.”

KHDA – “The Bigger Picture”

With the new inspection results published today, the KHDA have confirmed that now more than three quarters (77 per cent) of students in Dubai attend private schools rated Good or better, compared to 70 per cent during the last full inspection cycle in 2018/19.

A total of 199 schools were inspected,  including six schools that were inspected for the first time.

• Twenty schools are ranked Outstanding
• Thirty nine schools are ranked Very Good
• Eight four schools schools are ranked Good

Twenty-five schools improved their ratings. This matters because it means that close to 40,000 (39,795) students are now in schools performing better than at the time of the last inspections.

His Excellency Dr. Abdulla Al Karam celebrates the outstanding achievements of schools across Dubai today as definitive rankings of Dubai’s top schools are revealed today by the KHDA and DSIB (03 April 2023)

Dr Abdulla Al Karam, Director General, KHDA, told us:

“Private schools in Dubai are known for their commitment to quality and continuous improvement. This year’s results show that thousands more students have access to better quality teaching and learning, a sign of the dedication and expertise of teachers and school leaders.””

We are grateful to the whole education community for supporting our schools to be among the best in the world.”

Fatma Belrehif(right), Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, pictured with Dr Abdulla Al Karam(left), Director General, KHDA

Fatma Belrehif, Chief Executive Officer, Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau, confirmed:

“We’re pleased to see that schools in Dubai have continued their improvement journey. We will continue working with the school community and parents to ensure that all students benefit from the high standard of education offered by Dubai’s private schools.”

A year of major achievements – Dubai’s KHDA ranked “Very Good” schools – achieving significantly above expectations

Five schools have, deservedly in our view, been rated Very Good for the first time; Arcadia School,  GEMS Our Own Indian School, The English College, Greenfield International School and Credence High School. The Arcadia School is one of the very best new school launches in Dubai in the last decade with an investment in teachers that sets a benchmark. GEMS Our Own Indian School is an absolute tour de force for STEAM and the passion of its teachers. The English College is an extraordinary, historically important, enormously loved school with a curriculum focus and attention to the happiness of students that is something to behold. Greenfield International School has played a pivotal role in the development of the IB in the UAE and was rightfully recognised for its innovation and achievement in the 2021 Top Schools Awards. Credence High School has demonstrated an extraordinary investment in school improvement over the last two years which absolutely deserved recognition in 2023.

The following British curriculum schools have very creditably improved their rating to now be performing with the very best schools in Dubai:

• Safa British School
• The English College
• GEMS Wellington Academy – Al Khail
• Arcadia School Dubai
• Dubai British School – Jumeirah Park
• Regent International School
• Emirates International School
• MSB Private School
• Hartland International School Dubai

The following Indian curriculum schools have very creditably improved their rating to now be performing with the very best schools in Dubai:

• GEMS Our Own Indian School
• GEMS New Millennium School
• JSS International/Private Schools
• Ambassador School

The following IB curriculum schools have very creditably improved their rating to now be performing with the very best schools in Dubai:

• Greenfield International School
• Emirates International Private School

Finally, two schools deserve special attention for their achieving a Very Good ranking on their first inspection* – an almost unheard of achievement:

• North London Collegiate School Middle East (IB)
• Lycée Français Jean Mermoz (French curriculum)

The results in full

Backgrounder – The Landscape of Education in the UAE 2023

Notes

• This is based on the KHDA, this year, not reporting inspections that took place during the “Covid Years.”

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