GEMS Jumeirah Primary School, Al Safa 1 – The Review

“Our school is a very special place to be.

“It is located in a vibrant part of the neighbourhood of Jumeriah and very much a ‘landmark’ in the local area.

“The families that make up JPS come from all over the world and, no doubt, you will meet a fellow countryman among our families.

“We celebrate this great richness of different cultures and ethnic backgrounds and are very proud that in this multi-cultural setting we are able to offer a friendly, stable and caring community for all of our children.

“We work to provide our children with the best possible education in the fullest sense of the word; academically, culturally and emotionally.”

Rachel Higgins, Principal, GEMS Jumeirah Primary School.

Opened in 1996 GEMS Jumeirah Primary School, known within the school as “JPS”, provides an exceptionally high standard of primary education, based on the English National Curriculum, for around 1450 students from FS1 to Grade 6. One of the most sought after primary schools in the Emirate, the school is over-subscribed and operates a waiting list. Across all school types, GEMS Jumeirah Primary School, operates within Tier 1 of school provision within the Emirate and has secured an Outstanding rating from the KHDA for the last eleven consecutive years. The school offers a highly valued by parents slipstream to the outstanding GEMS Jumeirah College.

 

Over 70 nationalities are represented within GEMS Jumeirah Primary School – although British children predominate. Notwithstanding the size of the school, large by any British “competitor” standards, in operation the school actively nurtures “a small school atmosphere” – and it is successful, as attested to by a recent (sister site) WhichSchoolAdvisor unannounced walk-in inspection of GEMS Jumeirah Primary School in which the school achieved an unsurpassed top A grade in all four areas of review.

Whilst the school plays down its ability and space to manage large numbers of children with Special Educational Needs [SEN], and specifically says that “it does not have provision for children with severe or complex special educational needs,” the reality is that the school performs exceptionally well in this area. Provision for the Gifted and Talented [G&T] at GEMS Jumeirah primary School is equally strong.

SATs at GEMS Jumeirah Primary School are taken at the end of Years 2 and 6 and we particularly praise the school in its transparent publication of these as well as advising parents of the enhanced requirement of the tests introduced in 2016 and the impossibility, as a result, of comparing results from previous years.

Level 5 and 6 SAT scores border on the extraordinary, out-performing the UK benchmarks in some cases by a doubling of attainment levels.

Facilities at GEMS Jumeirah Primary School are very impressive including a library and discovery centre, a multi-purpose sports hall, a large, temperature controlled Gymnasium, an all weather synthetic turf pitch, dedicated ICT facility, a “Quiet Garden,” mosque; fabulous Foundation Stage ‘Free flow areas that effectively (and inspirationally) integrate play-based learning in the curriculum, partly shaded 25-metre swimming pool and an infant learning pool.

GEMS Jumeirah Primary School fees, which hover at the AED 53,000 mark (2023-24), are increasingly mid-range for a premium, high achieving school, particularly in the context of Dubai’s new shiny ‘elite’ schools with fees to match. ROI is in our view off-the-scale.

An overwhelming majority of parents recommended the school to others in

EDSTATICA^TM parent surveys (which link link and certify feedback to both SchoolsCompared.com, WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, as well as direct contact from parents) has been uniformly (and overwhelmingly) positive – and particularly so for the high calibre of teachers and care for children.

Staff turnover is low by UAE standards at just 10% in the current year.

GEMS Jumeirah Primary School bottom line? The SchoolsCompared.com Verdict 2023 – 2024

GEMS Jumeirah Primary School comes highly recommended, not only for being an academic heavyweight, but also for creating such a genuinely happy, nurturing and inspirational school for its children – an achievement not often given the weighting it deserves within the increasingly harsh pressures on schools and to concentrate on examination performance to measure their performance. One thing GEMS Jumeirah Primary School is resolutely not is a SAT factory.

School Principal Rachel Higgins more than justifiably secures shortlisting for the Best Principal in the UAE in the Top School Awards. She is in the view of everyone she meets no less than a tour de force.

If you can secure a place – and that is no small easy accomplishment, hold on to it for dear life.

Bottom line – this school absolutely shines.