Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 1

Contents

School information.............................................................................................................................. 3
The DSIB inspection process............................................................................................................... 4
Summary of inspection findings 2016-2017 ..................................................................................... 6
Main inspection report ..................................................................................................................... 12
1. Students achievement .............................................................................................................................. 12
2. Students personal and social development, and their innovation skills ............................................... 16
3. Teaching and assessment ......................................................................................................................... 18
4. Curriculum .................................................................................................................................................. 19
5. The protection, care, guidance and support of students ......................................................................... 21
Inclusion ..................................................................................................................................................... 22
6. Leadership and management ................................................................................................................... 23
The views of parents, teachers and senior students ................................................................ 26

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 2

 School information

General information Students

Location Oud Metha Gender of students Boys and girls
Type of school Private Age range 3-18
Opening year of Grades or year
1983 FS1-Year 13
school groups
Number of
Website www.dubaigem.ae 1347
students on roll
Number of children
Telephone 043376661 0
in pre-kindergarten
BUR DUBAI - OUD METHA Number of Emirati
Address 2
ROAD P.O. BOX 989 students
Number of
Principal Humera Ibrahim 50
students with SEND
Language of
English
instruction Largest nationality
Indian
group of students
Inspection dates 16 to 19 January 2017

Teachers / Support staff Curriculum

Number of Educational permit
117 UK
teachers / Licence
Largest nationality
Indian Main curriculum UK / MoE
group of teachers
Number of External tests and IGCSE, AS, A, IBT,
30
teaching assistants examinations GL, CAT4
Teacher-student
1:12 Accreditation None
ratio
Number of
National Agenda
guidance 2 IBT
benchmark tests
counsellors
Teacher turnover 8%

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 3

 The DSIB inspection process

In order to judge the overall quality of education provided by schools, inspectors consider the six standards
of performance that form the basis of the UAE School Inspection Framework (the framework). They look
at childrens attainment and progress in key subjects, their learning skills and their personal and social
development. They judge how effective teaching and the assessment of learning are across the school.
Inspectors consider how well the schools curriculum, including activities inside and outside classrooms,
meet the educational needs of all students. They judge how well schools protect and support children. In
addition, inspectors judge the effectiveness of leadership, which incorporates governance, management,
staffing and facilities.
Inspection judgements are drawn from evidence gathered by the inspection team, including observation
of students learning in lessons, review of their work, discussions with students, meetings with the staff,
parents and governors, and review of surveys completed by parents, teachers and students.

Judgements are made on a six-point scale

DSIB inspection teams make judgements about different aspects, phases and subjects that form
the work of the school, using the scale below, which is consistent with the framework.

Outstanding Quality of performance substantially exceeds the expectation of the UAE

Very good Quality of performance exceeds the expectation of the UAE

Good Quality of performance meets the expectation of the UAE (This is the
expected level for every school in the UAE)

Acceptable Quality of performance meets the minimum level of quality required in the
UAE (This is the minimum level for every school in the UAE)

Weak Quality of performance is below the expectation of the UAE

Very weak Quality of performance is significantly below the expectation of the UAE

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 4

 Inspection journey for Dubai Gem Private School

The principal and the senior leadership team are new this year. Teachers are mainly from India and
stay with the school for extended periods of time. The majority of students are also Indian and many
stay at the school from Foundation Stage (FS) to Post 16. The turnover of teachers is 8% this year as
it was last year. The number of students is similar to last year at around 1350.
This is the seventh year that the school has been judged good for its overall judgment. This is a
considerable achievement, given the significant changes of leadership over the past few years. The
schools strong record of developing students academically and socially is noted in previous 3
inspection reports.. Attainment at the end of the secondary and post-16 phases over the same period
was is high.
The school's areas for development over the past few years have related to managing educational
changes in partnership with the school community, the development of teaching approaches that
create independent learners and improvements to the language skills of students studying Arabic.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 5

 Summary of inspection findings 2016-2017
Dubai Gem Private School was inspected by DSIB from 16 to 19 January 2017 . The overall quality
of education provided by the school is good. The section below summarises the inspection findings
for each of the six performance indicators described in the framework.

Attainment and progress in Foundation Stage (FS) for all key subjects are good. In primary, secondary
and post-16, attainment and progress in all subjects, except Arabic, are good or better. The
development of learning skills in all phases is good.
Students' personal and social development is outstanding. Their understanding of Islamic values and
Emirati heritage and culture is good in FS and very good in the other phases. All students have a
strong work ethic and, as they progress through the school, their understanding of environmental
issues and involvement in the community increases correspondingly.
Teaching across the school remains good but this year, there have been improvements to teachers'
questioning skills and greater opportunities for students to develop their critical thinking. The range
of assessments has been widened and include international benchmarking tests.
The curriculum remains broad and balanced. It provides for continuity across all key subject areas
apart from Arabic for additional language learners. However, Arabic is provided as a component of
the FS curriculum. Links with Emirati culture and the UAE have been enhanced through the
introduction of the UAE social studies programme.
The school has strong systems that keep students safe and secure. Policies are comprehensive,
current and are well understood by the school community. A very high standard of guidance and care
is provided by all staff.
The leadership team is new and, in a short time, have worked with parents and teachers to determine
appropriate strategies to improve school performance. The partnership with parents remains strong
and leaders are well-supported by the governing body and school advisory council.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 6

 What the school does best

The strong community ethos.

Children and students, across the school, continue to exhibit outstanding attitudes, behaviours and
relationships and most are developing their understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture and
heritage to a very high level.
Attainment and progress, across the school, in most subjects, is at least good.
The continuing improvements to the already good standards in teaching, the development of
students learning skills and the curriculum.
Very high levels of care and support are shown by all staff for the students in the school.

Recommendations
Improve the quality of self-evaluation and action planning by:
involving all stakeholders in the process;
accurately aligning internal data and externally benchmarked assessments to the progress
observed in the classrooms;
creating an action plan that has well-focused priorities and measureable targets based on
accurate starting points.
providing high quality leadership training to support the skills of the newly formed senior
leadership team.
Improve teaching and the development of learning skills further in Arabic by:
clearly determining the standards for language skills development, especially for Arabic as
an additional language, and align assessments and learning objectives to those standards.
establishing students prior learning in lessons, as an on-going process, and build on the core
language skills, for the different ability groups, from that point.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 7

National Agenda Parameter
In 2014, H.H. Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice-President and
Prime Minister of UAE, and Ruler of Dubai, launched the UAE National Agenda
2021, with education being a prime focus. The National Agenda includes two
major objectives developed with the intention of placing the UAE among the
most successful countries that provide world-class education. By 2021, it is
expected that the UAE will feature in the top twenty countries in the
Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) test and in the top
fifteen countries in the Trends in Mathematics and Science Studies (TIMSS) test.
In response to this, each participating school was issued a report on their students performance in
these international assessments and, in addition, they were provided with clear targets for
improving their performance. In 2015, KHDA launched the National Agenda Parameter, which is a
method for measuring and monitoring schools progress towards achieving their individual National
Agenda targets through the use of external benchmarking assessments.

The following section focuses on the impact of the National Agenda Parameter in meeting their
targets:
Attainment as measured by the National Agenda Parameter in English, mathematics and science is
above expectations
The school meets the registration requirements for the National Agenda Parameter
The analysis of the data produced by the National Agenda Parameter report is in the early stages.
The school has only a limited amount of data from the small sample that sat the tests last year. The
outcomes from the analysis is being communicated to parents and students. An action plan, based
on this years results, has been created.
The school is beginning to use its findings from the benchmark tests to align elements of the
curriculum to the requirements of TIMSS and PISA. Resulting curriculum modifications have been
limited in their impact due to the small number of students who participated in the tests.
The school has prioritised critical thinking as an area for development. The impact of this work is
beginning to be seen in lessons. Most teachers are using open ended questioning to promote thought,
challenge and discussion. In the very successful lessons, teachers are facilitating the learning by
challenging the students to predict outcomes of activities.
Individual discussions with teachers take place to set targets for those students for whom data is
available. Students are making good use of technology, in many lessons, in order to reinforce their
learning. Students are effective in using their devices as a research tool to broaden their knowledge
and understanding.
Overall, the schools progress towards achieving its National Agenda targets meets expectations.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 8

Innovation in Education
The UAE Vision 2021 sets the aspiration for the UAE to be among the most innovative
nations in the world. The National Innovation Strategy sets the context for innovation
and innovative leadership and provides a basis for evaluating schools in order to
deliver a world-class education for all children in the UAE.

Promoting a culture of innovation:

Students, across all the core areas of the curriculum and most phases, are developing their
critical thinking, enquiry learning and research skills. They organise fund raising events with
innovative ideas and the school has provided training to develop student leadership skills.
More opportunities for thematic learning are being planned, which enable students to
develop the skills of innovation. Leaders are fully committed to integrating innovation
through the school and have created an action plan to support its development.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 9

 Overall school performance

Good

1 Students achievement

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Islamic education
Attainment Not applicable Good Good Very good

Progress Not applicable Good Good Very good

Arabic as a first
language Attainment Not applicable Weak Acceptable Not applicable

Not applicable
Progress Acceptable Acceptable Not applicable

Arabic as an
additional language Attainment Not applicable Acceptable Acceptable Not applicable

Progress Not applicable Acceptable Acceptable Not applicable

English
Attainment Good Good Good Good

Progress Good Very good Good Good

Mathematics
Attainment Good Good Very good Very good

Progress Good Good Very good Very good

Science
Attainment Good Good Very good Very good

Progress Good Good Very good Very good

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Learning skills Good Good Good Good

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 10

 2. Students personal and social development, and their innovation skills
Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Personal development Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding
Understanding of Islamic values
and awareness of Emirati and Good Very good Very good Very good
world cultures
Social responsibility and innovation Outstanding
Good Very good Very good
skills

3. Teaching and assessment

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Teaching for effective learning Good Good Good Good

Assessment Good Good Good Good

4. Curriculum
Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Curriculum design and
Good Good Good Good
implementation
Curriculum adaptation Good Good Good Good

5. The protection, care, guidance and support of students

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Health and safety, including
arrangements for child protection / Good Good Good Good
safeguarding
Care and support Good Good Good Good

6. Leadership and management

The effectiveness of leadership Good

School self-evaluation and improvement
Acceptable
planning
Parents and the community Good
Governance Good
Management, staffing, facilities and resources Good

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 11

 Main inspection report

1. Students achievement

Foundation Stage
Subjects Attainment Progress
Islamic education Not applicable Not applicable
Arabic as a first language Not applicable Not applicable
Arabic as an additional
Not applicable Not applicable
language
English Good Good
Mathematics Good Good
Science Good Good

A majority of children exceed expected progress, in English, in lessons and over time. Internal data,
evidence from lessons and the childrens Learning Journey records indicate that the majority attain
above curriculum standards. Children are quickly developing their speaking and listening skills.
Reading skills are improving as a result of the recent focus on phonics. Childrens knowledge,
understanding and skills build progressively from entry to the end of FS2. This has resulted in
improved attainment over recent years. Children with SEND also make good progress.
The attainment of the majority of children is above curriculum standards, in mathematics, by the
end of FS2. The schools internal data, lesson observation and examples of childrens prior learning
indicate that progress is also good when measured from their individual starting points. By the
time they are in FS2, children can recognise numbers, can match objects to numbers and count on.
They understand the concept of addition and are beginning to learn how to write problems down
on paper. Children with SEND also make good progress.
In science, the majority of children make good progress in developing their understanding of the
world, both in lessons and over time.. Teacher assessments, samples of work in their Learning
Journey portfolio and observations in lessons indicate the majority attain above curriculum
standards. Children make good use of their vegetable garden to develop observation skills but
their involvement in experiments is limited.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 12

 Primary
Subjects Attainment Progress
Islamic education Good Good
Arabic as a first language Weak Acceptable
Arabic as an additional
Acceptable Acceptable
language
English Good Very good
Mathematics Good Good
Science Good Good

The majority of students attain levels that are above curriculum expectations in Islamic education.
Standards achieved in lessons do not match the very high results of the schools internal
assessments. Although attainment is good, it is uneven across the year groups. Students in Year 6
make better progress than those in other year groups. Students skills in the recitation and
memorization of the Holy Quran are developing and students are able to interpret meaning to
apply the rules to real life.
Very few students study Arabic as a first language. Too many of these are not performing in line
with curriculum expectations. Results from assessments provide an inflated picture of students
abilities. Although they can read short familiar sentences slowly they have difficulty with
understanding. Most students show reasonable listening skills and can follow, and respond to,
instructions. They use a limited vocabulary when speaking. Students writing, in the earlier grades
is limited to copying short sentences and develops to writing a few paragraphs by the time they
reach Year 6. Overall the progress made by students is acceptable.
In Arabic as an additional language, most students demonstrate knowledge, skills and
understanding that are in line with curriculum expectations. Most students can read familiar text,
but their understanding and progress is sometimes hindered by their limited range of vocabulary.
Students understand teachers instructions and respond in single words and sometimes in simple
sentences. They can name days of the week, colours, foods, hobbies and professions. Their writing
is limited to simple sentences and lacks a variety of verbs and structures. Most students make
progress in line with curriculum expectations.
In English, the majority of students attain levels above expectations for their age. They make very
good progress overall, particularly in their speaking and comprehension skills. Year 1 students, for
example, apply these skills very well in analysing the story 'Jack and the Beanstalk'. Most students
read with clarity and expression. By Year 5, they expressively role-play mythical stories that they
have created. Younger students form accurate short written responses. While older students use
grammar well, their ability to write expressively and at length varies. Students with SEND progress
equally well.
In mathematics, the majority of students attain above expectations and make better than expected
progress against the curriculum standards. When identifying their prior learning, students display
a good understanding of mathematical concepts. They are able to apply this knowledge,
particularly when dealing with number and quantity. In lessons, the majority of students make
good progress in relation to the lesson objectives and they are able to explain what they are
learning. Attainment and progress, although good, is at a lower level than in previous years.

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 The majority of students perform above the expected levels of the science curriculum.. Students
learn about the scientific method and acquire good investigative skills. They quickly develop their
ability to predict, observe, record, interpret and classify. They can use and demonstrate an
understanding of scientific vocabulary that is appropriate to their age group. Students
performances, although good, have not matched those of the previous year.

Secondary
Subjects Attainment Progress
Islamic education Good Good
Arabic as a first language Acceptable Acceptable
Arabic as an additional
Acceptable Acceptable
language
English Good Good
Mathematics Very good Very good
Science Very good Very good

The majority of students attain levels that are above curriculum expectations in Islamic education.
Students are able to apply their knowledge of Islam to real life. Generally, their knowledge and
understanding of the fiqh, Islamic etiquette, Islamic morals and values are above the expected
level. Students recitation skills and the use of Quranic verses and Hadith are developing. A few
students can use quotations from the Holy Quran text to support their understanding. Overall, the
majority make good progress in developing their knowledge, understanding and skills in relation
to the learning objectives in the lessons. However, in Year 11, progress is very good.
Few students study Arabic as a first language. Most of them perform in line with the expected
curriculum levels. As in the primary phase, assessments do not accurately reflect students
performance in lessons. Listening and reading comprehension skills are stronger than their writing
skills, which are limited to copying short answers. Towards the end of the phase, writing develops
in length. However, it is insufficiently accurate. Most students progress is in line with what is
expected in the curriculum.
In Arabic as an additional language, most students demonstrate attainment in line with curriculum
expectations. Most students can read out familiar texts clearly. However, their comprehension skills
are variable. Most understand and respond adequately to simple personal questions. In some
lessons, students rely on translation software, which undermines their ability to progress in
learning the language. Free writing by students does not reflect good language acquisition skills.
The progress in shown in lessons and recent learning is at an acceptable level.
In English, the majority of students attain and progress at levels above national and international
standards. Most speak confidently, engaging in purposeful discussions using persuasive
arguments. They obtain information from texts and make deductions about a variety of literature
settings and characters. Most skilfully apply grammar and punctuation rules in short written reports
and news articles. Their abilities to compose creative extended pieces of writing are less
developed. In Year 11, students y attain very good levels in external examinations, although the
percentage attaining these levels has declined over the last three years.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 14

 In mathematics, a large majority of students are attaining at levels above curriculum standards.
Their progress is also very good. The IGCSE examination results are very high. Those outcomes
result from the progressive development of understanding and skills in all four of the mathematical
domains across the phase. In lessons, students learn rapidly, readily applying their mathematical
knowledge and understanding to new concepts and the real world contexts.
The large majority of students are reaching curriculum levels that are above what is expected in
science. They have a good understanding of key concepts, theories, ideas and vocabulary. They
are able to employ reason, observation and investigation in their lessons and apply scientific
method. From Year 8, students rapidly develop their abilities to think critically, solve problems,
conduct experiments and engage in rigorous research. By the end of the secondary phase, students
are well prepared for post-16 work.

Post-16
Subjects Attainment Progress
Islamic education Very good Very good
Arabic as a first
Not applicable Not applicable
language
Arabic as an
additional Not applicable Not applicable
language
English Good Good
Mathematics Very good Very good
Science Very good Very good

The large majority of students attained levels that are above Islamic education curriculum
standards. Students apply their learning to real life situations well and demonstrate an
excellent understanding of fiqh and Sharia. Their knowledge and understanding of Islamic
concepts is also strong. They confidently use quotations from the Holy Quran and hadeeth
to support their ideas. Students demonstrate very good progress in lessons and in their
recent independent learning.
In English, the majority students attain levels above curriculum, national and international
standards. Most use critical thinking skilfully in analysing texts and in discussing authors
techniques, using evidence to infer meaning. Students make good progress in
their classwork and over time. Most have a developed knowledge of language structure and
apply this effectively to their learning. They are developing their skills in personal research
and in using technologies, to present their work to others. This is most evident in Year 13,
where students prepare and make presentations of their studies of childrens language
acquisition.
The transition, in mathematics, into post 16 education is smooth and the students cope well
with the increasing demands of AS and A level, maintaining very good levels of attainment
and progress.. Students improve gradually as they move through the phase in preparation
for AS and A levels. The performance of students in these examinations is very good and
this is reflected in the progress that the students make in lessons.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 15

 The large majority of students perform above expected curriculum levels, national and
international standards in science. This has been the trend for the past few years. Within the
three separate disciplines, they are able to develop their own hypotheses and test them.
For example, students can clearly demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of gas
laws and the behaviour of gases and can develop a hypothesis to verify Boyles law. Skills
of scientific method are developed rapidly.

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Learning skills Good Good Good Good

Students take good responsibility for their own learning. In most lessons, students are encouraged
to lead learning and, as a consequence, engagement and confidence levels are high across the school.
In Mathematics, students in the secondary and post-16 phases take particularly high levels of
responsibility for their own progress. In FS, some opportunities are missed for independent learning,
because of unnecessary prompting by staff.
All students, across the phases, collaborate well. Communication skills are high because students are
consistently encouraged to give verbal feedback to each other and to the teacher. Group work is well
developed, facilitated by respect and the interest shown by students for the opinions and
contributions of others.
Students are encouraged to make links between subjects, and the real world and examples are
sought and provided by teachers. In the majority of lessons, students are encouraged to use their
critical thinking skills and apply them to practical examples of problems beyond school.
The use of digital devices by students, from primary onwards, is developing students research and
presentations skills. However, not all students have access and devices are infrequently used to
develop higher order skills and innovative lines of enquiry. In Arabic, the overuse of translation
software sometimes hinders language development. The opportunities for enterprise and
entrepreneurship, although present in all phases, do not capitalise fully on the students' abilities.

2. Students personal and social development, and their innovation skills

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Personal development Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding

Students demonstrate a strong sense of responsibility and maturity. They are independent and willing
to take risks to further their learning experiences inside and outside the classroom. They are very
proud of their school and appreciate the efforts of their teachers and the support of other staff
members to keep them safe.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 16

 Students behaviour is exemplary. Their strong self-discipline and their excellent understanding of
what is expected of them reflects positively on the learning process inside the classroom as well as
on the orderly atmosphere during breaks and transition between classes. Bullying is extremely rare.
Strong relationships between students and staff contribute to the positive ethos around the school.
Students care for each other and they are extremely polite and helpful to visitors to the school.
Students have a very strong understanding of the importance of healthy eating and being active.
They are keen to share and explain their food choices to others. Healthy snacks and fruits are
commonly seen during breaks.
Attendance is very good. Students arrive at school and to lessons, well-prepared and on time.
Students understand the need for good attendance very well and arrive at their lessons promptly
after break times.

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Understanding of Islamic values
and awareness of Emirati and Good Very good Very good Very good
world cultures

Students, particularly those in the upper phases, have a demonstrable respect and appreciation for
Islamic culture. They understand the features and impact of the values on the daily life in the UAE.
Non-Muslim students are interested in sharing Islamic festivals. The values of tolerance and
community prevail across all year groups in the school.
A large majority of students have a wide ranging understanding of Emirati heritage and culture.
Students, in the three upper phases, showed great interest in discussing the many ways in which the
UAE society and economic life is changing. They can describe the historical economic journey from
trade to commerce and tourism.
Students show a feeling of pride in their own cultures and traditions and this has been seen clearly
in events such as the celebrations for International Day. They have a more rudimentary knowledge
of other countries and cultures, which includes food, famous buildings and festivals.

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Social responsibility and
Good Very good Very good Outstanding
innovation skills

Across all phases, students are well engaged in the school community. Even the youngest have roles
as classroom helpers and serve as eco-warriors. Students towards the upper end of the school,
particularly those in the post-16 phase, are highly engaged in activities and initiatives both at school
and in the wider community.
In all phases of the school, students have a strong work ethic and take their studies seriously. Some
demonstrate enterprise and entrepreneurship in numerous ways including designing, producing and

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 17

 selling items for charity. Older students participate in events like SciFest, which encourages them to
think innovatively and design products and services for the future.
Environmental awareness and action are strengths of the school and students. Almost all students
are knowledgeable about the environment and are involved in activities that support
conservation. They participate in clean-up and recycling campaigns, manage organic gardens on the
school grounds, celebrate Earth Day. In addition, older students attend Emirates Environmental Group
workshops, learning ways to help save the environment.

3. Teaching and assessment

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Teaching for effective learning Good Good Good Good

Teachers' subject knowledge is good as is their understanding of how students learn. However, in FS
they provide insufficient opportunities for independent learning or learning through play. Primary
teachers are increasingly modifying their teaching approaches to reflect students' varying learning
styles. In Arabic, in the primary phase and in some subjects in the secondary and post-16 phases,
this is less well developed.
Teachers' plans detailed lesson activities. They refer to differentiation of learning but this is often
insufficiently defined to meet students' needs or to assess their progress. Teachers ensure the pace
of learning is appropriate, share learning intentions and encourage students to summarise what has
been learned. Increasingly, teachers use whiteboards, to project text and images. However, little
interactive use of these boards is seen.
Highly supportive relationships encourage learning. Most teachers questioning gives students time
to think before responding and the questions that they posing are often open-
ended. Increasingly, teachers are encouraging students to lead their learning and students respond
enthusiastically and skilfully when given the opportunity. Teachers questioning has improved in
Arabic as an additional language and is now consistently strong in Islamic education.
Teachers are increasingly aware of students' learning needs and meet these through a range of
strategies. They are beginning to develop students' use of ICT. This is strongest in the primary phase
in English, and in mathematics and science in the upper phases. Teachers enable students with SEND
to make progress in their learning but this is inconsistent in FS.
Opportunities for students to think deeply are given in most subjects and phases and there are good
examples of teachers using flipped learning to enhance research and presentation skills. Across the
phases, there are limited opportunities to carry out individual practical investigations in science.
Opportunities to develop of problem-solving skills, in mathematics, are inconsistently provided..

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 18

 Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Assessment Good Good Good Good

Internal assessment processes are mainly consistent, across the school. They link very closely to the
curriculum standards and enable the school to monitor the progress of all students. The use of
learning ladders and self- assessment through the I can statements allows the school to monitor
progress made by students on a regular basis.
The school benchmarks itself against international standards through analyses of the outcomes at
IGCSE, AS and A level. The school is also beginning to make use of the National Agenda Parameter
tests, for some students this year and for all, next year. It is planned to use this information to help
subject leaders and teachers make comparisons of student performance against national and
international expectations.
Assessment data is analysed to monitor progress and to identify differences in student performance.
Where the analysis of both the attainment and the progress data is better, it is providing some
subjects with the information they need to highlight performance variances between the different
genders and between individual classes in a year group.
The school is using the available data from both internal and external assessments in order to
influence teaching strategies and make modifications to the curriculum. This is a developing feature
but the steps, already taken, to introduce higher order thinking skills into lessons, are now starting
to have a positive impact in the classroom.
Teachers have a good knowledge of the strengths and weaknesses of their students and this is
beginning to be enhanced by the data generated by the CAT4 tests. Students are involved in the
assessment process through the use of the I can statements as a means of self-assessment. Written
feedback, in some subjects, forms the basis of a dialogue between the student and the teacher,
whereby the students are able to evaluate their own learning.

4. Curriculum

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Curriculum design and
Good Good Good Good
implementation

The curriculum provides a broad and interesting range of subjects which are age appropriate and
effective in developing students skills and understanding progressively. Most courses closely follow
the schools authorised curriculum and the national statutory requirements. In Arabic as an additional
language, there is no clear plan to determine the standards for language development in terms of
skills.
The curriculum is designed to ensure learning builds effectively on students achievements in the
core subjects. Continuity and progression are further developed in the optional subjects, in the
secondary phase, for students preparing for IGCSE. Careful arrangements at the end of phases ensures

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 19

 students and their families receive good guidance and advice. As a result they are well prepared for
the next phase of their education.
Post-16 students are provided with an appropriate range of optional courses from which they can
choose. There is a strong commitment to accommodate all subject preferences and allow students
to follow courses linked to their own interests and ambitions. Options include humanities, languages
and other subject options such as accountancy and economics.
Cross-curricular links are well planned in most subjects, especially geography, history and ICT where
they enrich classroom studies. This allows students to develop wider opportunities for critical thinking
and the development of their own ideas and views. These links are less structured in English, science
and mathematics curricula.
Regular reviews are carried out by curriculum leaders and heads of subject departments to ensure
the curriculum is effectively covered and is aligned to national expectations and the requirements of
the benchmarked tests. The strengths, needs and aspirations of all students, including those with
SEND, are also considered. Teachers feedback and a wide range of assessment data are used to
guide the curriculum reviews.
Social Studies is fully integrated into all year groups and the programme of study closely follows the
MOE social studies curriculum. In Years 5 to 8 social studies is a discrete subject but elsewhere,
including FS, it is included with other curricular learning. Links with geography, history and other
humanities subjects are strong but in core subjects such as science, links are less well developed.
Teachers have good subject knowledge and engage students well in interesting lessons. Teachers
assess UAE social studies formally in year 7 and 8 and informally in all other Years.

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Curriculum adaptation Good Good Good Good

The curriculum is modified to meet the needs of students with different abilities. This is a priority but
is not fully effective. Students with SEND and the most able students are not always fully supported.
In Arabic as a first language, the curriculum is not sufficiently modified, resulting in less able students
not making the same progress as their more able counterparts.
Opportunities for enhancement, enterprise and innovation are offered throughout the curriculum but
are not at a sophisticated level. However, students' academic and personal development needs are
well met through a large variety of extra-curricular activities and ties with the community.
The strong links with Emirati culture and UAE society are a strength of the curriculum. Students have
opportunities to learn about the UAE's values, culture and society through a variety of activities and
experiences. Students design posters and other art work, write stories, conduct research, make
presentations and participate in discussions, which in turn develop a clear understanding and
appreciation of the values and the culture.
Children in FS have planned opportunities to learn the Arabic language in conversation lessons which
are held twice a week.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 20

 5. The protection, care, guidance and support of students

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Health and safety, including
arrangements for child Good Good Good Good
protection / safeguarding

The school has detailed safeguarding procedures, including those related to child protection and
bullying, to follow in case of incidents of bullying or child abuse. Students and parents are aware of
these policies. The school trains teachers and informs students on the procedure to follow when
reporting incidents
The school provides a safe and clean environment for students and staff. There are links with an
outside agency who train teachers to administer first aid if required. The school doctor conducts
annual check-ups for all students and keeps a record of chronic conditions such as diabetes. Safety
procedures at entry and exit points are in place to protect students at the school.
All school facilities are well maintained. The school conducts risk assessments every term to review
important aspects of safety. On-going risk assessment is in the form of teachers recording and
reporting areas of concern, as and when they arise. Regular fire drills take place and evacuation plans
are in place in all classrooms. The school keeps an appropriate record of all maintenance issues.
The school maintains a safe environment for all students in which to learn and play. There are efficient
and safe arrangements for the school buses. Despite excellent supervision and revisions to the start
and finish time of the school, so as not to coincide with the neighbouring school, the drop off/pick
up area in front of the school still causes concern. Safety procedures in the science laboratories are
effective.
The school promotes safe and healthy living. The new canteen provides healthy food choices,
including green and fruit salads. Teachers incorporate raising awareness of healthy lifestyles into
their lessons. The school doctor reinforces the importance and value of healthy eating and regular
exercise in her lectures and through the teaching programme.

Foundation
Primary Secondary Post-16
Stage
Care and support Good Good Good Good

Students behave exceptionally well as a result of strong but unobtrusive supervision and respectful
relationships. Lessons and pastoral arrangements support dialogue and openness. Students are well
supported in taking responsibility for their own behaviour and they formally assist in maintaining
good behaviour amongst others.
Systems for monitoring and managing attendance are strong. As a result, attendance levels are high,
particularly in primary and secondary phases. Students are punctual to lessons because they are
encouraged at home and in school to respect the learning process.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 21

 Students who have SEND are identified accurately on entry to the school and later, by the use of a
range of information including attainment and progress data. Similar information is used to pinpoint
students, who are gifted and talented. Staff show a strong understanding that students have different
abilities and that students who have SEND may also have strong talents in particular academic or
non-academic activities.
Students who have the most complex needs receive considerable help and guidance from the SEND
department. In some cases, this includes continual 1:1 support and a high degree of curricular
modification. Those with less complex difficulties and those who are gifted or talented are not always
supported appropriately because activities and questioning in lessons do not closely match their
abilities and potential progress.
Adherence to the well written policies, sound pastoral systems and strong relationships result in the
staff having an accurate knowledge of students' needs. Students have a high degree of confidence
in the counsellors' and teachers' abilities to manage their well-being. Advice about employment and
higher education opportunities is well developed and staff have undergone recent, further training
in assisting students in their university applications.

Inclusion

Provision and outcomes for students with SEND Good

The new leaders of the SEND department are working rapidly to secure improvements in provision.
Resources, although limited, are skilfully allocated. The school has a clear understanding about which
aspects of SEND provision require further development. Appropriate records are kept and the special
educational needs coordinator (SENCO) is further developing training for staff in meeting all needs.
Students with the greatest needs are very accurately identified, supported by diagnostic reports and
advice from external agencies. Those who have less complex needs are identified, but staff, although
sufficiently skilled and experienced, do not informally diagnose their difficulties before the onset of
any external reporting process. The school has a low percentage of students who have SEND.
Partnerships with parents are exceptionally strong because leaders have worked very hard so that
information is shared and views and opinions are respected. Progress through the curriculum is
reported in detail and parents are highly confident that they can influence their childs IEPs.
Students who have the most complex needs receive a highly modified curriculum and skilled support,
underpinned by effective advice from the SEND department. Teachers do not always modify their
planning or lesson resources in order to effectively meet the needs of those students who have less
complex needs. Consequently, time for reflection or reinforcement of key concepts is not consistently
provided for students who need it.
Those students who have the most complex needs make the most progress. Other students with less
significant needs often make less progress as teachers do not consistently plan to meet their needs
or use assessment to regularly check on learning for individuals within lessons. The school is
beginning to use data available to predict attainment and progress and therefore accurately pinpoint
students who are underachieving.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 22

 6. Leadership and management

The effectiveness of leadership Good

The principal and the SLT are new. However, they have a good understanding of the schools vision
to enable students to develop as high-achieving, model citizens. All leaders share a common drive
for improvement. Most have a good understanding of areas for development and all are committed
to the UAEs priorities.
Most leaders show a clear understanding of best practices in education in the 21 st. century, which
they combine with an approach that values students personal and social development. They are
beginning to create an inclusive learning community of teachers, parents and students, who all have
the common aim of developing internationally minded young people of excellence.
Leadership is effectively delegated within the school. Roles and responsibilities are clear.
Relationships between leaders are professional and positive. Communication channels are open and
well defined. There is a clear flow of information from one level to the next. Consequently, decisions
are aligned to the schools direction and adapted to meet the specific requirements of the curriculum
area or phase.
Most leaders have a good understanding of the strengths and areas for development for their
responsibilities. Most have a clear idea of how to improve performance and many are creative in
making the best use of resources in order to achieve their desired outcomes.
In the very short period of time that the new leadership team has been in post, there have been
improvements to several areas of performance. The most impressive aspect has been leaderships
ability sustain the schools high performance following a year of great change. Leaders also ensure
that the school remains compliant with statutory and regulatory requirements.

School self-evaluation and improvement

Acceptable
planning

Leaders make use of a range of sources as part of their self-evaluation process. This includes internal
assessments and some external, benchmarked assessments. The analysis of assessments and the
alignment of one assessment with another is a developing feature. Self-evaluation is also influenced
by an on-going input from the school advisory council, which enables leaders to have a better
understanding of the schools priorities.
The strong systems for the monitoring of the quality of teaching, enables leaders to gain an accurate
understanding of individual teachers strengths. However, they are not consistently used, and do not
focus sufficiently on the progress that students make in lessons. The evaluations of individual
teachers are not analysed for common trends or by year, phase or subject.
The school development plan is a comprehensive document. It covers all aspects of the school rather
than identified priorities. Consequently, insufficient attention is given to those areas that would
benefit the progress of students the most. Many leaders have a clear understanding of what needs
to be achieved but have not used their knowledge to identify well-focused, measureable targets
based on accurate starting points.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 23

 There have been improvements following last years inspection. Parents and teachers are more
involved in the important developments that are being implemented in the school. There have also
been improvements, in all subjects, to the quality of teachers questioning and the opportunities that
students have to develop critical thinking skills and use technology as an everyday part of their
learning.

Partnerships with parents and the community Good

Parents are involved in the school in a variety of ways. The school advisory council gives a strong
steer to the schools leaders. A parent support group assists the work of teachers and students by
helping with charity fund raising events, school performances and the quality of the schools website.
There is no systematic process for all parents to reflect on school performance or suggest
improvements.
Communication channels have improved further this year. A variety of information is communicated,
including regular information on students learning. Parental communication is a strong feature of
the SEND provision in the school. The ease with which parents have access to school staff and how
quickly and effectively issues are resolved is strongly appreciated.
Reporting to parents is twice yearly. Reports are valued by parents and include assessments of
students levels of academic skills and their personal development. There is no reporting of next steps
in learning or opportunities for parents and students to participate in the process. Following the
reports meetings are held with the teachers to discuss students progress. Some parents would like
more detailed discussions and information on how they might support their children.
Many opportunities are provided by the school for students to be involved in the local community. A
number of sporting, academic, charity and ecological events have a positive impact on students
personal development as well as contributing to their learning experiences.

Governance Good

The governing body is comprised of members of the owners family. One of the governors is in school
for three days a week, supporting on-going communication with school leaders. There is also a school
advisory council, which is made up of a small group of committed and knowledgeable parents and a
representative from the educational community.
Governors receive weekly updates from the principal and termly meetings are held with school
leaders and the school advisory council. Students and teachers are invited to make presentations
about the schools performance to these meetings. The effectiveness with which the governing body
holds the school to account is limited by the analysis of assessments that is presented and the current
format of the school development plan.
The governing body is passionate about improving opportunities for its students. There are many
examples where it, and the school advisory council, have positively influenced direction and
supported improvements. These include the establishment of a reading cloud in order to help
encourage a love of literature as well as improvements to the digital learning resources in the school.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 24

 Management, staffing, facilities and resources Good

The school is managed well. Staff and children understand and apply the effective and efficient school
procedures. These include supervising students throughout the school day, and on entering and
leaving the building. A recent focus on monitoring staff absence is ensuring that student learning is
not disrupted.
Students benefit from a generous teacher-student ratio resulting in small classes in the upper phases
of the school. The school ensures that teachers are suitably qualified to teach their subjects. Recent
professional development is improving teachers' skills to support the use of ICT by students, through
the sharing of best practice
Recent improvements to the premises include extending learning areas which are beginning to be
used by students. The school has increased sports provision by securing access to very high quality
external facilities. The school building is well maintained although it does not have a lift to support
access for students with mobility difficulties. The recently created prayer room is not used fully by
students.
The school is well resourced including a large attractive library containing a wide range of books. The
quality of learning environment is inhibited by a lack of modern furniture and display boards. A
significant investment in Interactive whiteboards in classrooms is encouraging more active learning.
However, not all students are able to access computers or hand held devices.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 25

 The views of parents, teachers and senior students

The views of parents, teachers and senior students

Before the inspection, the views of the parents, teachers and senior secondary students were surveyed.
Key messages from each group were considered during the inspection and these helped to form inspection
judgements. A summary of the survey statistics and comments from those who responded to the survey
follows:

Responses to the surveys

Responses received Number
Parents* 2016-2017 349

2015-2016 510

Teachers
140

Students
187

*The number of responses from parents is based on the number of families.

A smaller number of parents completed the survey, this year. However, there is a high level of
satisfaction for all aspects of the school's performance. These positive views are echoed by nearly all
teachers and most students who completed the survey.
Some parents' comments still relate to the inappropriate pace of change last year.
Most parents and teachers are positive about the breadth of the school's curriculum. This is shared,
to a lesser extent, by the majority of students.
Nearly all members of the school community believe that safety procedures in the school, on buses
and the internet and social media are very effective. Teachers and parents report that behaviour is
good and that, if cases of bullying arise, the school deals with it effectively.
Most parents and students who responded, agree that students have access to a wide range of
resources, including technology, which allows them good opportunities for research.

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 26

What happens next?
The school has been asked to prepare and submit an action plan to DSIB within two months of
receiving the inspection report. This should address:
recommendations from DSIB
areas identified by the school as requiring improvement
other external reports or sources of information that comment on the work of the school
priorities arising from the schools unique characteristics.

The next school inspection will report on changes made by the school.

Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau

Knowledge and Human Development Authority

If you have a concern or wish to comment on any aspect of this report, you should contact
[email protected]

Dubai Gem Private School - Inspection Report 2016-2017 27