GEMS Modern AcademyPrincipal & Leadership Team

GEMS Modern Academy is led by Principal Nargish Hoshedar Khambatta, who has been at the helm since April 2014 and joined the school within the GEMS group in 2009. That continuity — over a decade in post — is a meaningful signal of stability in a city where leadership turnover can be disruptive. The 2023–2024 KHDA inspection rated the effectiveness of leadership as Outstanding, with governance, school self-evaluation, improvement planning, and management of staffing and resources all receiving the same top rating. Inspectors noted that the school has a strong senior leadership team effectively guided by the principal, and that governors actively support and influence the school's strategic direction.

The leadership team is experienced and long-tenured. IBDP Coordinator Vinaya Jaydev joined in 2011 and has taught at the school for over a decade, holding multiple roles including Academic Coordinator and CAS Coordinator before her current position. Chief Innovation and Digital Officer Ritesh Dhanak has been with GMA since November 2001 — an 18-year tenure that speaks to exceptional institutional loyalty. PYP Supervisor Monisha David has been with the school since 2000 and with GEMS Education for over 20 years, marking 30 years in education overall. This depth of institutional knowledge across the senior team is uncommon and provides meaningful curriculum continuity for families.

The school employs 239 teachers supported by 74 teaching assistants, serving 3,860 students. This produces an implied student-to-teacher ratio of approximately 16:1 — higher than the Dubai private school average of 13.6 across 204 schools with available data. Class sizes are capped at 25 for Pre-KG to KG2 and 30 for Grades 1 through 12, which parents should factor into their assessment. Staff qualifications are strong where data is available: senior leaders hold postgraduate degrees from recognised universities, and the school states that all teachers are highly qualified and experienced, with ongoing professional development embedded in its staffing model. Sheldon Dias, Assistant IBDP Coordinator, holds a gold-medal Bachelor of Education from the University of Calcutta and is currently pursuing both the NPQSL and NPQH leadership qualifications — an indicator of deliberate succession planning within the team.

Parent engagement was rated Outstanding by KHDA inspectors, who described parents as very supportive of the school and active partners in their children's learning. Wellbeing provision was rated Very Good overall, with inspectors noting that parental involvement is strong and communication open. The school's vision — inspiring children to be positive change-makers — is consistently reflected in its enrichment programming, Round Square membership, and Duke of Edinburgh participation. Areas for improvement identified by inspectors include addressing inconsistency in teaching quality, particularly in Primary, making more effective use of assessment data to personalise learning, and strengthening monitoring of classroom practice. These are operational rather than structural concerns, but parents of primary-age children should ask the school directly how it is addressing the variation inspectors observed.