New Academy SchoolPrincipal & Leadership Team

New Academy School is operated by Atticus Education L.L.C., with governance overseen by a structured Board of Governors. The board is chaired by Dr. Emad A. S. Abu-Ayyash, an Associate Professor of Education at the British University in Dubai, and includes Vice-Chair Ms. Ayesha Al Mutaiwei, Managing Director of Atticus Education, alongside Operational Lead Mr. Deepak Motiani (COO, Atticus Education) and Inclusion Governor Ms. Rania Bin Taleb, founder of the Inclusion Network in the Middle East and Africa. This multi-layered governance structure provides both academic and operational oversight, with staff and parent representation on the board ensuring that wellbeing and inclusion remain institutional priorities.

Leadership stability at NAS is a defining feature of its recent improvement story. Principal Ms. Nazia Bashir Daha has been in post since 31 January 2018 — now over seven years of continuous leadership. She holds a Master of Education in Leadership, Management and Policy, brings over 17 years of experience in education with 13 years in leadership roles, and is an approved NEASC accreditation visitor who has conducted reviews in Vietnam, Lebanon, and Saudi Arabia. Her tenure directly coincides with the school's most significant improvement period: NAS moved from Weak ratings in 2012–2013 to Acceptable from 2014 to 2020, and has now held a KHDA Good rating for two consecutive inspection cycles (2022–2023 and 2023–2024). Among the 42 American curriculum schools in Dubai, this sustained upward trajectory is a meaningful signal of leadership effectiveness.

The 2023–2024 KHDA inspection rated leadership effectiveness as Good, with governance rated Good, school self-evaluation rated Good, and parents and the community rated Good. Inspectors noted that the principal distributes leadership effectively across the school, that strategic plans align well with UAE and Dubai priorities, and that parents are highly satisfied with the education their children receive. However, the inspection also identified a clear area for development: the need to strengthen middle leadership to improve the monitoring and consistency of teaching quality across phases — a gap that parents should weigh alongside the school's broader strengths.

Teaching quality is rated Very Good in KG and Good across Elementary, Middle, and High School phases. The school employs 88 teachers supported by 26 teaching assistants and 2 guidance counsellors, serving 1,364 students. This produces a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:16 — notably higher than the Dubai-wide average of 1:13.6 across 204 schools with ratio data, suggesting classrooms at NAS carry a heavier load than the city norm. [MISSING: staff qualification percentage data — percentage holding Masters or above not available in sources.] The inspection noted that use of assessment data in lesson planning remains an emerging practice, and that questioning techniques to promote critical thinking are variable — areas the school has been directed to address.

On parent engagement and school culture, the inspection found a positive and inclusive environment, with parents informed twice yearly through formal reports and two Student-Led Conferences per year. The student council actively influences wellbeing provision. The school's vision — to develop responsible, innovative global citizens — is reflected in strong student personal development scores, rated Very Good across all phases. One candid note from inspectors: the school recognises it must do more to support staff wellbeing and provide clearer career advancement pathways to improve teacher retention — a signal that staff turnover warrants monitoring by prospective families.