Brighton College Dubai
Executive Summary
Brighton College Dubai has achieved an overall rating of Very Good in its latest KHDA inspection for the 2023-2024 academic year. The school demonstrates significant improvements in students' attainment across various subjects, including Islamic Education, Arabic (First and Additional Language), Mathematics, and Science. Students exhibit outstanding social responsibility, leadership, and a deep appreciation for Islamic values and Emirati culture.
The provision for learners is consistently high, with teaching quality improving to a Very Good level across all phases. The curriculum, aligned with the English National Curriculum, is well-designed and adapted to meet individual student needs, supported by effective assessment and tracking. A strong focus on safety and positive relationships underpins a conducive learning environment, ensuring effective care and guidance for all students.
Leadership and management are highly effective, with leaders demonstrating a deep understanding of the school's performance and driving continuous improvements. Governance provides strong support, ensuring high-quality staff, excellent facilities, and resources that contribute significantly to the school's ongoing success and positive partnerships with parents and the community.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Brighton College Dubai Overall Rating
Very Good
Dubai Focus Areas
These three pillars represent the Dubai education authority's priorities: ensuring inclusive practices, prioritizing student wellbeing, and meeting UAE National Agenda targets.
The school demonstrates a strong commitment to an inclusive ethos, welcoming students with diverse learning needs. Highly experienced staff provide very effective provision, developing detailed and focused Individualized Education Plans (IEPs) that lead to consistently strong student outcomes. Parents are actively engaged and contribute meaningfully to their children's progress. inclusive ethosIEPsStudents of Determination
Wellbeing is a high priority, fully integrated into the school's ethos and culture, supported by effective interventions and a well-qualified team. A parent, staff, and student wellbeing committee informs practice, leading to meaningful initiatives. Students demonstrate awareness of their wellbeing, and a targeted mentoring program supports examination year students. wellbeing visionmentoring programmestudent-led initiatives
The school has been highly successful in exceeding National Agenda targets for international assessments, with its PIRLS score exceeding targets by 64 points. Student performance in English, Mathematics, and Science improved from Very Good to Outstanding in NAP tests, while Emirati students' performance was maintained at Good. Leaders effectively personalize learning for Emirati students. National Agenda ParameterPIRLSNAP testsEmirati students
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Effective Leadership & Improvement
Very effective leadership drives a deep understanding of school performance, leading to continuous and successful improvements across all areas.
Outstanding Student Development
Students exhibit outstanding social responsibility and leadership, supported by excellent attitudes, strong values, and very positive behavior.
High-Quality Teaching & Curriculum
High-quality teaching, accurate assessment, and a well-designed, adapted curriculum support very high achievement in most academic areas.
Safe & Supportive Environment
The school provides a very safe and supportive environment, valuing strong partnerships between parents, students, and staff.
Excellent Governance & Resources
Governors ensure the provision of high-quality staff, excellent facilities, and resources, which significantly support very effective learning.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students' attainment has improved in Islamic Education (Primary), Arabic First Language (all phases), Arabic Additional Language (Secondary), Mathematics (Post-16), and Science (Primary and Secondary). Progress in Mathematics (Secondary) has also improved, while other core subjects maintain very high levels of progress.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The leadership team is highly capable and guided by Brighton College principles, demonstrating a deep understanding of the school and successfully improving student performance. They foster strong partnerships with parents and are well-supported by effective governance, ensuring high-quality resources and continuous improvement.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students demonstrate improved attainment in several subjects, including Islamic Education, Arabic, Mathematics, and Science. Their learning skills have significantly improved, particularly in Secondary and Post-16, fostering independence. Students are respectful, curious, and exhibit very high levels of achievement in most curriculum areas.
Personal Development
Students' personal development is outstanding, characterized by excellent behavior, positive attitudes, and strong leadership skills. They show a deep understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture, coupled with an excellent sense of social responsibility and active participation in environmental and entrepreneurial initiatives.
Teaching Quality
Teaching quality is consistently very good across all phases and most subjects, with significant improvements in Secondary and Post-16. Teachers use strong subject knowledge to adapt lessons to student needs, and assessment procedures are effective in tracking progress and informing personalized learning, leading to rapid progress for most students.
Protection & Care
Safeguarding and child protection are given the highest priority, with highly trained staff and robust systems ensuring a very safe environment. Students feel secure and are aware of support channels. Excellent medical care, effective behavior management, and accurate identification of students of determination contribute to comprehensive care and support.
Areas for Development
- •Raise achievement in Islamic Education and Arabic to at least match that in other subjects.
- •Improve the reading proficiency of Emirati students and performance in the NAP tests to bring results into line with those of their fellow students.
- •Enable students to lead, monitor and review wellbeing initiatives.
- •Enhance students' memorisation and recitation skills, particularly in the upper phases, by providing more opportunities for them to practice recitation following the Tajweed rules.
- •Improve students' understanding of Sirah by making more references to the life of the Prophet (PBUH).
- •Provide students with a greater level of challenge in oral communication and urge them to initiate dialogue and discussions using standard Arabic.
- •Further improve students’ reading skills and provide more opportunities for independent writing.
- •Ensure that key vocabulary is clarified, understood and used by students, to further enrich their speaking and writing.
- •Provide more opportunities for students to tackle problems in everyday contexts, particularly in lower-attaining sets in Secondary.
- •Review the investigative activities in Primary to ensure that the ‘working scientifically’ objective aligns with the practical tasks in lessons.
- •Provide further opportunities for individual students and groups to share their learning with the class.
- •Improve students’ punctuality to Islamic Education lessons.
- •Improve attendance in Post-16 so that it is consistently as high as in other phases.
- •Improve students' awareness of world cultures by offering more activities that allow them to compare their own culture with others.
- •Consolidate consistently high-quality teaching across all subjects.
- •Improve the use of student’s self-and peer-assessment to further strengthen their knowledge of their strengths and areas for improvement.
- •Improve the process of curriculum review in Arabic to ensure continuity and progression in students’ learning.
- •Improve and develop the range of activities in lessons that promote creative, enterprise and innovation skills.
- •Fully embed planning and support for gifted and talented students.