Dove Green Private SchoolPrincipal & Leadership TeamLast Updated: April 7, 2026

Dove Green Private School L.L.C is led by Principal Christopher Seeley, appointed on 21 August 2023 following a significant period of leadership transition. Seeley brings a substantial background in British curriculum education, having previously served as Head of Secondary at GEMS Metropole School and held leadership roles at GEMS Winchester School Dubai, before moving to Al Chad Charter School in Abu Dhabi under Aldar Academies. His appointment coincided with the hiring of 21 new teachers and the constitution of a new governing board — a level of simultaneous change that the 2023–2024 KHDA inspection acknowledged directly, noting it as a key contextual factor in the school's current trajectory. Operational continuity is provided by Chief Operating Officer Raymi van der Spek, who has represented the major shareholder, Westside Investments LLC, since 2015 and brings over 25 years of international business and education sector experience.

The KHDA rated DGPS Good in its 2023–2024 inspection — a rating the school has now held consistently since 2019–2020, having improved from Acceptable in 2017–2018. Among British curriculum schools in Dubai, this places DGPS in solid but not exceptional standing: of the 105 British curriculum schools in the city, 24 hold Very Good ratings and 18 hold Outstanding. Leadership effectiveness and governance were both rated Good, though inspectors identified a clear area for development: governors must do more to hold leaders at all levels to account for the quality of student outcomes. Management, staffing, facilities and resources was rated only Acceptable — the weakest sub-rating in the leadership domain — reflecting the pressures of rapid staff turnover and an unfinished secondary building.

On teaching quality, the picture is uneven. Teaching in Foundation Stage and Primary is rated Good, with inspectors noting strong subject knowledge, well-planned lessons, and effective use of assessment data to support individual students. In Secondary, however, teaching and assessment are both rated only Acceptable, with inspectors calling explicitly for improvement in teaching quality and more rigorous use of assessment information at that phase. This is a meaningful gap for parents of older children to weigh. The school's 67 teachers are described as almost all UK nationals or UK-trained, each holding a Bachelor's degree and PGCE or equivalent — a strong credential profile. With 657 students and 67 teachers, DGPS reports a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:13, marginally more favourable than the Dubai private school average of 13.6:1 across 204 schools with available data.

Staff retention carries a cautionary note. The appointment of 21 new teachers alongside a new principal in August 2023 — representing nearly a third of the 67-strong teaching body — signals a period of significant churn. Inspectors noted that teacher induction arrangements were under review and recommended their improvement, suggesting the school is still embedding its new team. On the positive side, wellbeing was rated Good, with inspectors observing that staff morale is generally high and that the school community is inclusive and respectful. Parent engagement was rated Very Good — the highest sub-rating in the leadership section — with parents described as regular partners, supported by a school council, wellbeing ambassadors, and active parent surveys. This is a genuine strength and a signal of the community culture that leadership has prioritised even through a period of considerable internal change.