Dubai English Speaking (Secondary) - Academic City Branch
Executive Summary
The Dubai English Speaking College continues to provide an Outstanding quality of education. The college is renowned for its exemplary leadership, which places student wellbeing and achievements at the core of its inclusive ethos. A caring environment and dedicated staff enable students to consistently achieve excellent standards across key subjects.
Academically, students demonstrate Outstanding attainment in English, mathematics, and science in both Secondary and Post-16 phases. Significant improvements have been noted in the attainment and progress of Islamic Education and Arabic, which are now rated Good. The curriculum is highly relevant, promoting innovation and challenge, with consistent integration of cross-curricular links and effective modifications for Students of Determination.
The college fosters a nurturing environment where students feel safe and happy, with staff prioritizing student wellbeing. Teachers exhibit expert subject knowledge and employ a wide range of effective teaching methods, ensuring activities are well-matched to student needs and learning progresses at a rapid pace. High expectations for student behavior and attitudes are consistently met, contributing to a harmonious school community.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Dubai English Speaking College Overall Rating
Outstanding for 10+ consecutive years
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 provides an outstanding dynamic learning environment for students of determination, with highly effective leaders meticulously identifying and monitoring progress. Teachers expertly adapt teaching, and specific support like coaching helps overcome learning barriers. Effective communication with parents ensures their full involvement in review processes and support plans, leading to high student outcomes. Students of DeterminationIndividual students’ needscurriculum pathways
The overall quality of wellbeing provision and outcomes is outstanding, fostering a harmonious and vibrant school environment. Senior leaders use relevant information to plan specific curricula and provide personalized academic and emotional support. A positive atmosphere permeates all aspects of school life, with effective systems for addressing concerns and supporting staff wellbeing. harmonious, vibrant school environmentpersonalised academic and emotional supportpositive environment
The school achieved very good results in international benchmark assessments for English, mathematics, and science, with strong performance in mathematics and science. The Emirati cohort also performed well in mathematics. Reading literacy skills are very good for a large majority of students, including Emirati students, with an innovative approach to promoting these skills. benchmark assessmentsreading literacy skillsEmirati cohort
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Exemplary Leadership
Leadership is exemplary, ensuring student wellbeing and achievements are central to this inclusive college.
Caring Ethos & Standards
The caring ethos and staff commitment enable students to achieve excellent standards in English, mathematics, and science.
Improved Islamic & Arabic
Impressive improvements have been made in the provision and outcomes for Islamic Education and Arabic.
Strong Personal Development
Students demonstrate strong personal development, social responsibility, deep understanding of Islamic values, and commitment to a sustainable environment.
High Teaching Quality
Teachers maintain very high expectations, possess expert subject knowledge, and employ excellent teaching methods.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students demonstrate outstanding attainment in English, mathematics, and science across both phases. While progress in English and mathematics has seen a slight decline in some areas, Islamic Education and Arabic have shown impressive improvements in both attainment and progress.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The leadership, led by an highly effective and experienced principal, operates with calm authority and a clear expectation for student success. They prioritize recruiting high-quality teachers, fostering a collegial environment where staff feel valued and have opportunities for professional development. This approach ensures an exceptionally clear focus on sustaining and building quality across the college.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students demonstrate outstanding attainment in English, mathematics, and science across both phases, with good attainment and progress in Islamic Education and Arabic. They exhibit excellent learning skills, actively participating and making clear connections in lessons, and are highly competent problem solvers.
Personal Development
Students are courteous, self-disciplined, and respectful, showing strong understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture. They demonstrate excellent social responsibility, innovation skills, and commitment to healthy lifestyles and the environment, actively contributing to the school and wider community.
Teaching Quality
Teachers possess expert subject knowledge and employ a wide range of effective teaching methods, creating challenging and purposeful learning experiences. They use digital resources effectively and foster positive learning environments, supported by accurate and well-analyzed assessment data that informs tailored learning experiences for all students.
Protection & Care
The college provides a nurturing and safe environment where students feel happy and supported. Rigorous policies ensure health, safety, and child protection, with high-quality medical facilities. Students receive exceptional personal development support, including academic and careers guidance, and benefit from exemplary relationships with staff and peers.
Areas for Development
- •Closely monitor students’ outcomes and take the required actions to restore students’ progress in English and mathematics to outstanding rates.
- •Promote further improvements in students reading literacy skills and apply them across the college over a planned period of time.
- •Improve students’ Holy Qur’anic recitation and memorisation skills.
- •Provide students with more opportunities to develop their independent skills and a deeper level of Islamic knowledge and understanding.
- •Provide students with greater levels of challenge in their oral communications.
- •Require students to initiate discussions using Standard Arabic.
- •Increase the opportunities for students to apply their language skills in various contexts when speaking and writing.
- •Ensure that students have more frequent opportunities to share their creative writing with wider audiences.
- •Design learning activities which challenge and stimulate all groups of students more effectively.
- •Ensure that interventions and supports are in place so that all students can make more rapid progress.
- •Ensure that students have more opportunities to develop their research skills and apply their critical thinking and problem-solving abilities.
- •Students should improve their rate of attendance.
- •Evaluate the effects of the reduction in weekly teaching periods and the reduced number of GCSE options on students’ choices and their subsequent achievements.
- •Establish greater parental involvement in the school.