Dubai Heights Academy
Executive Summary
The overall quality of education provided by Dubai Heights Academy is Very Good. The school is recognized for its strong academic achievement and students' personal development, supported by dedicated staff and effective leadership.
Students make very good progress in English, mathematics, and science, with teaching in Foundation Stage and Primary being excellent. The curriculum aligns with the National Curriculum of England and UAE national priorities, offering varied subjects and pathways.
The school excels in inclusive education practices, providing outstanding care, guidance, and support, which contributes to outstanding levels of wellbeing. Leaders demonstrate strong capacity to drive improvement, supported by accurate self-evaluation.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Dubai Heights Academy 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 has a well-established and effective approach to inclusion, supported by highly effective governance and leadership. Tailored educational plans and effective partnerships with parents ensure diverse student needs are met, including those with complex learning profiles through programs like ASDAN. ASDAN programmepersonalised support
Dubai Heights Academy demonstrates an unwavering commitment to wellbeing, fostering a culture of mutual respect and shared values. Comprehensive training and support for staff, frequent surveys, and student involvement contribute to a nurturing environment where students are highly respectful, self-disciplined, and resilient. mutual respectstudent involvementresilient
The school implements a comprehensive National Agenda action plan with a strong emphasis on enhancing reading standards. While PIRLS performance was acceptable, progress in standardized benchmark assessments for English, mathematics, and science is very good to outstanding. Teachers successfully develop interventions to address reading literacy gaps. National Agenda action planreading literacyPIRLS
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Strong Academic Achievement
The school demonstrates robust academic performance across all phases, supported by very strong teaching quality.
Strong Personal Development
Students exhibit strong personal development, characterized by self-discipline, respect, and active participation in leadership roles.
Effective Leadership & Planning
Leaders and governors show strong capacity to drive improvement, supported by accurate self-evaluation and strategic planning.
Dedicated Staff & Safe Environment
A united and dedicated staff fosters a safe, welcoming, and happy school environment for all students.
Outstanding Care & Inclusion
The school provides excellent inclusive education and very strong care, guidance, and support, resulting in outstanding student wellbeing.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students consistently make very good progress in English, mathematics, and science across all phases, with attainment frequently very good. In Islamic Education and Arabic, progress is mostly good, and attainment is at least acceptable. Learning skills are very good in Foundation Stage and good in Primary and Secondary.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The school's leadership fosters high standards of academic achievement and student wellbeing. Through strong leadership and rigorous staff development, standards have improved over the past two years. Leaders are highly effective in promoting an inclusive school environment, ensuring the curriculum is supported by necessary human and physical resources and excellent facilities.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students consistently make very good progress in English, mathematics, and science, with attainment frequently very good. They demonstrate strong personal responsibility, resilience, and a deep appreciation for Islamic values and Emirati culture. Learning skills are very good in FS and good in other phases.
Personal Development
Students exhibit outstanding personal development across all phases, showing self-discipline, respect, and active participation in leadership roles. They embrace healthy lifestyles, demonstrate strong attendance, and engage in community service, fostering an inclusive outlook towards diverse cultures.
Teaching Quality
Teaching quality is very strong across the school, with excellent examples in FS and Primary. Effective planning, resource use, and data-driven curriculum adaptations meet diverse learning needs. Assessment practices are rigorous, aligning with benchmarks and providing reliable measures of student progress.
Protection & Care
The school provides outstanding protection, care, guidance, and support. Robust child protection and safeguarding procedures are in place, alongside rigorous health and safety measures. An exemplary pastoral care system and highly effective behaviour management foster a culture of mutual respect and trust.
Areas for Development
- •Identify and disseminate best practice to promote students’ independence and self-reliance more consistently in lessons.
- •Embed the school's engagement with the local community, ensuring that students are increasingly proactive in driving these.
- •Expand the school's contributions to national and international initiatives.
- •Translate the rapidly improving rates of progress into stronger attainment in relevant key subjects and phases.
- •Ensure that reading outcomes for the large majority of students continue to be improved.
- •Ensure that the promotion of reading literacy is embedded in all subjects and regularly monitored for impact.
- •Embed student involvement in driving wellbeing initiatives.
- •Improve Arab students’ comprehension of Islamic principles by improving their Arabic language skills.
- •Improve students’ skills in referring to the Holy Qur’anic verses for evidence of new concepts, rulings, and values.
- •Improve students reading comprehension, speaking and writing skills.
- •Provide students with more opportunities to develop their language skills during classroom discussions, particularly in Secondary.
- •Improve students extended writing skills.
- •Ensure that opportunities for students to engage in discussion are more consistent features of lessons in Primary and Secondary.
- •Improve students writing skills by providing regular opportunities to write extended pieces, using correct grammar and punctuation.
- •Provide further opportunities for students to access open-ended mathematical investigations to extend their independent problem-solving skills.
- •Ensure that the learning needs and challenges for higher achieving students are more consistently addressed in lessons.
- •Ensure that students in Primary and Secondary are encouraged to become more self-reliant, independent learners, and able to take greater responsibility for their own learning.
- •Expand students’ capacity for enterprise and innovation especially in upper Primary and Secondary.
- •Ensure that children in FS are more involved in cultural events.
- •Establish initiatives that allow younger students to be more involved in leadership roles.
- •Ensure that students are provided with more opportunities to be independent and self-reliant in their learning.
- •Ensure that outcomes of internal and external benchmarking are closely aligned in all subjects.
- •Ensure the focus of written feedback to students, including what they must do to improve, is clear and effective.
- •Ensure that opportunities for students to develop skills in enterprise, creativity and innovation are more consistently embedded across the curriculum.
- •Further develop cross-curricular links so that students can easily transfer their knowledge, skills and understanding between subjects.
- •Consolidate support in lessons for students of determination and those with gifts and talents.
- •Ensure all teachers effectively apply the identified strategies for gifted and talented students and students of determination with less complex needs.