Dubai International Academy AlbarshaPrincipal & Leadership TeamLast Updated: April 7, 2026

Dubai International Academy Albarsha is led by Principal Ian Thurston, who has been in post since 5 July 2022. Thurston brings substantial Dubai experience, having moved from the UK in 2007 and entered school leadership in 2013. His career has spanned roles as Head of DP, Deputy Head Pastoral, and Head of Secondary before assuming a principal role. He holds a BA Economics from the University of Sheffield, a PGCE in Secondary Mathematics, and the NPQH from UCL — the UK's national qualification for headship. He joined Innoventures Education in 2021, initially as Principal at DIA Emirates Hills before transferring to DIA Al Barsha, giving him direct familiarity with the group's IB philosophy and operational culture.

The wider leadership team is notably deep and credentialed. Head of Secondary Andrew Johnson holds 15 years of teaching experience and 8 years as a senior leader, completing his NPQH in 2024. Head of Primary Tom Dymond joined in 2021 and has played a key role in the school's development since. Several deputies — including Abigail Ferrari (Deputy Head, DP-CP) and Jameel Arif (Deputy Head, MYP) — hold NPQSLs, and Ferrari has been with Innoventures Education since 2015, representing meaningful institutional continuity. Deputy Head Peter White brings almost 20 years of experience in education and holds a Master's degree from the University of Wollongong. Andrea Allmark, a founding teacher when the school opened in 2018, adds further organisational memory to the primary leadership.

The school is operated by Innoventures Education, under Managing Director Avi Bhojani and CEO Poonam Bhojani. Governance is structured through a Board of Directors — including owners and an independent member — and an Advisory Council. The KHDA inspection rated governance Very Good and management, staffing, facilities and resources Outstanding, the latter being the highest possible rating. The board is described as actively involved in strategic areas including leadership appointment, infrastructure, and financial stability.

On teaching quality, the 2023–2024 KHDA inspection rated teaching and assessment Very Good across all phases — KG, PYP, MYP, and DP — with inspectors noting a notable improvement in MYP and some outstanding lessons, particularly in PYP. Teachers are described as having thorough subject knowledge and using questioning effectively to develop critical thinking. The school website notes staff from over 20 countries and highlights investment in Continuous Professional Development through external IB training, NPQ leadership qualifications, and internal personalised programmes. However, inspectors identified areas for improvement: the level of challenge for more able students is inconsistent, and students are not always sufficiently engaged with written feedback processes.

With 152 teachers and 1,638 students, DIA Barsha operates at a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:11 — meaningfully better than the Dubai citywide average of 1:13.6 across 204 schools with ratio data, and notably favourable among IB curriculum schools. Parent and community engagement was rated Outstanding by KHDA — the school's strongest individual rating — with parents actively involved in reading groups, home learning programmes, and wellbeing initiatives. The school uses Toddle and ManageBac platforms to maintain communication across primary and secondary phases, and Parent-Teacher Conferences are held at least twice per year. The inspection noted that new catering arrangements and extended sporting events were introduced as a direct result of student feedback, reflecting a culture of responsiveness. The school's overall KHDA trajectory — Good in 2021–2022, Good in 2022–2023, and Very Good in 2023–2024 — signals consistent upward momentum under the current leadership.