Dubai International Private School

Dubai International Private School is led by Acting Superintendent Mounir Al Laham, who assumed the role on 10 January 2023. The senior leadership team includes Superintendent Salah Sharara, Virginia Sharma as Director of Teaching and Learning, Dr. Alexine Profice as Director of Curriculum Design and Implementation, and Salam Atwi as Director of Quality and Professional Development and Head of ELA. The acting designation at the top of the school, combined with a newly constituted senior team, signals a period of transition rather than settled continuity — a factor parents should weigh carefully. A newly instituted Board of Trustees was in place at the time of the 2023–2024 inspection, providing an additional layer of governance, though KHDA noted that governors need to become better informed of the school's needs, including the requirement for effective leaders, teachers, and resources.

KHDA rated the effectiveness of leadership Acceptable and governance Acceptable in the 2023–2024 inspection — the school's tenth consecutive Acceptable rating, stretching back to 2011–2012. Inspectors found that new senior and middle leadership teams are working toward a more strategic direction, but noted that only a few leaders have a sound understanding of the American curriculum, its teaching strategies, and assessments. The improvement of middle leadership management skills was identified as a key recommendation. Self-evaluation and improvement planning were also rated Acceptable.

Teaching quality is a concern. KHDA rated teaching for effective learning Acceptable across KG, Elementary, and Middle phases, with only the High School reaching Good. Inspectors found that too many lessons do not promote the progress of every student as well as they could, and that most teachers are not using assessment data sufficiently to improve student performance. Worksheets dominate classroom activity, limiting active and independent learning. The school fields 80 teachers and 23 teaching assistants across a roll of 1,026 students, producing a student-teacher ratio of 1:13 — marginally more favourable than the Dubai-wide average of 1:13.6 across all 204 schools with available ratio data. Among American curriculum schools in Dubai, this ratio is broadly in line with sector norms. Staff qualification data are not published [MISSING: percentage of staff holding postgraduate qualifications], and no staff retention or turnover figures are available from inspection or school sources.

The clearest leadership strength lies in community engagement. Parents and the community were rated Very Good — the only domain to exceed Acceptable in the leadership section. The school runs Wednesday Webinars, Sunday Live Q&As, and a virtual admissions centre, and a parent representative sits on the Board of Trustees. This active parent relationship, and the school's strong record on student personal development — rated Very Good across all four phases — reflect a community-oriented culture that is a genuine asset. The school holds NEASC accreditation, which supports the international recognition of its US High School Diploma.