GEMS Founders School
Executive Summary
The overall quality of education provided by GEMS Founders School - Dubai Branch is rated as Very Good for the 2023-2024 academic year. The school demonstrates very effective leadership, ensuring consistent improvement across its operations. A strong commitment to inclusive education and outstanding partnerships with parents are key strengths.
Students in the Foundation Stage and Primary phases make very good progress in English, mathematics, and science, with outstanding attitudes to learning. The curriculum, based on the National Curriculum for England, is well-designed and adapted to meet the needs of all students, including those of determination. Teaching for effective learning is consistently Very Good across all phases.
The school maintains outstanding arrangements for health and safety, including child protection, contributing significantly to student wellbeing. Students receive very good care and support, and their personal and social development is a particular strength in the Foundation Stage and Primary phases. The governing body also makes a strong contribution to the school's overall effectiveness.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
GEMS Founders School - Dubai Branch 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 demonstrates an outstanding commitment to an inclusive ethos, supported by well-considered policies and significant investment in staffing and resources. The highly qualified inclusion team uses comprehensive assessments to plan support, ensuring barriers to learning are minimized. Specialized 'flourish' and 'alternative pathway' classes are highly effective, enabling most students of determination to make outstanding progress. students of determinationflourish’ and ‘alternative pathway’ classes
The overall quality of wellbeing provision and outcomes is very good, with leaders showing a strong commitment to developing a strategic vision for the school community's wellbeing. A rich variety of curricular innovations and extra-curricular opportunities enrich students' experiences. Effective systems ensure students can access help and support from trusted adults, fostering a strong sense of community and encouraging leadership roles in mental health. wellbeing teammental health
The school's overall standards in the National Agenda Parameter are very good, exceeding targets in the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). Students' attainment in international benchmark assessments for English, mathematics, and science has improved. Leaders effectively address gaps and adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of all students, including Emirati students, though reading literacy levels require further improvement. PIRLSinternational benchmark assessmentsreading literacy
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Effective Leadership
Very effective leadership ensures consistent improvement across the school.
Inclusive Education
The school demonstrates a strong commitment to inclusive education for all students.
Parent Partnership
Outstanding partnerships with parents contribute significantly to the school's success.
Student Safeguarding
Robust systems are in place to ensure the health, safety, and protection of all students.
Personal Development
Students in FS and Primary show outstanding personal and social development.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students demonstrate very good learning skills across all phases, enabling them to take responsibility for improving their own learning.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
Leadership is characterized by a shared vision to enable every student to grow, flourish, and succeed, with a collaborative approach to self-evaluation. Highly effective systems of communication and professional caring relationships underpin the strong capacity of leaders to improve the school, resulting in very good teaching and positive student outcomes.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students in FS and Primary make very good progress in English, mathematics, and science, achieving very well. In Secondary, progress remains very good in mathematics and science, while in English it is good. Progress in Islamic Education and Arabic is good across all phases. Students consistently demonstrate very good learning skills.
Personal Development
Students in FS and Primary exhibit outstanding attitudes to learning, social responsibility, and innovation skills. Their understanding of Islamic values is also very good. In Secondary and Post-16, personal development, social responsibility, and innovation skills are very good, though understanding of Islamic values is good. Students generally feel safe and supported, displaying mature and responsible attitudes.
Teaching Quality
Teaching for effective learning is consistently very good across all phases, with teachers demonstrating secure subject knowledge and strong relationships with students. Most teachers use effective questioning and provide appropriate challenge. Assessment procedures are used very effectively throughout the school, with wealth of data well-analyzed to inform teaching strategies and curriculum planning.
Protection & Care
Arrangements for health and safety, including child protection, are outstanding across all phases, with rigorous procedures and fully trained staff. Students receive very good care and support, contributing significantly to their wellbeing. The identification of needs for students of determination and those with gifts and talents is highly effective, with personalized advice and a well-structured careers program for older students.
Areas for Development
- •Increase the effectiveness of action plans by the inclusion of specific measurable targets linked to improved students’ outcomes.
- •Improve the quality of teaching in Islamic Education.
- •Improve students' attainment in Islamic Education and Arabic in the secondary and post-16 phases.
- •Improve the reading literacy levels of all students, including Emirati students.
- •Ensure that wellbeing improvement plans have appropriate time scales and impact statements to allow formal monitoring of wellbeing provision.
- •Improve students' knowledge and understanding of Seerah and faith in all phases.
- •Increase students' ability to justify their views with evidence from the Holy Qur’an and Hadeeth.
- •Improve students’ basic language skills in Secondary and Post-16.
- •Increase students’ use of a wider range of vocabulary and of correct grammar in speaking and writing, particularly in the secondary phase.
- •Extend the speaking and writing skills of students in upper secondary classes.
- •In Post-16, increase students’ ability to work independently and to use their reasoning skills to solve complex mathematical problems.
- •Increase attainment in A Level biology to match that in chemistry and physics.
- •Enable older students to apply their knowledge and understanding to everyday applications.
- •Increase students' use of digital technologies in Islamic Education, Arabic and mathematics.
- •Improve the behaviour of boys in Secondary.
- •Develop students’ awareness of Islamic values, particularly in the secondary and post-16 phases.
- •Encourage students in Secondary and Post-16 to initiate and lead activities within the wider community.
- •Increase teachers’ expectations and improve their use of time in Islamic Education.
- •Ensure that assessment practices in lessons are appropriately used and do not slow students’ progress.
- •Ensure that cross-curricular links are established and implemented more consistently, particularly in the secondary phase.
- •Evaluate the modifications to the curriculum to ensure that the learning needs of all students are consistently met.
- •Improve the attendance of older students.
- •Endeavour to increase the number of students of determination who make outstanding progress.