GEMS Modern Academy
Executive Summary
GEMS Modern Academy continues to provide an Outstanding quality of education, maintaining its strong reputation. Students demonstrate very high achievement across the school, supported by well-developed learning skills that enable them to excel in external curriculum and benchmark assessments.
The school offers a comprehensive dual curriculum pathway, including the International Baccalaureate (IB) PYP, Indian ISCE, and IB MYP/DP programs, ensuring a balanced and rigorous education. Teaching standards are high, fostering impressive outcomes, particularly in upper grades, while maintaining a healthy and safe environment with a strong sense of wellbeing.
Strong senior leadership, guided by the principal, effectively drives the school's vision, supported by active parental involvement and excellent facilities. The school's commitment to student care, support, and inclusive practices for Students of Determination is of a very high standard.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
GEMS Modern Academy Overall Rating
Outstanding for 11+ 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 demonstrates an outstanding inclusive ethos with systematic identification and intervention for students of determination. Qualified staff and external specialists collaborate to deliver effective provision, with parents actively involved as partners in their children's education. identificationsupport programmesparent mentoring
Wellbeing is a high priority, deeply integrated into the school's culture, with leaders actively involved in modelling principles. Rigorous data analysis informs provision development, and a qualified team of counsellors provides effective care and support. Students have a strong sense of belonging and are empowered through various programs and initiatives, including an Integrated Curricular Enhancement (ICE) programme. wellbeing teamICE programme
The school maintains very good standards in the National Agenda Parameter, exceeding targets in international assessments like PIRLS and consistently achieving outstanding ASSET scores in English, Mathematics, and Science. While subject leaders effectively use ASSET data to adjust the curriculum, there is a need to improve the use of data by teachers to modify support for students and to develop specific interventions for students below age-related reading levels. PIRLSASSETreading literacy
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Student Achievement
Students achieve highly across a wide range of academic and non-academic areas, demonstrating strong personal and social development.
Learning Skills
Students possess well-developed learning skills that effectively support their current learning and prepare them for future pathways.
Dual Curriculum Pathway
School leaders successfully deliver a dual curriculum pathway from Grade 6 onwards, offering diverse educational choices.
Care and Support
Excellent facilities, care, and support systems are in place, fostering high student engagement in learning.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students’ achievement across the school is very high, though there has been a small dip this year in English in Primary and in mathematics in Secondary. Achievement in Islamic Education and Arabic as an additional language is not at the same high level.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The senior leadership team, under the principal's guidance, fosters a viable learning culture through initiatives and strategies aimed at improving student achievement. They are highly effective in driving the school's aspirational vision and mission.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students demonstrate very high achievement and outstanding learning skills across most subjects and phases. However, there has been a slight dip in English in Primary and Mathematics in Secondary, and achievement in Islamic Education and Arabic (additional language) is not as strong.
Personal Development
Students exhibit very positive attitudes, excellent behavior, and a strong sense of personal responsibility. They show an outstanding understanding of Islamic values, appreciation for Emirati culture, and actively engage in social responsibility and innovation initiatives.
Teaching Quality
Teaching across the school is generally of a high standard, supporting impressive outcomes, especially in upper grades. However, inconsistencies exist, particularly in Primary and in Islamic Education/Arabic, with assessment data not always used effectively to support all student groups, and feedback being variable.
Protection & Care
The school maintains an outstandingly healthy and safe environment with comprehensive safeguarding policies and effective day-to-day management. High-quality care and support are provided for all students, including robust identification and support programs for students of determination, fostering a strong sense of belonging and wellbeing.
Areas for Development
- •Address occasional variations in the consistency of teaching, particularly in Primary, by ensuring all teachers effectively use assessment data for planning, implement targeted support strategies for diverse needs, and provide personalized feedback.
- •Implement a revised strategy for monitoring classroom practice, focusing on its impact on learning outcomes for all student groups, specifically regarding the use of assessment data in planning and the effectiveness of support strategies.
- •Improve student memorisation of the Holy Qur’an and Hadith, and their ability to cite evidence in responses, particularly in Middle and Secondary Islamic Education.
- •Improve students’ strategies for reading in Arabic as an additional language, moving away from reliance on word lists and direct translation, and ensure consistent progression in writing skills across all phases.
- •Ensure that teachers use analysed assessment data actively to provide individual support and target differentiated tasks towards groups and individuals to address their identified needs, especially in Mathematics.
- •Strengthen students’ knowledge and understanding of everyday and regular Emirati cultural practices and create opportunities for students to engage with environmental conservation projects within the wider community.
- •Monitor the impact of in-class provision and activities on students’ progress more closely, ensuring that provision for all students of determination is focused, specific, and effectively removes barriers to learning.