GEMS Wellington International School - Dubai Branch
KHDA Inspection Report & Ratings 2019
Last updated
Executive Summary
The overall quality of education provided by GEMS Wellington International School - Dubai Branch is Outstanding. The school maintains its reputation for excellence, driven by inspirational leadership and a strong commitment to student development and wellbeing.
Students consistently achieve Outstanding attainment and progress in English, Mathematics, and Science across all phases. Significant improvements are noted in Islamic Education and Arabic, with all judgements now at least Good. The curriculum, which integrates the UK Curriculum and IB Diploma, is rigorously designed and adapted to meet diverse learning needs, preparing students exceptionally well for external examinations.
The school excels in fostering an ethos of wellbeing and inclusion, ensuring comprehensive child protection and safeguarding. Inspirational leadership, effective self-evaluation, and strong engagement with parents and the community contribute to sustained excellence and continuous innovation in school performance.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
GEMS Wellington International School - Dubai Branch Overall Rating
Outstanding for 13+ 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 a highly inclusive ethos, with an experienced inclusion team providing targeted and personalised intervention for students of determination. Early identification and individualised education plans ensure outstanding progress, with parents actively involved in their children's educational journey. Students of DeterminationIndividual Education Plans
Wellbeing is central to the school's mission, vision, and values, with leaders prioritizing and modeling wellbeing principles. The school systematically gathers and analyzes data to inform decision-making, ensuring exceptional provision and outcomes across all phases through innovative policies and expert teams. Wellbeing ProgrammeGroWell curriculumPupil Attitude to Self and School (PASS)
The school has successfully exceeded National Agenda targets for international assessments, with outstanding achievement in PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS. Leaders effectively use benchmarking data to address curriculum gaps and personalize learning, ensuring outstanding progress for both the whole school and Emirati cohort, particularly in reading literacy. PISATIMSSPIRLSGL Progress TestsNew Group Reading Test (NGRT)
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Wellbeing & Inclusion
The school's core values are deeply embedded in its ethos, fostering a strong sense of wellbeing and ensuring an inclusive environment for all students.
FS Holistic Development
Children in the Foundation Stage benefit from comprehensive programs that support their all-round development, laying strong foundations for future learning.
Exemplary Student Conduct
Students demonstrate exemplary attitudes and behavior, acting as confident ambassadors for the school and embodying its values.
Improved IE & Arabic
Significant improvements have been observed in students' attainment and progress in Islamic Education and Arabic, reflecting enhanced teaching and curriculum modifications.
Sustained Excellence
The leadership team demonstrates an unwavering commitment to continuous improvement and innovation, ensuring the school maintains its outstanding performance.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students consistently demonstrate outstanding attainment and progress in core subjects across all phases, with notable improvements in Islamic Education and Arabic. Learning skills are also outstanding throughout the school.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
Guided by an inspirational and aspirational principal and leadership team, the school has developed a clear vision and mission. Leaders at all levels demonstrate a thorough understanding of the curriculum and foster high morale, consistently showing capacity for improvement and innovation to ensure sustained excellence.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students consistently achieve outstanding attainment and progress in English, Mathematics, and Science across all phases. Improvements are evident in Islamic Education and Arabic. Students exhibit very well-developed learning skills, exemplary attitudes, and a strong understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture, actively participating in a wide range of extra-curricular activities.
Personal Development
Students’ attitudes and behaviour are exemplary, reflecting the school’s values of integrity, empathy and fortitude. They demonstrate strong support for each other, a very strong understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture, and are active in a wide range of extra-curricular and charitable activities.
Teaching Quality
Teachers skilfully plan engaging lessons, optimizing time and resources to support learning, with advances in Islamic Education and Arabic reinforcing better student outcomes. They set high expectations, promote independent inquiry and critical thinking, and rigorously analyze assessment information to adjust the curriculum and learning.
Protection & Care
The school has a comprehensive approach to child protection and safeguarding, emphasizing personalized care, guidance, and ongoing training. Vigilant monitoring identifies students needing support, and security and transportation arrangements are exceptionally well-managed. Inclusivity is prioritized, with students of determination fully supported, and effective careers guidance provided.
Areas for Development
- •Ensure that in all lessons, students have ample opportunity to demonstrate all aspects of their learning skills.
- •Ensure the school’s assessment policy clearly articulates the processes for measuring student progress in the different phases of the school, and the updated policy is available to all stakeholders.
- •Improve the consistency of teaching to support weaker readers in all subjects.
- •Embed even more opportunities to strengthen student’s and parents’ voice.
- •Improve primary students' abilities to clarify the differences and similarities between Islamic concepts. Ensure students' have more knowledge of the history of Islam and biographies of significant figures.
- •Offer all students more opportunities to elevate their independent writing skills.
- •Ensure assessments are always based on students’ years of studying Arabic. Reduce the use of English lessons, especially in Secondary.
- •Reduce the achievement gaps between different groups of students.
- •Ensure cross-curricular links are more prominent in planning and teaching.
- •Provide more opportunities for children in FS to build their science skills through more practical activities.
- •Provide more opportunities for students to develop their creative and innovation skills.
- •Support students in improving their rate of attendance.
- •Ensure consistency in the written feedback students receive, particularly in Secondary. Ensure assessments in Arabic, as an additional language, are based on students’ years of studying the language.
- •Embed the new Key Stage 3 elective curriculum and review its impact on students’ interest, engagement, and learning.
- •Enhance alternative curriculum provision for students who need it.
- •Review the processes for the monitoring of teaching for learning skills development.
- •Strengthen student voice by including student representation on the governing board.
- •Ensure that wherever possible, lessons are taught in spaces best suited to the learning needs of the students.