Horizon International School, Dubai
KHDA Inspection Report & Ratings 2019
Last updated
Executive Summary
The overall quality of education provided by Horizon International School is Very Good. The school is highly regarded for the effective start children make in the Foundation Stage and the positive attitudes and behavior of its students, which collectively foster a purposeful learning environment.
Students demonstrate high achievement, particularly in English, Mathematics, and Science across Primary and Secondary phases, with notable improvements in teaching in Secondary and Post-16. The curriculum, aligned with the UK National Curriculum, is creative, engaging, and effectively caters to diverse groups, promoting independent learning and critical thinking.
Robust practices ensure student safety and wellbeing, supported by effective medical teams, counsellors, and student wellbeing ambassadors. Leadership is highly effective, driving continuous improvement through strong self-evaluation and significant parental engagement, contributing to the school's sustained improvement over recent inspection cycles.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Horizon International School 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 maintains an inclusive ethos with high expectations and effective action planning for students of determination. Identification procedures are effective, enhanced by external specialist links, and strong partnerships with parents ensure consistent communication and support. Curriculum modifications align well with student needs, leading to most students exceeding their IEP targets. students of determinationIEP targets
Wellbeing is a high priority, with leaders modeling principles and a dedicated team driving policy and curriculum development. The school fosters a caring approach, strong parent partnerships, and excellent attendance, with students feeling safe, valued, and supported. Exemplary behavior and a culture of respect contribute to a strongly supportive environment. Wellbeingcaring approachexemplary behaviour
The school achieved an outstanding rating for International and Benchmark Achievement across the whole school, with very good for Emirati students. Leaders effectively address skill gaps, especially for Emirati students, by adapting the curriculum. There is a strong reading culture, with a large majority of students' reading skills above age-related expectations. International and Benchmark AchievementEmirati studentsreading literacy
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
FS Strong Start
Children in the Foundation Stage make a very effective start to their schooling, demonstrating rapid progress from their initial starting points.
Positive Student Conduct
Students display extremely positive attitudes, responsible behavior, and a strong work ethic, contributing to a purposeful and effective learning environment.
Core Subject Excellence
Students consistently achieve high standards in English, Mathematics, and Science, particularly in the Primary and Secondary phases, as evidenced by external examinations and benchmark tests.
Student Care & Safety
The school has robust practices and highly visible supervision to ensure the safety, protection, care, welfare, and wellbeing of all students and staff.
Leadership for Improvement
Senior leaders demonstrate a strong drive and clear vision for continuous improvement, effectively using data for self-evaluation and focusing on students' outcomes.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students demonstrate high achievement, particularly in English, Mathematics, and Science across Primary and Secondary, with outstanding performance in the Foundation Stage. Achievement in Islamic Education and Arabic languages is acceptable, with Arabic as a first language showing improvement.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The school's leaders form an effective team, fully embracing a mission of inclusivity and success for all. They demonstrate a thorough understanding of the curriculum and best practices, fostering open communication and high staff morale. Leaders effectively use diverse data for self-evaluation and improvement planning, leading to sustained positive changes and uplifted judgments over recent inspection cycles.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students in Foundation Stage make rapid progress, and external examinations show high achievement in English, Mathematics, and Science in Primary and Secondary. Learning skills are very strong, particularly in FS. Students' positive attitudes and behavior support a purposeful learning environment, and their understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture is improving.
Personal Development
Students display extremely positive and responsible attitudes, with a strong sense of self-discipline and leadership skills, consistently reflecting values of respect, empathy, and tolerance. They feel safe, valued, and supported, demonstrating a strong commitment to healthy lifestyles and excellent punctuality and attendance. Students actively participate in community projects and show a well-developed understanding of conservation and sustainability.
Teaching Quality
Most teachers demonstrate very good subject knowledge, effective lesson planning, and high expectations, fostering group discussions and in-depth critical thinking. Significant improvements in teaching have been noted in Secondary and Post-16. Assessment processes are closely matched to the curriculum, providing reliable measures of attainment and progress through systematic data gathering and monitoring.
Protection & Care
Rigorous policies and practices ensure the safety and protection of students and staff, with highly visible and effective supervision. Medical teams, counsellors, and student wellbeing ambassadors effectively promote physical, emotional, and mental health. Exemplary behavior and strong staff-student relationships permeate the school, with rigorous identification and support for students of determination and those with gifts and talents.
Areas for Development
- •Improve access to all areas of the school, for all members of the school community.
- •Identify and share the best teaching, learning and assessment practices across the school.
- •Ensure that all teachers make full use reading assessment information in lesson planning and in teaching.
- •Develop a whole school wellbeing policy which permeates all curriculum areas.
- •improve teaching to match the best teaching and assessment practices seen in the school.
- •Consolidate links with the Arabic department to improve students’ literacy skills.
- •Improve students’ comprehension skills.
- •Encourage students to use standard Arabic in discussions and in answering questions.
- •Provide more opportunities for creative and extended writing.
- •Improve students’ reading skills.
- •Build students’ vocabularies to improve their speaking and writing.
- •Increase the emphasis on applying accurate grammar in speaking and writing.
- •Ensure that students' written work is coherent and accurate, and that vocabulary is used correctly in context.
- •Build on very strong attainment and progress in Year 12 to ensure that Post-16 outcomes match those in the other phases.
- •Improve the tracking of the development of students’ practical and investigative skills across the school.
- •Ensure that students have sufficient opportunities to demonstrate their ability to lead their own learning and to carry out independent research.
- •Extend student’s knowledge and understanding of other world cultures.
- •Ensure that teachers challenge higher ability students more consistently to promote more independent, higher order thinking skills.
- •Ensure that students across the school are offered regular guidance on the steps needed to take their learning forward.
- •Fully embed the new curriculum for Arabic.
- •Fully implement new strategies to improve literacy skills in Arabic and ensure that these skills are transferable to support learning in Islamic Education.
- •Ensure consistency in the support of students of determination in all subject areas, particularly in Islamic Education and Arabic.
- •Ensure consistency of support for all students of determination and the gifted and talented in all subjects.
- •Ensure consistency in teaching through the sharing of the most effective teaching practices seen in the school.
- •Ensure consistency in planning by linking subject improvement plans more closely with the