Newlands School, Dubai

Newlands School follows the National Curriculum for England (NCfE), including the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) for Foundation Stage children. Students progress through the UK framework from FS1 through to Year 9, at which point they embark on IGCSE subjects in Years 10 and 11. The school has recently extended its offering to include Years 12 and 13, with AS and A-Level programmes now available, making Newlands an all-through British curriculum school for the first time. The DSIB inspection from January 2024 provides the clearest picture of academic performance. In the secondary phase, English attainment is rated Very Good and science attainment is rated Very Good, with science progress also rated Very Good - a genuinely impressive result for a school at this fee level. Mathematics attainment and progress in secondary are both rated Good. In the primary phase, English, mathematics and science all achieve Good attainment and Good progress. The Foundation Stage presents a more mixed picture: progress across English, mathematics and science is Good, but attainment remains at the Acceptable level, which inspectors noted is partly attributable to children entering with lower starting points. The school's assessment processes are aligned to the requirements of the NCfE, and data analysis is described by inspectors as well-managed. Teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge and use a range of strategies to engage students. The use of questioning to promote critical thinking has improved since the previous inspection, and a dedicated reflection time has been introduced with positive impact. However, inspectors noted that critical thinking is not yet embedded across all subjects, and students do not consistently take responsibility for initiating their own learning - a recurring theme in the report's recommendations. For students needing additional support, Newlands positions itself as a fully inclusive school. The school had 37 students of determination at the time of inspection, and the inclusion team - described as a team of specialist educators - supports these students well. The DSIB team noted that almost all students of determination receive good support to overcome barriers to learning. Gifted and talented identification has improved, though challenge levels for higher-attaining students in some lessons remain insufficient. On Arabic and Islamic Education, attainment is rated Acceptable across both primary and secondary phases, though primary students show Good progress in both subjects. The reading literacy programme is a particular strength: a commercial reading platform has made a positive impact on comprehension and vocabulary in primary, and a strong reading culture with dedicated reading time and competitions is evident throughout the school. The school's benchmark assessment average score of 522 in reading literacy fell 25 points short of its national agenda target, but students sustained Good judgements in mathematics and improved from Good to Very Good in English over two years of international benchmark assessments.