The City School International Private, Dubai
KHDA Inspection Report & Ratings 2017
Last updated
Executive Summary
The overall quality of education provided by The City School International Private is Good for the 2023-2024 academic year. The school has maintained strong outcomes across all subjects, with particular strengths in students' personal and social development, and their understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture.
Children in the Foundation Stage continue to show good performance, while English attainment in Primary and progress in Primary and Secondary have improved to be Very Good. Students consistently demonstrate positive attitudes, a strong work ethic, and active commitment to learning. The curriculum is broad, balanced, and effectively develops knowledge and skills, with a range of options available in Secondary and Post-16.
Leadership and management foster a caring and purposeful learning community, with the principal and senior leaders committed to school improvement. Effective policies ensure student safeguarding and support, with secure premises and an active medical team. The school's commitment to students' wellbeing is evident, though assessment processes for wellbeing and consistent implementation of strategies require further development.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
The City School International Private Overall Rating
Good for 5+ 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 has made progress in developing stronger inclusion policies, positively impacting provision for students of determination. Individual education plans (IEPs) are developed with parental involvement, though their quality and consistent implementation vary across subjects and phases. Monitoring of differentiated teaching also shows inconsistencies, leading to variations in outcomes. students of determinationIEPsdifferentiated teaching
The school demonstrates a commitment to student wellbeing with a clear vision understood by stakeholders. However, assessment and data use for strategic insights lack rigor, and the wellbeing curriculum does not yet extend to all students. Stakeholder engagement is reactive, and opportunities for students to shape initiatives are insufficient, particularly regarding cyberbullying and access to trusted adults. wellbeing curriculumcyberbullyingstakeholder engagement
The school has achieved outstanding overall progression in National Agenda Parameter (NAP) assessments for the whole cohort, exceeding PIRLS targets and performing at a high international benchmark. Leaders effectively use assessment data to identify learning gaps and improve attainment. While reading literacy is a key priority, its embedding across all subjects, particularly science, needs further development. National Agenda ParameterPIRLSreading literacy
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Personal Development
Students demonstrate positive attitudes, responsibility, and leadership skills, showing care and sensitivity towards others. They are aware of healthy lifestyles and maintain high attendance and punctuality.
Cultural Awareness
Students show keen awareness of Islamic values and their impact on life in the UAE, embracing them daily. They are proud of their diverse society and knowledgeable about Emirati and world cultures.
Academic Attainment
The school maintains very good attainment levels in English, Mathematics, and Science across Primary and Secondary phases, with strong external benchmark and examination results.
Committed Leadership
The principal and senior leaders demonstrate strong commitment to school improvement, guiding the community and fostering effective communication with stakeholders.
Academic Performance Breakdown
The school has maintained strong outcomes across all subjects, with notable improvements in English attainment in Primary and progress in Primary and Secondary. Students' learning skills are consistently good across all phases.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The principal and senior leaders are deeply committed to the school's continuous improvement, fostering a caring environment and purposeful learning community. They guide and support all stakeholders, maintaining strong communication and systematically approaching self-evaluation to monitor student progress and address recommendations.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
The school demonstrates strong outcomes across all subjects, with children in Foundation Stage maintaining good performance. Attainment in English, mathematics, and science is very good in Primary and Secondary, with students showing active commitment to learning and developing skills for high performance in examinations.
Personal Development
Students exhibit very positive attitudes, behavior, and a strong sense of social responsibility. They are caring, sensitive to others' needs, and have a deep understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture. High attendance and punctuality reflect their commitment, fostering respectful relationships within the school.
Teaching Quality
Teachers possess secure subject knowledge and employ diverse strategies, including technology, to facilitate learning. While assessment results are rigorously analyzed, their routine use in lesson planning to tailor activities for individual student needs, particularly those with varying abilities, remains inconsistent.
Protection & Care
Effective policies and procedures ensure student safeguarding, with staff trained to protect young people from harm. Students feel well-supported and safe, benefiting from secure premises, good hygiene standards, and an active medical team promoting healthy lifestyles. Meaningful relationships between staff and students further enhance care and support.
Areas for Development
- •Improve the quality of teaching and learning across the school.
- •Develop teachers’ use of data and assessment in lesson planning.
- •Ensure that the school’s action and improvement plans are based on realistic self-evaluation.
- •Enhance students’ wellbeing and support for students of determination.
- •Promote and develop students' critical thinking, problem-solving, enquiry and research skills across all phases and subjects.
- •Ensure that the development of reading literacy is embedded in all subjects.
- •Address students' lack of involvement in wellbeing initiatives, and establish comprehensive, student-centred wellbeing strategies.
- •Improve the attainment and progress of Emirati students.
- •Improve students’ reading and writing skills by providing more opportunities for independent reading and guided writing.
- •Extend students’ ability to solve open-ended, complex problems.
- •Give students more opportunities to plan and carry out scientific enquiries independently.
- •Encourage students to take greater responsibility for initiating their own learning, for developing their own ideas and for conducting independent research.
- •Improve the effectiveness of middle leaders and of all departments and phases.
- •Provide more detailed reporting to parents on students’ achievements, including next steps in their learning.