The School of Research SciencePrincipal & Leadership Team

Principal Naseem Sahar Butt has led The School of Research Science since 1 January 2022, taking over from Ms. Nan Billingham, who secured a British Schools Overseas Outstanding rating in 2021. While the transition represents a relatively recent change at the helm, the school's overall KHDA rating has remained consistently Good across multiple inspection cycles, signalling institutional stability beneath the leadership change. The school's governance is rated Good by KHDA, though inspectors flagged a notable concern: school improvement advisers serving within the governance structure create a conflict of interest in their role of holding senior leaders to account — a structural issue parents should be aware of.

The school's management, staffing, facilities and resources are rated Outstanding — the highest possible rating and a genuine standout in the inspection report. With 298 teachers serving 3,209 students, SRS operates at a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:16, which is notably higher than the Dubai private school average of 1:13.6 across 204 schools with available data. Among British curriculum schools in Dubai, this ratio warrants attention from parents who prioritise individual attention. The school does, however, deploy 68 teaching assistants and 18 guidance counsellors, which meaningfully supplements classroom capacity, particularly for the 180 students of determination enrolled. The largest nationality group among teachers is United Kingdom, consistent with the school's British curriculum identity and its BSO accreditation.

A significant staffing concern emerges from the inspection data: teacher turnover is reported at 36%. This is a high rate by any measure and raises legitimate questions about continuity of teaching relationships and institutional knowledge — factors that directly affect student progress. KHDA's inspection noted that teaching effectiveness varies, with the strongest practice found in Islamic Education, Arabic, Foundation Stage, and Post-16, while consistency in Primary and Secondary remains an area for improvement. Inspectors specifically recommended that lesson planning make fuller use of assessment data and that middle leaders be better equipped to drive improvement in their areas.

On community and culture, SRS performs well. Parents and the community are rated Very Good by KHDA, with parent workshops, school surveys, and responsive communication cited as strengths. Wellbeing provision is rated Very Good overall, with senior leaders praised for embedding wellbeing into school life and for the school's prompt, non-judgmental support for students and families. The school's strong Islamic ethos — reflected in Outstanding ratings for students' understanding of Islamic values across all phases — gives SRS a distinctive character that resonates deeply with its predominantly Emirati community, where 2,414 of 3,209 students are Emirati. The school holds BSO accreditation, independently validating its British curriculum standards.