The Winchester School - Jabal Ali
Executive Summary
The Winchester School - DUBAI BRANCH has been rated Very Good by KHDA for the 2023-2024 academic year. The school demonstrates outstanding achievement in English, mathematics, and science in the Foundation Stage and Post-16, with science achievement also outstanding across Primary and Secondary. Students are enthusiastic, responsible learners, with collaborative learning being a particular strength in FS and Post-16.
Students exhibit very positive attitudes, self-discipline, and empathy, showing excellent understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture. Most teaching is Very Good, and outstanding in FS and Post-16, characterized by strong subject knowledge and engaging lessons. The National Curriculum for England is effectively implemented, offering balance and diverse pathways for older students.
The school maintains outstanding health and safety arrangements, ensuring students feel safe and secure, with a strong emphasis on healthy living. Leadership is generally strong, with a clear vision shared among stakeholders, and partnerships with parents are highly effective. Governors are well-informed and hold leaders accountable, supported by adequate resources and staffing.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
The Winchester School - DUBAI BRANCH Overall Rating
Very Good for 7+ 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 provides Very Good provision and outcomes for students of determination, supported by a dedicated team of specialist teachers and LSAs. Clear identification and intervention procedures are in place, with parents speaking positively about the inclusion centre and regular communication. Most students of determination make better than expected progress. students of determinationinclusion centreIEPs
Wellbeing provision and outcomes are rated Very Good, with the school strongly prioritizing wellbeing and integrating it into its ethos. A skilled wellbeing leader guides a team that ensures high-quality provision, supported by robust self-review systems. Stakeholder engagement is strong, and a holistic, integrated approach to the wellbeing curriculum is informed by careful planning. wellbeing leaderstakeholder engagementholistic approach
The school's overall standards in the National Agenda Parameter are Outstanding. Leaders meticulously analyze assessment results to address learning gaps, and departments produce detailed action plans. The school has significantly increased reading literacy skills across most students, with parent volunteers and older students actively supporting reading activities. National Agenda Parameterreading literacy skillsaction plans
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Outstanding Achievement
Students demonstrate outstanding academic achievement in the Foundation Stage and Post-16, with science achievement consistently outstanding across all phases.
Strong Progress in Languages
Students make very good progress in Islamic Education and Arabic, reflecting effective teaching and curriculum support in these subjects.
Exceptional Personal Skills
Students exhibit outstanding personal, social, leadership, and innovation skills, actively participating in various initiatives and demonstrating strong empathy.
Outstanding Curriculum
The school boasts an outstanding curriculum design that is well-aligned with Emirati culture and UAE society, providing extensive choices and promoting deep understanding.
Robust Safeguarding & Partnerships
Outstanding health and safety arrangements ensure student well-being, complemented by excellent partnerships with parents that foster a supportive school community.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Achievement in English, mathematics and science is outstanding in the Foundation Stage (FS) and in Post-16. Students’ achievement in science is also outstanding in Primary and Secondary. Achievement in the other key subjects is mostly very good.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
Led by the principal, leaders at all levels establish a clear strategic direction and a shared vision focused on high outcomes, wellbeing, and inclusion. The school's self-evaluation process is thorough, incorporating internal and external data, and stakeholder views. While professional relationships are strong, there is inconsistency in the capacity of some middle leaders to identify and address barriers to improvement.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students demonstrate outstanding achievement in English, mathematics, and science in FS and Post-16, and in science across all phases. They are enthusiastic, responsible learners with strong collaborative skills. Personal development, understanding of Islamic values, Emirati culture, social responsibility, and innovation skills are consistently outstanding across all phases.
Personal Development
Students exhibit outstanding personal development, showing responsible and positive attitudes, self-discipline, and empathy. They have an excellent understanding and appreciation of Islamic values, Emirati heritage, and world cultures. Student leadership is a special feature, fostering innovation, entrepreneurship, and environmental awareness.
Teaching Quality
Most teaching is very good, and outstanding in FS and Post-16, characterized by strong subject knowledge and engaging lessons. Teachers effectively use questioning and assessment data to plan, though consistency in implementation varies in lower Primary and Secondary. The school's internal assessment processes are comprehensive and rigorously analyzed against benchmarks.
Protection & Care
The school has rigorous procedures for health and safety, meeting all legislative requirements, and staff are fully trained in safeguarding. Students feel safe and confident to report concerns, with a strong sense of online safety. It is a supportive, caring environment with highly effective pastoral support, robust attendance procedures, and strong communication with parents.
Areas for Development
- •Improve the consistency of teaching in the lower primary and lower secondary years.
- •Ensure effective implementation of assessment information in lessons and match learning activities to the diverse needs of students in primary and secondary.
- •Ensure that new staff are aware of the importance and purpose of the National Agenda project.
- •Through increased differentiation and personalisation, establish consistently high-quality classroom climates and experiences that meet the wellbeing needs of all groups of students.
- •Ensure that the citation, recitation and memorisation of the Holy Qur'an and Hadith are fully developed and in line with the curriculum expectations.
- •Improve students’ narrative, descriptive and informative extended writing.
- •Increase the opportunities for students to practice and engage in spoken activities using standard Arabic.
- •Provide more opportunities, particularly for the lower achievers and beginners, to practise their weaker language skills.
- •Raise achievement in Primary and Secondary to match that in FS and Post-16.
- •Provide more opportunities for students in lower Primary and lower Secondary to develop their critical thinking skills.
- •Ensure that students, especially in lower Primary and lower Secondary, develop and use skills to solve complex problems from everyday contexts.
- •Make more use of ongoing assessment to move more able students on to higher order tasks as soon as they are ready.
- •Ensure that teachers increase the level of challenge for all students and improve their scientific analytical skills, particularly those of higher attaining students.
- •Maximise the use of learning technology to support inquiry, research and higher order thinking skills, particularly in Primary and Secondary.
- •Sustain the student-led environmental campaigns.
- •Ensure greater consistency in the quality of teaching in lower Primary and lower Secondary, with particular reference to the use of assessment information in implementing the lesson planned.
- •Ensure that teachers implement the planned tasks to provide suitable challenge to all groups, including students of determination across all subjects and phases.
- •Ensure that all teachers refer to students’ IEPs in planning lesson learning activities.
- •Ensure that the detailed IEP learning targets and strategies are implemented in all lessons.