Dubai Heights Academy opened in September 2017, located in Al Barsha South, following the English National Curriculum.

The story so far...

Opening in 2017, Dubai Heights Academy (DHA) set out from the beginning to be a model for inclusion in Dubai.  The school embraces Inclusion in the fullest sense of the word, attracting students from a wide range of abilities across the academic spectrum, from those with Gifts and Talents to mainstream students and those with additional learning needs, providing a curriculum based on the English National Curriculum for all students able to access it, and the ASDAN curriculum for students of Determination who are unable to access the full UK curriculum.

The school's first KHDA inspection was due to take place in March 2020, but postponed as a result of the Covid-19 pandemic.  However, in line with the requirements set by the Ministry of Education and the KHDA, DHA did participate in the 2020 Distance Learning Evaluation, achieving the highest rating of Developed.  A summary of the outcomes can be found here.
In May 2022, the KHDA published the first DSIB inspection report for Dubai Heights Academy.  The school achieved a Good rating, the highest rating that new schools have thus far achieved in their first inspection.  

Admissions are currently open to Year 9; the school having started to admit students in Years 7 and 8 of Secondary from September 2020.  The current capacity of the school is 940, but with the growth of the Secondary school and Sixth form progressively, the overall final figure is expected to be 1,800 with facilities designed for this number. With current student numbers, - 240 at the time of the March 2022 KHDA inspection, DHA offers an unusually spacious environment for its students.

DHA is accredited with BSME (British Schools in the Middle East), an organisation which aims to support schools through professional development programmes and relationship building across the Middle East, and membership of which requires commitment from the school to adhere to UK based standards. 

Principal, Alison Lamb's introduction states 'At Dubai Heights Academy we provide educational excellence alongside a quality inclusive education system. We aim to inspire students to dream more, learn more, do more and become more; through positive energy, vision and unity.' 

The school's vision and ethos is clear - 'we believe in Every Child, Every Mind and Everybody so that every student's talents are recognized and they can thrive in their school environment.'

Its Mission is evident - 'Our mission is inclusivity. We believe in helping every child to realise their full potential, making the most of their individual abilities and personalities. This embraces children across the full spectrum of educational needs. Our Vision is a school designed around every child, every mind and everybody'

Having opened with relatively small numbers of students, DHA now has some 240 students from 40 different nationalities studying in Years 1 to 8.  The positive KHDA inspection will now allow the school to expand to Year 9 and beyond in the coming years. The largest student nationality group is British. As in most newer schools, students are heavily skewed in numbers towards the younger end.  Class sizes are low by most standards with a maximum of 22 in FS and 24 in Years 1 to 6.  Average class sizes currently are 16-18 students in the Primary school, to 10-12 in Secondary, meaning that students receive considerable individual attention.  

The school employs 27 full-time teachers - predominantly from the UK with the balance from Ireland other than for Arabic and Islamic Studies - providing a teacher:student ratio of a low 1:9. Teachers are required to have a UK Teaching Qualification and degree and a minimum of two years’ experience. Teachers at DHA appear to be happy with their employment - with very low staff turnover at 4%. Teachers are supported by a further 16 Teaching Assistants and two specialist SEN staff.  18 students have been identified as Students of Determination and there are 27 students on the school roll.

All classes in FS1 to Year 4 have a Learning Assistant and in Year 5 to Year 8 the classes have a shared assistant as the children are much more independent at this age.

In January 2020, the school announced a significant new hire, Mr Rob Hitchings, Vice Principal and Secondary Leader.  Mr Hitchings, a school leader with more than 24 years experience joined the school from Al Rabeeh Academy, Abu Dhabi.

Although the school does not have any direct affiliations with others, it does have nursery affiliations (including Kids Island Nursery and Blossom Village Nursery).

What about the curriculum?

Dubai Heights Academy offers the English National Curriculum. A definitive decision has not yet been made with regard to the post-16 curriculum (due to open in 2025) and WhichSchoolAdvisor.com understands that, in common with some of the most academically successful schools in Dubai, consideration is being given to the IB Diploma programme for this final stage of the school.

In the Foundation Stage, the school follows the key outcomes and objectives outlined in the Development Matters in the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. However, in order to provide an all-inclusive curriculum, DHA ensures that it is delivered in a way that is meaningful and challenging for all of children.

In FS, the curriculum is delivered thematically to ensure the children apply their knowledge to real life contexts. The children learn through exploratory, hands on play as they are encouraged to take their learning in whichever direction they desire. All teachers in FS provide a safe setting, where children feel confident to take risks, share their ideas and be creative in an exciting, warm, and friendly environment.

The Primary Curriculum at Dubai Heights Academy encompasses the core subjects at the heart of the UK curriculum; Literacy, Maths and Science. The curriculum is further enriched with Geography, History, Design Technology, Art, PSHE, Computing, and includes UAE Social Studies, Arabic and Moral Education from Years 1 – 6.

A further initiative that the school rolled out for the 2020-21 academic year was free access to Chromebooks for children in Years 3 to 7. In this digital age, DHA believes that it is imperative that students learn to be confident using technology from an early age, even if their parents are not particularly tech savvy. Chromebooks are simple, secure, and shareable, web-based devices, that can be used to create and collaborate.

According to Principal Alison Lamb, “Technology has an essential role to play in the development of our curriculum and can offer students an enjoyable and engaging experience, which helps to enhance achievement.  So, to ensure that our students benefit from this, children in Years 3-7 can use our Chromebooks free of charge and simply return them at the end of the school year, alleviating the cost for parents.”

In an alliance designed to place further very specific and tailored emphasis on technology, DHA has created an affiliation with world-renowned Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) with whom the school is working in partnership to create a tailored AI curriculum for Secondary students.  The intention is that the curriculum will be developed further for introduction to the Primary school in due course with robots to aid learning.

Across all phases of the school, teachers strive to teach subjects in an integrated way to provide a high standard of teaching and learning which is enjoyable, purposeful and memorable for all children.  All children from FS1 have weekly music lessons and the school has a peripatetic music programme, providing individual music lesson in a range of instruments.

Read our Q&A with Dubai Heights Academy! 

Extra language provision is provided for students whose first language is not English and additionally, students study French and Arabic. 

There are after school activities available to all students which are run by teachers and held at no additional cost. These span across arts, leadership, academic, a myriad of sports, craft and construction. Examples include tennis, football, swimming, netball, karate, ballet, typing/coding club, sewing, music, construction, yoga and mindfulness, drama club, magazine club, math’s puzzle club and performing arts. Some additional activities supported by outside providers do attract a fee and include karate, performing arts, ballet etc 

The school does not yet offer international trips but intends to offer visits to Ecoventure in RAK and educational day trips across the UAE once Covid 19 restrictions are eased.

What about Support for Students of Determination, those with Gifts and Talents  and Wellbeing?

DHA strives to be a fully inclusive school. It aims to support a wide range of needs through adapting the curriculum to suit individuals and modifying teaching strategies and resources to ensure that every child can reach their full potential. Students with dyslexia, dyspraxia, and Aspergers syndrome (among other needs) will be supported by the school. 

The Inclusion Team consists of the Head of Inclusion (Masters in Special Education), an Inclusion Teacher (Qualified SENCO, Bachelor of Education, training to qualify as a Dyslexia specialist) and two Inclusion Teaching Assistants. The Inclusion team support inside and outside of class and provide training for classroom assistants to carry out interventions in the classroom.

The school features an Enrichment Zone which is dedicated to supporting all learners, and specifically students of determination. It consists of a Snoezelen room, Fun Junction Sensory room and therapy support classrooms. The school works closely with Sensation Station (owned by the same group) and has a Speech and Language Therapist and an Occupational Therapist on site twice a week to provide group therapy support in classrooms.  Physiotherapy is also available.

Currently there is no additional cost for this specialist provision. Some students may require a 1:1 Learning support assistant, and, in this case, the school will support the parents in interviewing and hiring a suitable candidate which is paid for by parents.

With the return to school in September 2020 after the closures as a result of Covid 19, DHA planned a range of measures to ensure that students and families feel supported. A wellbeing support network was set up in-house so that parents, staff and in certain cases students, could reach out anonymously, should they witness or indeed suffer from any anxiety returning to a busy school environment, after such a long absence.

What about the facilities?

The campus is state-of-the-art with separate buildings for FS1 and FS2 as well as a green space, a multi-purpose hall and auditorium, and a swimming pool. On top of the FS swimming pool, there are two other temperature controlled swimming pools, fully equipped science and computer labs, specialist rooms for art, music and language, a library, two multipurpose sports halls, a full size football pitch, an outdoor sports court, a variety of outdoor play areas, and a spacious canteen. 

With expansion of the school to encompass Secondary students, additional facilities to include Food Technology, specialist Art and Design and Design Technology and a Black Box theatre are being added.

The relatively low number of students - compared with the capacity of the school and the facilities that have been created with this in mind - means that specialist facilities such as the Sensory Room, Climbing Walls and Outdoor learning areas can be shared more broadly than might ordinarily be the case.

The school, as its literature explains, is putting a focus on "an excellent working environment, top international facilities, educational resources and wonderful teachers." 

The campus, which can be accessed via the school's website, allows both parents and children interested in DHA to explore the school and its state-of-the-art facilities. To complement this, physical onsite tours of Dubai Heights Academy have been approved to start again and will give families the option of a more in-depth feel of the campus and its facilities.

What the inspectors say

With no KHDA inspection report due to the suspension of inspections as a result of the Covid pandemic, there had been no formal feedback from parents at Dubai Heights Academy - an important part of the inspection process. However, the Distance Learning Evaluation of the school held in March 2020 received the highest Developed rating with the following outcomes:

Positive features of DLE
1. Leaders' agility and their commitment to surveying families leading to continuous improvement in provision

2. Planning for breadth and balance of learning experience with a notable attention to equity of access to quality distance learning provision

3. Assessment systems and developmental feedback to students

Areas for development in the Distance Learning Profile
1. Ensure that all parents are updated on their children's learning over time ,and that they are clear about their own roles and responsibilities in supporting their children.

2. Revisit and amplify the guidance to students on cyber-safety, to ensure that all students know and understand the actions to be taken when needed.

3. Develop increasingly strategic and detailed contingency planning for the longer term, based upon the identified scenarios.

The full report can be found here.

And finally, in March 2022, the long-awaited first full inspection by the KHDA's DSIB inspection team took place, resulting an overall Good rating - the highest rating yet awarded to schools during their first inspection.

The inspection team praised DHA in identifying its strengths as:

• A very well managed, welcoming school, which is based on values of mutual respect, tolerance, and empathy.
• Well-behaved and responsible students, who enjoy excellent relationships with teachers and their peers.
• A bold vision for an inclusive school delivering good provision and outcomes for students of determination.
• Very strong parental communication and levels of engagement.
• An emphasis on developing lifelong skills, enhancing student achievement.

In common with several schools undergoing their first inspection in March 2022, student achievement was strong in relation to English, Maths and Science, with progress and attainment largely rated Good in the FS and Primary sections.  In the Secondary section, progress was rated Good in English and Maths, but Acceptable in Science and attainment was rated Acceptable in all three subjects.  Learning skills were rated Good across the school.  Unfortunately, the strengths shown in the English-taught subjects were less evident in Arabic and Islamic Education, which were rated largely Acceptable for progress but Weak for attainment.  These subjects will need to be an area of particular focus going forward.

Whilst students' personal development was rated Good across the school, and the Understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures were rated Good in Primary and Secondary, students' social responsibility and innovation skills received an Acceptable rating across the school. 

In terms of Teaching for Effective Learning and Curriculum Design and Implementation, the inspection team again awarded Good ratings, but the two further key performance indicators of Assessment and Curriculum adaptation were rated Acceptable. Student achievement is directly impacted by the core standards of Curriculum and Teaching and as the school improves in these key areas, so will student achievement also move forward - hence the emphasis placed on these inter-dependent Key Performance Standards.

Where DHA has clearly developed its strengths is in relation to Health and Safety - rated Good - and Care and Support - rated  Very Good. In their summary, the inspectors particularly noted "There are positive relationships in the school, and good systems for identifying students of determination, with support being of high quality. Individual Educational Plans (IEPs) are used well. . Across all phases of the school, students receive high levels of care and support."

This positive impression was also reflected in the overall rating of Good for the Provision and Outcomes for Students of Determination, where the inspection team noted that "Leaders communicate a highly inclusive ethos and are committed to implementing a strong vision of inclusive practice. They demonstrate a determination and developing capacity to achieve. High-quality inclusive support services and skilled specialist staff contribute significantly to the positive experiences of students of determination."

For the final Key Performance Standard of Leadership and Management, the five specific areas were rated a mixture of Good and Very Good.  In particular, the inspection team found that "Parents play an active part in the life of the school and feel welcome when they attend. They are represented on the Governing Board and their views are listened to during school reviews and improvement planning exercises. Home-school communication systems are sound and appreciated by parents. The achievements of their children are reported regularly, in written and verbal form and they are aware of how they can help to improve their children's learning."

The inspection team also praised the Management, staffing, facilities and resources of DHA, noting that "Premises and facilities are modern, accessible, and well-suited to support learning. Technology is plentiful. Specialist equipment, such as the sensory suite, is very well suited to enhance the learning of students of determination."

Overall the inspection team also found, in terms of the leadership and management of the school, that "The school's compelling vision of inclusivity is evident in all areas. FS, Arabic and Key Stage 1 have new leaders, as do secondary mathematics and English, with a new secondary science leader to be appointed in Sept 2022. This growing school is moving forward on many fronts, with leaders overseeing many areas". 

In terms of areas for improvement, the inspection team identified that Dubai Heights Academy should:

• Improve students’ achievement in Islamic Education, and Arabic A and B.
• Ensure that valid and reliable assessment data is used for curriculum modification and lesson planning to meet the learning needs of all students.
• Ensure that the curriculum is adapted effectively to meet the needs of all students, especially the most able. 
  
  

If  you would like to read the full inspection report - and we strongly recommend that you do so in order to see the reasons behind the ratings - you will find it here. 

The Buzz

WhichSchoolAdvisor.com asked the DHA team what was different about it compared with other schools in the city.  We were informed that the relatively small numbers and family ethos of the school enable a focus on well-being and personalised attention that it would be hard to find in a larger environment. Many parents choose the school on the personal recommendation of existing parents.

A further important factor for parents is that the school day at Dubai Heights Academy runs from 8:30am to 3:30pm for Years 1 - 6. This later start time was mindfully chosen to take some of the pressure off of families who often find themselves rising early, even before daybreak, to get everyone ready for school. The school hopes that the slightly later start time means that parents can drop their children off at the school on their way to work.  

Other key attributes of Dubai Heights Academy are:

• A Sense of community due to its size and strong family orientation
• Inclusion – fully inclusive; not just meeting minimum guidelines
• Facilities – the 'snoozelen' room and auditorium are unrivaled
• Later start time
• Not part of a chain – homegrown
• Providing a pathway from secondary to higher education – “The whole educational journey” – including future affiliations with MIT and Universities at Expo 2020.

Based on a limited number of responses from parents to the WhichSchoolAdvisor.com Parent Survey, it appears that parents are generally happy with the quality of education provided by DHA.

In particular, parents agree that students feel a strong or considerable sense of belonging to their school and over 8 out of 10 children enjoy going to school.  Nearly 9 out of 10 parents are fully or largely satisfied with the level of academic performance that the school offers, although, curiously, over 35% of respondents felt that they needed to supplement their child's education with additional outside tutoring (this may be a function of families whose children have additional needs). 

We were also surprised to see that 40% of families had considered moving their child to another school. The school admits that it was also a little slow to introduce fee reductions in light of the Covid 19 pandemic when many parents were struggling.  This may well explain why 20% of parents were not in agreement with the statement that the fees represented value for money.

It would seem that these concerns have also impacted the confidence that parents have in recommending DHA to others, with only 33% saying that they would definitely do so.  

If you are a parent or teacher at Dubai Heights Academy, please share your experience with other potential members of your community by completing our Survey here.

Our View

Overall, it seems that Dubai Heights Academy is on the right path in terms of its parents' perceptions, and this has also been confirmed by the KHDA first inspection process.  

We like the fact that DHA is, and will remain for the time being, a relatively small school.  We have the sense that there is a real community at the heart of the school which we expect to see grow and develop - the inclusion of a parent on the Board of Governors is a clear indication of the school's commitment to ensuring that its parent body is represented.  There is also a parent-teacher association.

One thing that is clear to us at WhichSchoolAdvisor.com is the very real commitment to a genuinely fully inclusive school for children of ALL abilities from the owners down.

What about the Fees?

As approved by the KHDA - fees start at AED 44,200 for FS1, rising to AED 58,400 for Year 6 and AED 66,900 for Year 8. 

For the 2021-22 academic year, starting in September 2021, the school has reduced its fees for new students. Fees for FS1 start at AED 37,570, rising to AED 63,555 for Year 8 and 9.

The FS1 discount is a continuing discount applicable for 2 academic years:
- Academic year 2021 - 2022: 15% discount on KHDA approved tuition fees for FS1
- Academic year 2022 - 2023: 10% discount on KHDA approved tuition fees for FS2
The FS2 discount of 10% for existing students is the continuing discount that was applicable to all FS1 students in 2021 - 2022. 

The above discounts cannot be used in conjunction with the Sibling Discount which is a stand alone discount.

The Sibling Discount for the year 2021 - 2022 are applicable on KHDA approved fees and are as follows: Eldest child - zero discount, Second eldest child - 10% discount, Third eldest child - 15% discount, Fourth eldest and subsequent children - 20% discount.

Parents will now be able to spread the cost of tuition across all three terms, meaning essentially that their total annual fees can be paid in equal monthly installments over ten months. 

There is a registration fee of AED 500 and a deposit of AED 8,000 payable at the time of the acceptance of an offer which is deducted from the first year's tuition fees.

 

This school is in a Best School by parents ranking

Dubai Heights Academy is a Best of school, a ranking determined by parent surveys on the site. It can be found in the following Best of rankings:

• #95 in Best Schools in the UAE
• #41 in Best Premium Schools in Dubai
• #32 in Best Premium British Schools in Dubai
• #44 in Best British Schools in Dubai
• #67 in Best Schools in Dubai

Are you looking for a place for your child, and want help from our school consultants? If so, click on the link below, and we will forward your request for information to the school or schools of the same type that we are confident have availability. This is a free service for our readers. Request Information