Having opened in September 2018, following the lead of the original GEMS Founders School in Al Barsha, GEMS Founders Mizhar School intends to offer parents a highly affordable and quality UK education.

The story so far...

Two years after the launch of the original  GEMS Founders School Dubai in the southern end of the city in Al Barsha South - with easy access to Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road and Sheikh Zayed Road, Mirdif became the second area to benefit from the launch of an affordable British curriculum model school in the form of GEMS Founders Al Mizhar (GFM), which opened in September 2018.

The Mizhar district is located just over the Khawaneej Road, and is already home to numerous, primarily US curriculum schools. The neighbourhood is only minutes away from not only Mirdif, but also Muhaisanah, Al Warqaa, Al Qusais and the ever expanding Al Khawaneej districts. 

The school is a continuation of the Founders brand which has been one of the most successful ever school launches in the UAE. In the first year alone, the Al Barsha school doubled in size, rising from 1,800 students to well over 3,000.

And it would seem that GEMS Founders Al Mizhar has been equally successful with enrollments having reached over 3,000 at the time of the first KHDA inspection in March 2022. Concurrent with the DSIB inspection team's work, GFM was also inspected on behalf of British Schools Overseas, achieving a 'Good with Outstanding features' rating for the quality of education provided.

Read More: GEMS Founders Al Barsha Goes From Strength to Strength

Feedback from parents to WhichSchoolAdvisor.com has been extremely positive - notably since the arrival of the current Principal and following the end of Distance Learning.  Many parents have commented on the quality of education and the value for money fees.  If there is criticism, it is the travel time for younger students and class sizes.

The following comment sums up the views of many:
"I have been a parent in this school for the past 3 years. My children love going to school, the staff and teachers are always happy and welcoming. The most important is the school listens to parents and where ever necessary implements suggestions given by parents. The school for me is a big community which works for the best of the children. My eldest is in Year 10, she has been guided well about the subjects and the teachers appointed by the school for high school are very nice. Teachers in the middle school and primary levels are equally very good too. I, as a parent, recommend Gems Founders Al Mizhar to new parents."

Find out more about parents' views under The Buzz.

As expected, GEMS Founders Mizhar School has followed the same formula as the original iteration: a well developed school delivered at a value price point, with a mix of an experienced leadership with UK experience and UK teachers in their early years of teaching, together with internationally qualified, mainly native English speaking, staff.

The school's success in enrolling students has been proven, with plans announced in May 2021 for the construction of an extension to the original build which was completed for the start of the new academic year in August 2021.

The school is led by Principal Akram Tarik, who in his introduction informs parents that "As a Dubai school that teaches students the National Curriculum for England, we offer a reasonably priced world-class education for Foundation Stage to Year 11 students and eventually growing to provide an education from FS to Y13".

Akram joined GFM in August 2020 having previously held the role of Principal at GEMS Westminster School - Ras Al Khaimah. Prior to moving to RAK, he spent 19 years in a variety of leadership roles in inner-London.

Born in London and with Moroccan ancestry, Mr. Tarik dedicated the early part of his career in education working in the state school sector in the UK. He is driven by the ambition to provide world-class experiences and deliver exceptional educational outcomes for young people. Akram is also a trained UK Department of Education (OFSTED) inspector with a background in Natural Sciences and a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry.

The school's Mission is 'Creating tomorrow's successful and caring citizens today.'
Its Vision is 'To empower students to have the heart to celebrate uniqueness and the mind to be innovative, creative problem solvers, bringing a positive change to the world in which we live.'

The Principal clearly spent his first year-and-a-half at the school focusing on ensuring that GFM was developing its capacity to deliver on its Mission and Vision and would meet the requirements for a successful first KHDA inspection in 2022.

This he evidently did, with the school being awarded a Good rating - the highest awarded at first inspection - in March 2022. A year after the first KHDA inspection, the 2023 visit from the DSIB inspection team resulted in a further Good rating.  

In November 2021, as further evidence of the strengthening of the leadership team, GEMS announced the appointment of Kausor Amin-Ali as Head of the Secondary School.  Mr. Amin-Ali had previously served as Principal at Al Salam Private School before moving on to its newly established Al Salam Community School. 

According to the 2023 inspection report, the 3,150 students, with the largest population group described as Arab ( including 550 Emirati students)  were supported by 178 predominantly British teachers and a further 48 teaching assistants.  This results in a teacher:student ratio of 1:18, definitely on the high side, but to be expected in an affordably-priced school.  Teacher turnover, at 23%, is towards the higher end of average for the UAE.

What about the curriculum?

GFM says that it teaches the traditional UK curriculum, but in an international context, where the UAE Ministry of Education syllabus is incorporated into the curriculum structure.

In addition to the development of specific skills and competencies, the curriculum emphasises enquiry, creativity, analytical evaluation and "other skills needed to meet the challenges of the future" - a direction that many UK curriculum schools are now following, incorporating many of the enquiry-based, cross curricular approaches that traditionally were more commonly found in the International Baccalaureate curriculum.

A particular focus of GFM is Computational Thinking  According to the school, "We believe that it is not only a subject or a skill but also a way to learn any subject or skill as well as solve real life scenarios and challenges. In short, it is the new critical Literacy".

In order to shape its vision, GFM has remodeled its Innovation Lab by making visible and purpose built areas for different tasks such as identifying a problem and working through different critical thinking strategies to reach a solution. Computational Thinking is introduced as early as Foundation Stage where students apply it through Bee-bots, and is continued all the way to Year 10 in various ways including the use of technology such as Drone Programming, Sphero Programming and other Robotic suites including WEDO and EV3. Students are also learning programming languages such as Python to realize ideas into solutions.

As part of the focus on technology and innovation and to keep all skills relevant to real life, GFM Innovation Challenges are run in different year groups/subjects. Students are required to work in groups to select a Sustainable Developmemt Goal (SDG) such as Water, Education and Environment on which they focus their improvement efforts.

Students go through the four stages of Computational Thinking; Decomposition, Pattern Recognition, Abstraction and Algorithm Design to come up with a feasible solution. They apply High Performance Learning (a form of curriculum delivery based around the belief that students are capable of far greater academic achievement irrespective of their background or prior education, recently adopted by a number of GEMS schools and led by GEMS Jumeirah College) and the usage of technology in order to bring their ideas to life.  Further details of HPL can be found here.

Children join the school in the Foundation Stage which introduces young learners to school-life, as students develop their motor skills, foundation-level numeracy and literacy skills, and self-esteem through play-based learning activities.  The Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum includes the following areas of learning: communication and language, physical development, personal, social and emotional development, literacy, mathematics, understanding the world, and expressive arts and design.

At Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2), students are still discovering their skills and competencies, and at this stage they are introduced to subjects that will lay the foundation for learning as they go into higher year levels. Core Subjects include English, Mathematics, Science, Arabic as a First or as a Arabic Second Language, UAE Social Studies, Moral Education, Computing, Humanities (History and Geography), Islamic Studies (for Muslim students) or Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCEE) (for non-Muslim students), Art, Music, and Physical Education (PE).

As students move into Key Stage 2, so they begin to develop their independent learning skills more fully whilst continuing with the core studies from KS1. From Year 3, they also have the option to study French.

By the time students move into the first years of Secondary school in Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9), they are ready for creative and accelerated and further independent learning responsibilities include the need to set daily goals and to have long-term objectives.

Core Subjects are made up of  English, Mathematics, Science, Arabic First or Second Language, UAE Social Studies, Moral Education, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Humanities (History and Geography), Islamic Studies (for Muslim students) or Personal, Social, Health and Citizenship Education (PSHCEE) (for non-Muslim students), French, Art, Music, and Physical Education (PE). 

GFM's first cohort of Year 10 students started to study for their I/GCSE examinations from September 2020. The compulsory subjects studied as I/GCSE are English, Mathematics and Science. Some students also study English Literature. Science includes ‘triple’ Science or ‘combined’ (Double) Science. All three disciplines: Biology. Chemistry and Physics are equally valued as either 3 GCSE qualifications or a ‘Double Award’ worth 2 GCSE qualifications. Students study the MoE curriculum in Arabic, Islamic Studies, and Moral and Social Studies and study Physical and Wellbeing Education (PWE).

Optional I/GCSEs include Art, Business, Computer Science, Drama, Economics, French, Geography, History, ICT, Music, PE, Psychology, ICT, Sociology, and Food Technology. GFM also offers Level 2 IBTECs in Sport, Applied Sciences, Art, Business and IT.

The school opened its Sixth Form for students in KS5 (AS and A Levels) in 2022, with the first A Level cohort due to graduate from GFM in June 2023. Subjects are divided into five option blocks and include A Level Art, Biology, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Drama, Economics, English Language, English Literature, French,  Geography,  History, IT, Maths, Further Maths, Physics, Psychology and Sociology.

The school also offers a range of Level 3 IBTEC subjects, including Art, Business, IT, and Physical Education. 

GFM provide some information about Extra-curricular activities, which are predominantly sports focused, with the inclusion of Dance and Athletics, with invitational squads in some case. 

What about academic achievement?

The first IGCSE cohort at GFM were due to sit their examinations in June 2022. To their credit, the school published some details of the results, although there was no information on the number of students who participated in the examinations, nor of the overall student pass rate.

Overall, 40% of exam entries were awarded the equivalent of an A* or A (Grade 9 to 7).  There was no further breakdown of grades from A*-B, or A*-C - the pass grades at I/GCSE, and no overall pass rate for students for a minimum of 5 subjects including Maths and English (the measure of the UK Department of Education in respect of minimum expectations for students).

According to the school, 20% of students achieved an A* (Grade 9 – 8) grade. 70% of students achieved at least 1 A*or  A (9-7) grade. Over two thirds of students achieved the equivalent of  A*-B (9-6). 50% of students in English language achieved an A* or A (9-7) and more than 40% of students in Mathematics achieved an A* or A (9-7). More than 50% of students achieved an A* or A (9-7) in I/GCSE Biology, Chemistry or Physics.  

However, providing feedback to students and parents is clearly a further area of focus at the school.

The Secondary school follows a five-year assessment scheme, which is in line with the new GCSE grading system. Students' achievement grades are presented in reports as an indication of what GCSE grade they would obtain if they sat for their exams at the time of reporting. Subject performance is graded from 9-1, with 9 being the highest achievable mark. GFM has introduced minus (-) and plus (+) to show a student's progress within the academic year at the time of reporting. A student with a -3 would thus be working at the lower end of the grade boundary, whereas a student with a 3+ would be working at the higher end of that grade boundary.

As a school, GFM has set a minimum expectation for students to achieve Grade 5 in each subject by the end of year 11 when they would take their IGCSE examinations.  A pass grade at GCSE is Grade 4, with a Grade 5 being the equivalent of a high C grade using the IGCSE A*- G structure.  Whilst this may not seem overly ambitious, the key measure for most schools in the UK is that their students achieve a minimum of 5 GCSE passes at Grade 5 including Maths and English.

What about support for students of Determination?

At the time of the 203 DSIB inspection, 317 students had been identified with additional learning needs almost three times of the prior year. The inspectors were very positive about the provision for these students, awarding a Very Good rating overall.

The inspection team noted that "The governing body exerts a very positive influence on the school inclusion team. The well-qualified leaders have created an improvement plan that identifies appropriate priorities and actions with which to develop even more effective provision and maintain a very inclusive ethos."

What about the facilities?

In line with the provision at sister school, GEMS Founders Al Barsha, GFM offers a range of good quality facilities, but without some of the more expensive infrastructure (such as swimming pools and auditoria) demanded by parents of higher cost schools. 

At GFM, these include classrooms equipped with high-speed internet and quality resources, (including built-in class washrooms for Foundation Stage), dedicated computing suites, science labs, a large open-plan innovation hub with robotics, drones and coding equipment to support computational thinking, Arts rooms, Music rooms, a Dance studio, school libraries (with an extensive collection of literature for all ages), a Dining hall (serving nutritious foods and drinks), and Parents Cafe.

Sports and outdoor facilities include a Multi-Purpose hall, a large Football pitch, outdoor multi-purpose sports courts and cricket nets,  as well as indoor and outdoor play areas for FS students.

What the inspectors say

The awaited first DSIB inspection of GEMS Founders Al Mizhar took place in March 2022 and the school was awarded a Good rating - the highest rating to be given to any Dubai school on its first inspection, although the KHDA has indicated in the past that a higher rating is possible.

It is evident too, that the Good rating applies to almost all aspects of the school, with Very Good having been awarded for Health and Safety and for Management, staffing, facilities and resources.

The 2023 inspection again awarded an overall Good rating, but as is often the case, this does not reflect the level of improvement across the school in the intervening year.  Almost all aspects of English, Maths and Science are now rated Good across the school (Arabic and Islamic Education lag behind as Acceptable with one exception). Students' personal development and understanding of Islamic values are now rated Very Good across the school.  Health and Safety, rated Outstanding, and the Care and Support of students, rated Very Good, are clearly strengths.

The inspectors determined that the strengths of GFM are:

• Students’ progress in English, mathematics and science across all phases, as well as in Islamic Education and Arabic as an additional language in the primary phase.
• Students’ attitudes, behaviour and relationships, and their understanding of Islamic values, UAE society and world cultures.
• The health, care, guidance and security provided by the school to promote students’ welfare and wellbeing and to encourage their academic success.
• Effective partnerships with parents and the community, and the management, staffing, facilities and resources provided by the school.
• Improved outcomes and personal development as a consequence of the recent high profile and focus on inclusion.

In terms of areas for improvement, GFM should:

• Improve standards of attainment and progress in Islamic Education and Arabic
• Raise children’s levels of attainment in English, mathematics and science in the Foundation Stage (FS) and students’ achievement in Post-16 science.
• Ensure that leaders in all areas make effective use of assessment data to appropriately adapt the curriculum and that teachers use the same to plan lessons more reliably to fully meet the needs of all students and groups of students. 

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

The Buzz

There has been relatively limited direct feedback to us at WhichSchoolAdvisor.com (approximately 50) for GFM parents (given the size of the school) via our Survey.  Those responses that have been received have been mostly positive, with an overall rating of 3.8/5 - a positivity rating of 76%.

59% of respondents believe that their children have a 'tremendous' amount of belonging and 53% believe that their children have a 'tremendous' enjoyment of school.  Almost half of respondents moved their child from another Dubai school to GFM - thus placing a high demand on the school to meet their expectations. 75% of parents would seem to be more than happy with their choice - they have never considered moving their child to another school!

78% of respondents are satisfied with the academic performance of the school, although 25% still feel the need for outside tuition - though this is under the UAE average of 29%.  And 72% of parents are either 'quite confident' or 'extremely confident' in the school's ability to meet their child's individual learning needs.

Where there seems to have been a real turnaround since the arrival of the new Principal is in relation to communication.  Prior to his arrival, only one third of respondents were satisfied with the level of communication they received - that has now improved to 76%!

These overall improvements in parents' ratings of the school are reinforced by the now 80% of respondents who would recommend GFM to others - compared with a figure of only 45%. 

There has also been a very significant change in view with respect to the value for money that parents feel the school fees represent.  Whereas previously only 33% of parents believed that fees did represent value for money, whilst 22% did not, these figures have changed substantially, with 59% believing that they do and 10% totally disagreeing, although 31% of parents still feel that fees only partially represent value for money. 

If you are a parent, teacher or senior student at GEMS Founders Al Mizhar, please share your opinions and experience with other potential members of your community by completing our Survey here.

In a new initiative launched by the KHDA in 2022-23, inspectors were also asked to evaluate the quality of Wellbeing provision and outcomes.  .

At GFM, this was found to be at a High level.

The inspectors found that:

• Governors and senior leaders promote the importance of wellbeing in all areas of school life through the theme of kindness. The school has a distributed leadership approach to wellbeing, involving teachers and students in implementing the wellbeing agenda. The school collects, analyses and uses wellbeing data to monitor and modify its whole school approach to wellbeing and engagement. Systems are in place to support the wellbeing of the whole school community.
• Teachers foster very positive relationships with their students who collaborate well in their learning. Staff wellbeing is effectively promoted and morale is high, supported by effective counselling for anyone in need. The school gathers extensive wellbeing information from surveys, assessments and feedback from all stakeholders.
• A dedicated whole school curriculum offers a range of activities to promote students’ wellbeing and resilience. The school culture is focused on developing empathetic, self-aware and independent learners. The school encourages safe and healthy lifestyles, and sports have a high profile. Students report feeling happy, safe and connected to their school community.

Our View

As a school that is entering its sixth year of operation,  2023-24 is likely to be a year in which we can expect to learn more about how GEMS Founders Al Mizhar is performing.  Its first cohort of Year 13 students will graduate from the Sixth Form, and we would hope to see how successful these students were in their A Level and IBTEC examinations.  The school will also see a third inspection by the DSIB and it will be interesting to see what progress has been made to address the issues raised in the second inspection.

As a rule, GEMS has a reputation for "doing what it says on the tin", and whilst there will have been some inevitable bumps along the road - as with any new and fast-growing organisation - we would expect that GFM is beginning to reach a level of maturity in terms of its staffing and delivery. 

Parents around the Mirdif area have an increasing range of other options in terms of good British curriculum schools, but few that will be able to compete with GFM in terms of quality, facilities and price. We definitely think that the school warrants a place on any short-list. 

What about the fees?

Fees at GEMS Founders Al Mizhar start at AED 23,690 for FS1 rising to AED 36,050 for Years 12 and 13.

This school is in a Best School by parents ranking

GEMS Founders Mizhar School is a Best of school, a ranking determined by parent surveys on the site. It can be found in the following Best of rankings:

• #101 in Best Schools in the UAE
• #42 in Best British Schools in Dubai
• #69 in Best Schools in Dubai

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