JSS International School is a private co-educational through school located in Jumeirah Village Circle (between the Al Khail Road and Hessa Street) to which it relocated from its nearby Al Barsha site in 2017. The school was first established on March 2009 by the JSS Education Foundation and provides education for students between KG to Grade 12, or ages four to 17 years.

The Story so Far...

JSS International School (JSSIS) is one of over 130 schools, including 122 State Board schools in India, one CICSE and 12 CBSE schools, operated by the JSS Mahavidyapeetha (JSSMVP), a charitable trust that is dedicated to "the development of culture, literature and education for the prosperity of humanity". Education for All is the central teaching of this Trust which aims to improve the socio economic circumstances of those it touches. Established over some sixty years ago, JSSMVP aims to transcend boundaries and cultures.  The standard of education in its schools is consistently above average, with excellent academic  results in the All India Secondary School Examinations.

CISCE curriculum JSSIS is one of two schools in Dubai, the other being the CBSE curriculum JSS Private School, that are part of the JSSMVP.  Both schools show similarities despite the difference in curriculum.  Notable among these is the achievement of the KHDA's Very Good rating for the first time in the 2019-20 inspection round.  Both schools received the same rating - the second highest achievable - in the first full post-pandemic inspection round in the 2022-23 academic year.

The school, in common with many, has a Mission and Vision which is shared on its very comprehensive website.

Its Vision is 'Relating Education to Life'.  Whilst the school Mission is to: 'Impart a complete education to produce global citizens with a keen sense of commitment, self–confidence, social awareness and responsibility'.

It is the School Promise which seems, in relatively brief words, to provide an impressive overview of its aims:

"Reliable, Responsible and Independent future citizens of  Planet Earth.   Students.....We promise to help you become independent, responsible and reliable citizens with high standards of behaviour and exceptional character. Parents……We promise to provide your child an inspiring and engaging learning environment, with a sound programme in all areas of study, with honest feedback and transparency in all our student dealings. Teachers… …We promise to listen to your thoughts, encourage your creativity, believe in your efforts and ideas, value your strategic insight, input and experience and stand by you in your innovative approach to academic and non-academic endeavours".

The school encourages students to work hard and at the same time cultivate a habit of creative-thinking and a desire to excel at every level "with an amalgamation of a rich culture with modern technology - knitted with 3 C's - Confidence, Creativity and Character which enables students to become critical thinkers and life-long learners".

The school is led by CEO Mr. Govindarao Naik and Principal, Mrs. Lata Nakra. Mrs. Nakra, who has almost 40 years of experience as an educator, in her introduction to the school, provides more details in terms of its aims for the students it educates. 

"I believe that after the information revolution our responsibility towards our children’s education has become even more challenging. The need of the day is to equip our children with critical thinking and practical skills so that they can be useful contributors to a global society in the 21st century.
For this, educators have to be innovative and exploit all tools that Information Technology provides. Even social networking has to be adapted and linked to classroom learning.
The many studies on the academic success story of Asian immigrants makes one pause and take a hard look at the Eastern Education system that does not rely much on technology. Parental expectation and involvement, strong family values and the desire to succeed in life in a competitive environment is the Eastern contribution to successful education.
If we can link the Western pedagogy and their best practices to the Eastern belief and value system, we would be on track to make our pupils global citizens in a continuously evolving world. And this is an interesting challenge that JSSIS educators have taken on!

Currently JSS International School caters to some 3,040 students from a variety of backgrounds and some 40 nationalities, though predominantly Indian, with 245 teachers and around 100 support staff. With a low teacher to student ratio of 1:13 (typical of premium-priced schools), students are said to be highly motivated to learn and should have sufficient individual attention to support their goals.  Students are taught in quite respectable classroom sizes of approximately 25, with a maximum of 30 students. 

A previous concern in relation to staffing was the high staff turnover of 30% at the end of 2017.  This was high for an Indian-staffed school and well above the UAE average of between 20-22%.  However, in 2018-19, the number reduced to only 8%, and a similar figure is shown in the most recent (2022-23) KHDA inspection report, indicating a much more stable environment and satisfied staff.  

What about the curriculum?

The JSS International School follows the curriculum laid down by Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE).  It is one of only three schools within Dubai to offer this curriculum.

The school has designed an international curriculum that is built around a strong ethical component and sets considerable store on knowledge and respect for the cultures and values of different regions of the world.

The curriculum at JSSIS stresses experiential and collaborative learning through workshops, interactive sessions, role plays, project work, group discussions and games.

Students in the pre-KG and KG section follow the UK-curriculum based Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum. Inquiry is the core component of learning. With a plethora of hands-on activities students learn concepts in literacy, numeracy, understanding the world, social skills, sports, art, dance, music and yoga. 

Primary students in Grades 1 to 5 follow the CISCE curriculum drawing on the best practice from other curricula. Apart from Literacy, Numeracy, Science and Social studies, students also are engaged in art, Islamic Studies, Arabic. Emphasis in this phase is increased  skill development. 

Technology is an integral part of the curriculum from the Primary classes onwards and is used as a tool to enhance and accelerate the learning process. English is taught as the primary language from KG level with secondary languages being taught in Arabic, Hindi and French with Sanskrit also being offered from Grade 6.  

Grades 6 to 12 follow the CISCE curriculum. The subdivision of the Sciences into Physics, Chemistry and Biology; Social studies into History and Geography provides more depth to the learning. In Grades 11 and 12, the school offers a choice of subjects ranging from Science, Commerce and Humanities. 

Once students enter the Secondary phase in Grades 9 to 10, they are offered a range of subjects from which to choose in preparation for the ISC, with compulsory studies in English, Hindi or French, and Arabic, History, Civics and Geography.  They are able to choose two subjects from Mathematics, Science (Physics, Chemistry and Biology), Economics and Commercial Studies, and one further subject from Computer Application, Commercial Application, Art, and Physical Education.

Senior Secondary subjects offered for Classes XI and XII, in addition to compulsory English, are selected from the three streams of study offered - Commerce, Humanities and Science. Students may select a minimum of four elective subjects from the chosen stream. The Commerce stream includes options of Commerce, Accounts, Mathematics, and Economics, Computer Science, or Art. The Humanities stream includes History, Sociology, Psychology, and Economics or Art.  The options within the Science stream include Physics, Chemistry, and Mathematics, Psychology, Biology, Economics, Computer Science or Art.  

In addition, all students are evaluated internally by the school and must secure a pass grade in the compulsory Socially Useful Productive Work and Community Service programme. The school offers the Duke of Edinburgh International Award Scheme to provide a platform for this Work and Community Service programme. 

Although the academic focus of the school is very clear, JSSIS does also recognise the importance of co-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

The JSS Enrichment Program (JEP) is an after-school programme that aims at helping students hone their skills in various sports, dance, music, and further options. The school programme includes Athletics, Squash, Cricket, Swimming, Basket Ball, Chess, Football, Yoga, Volley Ball, and Table tennis. 

Clubs include Formula 1 in schools, Gavel club (Public speaking), MUN (Model United Nations), Duke of Edinburgh Award and Coding.

The school has a robust guidance and counselling team. Periodic workshops and internships help students acquire required skills for university readiness. Career fairs in and outside the school help students learn about the university admission process. The team guides students in the application process. The school Alumni also play a big role in easing the transition from School to University.

What about support for students of Determination and those with Gifts and Talents?

JSS International School says that it has a very deep commitment to the Inclusion and pastoral support for all its families and students.  This includes support for students who are identified with Special Educational Needs or are more able and gifted students. The inclusive nature of the school operates under a clear directive from the Owner/Chairman and is supported by the Board of Governors with a designated Inclusion Governor.

JSSIS has a relatively large number of students with additional learning needs - some 163 who have been identified formally with SEN or G&T requirements.  Of this total, 22 students have been identified with SEN requirements, 9 are English Language Learners and 75 are Gifted and Talented.

The provision and support for students of Determination was rated Good in the 2022-23 KHDA inspection report. 

The school inclusion team, 'Ikigai', operates across the whole school and . 
includes the Principal, SLT/Head of Inclusion, Inclusion Governor, a Teacher and a Parent. The Head of Inclusion delivers training which is open to the whole teaching body. 

The Inclusion staff consists of two support teachers and two counsellors together with six Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) employed  by the school.  There is no additional fee for provision provided by the Inclusion Team. A handful of students with the highest need are supported by the 1:1 LSAs directly employed by the parents.

Provision concentrates on inclusion and differentiation within the classroom to reduce isolation of students with need.  Each student supported by the Inclusion Team has documentation containing personalised strategies and top tips for class teaching through to an individualised programme of support.

In common with all Dubai schools, JSSIS operates a three level approach to SEN support with Level 1 – Quality First Teaching (differentiated teaching) within the classroom, Level 2 – Targeted intervention, and Level 3 – the provision of an Individual Education Plan (IEP).

Specific provision for SEN students includes a Sensory room, Learning lab, Alternative Curriculum (ASDAN), Evidence based intervention softwares (literacy and numeracy), a suite of standardized assessment tools, language exemption provision, access arrangements, and counselling support for the students.

What about Academic achievement?

Students at JSSIS participate in CAT4, ASSET, TIMSS and PISA benchmark assessments on an ongoing basis.  These tests are used by teachers to determine the teaching provision for students at an individual and school level.

Sadly, WhichSchoolAdvisor.com notes that JSSIS no longer publishes details of its examination results on its website, instead showing only two photos of students who achieved 90% or above in the Grade 10 and 12 examinations for 2022.
However, the school has provided its cohort 2022 results to WhichSchoolAdvisor.com which included 85 students in Grade 10  and 43 students in Grade 12.  In comparison with 2019, when the last full set of examinations took place as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, not only have student numbers increased significantly (from 50 in Grade 10 to 85 in 2022), but average grades have also seen a significant uptick (from 89,8% in Grade 10 to 90.8% in 2022, and from 86.3% in Grade 12 to 88.9%). 

Whilst we appreciate that examination results are not, and should not be, the be-all and end-all of education, they are an important factor in parental choice and it is obviously a very positive outcome that student numbers continue to grow whilst grades continue to improve.

What about facilities?

Currently the only full KG to Grade 12 located in Jumeirah Village Circle, JSS International School says that it takes pride in its purpose-built school building that has been designed for the future. From state-of-the art labs to international-level sports facilities, from classrooms designed for the new pedagogy to staff well-being, the school aims to ensure the provision of a holistic education. 

With the school building being a greenfield project on land owned by the trust, JSSIS has had the opportunity to ensure that the needs of both students and staff are met.

There is an excellent range of facilities, including ICT, that supports students’ learning.  The building offers a comprehensive library, well equipped IT laboratories with the latest PCs and Wi Fi connection and a Project room where students can explore and experiment, to do the assigned projects.

The auditorium, with modern acoustic features, is in compliance with the Green building regulations of Dubai Municipality. It has a seating capacity for over 1,000 guests, and offers a platform for students to demonstrate their talents in co-curricular and extra curricular activities.  Specialist facilities in labs for Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and Language, a  Lecture Hall, Canteen, Music rooms and Sports facilities, including a swimming pool.

Classrooms are spacious and airy with internet access for a blended approach to learning.

Read the report of our most recent visit of JSS International School campus here. 

What the Inspectors Say 

After six years rated Good, JSSIS finally made the jump to the KHDA's second highest Very Good rating in 2019-20.  This achievement should not be underestimated.  After so long at the Good rating, this was a significant step up.  Following a two year period without inspection as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, JSSIS was again rated Very Good in the 2022-23 inspection round.

Overall the school's strengths include:

• High quality of educational provision in the KG, particularly in science, and adaptation of the curriculum to suit the needs of individual children

• Students’ highly developed personal and social skills, their respect for the community and strong awareness of Islamic values and other world cultures

• The safe secure environment for learning which the school provides and rigorous procedures for the safeguarding of students’, including child protection

• Outstanding levels of attainment in Secondary, especially in external examinations in English, mathematics and science• Very effective leadership of the school, particular in relation to the links which have been established with parents and the local and wider community

The latest report is, in many ways, an indication of consistency and consolidation in the way in which the school and its students perform.  There were five changes of rating across the performance standards, of which four were improvements from Very Good to Outstanding, whilst one rating (for Arabic as a Second Language in the Middle School) dropped back to Acceptable. Overall, JSSIS is rated Outstanding across 21 key performance indicators.

With the sole exception of English progress in the Primary school, all ratings for English, Maths and Science across the KG, Primary and Middle school sections are rated Very Good, with KG Science progress now Outstanding. However,  it is in the Secondary school section where Student Achievement at JSSIS really shines.

Four of the six indicators for the three English-language based subjects are rated Outstanding.  But while Islamic Education is rated Good across the school, Arabic still appears to be something of a challenge, and nowhere more so that in the Secondary section, where it is rated Acceptable for both attainment and progress.  This is an area on which the school will continue to need to focus.

The remaining key performance measures of Students' Personal and Social Development and their Innovation Skills - rated Outstanding across ten of the twelve indicators - Teaching and Assessment, and the Curriculum, show Very Good ratings across almost all sections of the school, though in common with sister school JSS, the Primary school section still has some catching up to do. And indeed, it is mainly here that the inspection team have focused their recommendations for the 2023-24 academic year.  

The protection, care, guidance and support of students is rated Outstanding across the school for health and safety and Very Good for care and support across all sections except the Primary where it remains Good. Despite the obvious and stated desire of the school to support children with additional learning needs, it seems that there is some degree of improvement required.

In the remaining key performance area of Leadership and Management, the school retained its Very Good rating achieved after the relocation to the new premises in 2017-18, though the relationship with parents and the community has improved to Outstanding.   

Key recommendations for the school are to:

• Give immediate attention to improving and developing greater consistency in the quality of teaching, learning, assessment, and curriculum in Primary.

• Increase the focus of governors and senior management on improving attainment and progress in Arabic, in particular as an additional language for the older students. 

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

The Buzz 

In the ongoing WSA School Survey  has received very limited feedback, and would appear to reflect opinions of parents who are not especially satisfied with the school. There was a strong sense that those parents felt that the school is overpriced. 

If you are a parent, teacher or student at JSSIS, please share your opinion and experience with other potential members of your school community by completing our survey here.

In 2022, in a new section of the KHDA's DSIB inspection report (which replaces the Parent and Student surveys of previous reports) - the Quality of Wellbeing provisions and outcomes - JSSIS achieved a Very High rating.

Inspectors noted that "the school’s commitment to wellbeing is firmly established. This is reflected in policy aspirations, in practice, and in a vision of valuing and respecting each member of the school community. A representative wellbeing committee supports the embedding of wellbeing across the school. Action planning informs wellbeing promotion. Data is analysed and informs improvement planning. The school is developing further its use of data to monitor impact and enhance future planning.
The quality of care for students is high. The wellbeing needs of students are identified, their views respected, and supportive action is taken.
The school supports staff personally and professionally, enabling them to meet the changing demands of their role. The school monitors and surveys the wellbeing of students, teachers, and parents. The wellbeing committee provides a forum for stakeholders to share their views. Staff have access to members of the senior leadership team to address any issues of concern.
The broad curriculum addresses a variety of personal development and wellbeing aspects. This contributes significantly to the positive experiences and outcomes of students. Students are well supported in making healthy lifestyle choices through their participation in school activities and programmes, including, nutrition and healthy eating, personal safety, sports, the arts and extra-curricular clubs. Through their active engagement in the life of the school, and their personal and social responsibility, most students demonstrate a clear sense of personal, sustained wellbeing".

Our View

WhichSchoolAdvisor.com asked the team at JSSIS to tell us what makes their school special and where their focus lies.

They told us "JSS International School stands out in the oasis that’s called Jumeirah Village Circle, Dubai, as the only full-fledged school in the community from Kindergarten to Grade 12. Indian at heart but international in spirit, the school offers an exclusive  and challenging international Indian syllabus that helps shape future citizens who consider the world their global village.
What is unique about JSSIS  is the ability of teachers to hone the extra-curricular skills of their students while keeping a razor-sharp focus on academic principles that enables students to marry the best of these two aspects – a winning formula that helps gets them into some of the top universities across the world. 
The 2023-24 focus is on enhancing the digital skills of students and expanding their repertoire of skills around the knowledge economy, thereby preparing them for a marketplace defined by AI and new technologies".

Despite the reservations expressed by the very limited number of respondents to our survey, it is evident from the KHDA's DSIB inspection team, that JSSIS is a school with a great deal to recommend it.  With the pandemic and with the challenges that came with it having created something of a hiatus, we would hope to see JSSIS strengthen its provision still further - the Outstanding rating cannot be too far out of reach.

For parents seeking an alternative to the CBSE curriculum, JSSIS is only one of three schools in Dubai to offer the CISCE curriculum - including the only Outstanding rated Indian curriculum school - GEMS Modern Academy.  

What about the Fees?

School fees are  mid to top range for an Indian curriculum school, starting at AED 14,420 for pre-KG students, AED 15,610 for KG1 and KG2, and rising by increments of approximately AED 3,000 per year to AED 37,640 for Grade 12 students (not including additional registration fees or bus fees).  The school operates buses across Dubai and into Sharjah.

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