One of the most read reviews on our sister site, SchoolsCompared.com, and now something of an evergreen read here at WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, Kent College Dubai had established itself as a school to watch. However, recent changes at the top and speculation about the future of the school has led to some unsettled times.

The story so far...

The team at Kent College Dubai are about to embark upon their eighth year of operation, having opened in 2016 with a joyous shout of ‘We have made history!’ to the inaugural assembly (a favourite memory of many of the children we encountered during our second review visit to the school).

Having arrived in Dubai with fairly limited promotional activity (more of a gentle whisper of its 130 year, highly regarded reputation as an ‘Outstanding’ English boarding school, rather than the expensive marketing campaigns of many new schools) Kent College had been quietly industrious, building its own solid reputation amongst most parents and educators alike.

The UK school achieved an ‘Independent Schools Inspectorate’ “Outstanding” rating in every category of inspection. In 2019, after three years of operations, and with their first KHDA inspection imminent, our team returned to Kent College Dubai to reflect on their stated aim of being: 'Not just a franchise of Kent College Canterbury – but effectively a second campus, with close collaborative management between Dubai and the UK’.  As any new school grows and begins to solidify its own identity, its defining personality and values also began to emerge. 

What does the school feel like when you walk in? Click here for the Kent College Dubai 'Experience'.

However, what started off as a positive arrival on the Dubai school scene has evidently run into some difficulties post-Covid. Following apparent financial issues related to the funding of rent for the school, and by two changes of Principal within the last academic year, it had become clear that all is not well.

In October 2022, it was announced that there had been a fairly sudden change of leadership at the school. The second Principal since its opening, Antony Cashin, had announced earlier that he would be leaving to return to Australia at the end of the calendar year.  For unspecified reasons, Mr. Cashin departed earlier than planned, as did, unexpectedly, Carmella Jodrell, who was expected to assume the Principal's position having been Head of the Junior School, but who has subsequently joined The English College as Head of Primary. 

Instead, the new Principal was  announced as Mr. Jared Nolan.  Mr. Nolan joined KCD in October 2022 from "a brief but very positive period" at Taaleem Education as Director of UK Curriculum Schools and strategic expansion.  

Prior to the period at Taaleem, Mr. Nolan had spent three years as Executive Principal leading Aldar Education’s Al Yasmina Academy in Abu Dhabi, a school that progressed from ‘Very Good’ to ‘Outstanding’ in a relatively short time under his leadership. 

It therefore came as a complete surprise to learn, after only a few months at the College, that Mr. Nolan had also moved on.  Quite what was going on at an ownership or leadership level at Kent College was not clear, but this level of instability did suggest that not all was well at the top.  Mr. Timothy Hollis, Head of the Secondary School, was appointed as pro-tem Principal. 

The announcement in late July 2023 that the school has been purchased by Abu Dhabi based Aldar Properties for its Aldar Education subsidiary will hopefully now see a more steady situation and, particularly, needed investment in the College.

Recent feedback to WhichSchoolAdvisor.com from the school community suggests that action is needed.

Parents generally appreciate the quality of teachers at Kent College - praising their competence - the school's facilities, sports engagement and ECA provision. 

However, the school's management, under Mr. Nolan (who left the school after less than two terms) received criticism, together with concerns about high teacher turnover [according to the 2023 KHDA inspection report, staff turnover was 38% in the previous academic year].

Further concerns have been raised with regard to issues in the organisation of ECAs, art, and drama classes for students living outside the immediate school area, which parents perceived as lacking proper investment in students' overall development. Some parents also expressed concern about marking schemes and their consistency, whilst other raised concerns about the maintenance and condition of the facilities, some of which have become run-down and require refurbishment.

Parents cite poor leadership, lack of communication, and teacher turnover as significant issues. Changes in staff and the principal were not adequately communicated, causing rumours and frustration among parents.  These issues are crucial areas for the school to address and improve upon to meet the standards expected by parents in the Dubai community.

In the early days, the Kent College Dubai team had taken their commitment to a collaborative approach to working with their community one step further, inviting every family to have their say in defining the ‘mission, vision and values’ of the school.  The outcomes of this careful consultation process had given the school a very clear set of defining principles:

• The Vision of Kent College Dubai - developing the full potential of each individual
• The Mission of Kent College Dubai - to develop happy pupils, in an engaging, enabling and empowering environment, based on traditional core values, in pursuit of career readiness and excellence
• The Values of Kent College Dubai - Integrity, Tolerance and Respect

Find out more about the views of parents by reading The Buzz.

Teachers and the leadership team use the College's core principles to guide an international student body, coming from "a great range of countries" - 71 in total according to information supplied by the College to WhichSchoolAdvisor.com.  At the time of their first KHDA inspection in March 2019, there were 880 students enrolled at the school including 22 Emirati students. There are now close to 1,400 students.

The latest KHDA inspection report - issued in April 2023 - again confirmed a Good rating.  Mr. Nolan clearly exercised a very positive influence from the perspective of the inspection team, who noted positive changes he had implemented.  Indeed, many of the key performance indicators improved to Very Good.  It seems that Teaching and Assessment in the FS and Primary sections, and the, not unusual, Student Achievement in Arabic and Islamic Studies are the key areas upon which the school needs to focus to see an overall improvement in the rating.

With some 114 teachers (predominantly from the UK, Ireland and UAE) and a further 39 teaching assistants, the teacher:student ratio of 1:12 is what we would expect for a school of this calibre and price-point.  Despite being a considerably larger school than their Canterbury counterparts, teacher to student ratios are broadly similar.  

During a visit to the school in early 2022, our reviewers were impressed in the Junior School by the ‘Class Ambassador’ system, whereby each class has two designated children to greet visitors each day.  Right from Year 1 onwards, we met confident children, clearly able to articulate their own learning.  Despite having nearly 700 students, the junior school maintains an air of ‘busy calm’. 

Kent College Senior School, in common with many new schools in Dubai, has had a somewhat slower uptake of seats than primary.  Now with a comfortable 350 children across years 7 to 13 the Senior School is most definitely ‘in action’.

The Senior School currently offers the typical British curriculum qualification pathways of iGCSE and A Levels. 

Looking ahead, Kent College has already signified its intent to be dual curricula post-16, and also offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme.  

"We currently offer A-levels in the Sixth form but, by 2022, our older children will have the choice to undertake IB or A levels, allowing them the choice to really play to their own strengths educationally.  Our teaching staff begin their IB training in 2020". 

This decision makes Kent College one of only eight schools in Dubai offering dual curricula post 16, with Nord Anglia International School Dubai, Repton School Dubai, Sunmarke and GEMS Wellington Academy Dubai Silicon Oasis also offering A Levels/IBDP, Global Indian International School, and GEMS New Millennium School offering CBSE/IBDP, and GEMS Modern Academy offering CISCE and IBDP.  This move also underscores the ‘second campus’ approach, so important to the ethos here; Kent College Canterbury also offers both A Level and IB.

Clearly this is a school that aims to tailor the curriculum to the needs of their community, with the BTEC pathway an additional priority for the school.  

Kent College has also introduced the ‘Peter Jones Academy’ entrepreneurship courses.  This is clearly an initiative that the management team believe will give a real-world underpinning to their students' more academic course work. 

The College has also placed a strong focus on its Art and Performing Arts departments and concluded an agreement with Urdang International who are based at Kent College Dubai. Urdang International has over 50 years of experience and expertise in training young people in exceptional dance and musical theatre.

The college offers all three Performing Arts disciplines (Drama, Dance and Music) from foundation stage through the entire school, and in addition to lessons included within the core curriculum, also offers an extensive range of ECAs including school productions, Musical Theatre Club, Improvisation workshops and various dance classes. A high percentage of students are expected to choose to become involved in a school production or Performing Arts Club at some point in their school life, whether treading the boards or experiencing life behind the scenes

The college supports these options with potentially examined Arts-related pathways including the Urdang Musical Theatre Syllabus, Pearson GCSE Drama, AQA GCSE Music, A Level Drama and Music and BTEC Level 3 extended diploma in Performing Arts.  Additionally students may take ABRSM Music exams and LAMDA qualifications.

What does the school feel like when you walk in?  Get the Kent College Dubai 'Experience' .

The 'Rounded' Curriculum

The management team were unified in their praise for the Performing Arts departments at Kent.  Right from the first year of operation, there has been a ‘whole school’ (bringing together children from Year 3 to Year 13) musical theatre production (held in the impressive state of the art 458 seat auditorium).

Performing Arts is an area the KCD leadership hope to amplify further, as mentioned earlier in our review, through the partnership with UK Performing Arts college, Urdang Academy.  

Music is delivered by specialist teachers from FS1 (age 3-4) and Drama from year 7.  

Kent College is also now home to a burgeoning competitive sports programme, with teams across the age groups representing the school in football, rugby, netball, basketball and more.  Nominated for the SchoolsCompared.com Best School for Sport Award 2019, the school has also seen individual children achieve considerable success in more niche sports such as Girls Boxing and Fencing.

The school already has a reasonably developed set of extra-curricular activites, including sewing, papercraft, a multitude of sports, puzzle games, board games, maths club, reading club, fitness, dance, singing, mindfulness colouring, music, arabic stories, film club, pinata, yoga, construction, tumble tots, animation making, 3D design, chess, photography, drama, and an entrepreneur club. 

There is also an extensive 'external' extra-curricular activity provider, Just Play, who offer a broad range of (paid) sporting activities including martial arts, gymnastics and football. Rugby is provided by Mike Phillips, ex Welsh National and British & Irish Lions team player, under the banner of his academy, The Mike Phillips Academy.

What about academic achievement?

Kent College has introduced the ‘Peter Jones Academy’ entrepreneurship courses.  This is clearly an initiative that the management team believe will give a real-world underpinning to their students more academic course work. 

Whilst still a small and growing school, Kent College has seen relatively small cohorts through their first round of examinations.  That said, their results have so far been impressive.

In 2022, the College had small cohort of 19 students (compared with 13 in 2021) who were entered for a total of 54 examinations.  13% of grades were awarded at A*, 44% at A*-A, 82% at A*-B and 96% at A*-C.  The overall student pass rate was 96% with the highest grades for an individual student 2 A*, 2As.

In 2021, students again were unable to sit their A Level and GCSE examinations as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic and results were again based on Centre (Teacher) Assessed Grades.

2021 saw 13 students waiting their results who were no doubt delighted with the outcomes.  14% of all grades awarded were at A*,  51% at  A* to A, 83% at A* to B and 97% of grades were A* to C, with 100% achieving A*-E and a 100% pass rate. Stand out students included Salvador Palacios with two A*s and an A who headed off to Charles University's Faculty of Medicine in Prage, and James Awinyo, whose grades of A* and 3 As secured his place at the University of British Columbia to study engineering!

The 2020 GCSE cohort of 37 students must have been equally happy with their results. 12% of all entries were awarded Grade 9, 24% achieved A* (Grades 9-8), 48% were awarded A*-A (Grades 9-7), 69% A*-B (Grades 9-6) and 94% A*-C Grades (9-4) with an overall pass rate of entries of 94%.

In 2020, Kent College celebrated what it described as 'exceptional' GCSE examination results. 98 per cent of all GCSE examinations entries resulted in grades 9-4 (A*-C). Additionally 47% of all examinations were graded 9-7 (A*-A), an increase of 7% over 2019.

In line with all UAE schools, examination results for 2020 were based on Centre Assessed Grades due to the cancellation of examinations due to the Covid 19 pandemic.

The College provided less detail about its 2020 A Level results, advising only that 26 students had been entered for the assessed exams, with 83% of results being graded A*-C and 99% receiving A*-E pass grades.

In 2018, the school had its first GCSE cohort of 14 students.  24.8% scored A* or 9/8, 47.9% achieved A* - A or 9 to 7, while 95.9% scored A* - C or 9-4.  Whilst a small group, these results are on par with some of the very best schools in Dubai.  There’s clearly ambition ahead too; this year, more than 50% of the current year 10s will take early entry Mathematics GCSE.

What the inspectors say

Kent College was inspected for the first time by the KHDA's DSIB inspection team in March 2019. The College was awarded an overall Good rating - one above the minimum Acceptable rating that the KHDA requires. 

The 2019 report showed that progress in English, Maths and Science was found to be Good across the school but only Acceptable in Arabic and Islamic Studies - the Achilles Heel of many international schools in the UAE. Attainment was mostly acceptable, with the exception of first-language Arabic-language students in the Secondary school, where it was weak.

On its second inspection in March 2023, the school was again rated Good. By this point in time, given that the school has been in operation for seven years, a Good rating must have been something of a disappointment. 
In fact, as so often happens, the overall rating really does not appear to be in line with the majority of individual ratings by performance measure, the vast majority of which were Very Good. 

Whilst the inspection team had much to say that was positive about the school, there are areas upon which more focus is required.  Unusually, Student Achievement was more highly rated in the Secondary and post-16 sections of the school than in FS and Primary. Teaching consistency and assessment, together with achievement and progress in Arabic and Islamic Studies are among those areas for which improvement recommendations have been made.

The College's strengths were identified as:

• Students' strong attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science in the primary and secondary phases
• Students’ knowledge of Islamic values and the UAE's culture and their very good personal development, and social responsibility.
• The strong care, support and protection that promotes students’ welfare, wellbeing and academic achievement
• The ambitious curriculum that is suitably adapted to cater for the educational needs of students.

In terms of areas for improvement, the inspectors stated that Kent College should:

• Improve the quality and consistency of teaching in FS and Primary by providing greater challenge to students and sharing the best practices in teaching.
• Improve provision in FS by strengthening leadership, establishing engaging learning environments and reviewing the mathematics curriculum.
• Raise students' achievements in Islamic education and Arabic by improving teaching and learning.
• Develop the school's improvement plans by ensuring that objectives are prioritised and success criteria are linked to students’ performances.

If you would like to read the full inspection report - and we strongly advise you to do so in order to get a real understanding of what the inspectors are seeking and the reasons behind the ratings - you will find it here. 

What about the Facilities?

Facilities are as you would expect – top tier. Noteworthy are the outdoor & indoor sports facilities including sports hall, swimming pool and training pool, and specialised hockey astro pitches.

Classrooms are equipped with Promethean smartboards. From Year 3 upwards children carry around state of the art equipment, each being issued with a Chromebook (purchased by parents, via the school).  Each stage of the school has its own library, with reading time built into each child’s curriculum through to Year 13.  In the Senior School, we were particularly impressed by the Design Technology suite, with one room entirely given to 4-D printers. 

Innovative technological resources are top notch at Kent College with every child given access to learning with drones, a robotics programme and regular robotics competitions and (as excitedly reported to our reviewers by the students) a brand new bank of ‘Virtual Reality goggles’.  The use of coding begins in Foundation stage, with even the very youngest children having access to readily programmable ‘Beebots’ (small, toy like robots).

The Buzz

The WhichSchoolAdvisor.com survey has received a sizeable number of 125 respondents.  This feedback has been received over the past year and does not appear to reflect the concerns more recently expressed to us by parents.

Children clearly enjoy their school with close to two-thirds having a tremendous sense of belonging and tremendous enjoyment of going to school (10 points above the averages for the UAE). 

Those parents who had given their opinion seem to be happy with their choice, although one in five have considered moving their child to another school. 82% were happy with the level of academic performance of the school, although 23% of parents felt that their child needs additional tuition to supplement their learning.  68% of parents are extremely confident that Kent College can meet their child's academic needs (double the UAE average).

Communication between school and home is also a strength with 78% being fully satisfied in this regard, but with a growing minority of 13% (9% two years ago) being less impressed. The College is highly regarded for its disciplinary policy and its implementation.

79% of parents would recommend Kent College to others (a reduction of 3%), whilst 16% of respondents would not - a swing 9% previously.  72% of parents agreed that the school's fees represented value for money (well above the UAE average of 51%), but 16% disagreed (up from 9% previously).

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

Our View

To replicate or, maybe better put as, translate a school with the heritage of a long-lived and very traditional English private school in Dubai is a goal with many inherent challenges.  Here in the UAE, the expectations of parents are incredibly varied, the tenure of children within schools a perennial issue and the bringing together of many cultures both a challenge and a significant strength of the education system. 

It’s clear that in seven years of operation, Kent College Dubai had laid the foundations of becoming more than simply a second campus to its sister school in Canterbury.  However, the challenges that it has clearly faced over the 2022-23 academic year have obviously impacted students, teachers and parents. 

It is to be hoped that under the new ownership of Aldar Academies, the various issues will be addressed with speed, notably to ensure that a level of leadership and teaching stability returns as soon as possible.

What about the fees?

KHDA approved Tuition Fees at Kent College Dubai are premium, as would be expected for a school of this standard and background.  They range from AED 55,620 in FS1 to AED 100, 940 for Year 13.

However, the College offers a range of discounted fees to children of staff working at Emirates Airlines and Fly Dubai, and other corporate organisations, who may approach the school directly for possible reductions.

For new families joining the school, a discount on the KHDA fees of up to 15% is available to the first child only as a Welcome Discount.  Sibling discounts of 5% for the second child, 10% for the third and 15% for the fourth are also available.   Special discounts for Emirati students also apply.

This school is in a Best School by parents ranking

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

• #119 in Best Schools in the UAE
• #49 in Best Premium Schools in Dubai
• #35 in Best Premium British Schools in Dubai
• #23 in Best IB Schools in Dubai
• #28 in Best A Level Schools in Dubai
• #48 in Best British Schools in Dubai
• #22 in Best BTEC Schools in Dubai
• #78 in Best Schools in Dubai
• #22 in Best IB DP Schools in Dubai

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