Hor Al Anz located Queen International School is a KG - Grade 12 school, which despite its grading structure, follows the UK curriculum, providing education in English for approximately 750 students, boys and girls aged 4 to 18 years. The majority of pupils are Arab nationals.

The story so far...

Queen International School (QIS) was established in 1998 and offers the UK National curriculum from KG1 (FS2) to Grade 12 (Year 13). For reasons that are not known to us, the school has not adopted the usual UK curriculum grading structure.

The school's website states that its Vision is:

"to meet each child's needs educationally, emotionally, and socially. We envision a school where children are educated through a collaborative effort among parents, faculty, staff, students, and the community. Our school environment encourages children to take risks and become creative producers without fear of failure. Through cooperation and a unity of spirit, challenges become opportunities where achievements are recognized and celebrated".

Its mission statement says that

"Queen International School is committed to active, reflective, creative learning. We believe learning is maximized when it takes place in an environment enriched with support, encouragement and assistance. We celebrate the pursuit of lifelong learning and are committed to nurturing high self-esteem and respect for others. We believe that everyone can learn become better thinkers and independent learners. An integral part of our learning process will have our school community learning how to ask questions, solve problems and make thoughtful decisions".

After five years of receiving an Acceptable rating (the minimum requirement) from the KHDA's DSIB inspection teams, in 2016-17, QIS was able to achieve a Good rating - the target for all Dubai schools by the regulator.  This rating was solidified in the 2017-18 inspection which took place in February 2018.

However, in the 2018-19 academic year, the school unfortunately reversed its rating back to the previous Acceptable, and this was retained in the 2019-20 inspection round. 

For more details, read our What the Inspectors say section below.  In addition to the change of rating, there has also been two changes of Principal in the past two years - with the current Principal, Glenn Atkinson, having been appointed in August 2019.

With the most recent inspection in 2022-23, where the school was again awarded an Acceptable rating, there was a further change of Principal.  The latest incumbent, who joined the school in January 2023, and only six weeks before the inspection took place, is Mr. Peter Gutteridge.

Unfortunately, there is very little current information available about the school - it is evidently in the process of creating a new website, but with minimal content currently available, our review, unfortunately, is heavily reliant on the KHDA inspection reports.

Just over 735 students (a fall of 260 since 2020) attended the school in the 2022-23 academic year and the majority are Arab nationals including 66 Emirati students (a number that has almost halved in the past three years).

Staff - some 52 teachers and 6 teaching assistants - are, in common with most UK curriculum schools at this price-point - from India. The school has a relatively low teacher to student ratio with 1 teacher to 14 students.  Staff turnover, at 8%, is below average for international schools in general in Dubai, although turnover at Indian-staffed schools does tend to be lower.

What about the curriculum?

Queen International School follows the National Curriculum for England, preparing children for the London Board Examinations at IGCSE and GCE AS Level. The medium of instruction is English. 

QIS follows the Early Years Foundation Stage for FS/KG1 students, the  Cambridge Primary syllabus from Years 1 to 6, the Cambridge Secondary Programme from Years 7 to 9, eventually preparing students for the IGCSE in Years 10 and 11,  and in Years 12 and 13  A Level examinations from the University of Cambridge Examination Board. 

What about academics achievement?

Despite the fact that its students apparently perform extremely well at IGCSE (according to the KHDA), QIS does not publish its exam results. 

This is a great pity, since examinations are clearly an important measure for any school, and we, at WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, believe that parents should have access to such information, but also, if a school is performing well, it should be possible to recognise and celebrate this fact.

What about the facilities?

We understand that Queen International School has basic facilities, with Wifi having only been introduced to the school over the past year. It provides Science and Computer labs as specialist facilities. QIS describes the Biology and Chemistry labs as spacious and offering modern and excellent equipment, where students are encouraged to use their analytical and creative skills through research and experimentation. 

According to the school, all the Computer labs are equipped with multimedia tools that provide ample opportunities for students to acquire mastery in ICT skills. Videotapes, audio cassettes, multimedia projector, smart board, overhead projector, document camera and educational CD-ROM’s are available in a well-equipped multimedia centre.

According to the inspection team, the premises provide an adequate environment for students, and specialist facilities are available.

What the Inspectors say

Whilst it is clear that the return to an overall Acceptable rating after two years at Good came as a shock to QIS and it has taken steps to address this through the appointment of two new Principals and greater investment by the owner and governors in the resources of the school.  Despite these efforts, however, the school was again rated Acceptable in the 2022-23 inspection round. 

The most recent report is a mixed bag, with a number of improvements in ratings, but a still larger number that have fallen back most notably in regard to Arabic, the Curriculum and the Protection, Care, Guidance and Support of students where there are a number of not only Acceptable, but also Weak ratings. 

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 overall rating and the recommendations for improvement - you will find it here.

The Buzz

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What about the fees?

Tuition fees at Queen International are relatively affordable for a UK curriculum school, starting at AED 14,812 at KG and rising to AED 27,778 for Grade 12.

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