GEMS Wellington Primary School Dubai - Council of British International ...

GEMS Wellington Primary School Dubai

British Schools Overseas Inspection Report

Inspection Dates Monday 18 November ? Thursday 21 November 2013 Lead Inspector David Twist Team members Helen Donnellan

Anne Yeomans

Age Group: Report published: Report reference no:

3-11 January 2014 1009

Purpose and scope of the inspection

This inspection report follows the English Department for Education (DfE) Schedule for the inspection of British schools overseas. The inspection was carried out by three inspectors from CfBT Education Trust who spent three days at the school. CfBT is a body approved by the British Government for the purpose of inspecting schools in England and overseas and quality assured by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

CfBT Education Trust is one of the world's leading not-for-profit education companies, providing a range of education services in the UK and internationally. CfBT employs over 2,500 staff worldwide, all working on projects relating to educational quality.

To be recognised by the Department for Education, a British School Overseas must have an inspection report which shows that their performance against all the standards is at least satisfactory. This reflects the standards required for continuing registration as a school in England. Schools meeting the standards will have their inspection reports published on the Department's website and will be registered on Edubase.

Inspectors report on the extent to which schools meet the relevant Standards for British Schools Overseas. The inspection follows closely the framework for the inspection of independent schools in England but, where appropriate, also takes account of compliance with local regulations.

The Standards are as follows:-

1. The quality of education provided by the school (Curriculum, Teaching and Assessment).

2. The spiritual, moral, social and cultural development of pupils. 3. The welfare, health and safety of the pupils. 4. The suitability of the proprietor and staff. 5. The premises and accommodation. 6. The provision of information for parents, carers and others. 7. The school's procedures for handling complaints. 8. The quality of provision for boarding. 9. Leadership and management of the school.

The purposes of the inspections are to:

help schools to improve the quality and effectiveness of pupils' education and of the care for their welfare,

provide rigorous and reliable inspection reports which help schools to recognise and celebrate their strengths and to identify and remedy any weaknesses

inform parents and the wider public of the quality of British schools overseas by placing reports in the public domain.

? CfBT Education Trust 2013

GEMS Wellington Primary School

The BSO inspection was combined with an inspection carried out with inspectors from Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau (DSIB). The DSIB inspection evaluated the school's performance when measured against the quality indicators for schools in Dubai. The outcomes of the DSIB inspection are contained within a separate report which is available from the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) in Dubai.

Key for inspection grades

Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4

Outstanding Good Satisfactory Inadequate

Proportions used in the report

90?100% 75?90% 65?74% 51?64% 35?49% 20?34% 4?19% 0?3%

Vast/overwhelming majority or almost all Very large majority, most Large majority Majority Minority Small minority Very small minority, few Almost none/very few

Information about the school

GEMS Wellington is a private school situated in the Al Satwa district of Dubai. The school opened in 2007. Pupils are aged between three and 11 years and organised in two phases: Early Years (Foundation Stage) (EYFS) and primary. All pupils follow the English National Curriculum.

There are currently 1085 pupils on roll, with a rich cultural diversity representing 74 nationalities. The school has recently undergone significant growth, almost tripling in size over the past three years. Approximately one fifth of pupils are British nationals and, for the majority of the others, English is not their first language. The school has identified just over 100 pupils with particular needs, of whom approximately one quarter is considered to be gifted or talented. Fourteen pupils have the help of a learning support assistant. There are 87 appropriately qualified teaching staff; approximately three quarters have a British teaching qualification. On leaving GEMS Wellington for their secondary education, pupils go to a number of schools, but many transfer to Jumeirah College or GEMS Wellington Branch. The school is a member of the Council for International Schools.

? CfBT Education Trust 2013

GEMS Wellington Primary School

Summary of the evidence base used by the inspection team

This BSO inspection was carried out by three CfBT Education Trust inspectors. On this combined inspection, there were also seven DSIB inspectors. The two teams contributed to a shared evidence base. In total, inspectors visited 120 lessons, of which a few were joint observations with the school's senior leaders. They held 35 meetings with school directors, staff and parents and carers and spoke informally with pupils. Inspectors also observed the school's daily routines and looked at selfevaluation, improvement plans, policies, assessment and tracking systems, safeguarding procedures and pupils' work. They also examined the results of questionnaire surveys returned by parents, carers and staff and followed up on issues that were raised.

Evaluation of the school

GEMS Wellington Primary provides a good quality of education for its pupils, blending together the best of the current British curriculum, a strong approach to learning skills and an awareness of the national context of the school. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children enter school with skills that are broadly typical for their age and make good progress from their individual starting points towards achieving their Early Learning Goals. In both primary key stages, pupils' attainment is above average in the core subjects of English, mathematics and science. Pupils continue to make good progress through the primary phase and outstanding progress in science.

Attainment is above average and progress in English is good across the school except in reading, where pupils in Key Stages 1 and 2 make outstanding progress and reach high levels of attainment. A majority of children enter school with limited English and they make good progress from their different starting points. By the time they reach Early Years Foundation Stage 2, almost all children can describe their soft toys and the majority speak in simple phrases and sentences. Most contribute to shared writing using their early knowledge of letters and high frequency words. In Early Years Foundation Stage 1, children making pizzas are able, with support, to describe each stage of the process in some detail and explain the correct order. They can maintain concentration throughout and begin to understand simple `why?' and `how?' questions.

Pupils in Key Stage 1 express themselves clearly. They talk about animals living in the polar regions and their writing demonstrates their secure knowledge of grammar and punctuation. They sequence instructions and use imperatives or `bossy' words. They use their knowledge of phonics to sound out unfamiliar words and have good skills in comprehension.

? CfBT Education Trust 2013

GEMS Wellington Primary School

In Key Stage 2, pupils apply their English skills to research cross-curricular topics and produce accurate accounts of the development of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), the work of British archaeologist Howard Carter, and the lives of children in Victorian times. Year 4 pupils describe the process of mummification in detail adding that `the process is disgusting'. They identify key features of persuasive writing such as alliteration and rhetorical questions. By the time pupils enter Year 6, they are confident and articulate speakers, describing the enterprises set up to raise funds for those less fortunate than themselves. They debate points of view from different perspectives, for example, when Year 5 pupils role play rich and poor passengers on the Titanic, and debate who should be given a free ticket. Pupils identify features of discrimination in texts and describe how this affects the lives of individuals. Pupils are prolific readers. They read with confidence and expression and can describe their favourite books such as the `Jammy Dodgers' stories and what appeals to them across a range of genres.

By the end of both Key Stages 1 and 2, attainment in mathematics is above average compared with that of pupils of the same ages in schools in England. Standards have risen in both key stages over the last two years. In the 2013 SATs tests for Year 2, almost four out of 10 pupils exceeded the expected level 2, and, in Year 6, almost half achieved the high performing level 5. Boys and girls achieve broadly similar levels throughout the school.

Almost all pupils make equally good progress and those with special educational needs make at least good progress in acquiring mathematical knowledge and skills. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children develop their number skills well, as they gain confidence in counting to 10, then 20 and beyond. They begin to consider comparative length and can group objects against criteria such as shape or colour.

Pupils in Key Stage 2 use correct mathematical terms and talk confidently about their work. Most can explain how they complete mathematical tasks and discuss how to tackle group work, such as when Year 6 pupils use correct geometrical terms when planning strategies for construction of large two-dimensional shapes. In Key Stage 1, pupils can describe the differences between number operations and use standard and non-standard measurements and write sums accurately. In Year 2, they explore fractions in both shape and number. Most can explain the relationship between whole and part numbers. By Year 3, they calculate using all four number operations and use time for mental mathematics well to extend their recall of multiplication tables. Pupils in Year 4 can evaluate probability and logically explain their rationale for decision making. In Year 5, pupils calculate areas and perimeters of irregular shapes.

Pupils are more confident in calculation skills than in using and applying their mathematical knowledge but, when given opportunities, they thrive on the challenge and gain meaningful insights into the use of mathematics in the real world.

In science, attainment is above average across the school. In the Early Years Foundation Stage, children experience a range of activities designed to develop their

? CfBT Education Trust 2013

GEMS Wellington Primary School

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