Two Dubai schools listed among top centres of learning to watch out for in the world

Deira International School and The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai make the list

A teacher with pupils in the hydroponics room at The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai.

Two schools in Dubai have been named in a new list of the top centres of learning to watch out for worldwide.

Deira International School was named among the schools to watch out for while The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai was included in the category of new institutions to watch out for.

The Ones to Watch list by the Global Schools Index was published by Carfax Education, a global education consulting company.

The list included 25 schools on the brink of joining the top 125 in the world or those schools that were different from the mainstream.

“The Ones to Watch category adds an exciting dimension to our annual Schools Index,” said Fiona McKenzie, head of education at Carfax Education.

“It recognises schools making waves through consistent potential, innovative approaches or unique learning experiences.

“It's a testament to our commitment to providing valuable insights for parents seeking the very best education for their children worldwide.”

Schools were judged on a number of factors including academic standards, facilities, how unique their ethos is, preparation for university entry and the way they prepared pupils for life beyond academia.

A panel of consultants at Carfax Education researched and picked these institutions, recognising what made them different.

The list is broken down into four categories: Schools to watch, new schools to watch, schools breaking away from the mould and small schools offering a distinctive experience.

Nobody is left behind

Deira International School, founded in 2005, follows the UK curriculum and offers the IB diploma programme.

“Pupils take an active role in the decision-making processes of the school and their collaboration with architects and designers for the new sixth-form centre demonstrates how well this approach works,” read the report from Carfax Education.

“A culture of coaching and mentorship means no pupil or staff member gets left behind.”

The Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai was launched in 2021 with a promise to provide a progressive education in an eco-friendly environment.

The school was said to be on course to become the first near-energy-neutral school in the Middle East, thanks to solar panels in the car park and on the roof, and special pillow-shaped pockets in the plastic ceiling, which allow light into the building, but absorb heat.

The school offers the British curriculum and aims to follow the ethos of its mother school in the UK.

In January, the school made a pledge to eliminate all single-use plastic by the end of the year.

Best in the region

In September, 10 private schools in the UAE were named among the best 15 in the Middle East in Carfax Education’s School Index 2023. The schools were also featured among the 125 top private schools in the world in the school index.

Schools on the Ones to Watch list are those that have consistently demonstrated remarkable potential and are poised to make a significant impact.

A third category looks at schools that are breaking away from the mould while a fourth list focuses on unique small schools offering a distinctive experience.

One of those on the distinct experience list is Think Global School, a travelling high school that believes that education is all around you.

“It offers pupils a chance to explore the world whilst pursuing a progressive and academically rigorous curriculum,” read the report from Carfax Education.

“Each year, pupils are immersed in four different global locations, studying a core curriculum plus the history, culture, geography and socio-economic influences of the area, in innovative and active ways.”