Kings’ School Dubai achieves International Centre of Excellence Status

November 24, 2025

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Living by the value of ‘The Best of Every Child’, Kings’ School Dubai is an exceptional primary school, offering an exciting educational experience for all children. Inclusion is not a recent development, or an add-on policy, but something the school has built and nurtured over several years. The Head Teacher summarises her approach to inclusive education in one simple statement: “If this isn’t working, what can we do?”. Situated in the heart of Dubai, Kings’ school is home to over one thousand children and 72 different nationalities, with 50 different languages spoken across the school. Inclusion is quite evidently a whole school commitment. Staff regularly refine and refresh practices to ensure every learner feels supported and uplifted. Students are proud ambassadors for the school, and are keen to share their inclusive values with others. Inclusion is not the concern of one person or department – it is the force for good that unites the whole school community.

Inclusion is an active commitment

Inclusion is an active commitment from every member of the school community, from Senior Leadership to students beginning their educational journeys. The school’s welcoming ethos shines through in everything that they do, and every member of the school community is a wonderful ambassador. The school is visibly and pedagogically inclusive, with learners excited to face challenge – irrespective of academic background – knowing that they will be supported and encouraged by their teachers.  The Director of Inclusion over the three Kings’ Schools aptly describes the school’s commitment to every child – “We do what we do and we love what we do.” The school values transparency, making inclusive policies and guidelines easily accessible for parents and prospective families. The Inclusion statement on the website for Kings’ School Dubai claims that, ‘The commitment to being an inclusive school is both a passion and a focus for every member of the organisation.’  These are not just words on a page, this is an active commitment on the part of the whole school community to build a learning  environment where everyone can thrive. A comprehensive website has been created by the Head of Inclusion to allow all staff access to information about a child and appropriate strategies.  Teachers of specialist subjects and Learning Support Assistants (LSAs) have the same access to information and all teachers are informed about children’s needs to ensure consistency and continuity.  Engaging visuals have been translated into Arabic and support children according to their needs and stage of learning.  The website also includes the latest research, podcasts and videos of different strategies. Inclusion is not just a policy that staff must adhere to, but a way of life that can benefit all stakeholders, with readily available resources to help with this.

Quick identification and intervention

Students and staff alike were quick to praise the school during our assessment. Everyone has experienced the positive impact of an inclusive ethos, and is keen to share how they are helping to contribute to its continuation. The Assistant Head Teacher for Y5 and Y6 proudly explained to our assessor how “What underpins everything is that we spend so much time getting to know each child, their personal hobbies and interests. Relationships are at the heart of everything we do.” She continued by describing the school environment as “constantly relevant and purposeful,” developing the children’s independence through the use of prompts and examples around them. Staff are quick to identify growing areas of need and provide the necessary support as swiftly as possible. The Head of Inclusion noted to our assessor that the number of children with additional needs has increased during her time at the school via new intakes and greater awareness of needs within children already at the school. As an inspirational and aspiration leader, she shows pride in the fact that there has been a change in perspective across the school towards inclusion, and that every department has worked to weave it into the fabric of everyday life. The Head of Inclusion has been instrumental in helping the school bring its inclusive vision to life, and has been a champion for students of determination and students with additional needs.

Transitional phases are supported

Kings’ School is keen to show that inclusion begins from the moment you consider applying. The Head of Inclusion meets the parents and child of every family that applies for a school place to ensure that their needs can be met.  The Inclusion Governor notes that honest and open discussions are held and alternative provision offered within other Kings’ schools if this would be more appropriate.  Every possible support is offered, including Speech and Language Therapy prior to starting, to provide the best possible beginning for the child. Equally, a comprehensive approach is taken when children move to their secondary school. Staff are keenly aware of the challenges students face when moving to secondary school, so transitions are carefully planned with sessions arranged to explore worries and taster days to experience secondary school life.

The school realises the importance of planning when it comes to delivering an inclusive education. Meeting children at the gate, regular meetings with parents and art therapy to express emotions are just some of the many ways that the school adopts a personal approach to every learner so they can find comfort in their daily routine. Transitional periods are not just worry points for students, but staff too, and the school rises to meet their needs. Staff joining the school from other countries are invited to send an introductory video of themselves to share with their new class, naming a favourite story which is then shared on the first day of term. It is this sense of immediate belonging that makes Kings’ School such a special place to learn. It is immediately evident that the staff are totally committed to welcoming every child as an individual and ensuring that their needs are met.  Using an engaging range of pedagogical approaches within a warm and vibrant environment, staff are passionate about removing barriers to learning and making every learner feel like they hold a special place in the school community. Students and staff support each other on a daily basis, showing that under this inclusive vision, no one is ever truly alone on their journey.

We work on inclusion together

Kings’ School Dubai truly reflect the fact that inclusion is not a journey we embark on alone; rather it is one we walk every day, together. The staff’s unwavering commitment to students is a wonderful testament to the welcoming school they have built. Every member of the school community has an important role to play, and together they have built a school to be truly proud of.