Strategic Vision 2024-2027

Foreword

This latest iteration of the strategic vision builds on the firm foundations which have underpinned the school’s remarkable success over the past 47 years. We fully intend for Dubai College to remain the school of choice for able and talented students in sports, creative arts and academics who also wish to further our commitment to philanthropy. These four pillars and our aspiration to be leading British education overseas will continue to steer our decision making at every level.

However, since the board and the senior leadership team last met to review our strategic vision in mid-2021 much has changed: new board members have joined the College, the advent of increasingly sophisticated generative AI has brought with it the promise of a fundamental shift in the way we learn and work, geopolitics and the pandemic have enhanced Dubai’s appeal as a destination to live and attend school and the mental health and wellbeing of children and young people is increasingly taking centre stage at both a local and global level.

The aspirational ambitions for the City of Dubai have also continued to move ahead at pace; new residents continue to boost the population of the city and access to the highest standards of education remains a key component in attracting intellectual capital to live and work in Dubai.

This strategic vision is intended to stimulate a timely refresh of our timeless approach to educational excellence.

Paul Griffiths Chairman of the Board of Governors

Our Mission

We aim to provide a rich holistic education and academic excellence for our students.

This mission underscores our dedication to fostering an environment where students can thrive intellectually, socially and personally.

Our commitment to a holistic educational approach, integrating academic rigour with a focus on the overall development of students will prepare them to meet the challenges of the ever-changing global landscape.

Our Purpose

We exist to equip young people with the deep knowledge and good character that they will need to flourish in their lives.

This purpose reflects our responsibility to raise morally sound, and healthy young adults equipped with the comprehensive knowledge they need to be able to think critically and become flexible, educated and understanding leaders in their chosen spheres of influence.

Our Values

We consulted extensively with governors, senior leaders, staff, parents and students to identify the four core values which define our school. In four separate sessions, all stakeholders showed remarkable alignment in choosing excellence, hard work, kindness and integrity

These values are the foundation of the Dubai College ethos and the guiding star for our decision-making. We must ensure that these values resonate with, and are actively embraced by, every member of our community, reflecting in every action and decision made within our school’s environment.

Our Strategic Priorities

The board and the senior leadership team, in consultation with staff, students and parents, have identified the top ten priority areas for change, improvement and development during the next three years.

Focusing on these specific areas will allow us to allocate our resources effectively and concentrate our efforts where they are most needed.

Each of these ten strategic priorities will be overseen by one of the four subcommittees of the Board of Governors of Dubai College: education, finance and general purposes, governance and development.

Education: Inclusive Ethos

Dubai College’s unique expertise in serving the most able students in Dubai means that we remain committed to attracting and recruiting students with special educational needs as well as identifying children with dual or multiple exceptionality (DME) at an early stage or as soon as possible after they join the school. To this end, how can we recruit and retain specialist staff with the expertise to lead the identification of gifted children who may use their intellect to mask their needs? How can we ensure that all staff are well trained in supporting these students effectively?

Education: Curriculum Innovation

Within our long-term commitment to sustained academic excellence, we must engage with the pitfalls and possibilities presented by the advent of sophisticated generative AI. As we endeavour to ensure academic integrity in the age of ChatGPT, reduce workload through the adoption of integrated AI and design a relevant curriculum that includes languages, creativity, innovation, design and entrepreneurial thinking we must answer these questions: what is the intention of our academic curriculum? How can we enhance our extra-curricular programme to support this?

Education: Advanced Wellbeing

Generation alpha are fast becoming known as the anxious generation. There is great debate whether unfettered access to smartphones and social media or a continuous focus on how they are feeling are to blame for rising anxiety. What is clear is that we must focus intelligently on the wellbeing of students and staff and ensure a supportive environment in which to work and learn. Without making matters worse by focusing unduly on emotional turbulence of adolescence, how can we measure wellbeing? How can we activate our students as partners in their wellbeing provision?

Development: Growing Demands

We have established a Development Board to address the growing demand for places at Dubai College and to support the school’s ambitious campus redevelopment. Ensuring that we continue to grant access to all those students who will thrive at Dubai College, whilst renovating and expanding the current site, will require the combined strategic, operational and financial expertise of an extended board of supporters. How can we leverage this board to support and enhance the work of the full Board of Governors? How can a wider network of supporters increase Dubai College’s impact in Dubai?

Development: Community Support

Funding our campus redevelopment through major support, regular support and legacy support from parents, alumni and members of the wider Dubai College community will contribute to both the sustainable development of our current campus and our plans for expansion. Further uptake of capital debentures and capital certificates will also serve as a cornerstone of our financial security moving forward. How can we enlist the support of a greater proportion of our community? How can we raise awareness of our capital contribution schemes to increase our financial reserves?

Finances: Secure Future

Maintaining a secure financial footing will continue to be one of the key strategic priorities of this and every iteration of the school’s strategic vision. Increasing the school’s capacity, coping with inflationary pressures and redeveloping our campus will require us to both manage our expenses and increase our financial reserves. How can we balance the need for fee increases with parental expectations and the growing demands on the budget? How can we ensure that cybersecurity and data protection are central to the school’s financial future?

Finances: Human Capital

Dubai College has recently enjoyed a period of relative stability and low staff turnover but the battle for teaching talent remains a global challenge. While we need to focus on recruiting, retaining and developing high-quality teachers, we must also plan for leadership succession by building internal capacity. How can we grow the next generation of senior leaders from within? How can we further enhance our profile as one of the leading educational employers in the world?

Governance: Collective Responsibility

Now, more than ever, Dubai College needs great governance. Increasing regulation and geopolitical uncertainty pose real risks to the independent mindedness which has been a hallmark of the Dubai College success story to date. To preserve the school’s autonomy and operational stability, the school must balance regulatory compliance with the needs and expectations of ourcommunity. How will we set strategy and verify its implementation? How can collective responsibility distribute the growing demands of governance?

Governance: Smooth Transition

Onboarding the new Head, inculcating the Dubai College purpose, mission and values, supporting the delivery of the strategic vision, ensuring leadership appraisal, development and coaching, sourcing useful mentoring and developing the wider senior leadership team are now key priorities for the governance subcommittee. How we will ensure the successful integration of the school’s new leader? How can we further enhance the strength and depth of the senior team?

Governance: Risk and Reputation

While the foundations of Dubai College are firm, we must continue to refine what we offer while adpating to increased regulation and standardisation. In doing so there is always a risk that we will dilute the ‘secret sauce’ which has made Dubai College the leader in education that it is today. How do we maintain the school’s mission and vision with care? How can we further enhance the College’s reputation and continue to assert its relevance as the key player in the Dubai educational landscape?