Case Study:
Dubai Gem Private School
Dubai Gem Private School seeks to create a challenging
and inclusive learning environment that encourages high expectations for all
students, and is committed to providing high-quality, tailored professional
development opportunities for all school staff.
Samina Rizvi, Head of Primary, joined us to discuss why
the school ultimately chose to join The National College, the leading
professional development platform for international schools across the globe, to
drive up standards and transform its CPD provision.
Raising standards with the latest in pedagogical best practice
“Dubai Gem Private School is a very well established school;
it’s one of the oldest schools in Dubai. We celebrated our 50th anniversary
this in January 2023,” Samina said.
She added: “We are very supportive of our whole school
community, with a focus on inclusivity and ensuring that all of our children
get equal opportunities to excel. We want to make sure no child is left
behind.”
“We always encourage teachers to keep learning, to innovate,
and update themselves with all that there is to offer in the field of teaching
and learning,” she stated.
She continued: “One of our main priorities is to improve and
enhance teaching and learning, so a lot of importance is placed on professional
development, both internally and externally.”
“We are always researching new pedagogies. It’s something
that we really pay a lot of attention to,” she commented.
Online, CPD-certified training from world-leading experts and institutions
At The National College, we take the hassle out of CPD
delivery and management with a unique, cost-effective option for educators: one
provider, one platform, and one price.
Our membership supports schools across the globe to meet
essential training requirements and international accreditation frameworks,
drive up standards, and retain the best staff.
Samina revealed: “We were searching for an external CPD
provider and there were several things that were important for us to consider.
We looked at accessibility in particular, and how convenient it would be for
teachers to complete training sessions.”
“It can be difficult to gather our staff in one place to
take part in a professional development session, therefore an online training
provision seemed to be the most appropriate option for us,” she continued.
She said: “We found that the variety of content available
from The National College was fantastic, and it covered all of the different
roles in our school.”
“I’ve been in the education sector for a long time. We used
The National College in my previous school, so I knew that it added value for
all staff,” she nodded.
Turning theory into classroom practice and mastering new skills
With our cost-effective membership, Dubai Gem Private School
has equipped all staff with research and evidence-led techniques to
raise standards and enhance student outcomes.
Samina said: “We use the teaching and learning category the
most, as that is a priority for us. We can identify the areas in which our
teaching staff need to most support, and we can create watchlists for those
individuals.”
“In the dashboard, we can monitor progress and provide
deadlines for the staff to complete their training, which is a big help,” she
added.
She continued: “Following the completion of the training, we
have sessions for feedback. We discuss the learning and share how we are going
to put those ideas into practice and use them in our lessons.”
“The platform is really easy to use too,” she highlighted.
Reflecting on staff feedback, Samina said: “When we observe
lessons, we can see teachers using the strategies that they have learned from
The National College, which is great.”
“I think that the biggest benefit is the breadth of topics
and range of content available on the platform. It provides practical and
effective tips for our staff, and we get a lot of knowledge from the expert
speakers,” she stated.