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.