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Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Old Nov 14th 2017, 9:00 pm
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Default Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Hiya
I am moving to Dubai in feb 2018, I contacted alot of british secondary schools and have been offered a place by sunmarke, GEMS Silicon oasis, Raffles, DESC, Dubai british school jumeirah park, Nord Anglia,English college and GEMS metropole for my 13 year old daughter.

I am very confused with which school to pick as all schools look so flashy and the facilities look so good. Any advice would be greatly received!
Thanks

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Old Nov 15th 2017, 4:50 am
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Originally Posted by vandana
Hiya
I am moving to Dubai in feb 2018, I contacted alot of british secondary schools and have been offered a place by sunmarke, GEMS Silicon oasis, Raffles, DESC, Dubai british school jumeirah park, Nord Anglia,English college and GEMS metropole for my 13 year old daughter.

I am very confused with which school to pick as all schools look so flashy and the facilities look so good. Any advice would be greatly received!
Thanks
DESC is the best regarded of the schools on the list. By a good margin above the rest. Wow, there must be a real expat flight underway as it's usually oversubscribed.
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Old Nov 15th 2017, 5:59 am
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

i think you need to decide where exactly you are going to live and then determine the schools around the vicinity...unless of course you are ok doing school runs across Dubai.
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Old Nov 15th 2017, 6:33 am
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

All schools generally look flashy and over do the facilities, it's all just marketing to justify the fees.
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Old Nov 15th 2017, 8:55 am
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Dependent to a great extend on your daughter - however, DESC (IMHO) is head and shoulders over the others. Good for sport, performing arts, not a hot house but strong results, excellent leadership team. They are not-for-profit and you can see year-on-year that the money is going back into the school.

Re school runs - they operate their own buses (unlike many schools who use a third party provider). Good coverage with routes - so you are not restricted to where you chose to live. What I would call 'safe buses' - their own drivers, large coaches, good seat belts.

MS
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Old Nov 15th 2017, 7:35 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Thank you very much everyone!
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Old Nov 17th 2017, 10:53 am
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Also can anybody tell me their experiences of living in Silicon Oasis, Mirdif Shorooq or acedemic city please? I have been to dubai a few times but have lived in Burdubai area only so haven't got a clue about other parts.
TIA
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Old Nov 20th 2017, 12:55 am
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Look at the KHDA website for school ratings too.

Some of the popular / in-demand schools aren't actually that good.
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Old Nov 20th 2017, 8:04 am
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Originally Posted by Scamp
Look at the KHDA website for school ratings too.

Some of the popular / in-demand schools aren't actually that good.
I though school ranking is largely affected by how they teach Arabic and how good their students in Arabic which is bit irrelevant to most expats.
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Old Nov 20th 2017, 10:00 am
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Originally Posted by kostik3000
I though school ranking is largely affected by how they teach Arabic and how good their students in Arabic which is bit irrelevant to most expats.
Arabic instruction and Islamic studies. Some schools don't care about the latter and as such will never get top ranking despite otherwise being excellent schools.
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Old Nov 20th 2017, 7:33 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Originally Posted by kostik3000
I though school ranking is largely affected by how they teach Arabic and how good their students in Arabic which is bit irrelevant to most expats.
I'm sure if you read a school's report you'll see where they excel. To be outstanding they have to have a decent Arabic department which is either a waste of time and effort or demonstrates that they actually want to be outstanding in all areas, ignoring those that only some of the parents want?

It's all about who the kids get as a teacher, you could be in the 'best' (either by report / rating or by who all the Mums say is best) school in Dubai but with the shittest teacher imaginable. Same applies the opposite way round.
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Old Nov 21st 2017, 5:06 am
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Originally Posted by Scamp
I'm sure if you read a school's report you'll see where they excel. To be outstanding they have to have a decent Arabic department which is either a waste of time and effort or demonstrates that they actually want to be outstanding in all areas, ignoring those that only some of the parents want?

It's all about who the kids get as a teacher, you could be in the 'best' (either by report / rating or by who all the Mums say is best) school in Dubai but with the shittest teacher imaginable. Same applies the opposite way round.
Really the same with dodgy massage parlours in asia, price and marble is no indication of outcome.
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Old Nov 21st 2017, 5:31 am
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Originally Posted by Millhouse
Really the same with dodgy massage parlours in asia, price and marble is no indication of outcome.
Absolutely.

Same as almost anything, you can buy the best best best best Rolex but if one component wasn't inserted properly or doesn't work, it's not actually all that....but the five quid casio just keeps going and doesn't let you down.
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Old Nov 27th 2017, 8:01 am
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Originally Posted by Millhouse
Really the same with dodgy massage parlours in asia, price and marble is no indication of outcome.
I thought the outcome was pretty much the same regardless; it's the journey that you really pay for... Apparently.
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Old Nov 27th 2017, 8:16 pm
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Default Re: Moving to Dubai in Feb help with schools please

Originally Posted by Miss Ann Thrope
I thought the outcome was pretty much the same regardless; it's the journey that you really pay for... Apparently.
Yeah, shame and self loathing.
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