Dubai Heights Academy

Dubai Heights Academy places inclusion and wellbeing at the heart of the student experience. The Inclusion and Wellbeing framework identifies barriers to learning and tailors targeted interventions, while providing enrichment when needed. A full-time School Counsellor supports emotional regulation, social skills, coping strategies, and personal development, and leads the school anti-bullying campaign with regular parent workshops. Wellbeing Wednesday creates a weekly focus on wellbeing through activities, challenges, and opportunities to practice strategies such as mindfulness, with Snoezelen sensory room support. The UK My Happy Mind well-being curriculum is implemented for all students from FS to Year 6 to develop resilience, emotional intelligence and wellbeing skills.

Dubai Heights Academy describes itself as inclusive, with wellbeing as the heartbeat and systems to identify barriers to learning and tailor interventions, while also providing enrichment for those who need more challenge. An inclusion register tracks the level of support required for each student, and an inclusion team coordinates targeted interventions and liaises with external agencies as needed. On-site therapies are offered, including Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy, and the MbodE program focuses on gross motor skills to support concentration and coordination. ASDAN provides an alternative curriculum pathway aligned to individual interests and life skills. The School Counsellor provides emotional and social support, leads the anti-bullying campaign, and offers workshops for parents; Gifted and Talented provision includes in-class challenges, enrichment ECAs and leadership opportunities.

Dubai Heights Academy enrols students with lower levels of English and conducts a formal English proficiency assessment for new joiners to determine any additional requirements. The academic team then assesses and provides in-class support, differentiation, and targeted interventions as needed. Additional English language support is provided by an external provider. There are staff with responsibility for EAL, including an EAL Teacher, and leadership with experience in leading EAL departments at school level. These provisions indicate a structured approach to EAL across the curriculum.

My Happy Mind curriculum is implemented for all students from FS to Year 6 to develop resilience, emotional intelligence and wellbeing skills. Wellbeing Wednesday is a weekly focus on wellbeing with activities and challenges for students and staff, and includes Snoezelen room usage for mindfulness. The full-time School Counsellor supports emotional regulation, social skills, coping strategies and personal development, and leads anti-bullying campaigns and parent workshops. On-site therapeutic services include Speech and Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy to support wellbeing and development. Gifted and Talented provision and enrichment opportunities contribute to students' social and emotional development.

Safeguarding underpins everything Dubai Heights Academy does. It follows Keeping Children Safe in Education (KCSIE 2025), British Schools Overseas expectations, COBIS guidance, and the requirements of the UAE Ministry of Education to ensure the highest standards of child protection and care. The Principal and the Designated Safeguarding Lead have overall responsibility for safeguarding across the school, supported by a team of Level 3 trained Deputy Designated Safeguarding Leads across all phases. Safeguarding is embedded within the curriculum, pastoral systems, assemblies, and enrichment activities, including online safety, anti-bullying, respectful relationships, and children's rights, with active involvement of parents through information sessions and workshops. Concerns about a child's safety can be reported to the Designated Safeguarding Lead or safeguarding team, or via the school reception; no concern is too small.