GEMS Wellington International School

GEMS Wellington International School is located in the Al Sufouh area of Dubai on Sheikh Zayed Road near Interchange 4. The campus sits on eight acres of grounds. The school is in a central, well-connected part of the city.

The school serves children from 3 to 18 years old (FS1 to Year 13). It uses a Lower School (FS1–Year 4), Middle School (Year 5–Year 8) and Upper School (Year 9–Year 13) structure with pathways through the British curriculum and the International Baccalaureate.

Co-educational day school; there are no boarding facilities.

In the 2023–2024 DSIB inspection, the school roll was 2,904 students, with 71 Emirati pupils and the largest nationality group being Indian. The school represents a very diverse community with around 90 nationalities represented; local Emirati share is about 2% and international students about 98%.

GEMS Wellington International School has an Inclusion policy and supports students with diverse learning needs. The Inclusion Team includes a SENDCo for FS1–Year 6 and a SENDCo for Year 7–Year 13, with personalised targets and differentiated materials. Admission is not conditional on a medical diagnosis, and there are formal processes to involve parents in inclusion planning.

The school operates as a British overseas school, offering the UK National Curriculum alongside the IB Diploma Programme.

The school has no religious affiliation; admissions state that religion is not a barrier to entry.

Most school days start around 7:20–7:45 am and finish around 4:00 pm, with Friday timings shorter (around 12:00 pm). Variation by year group is expected.

Transport is provided by STS Group. Buses are GPS-tracked and equipped with CCTV, Advanced Driver-Assistance Systems (ADAS), RFID, and a 24/7 Operations Control Centre. To register, contact the school's Service Delivery Executive; a Transportation Rate List and Dubai School Transport Manual are available; bus route availability cannot be guaranteed for every request.

GEMS Wellington International School delivers the National Curriculum of England from Foundation Stage through Year 11, with GCSEs taught in Years 10–11. In Years 12 and 13, the school offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme and the IB Career-related Programme, complemented by a careers programme. Middle School (Years 7–9) follows the National Curriculum for England with subject specialists, and Year 8 includes elective subjects such as Design Technology, Food and Nutrition, Art, Music, Drama, Entrepreneurship, Emerging Technology and Sustainable Design. Upper School provides GCSE study in Key Stage 4, with Year 10 marking the start of a two-year GCSE course. The curriculum emphasizes a mastery approach, inclusion, and a broad range of subjects across English, Mathematics, Science, Languages, Humanities, Arts, and Physical Education.

The Counselling Department provides a wellbeing support system for students, parents, and staff, following International School Counselling Association (ISCA) practices. There are three school counsellors: Lower School (FS-Year 4), Middle School (Year 5-9), and Upper School (Year 10-13) who offer support to students experiencing difficulties. They provide individual and group counselling, classroom sessions, resilience-building, social-emotional support, mindfulness, and support for exam-stress and friendship/relationship issues. They also support families and teachers through webinars on parenting skills and wellbeing topics, and address trauma and bullying issues. The counselling team collaborates with staff and families to ensure students are academically, socially and emotionally prepared to be empathetic and balanced global citizens.

The Policy of Provision for Students of Determination implements a whole-school, inclusive education approach with early identification and a graduated support system. The school uses a Wave framework (Wave 1–3) to determine provision levels, with Wave 3 involving an Individualised Education Plan (IEP) and potential specialist input. KHDA recognises 12 categories of SEND, including Intellectual Disability, Specific Learning Disorders, Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, Developmental Delay, and English as an Additional Language (EAL). The Inclusion Team includes the Governor for Inclusive Education, the Director of Inclusion/SENDCo for different year bands, an ASD Specialist, and Inclusion Language Development Specialists, and coordinates with external professionals as needed. Admission is not refused based solely on SEND, and staff use provision maps and IEPs to plan and monitor individual support; there is an emphasis on partnership with parents and ongoing staff development.

EAL/ELL policy defines EAL as students whose first language is not English, and notes that over 60% of the student body are EAL; the EAL classification is independent of English proficiency level. The aims are to enable EAL/ELL students to access the curriculum fully, to provide a safe, welcoming environment, and to ensure attainment appropriate to individual abilities. Learning and teaching include outside-class listening, speaking, reading, and writing support, with teachers and learning support assistants, plus extensive use of visuals, key vocabulary, and contextual clues; home-language considerations and bilingual resources are promoted. Ongoing assessment and data-tracking monitor language development and academic progress, with progression decisions based on multiple factors beyond test scores. The ELL provision strategy includes interventions (Tier 3 specialist lessons where needed), personalised Learning Profiles, scaffolded teaching, extracurricular support such as the Watch Me Fly EEE Club, Home Language Support, and collaboration among staff, parents, and external agencies; students exit ELL when they demonstrate independence and age-appropriate English proficiency.

The wellbeing framework is anchored in the Counselling Department, which provides dedicated support for mental health, including resilience-building, mindfulness, trauma support, and social-emotional development. Wellbeing is explicitly referenced as a core consideration within the EAL policy's inclusive aims, highlighting the school's commitment to students' mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Student voice and leadership initiatives foster wellbeing by promoting agency, confidence, and peer support, including a senior leadership team and student councils. Safeguarding policies reinforce mental wellbeing by ensuring safe environments, safeguarding training, and access to counselling as part of safeguarding provisions. The school emphasizes collaboration among students, families, and staff to support holistic wellbeing and the development of healthy, balanced lives.

Safeguarding is an overarching policy with modules covering Child Protection, Attendance, Behaviour Management, Anti-bullying (including cyberbullying), Counselling, IT Acceptable Usage, First Aid, Health and Safety, Safer Recruitment, Code of Conduct, Whistleblowing, SEND, Missing Child Policy, and Intimate Care. The policy aligns with UAE Children's Rights Law and UK Keeping Children Safe in Education guidance, based on Working Together to Safeguard Children frameworks. All staff have a responsibility to provide a safe environment, be alert to signs of abuse, identify children who may need extra help, and work with external services as needed. An emphasis on e-safety, safeguarding procedures, and staff training underpins daily practice to protect students. Parents and students are involved where practicable, and concerns are shared with appropriate agencies as part of safeguarding practice.

1. GEMS Wellington International School follows the National Curriculum for England and Wales and the International Baccalaureate. The academic year runs from August to June. Admission may occur during the academic year if a place is available and KHDA guidelines permit. The school currently has limited availability across year groups.

2. Complete online application and pay a AED 525 (inclusive of VAT) application fee. Application fees are accepted in the form of AED cheque, cash, bank transfer or an online payment. The Admissions Team provides next steps after submission.

3. Prepare and submit supporting documents: birth certificate copy (in English or Arabic), student passport copy, student visa copy, Emirates Card ID copy (both sides), immunisation certificate copy, most recent school report/nursery (past 2 years) copy, Medical Declaration and Mandatory Information Forms, sponsor passport copy, sponsor visa copy, sponsor Emirates ID copy, and a personal statement for Year 5 upwards. To start the evaluation process, email the most recent school/nursery reports to the Academic Team for review. For Year 5 upwards, include a personal statement (no more than 400 words) about the student's hobbies, talents and achievements.

4. For Year 5 upwards, provide a personal statement (no more than 400 words) describing the student's hobbies, talents and achievements.

5. Entry criteria state the school does not discriminate against any child or family and that it is a truly international institution with limited spaces for children with additional learning needs.

6. Foundation Stage/Lower/Middle/Upper School reports will be reviewed by the academic teaching staff and, if deemed necessary, may be followed by an assessment or interview.

7. Places for new students, especially in Foundation Stage and Lower School, may be limited; parents are advised to contact the Registrar to understand current enrolment availability.

8. Students wishing to undertake the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) must have achieved a minimum standard in their GCSEs or equivalent to take the Diploma. IB courses and the Careers Programme are also offered. Enrol Online is available for applicants.

GEMS Scholarships are the largest merit-based scholarship opportunity in the UAE. The candidates benefit from a concession amount determined on a case by case basis and the scholarships are awarded for a single academic year with the possibility of renewal based on academic progress. The school is currently not accepting scholarship applications.