Through engaging with the skill of compassion, our DESS children learn how to be kind to themselves and others, and to be patient and to persevere through times of need. Compassion encourages kindness, patience, acceptance and tolerance, important values for navigating successful relationships with others both in the present context and beyond. By encouraging compassionate behaviours at DESS, children make decisions that take them forward in their personal journey, pursuing their daily endeavours with kindness, patience and purpose.
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Not Everything Will Be New
When it opens in September 2025, our newest DESS family member will be set in a modern, spacious campus filled with light, space, and opportunities for students to explore their potential in every direction.
From expansive play areas and modern classrooms to a location that places us in the heart of Dubai’s educational hub, everything will be designed and built from scratch to enhance the learning experience.
But while our surroundings will be new, the essence of DESS will remain unchanged. The warmth, the welcoming community spirit, the focus on nurturing each child's unique talents, and the commitment to academic excellence in line with the British Curriculum, will remain our cornerstones.
We’re taking the rich heritage of DESS Primary Oud Metha and infusing it with even more energy, creating another dynamic environment where students can grow and thrive. We will foster a strong sense of belonging, and make sure every child feels supported and valued.
Our approach to primary school education is rooted in the belief that success is a journey, not just a destination. We encourage our students to be curious, creative, and courageous, building on the DESS tradition of excellence while embracing the opportunities of the future.
Our pledge to parents is that at DESS Primary Academic City, the past and the present will converge to create another exceptional school equipped for the future. A place where new beginnings will be celebrated while the enduring values of DESS continue to shine brightly.
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House System
One of the main benefits of being part of one of our school houses will be the opportunity it will provide students of all ages to work together and contribute to a kind and connected environment.
Chat to any past or present parent of our sister DESS Primary Oud Metha primary school, and you'll be left in no doubt about the sense of self-belief and belonging that radiates from our House ‘families’. They play a major role in reassuring students that they belong and have the support of their peers. They also remove any ‘small fish - big pond’ fears that can sometimes be felt - particularly by children who join a spacious school such as DESS Primary Academic City from more confined primary school environments.
Throughout the academic year, children will be encouraged to engage in a range of activities and events, contributing to their House's points tally. House points are the lifeblood of this spirited competition and will be able to be earned for positive contributions to the school, outstanding work, sporting success, and consistent levels of effort. Both individual achievements and group participation will be celebrated, reinforcing the value of effort and collaboration across different phases and year groups.
Our dedicated house leaders will be the champions of this cause. They will not only tally points with great enthusiasm but also embody the spirit of their Houses across all aspects of school life. These leaders will play a crucial role in organising school-wide events and brainstorming new initiatives, ensuring the House System remains a dynamic and integral part of DESS Primary Academic City.
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Inclusion
At DESS Primary Academic City, inclusion will be at the core of our educational approach. We will be committed to cultivating independent, confident, and resilient learners who embrace challenges and strive to reach their full potential.
Our focus on inclusion will ensure that every child receives the support and encouragement they need to thrive. We believe in providing an exceptional start in life for all children by fostering self-worth, mutual respect, and a genuine love for learning. By actively identifying and addressing any barriers, we will ensure that every student benefits from the outstanding education DESS is known for.
Our dedicated Learning Zone team will consist of experienced professionals who will deliver a wide range of inclusive initiatives, from tailored one-to-one programmes to focused group sessions and in-class support. These efforts will be grounded in both specialist expertise and our own thorough assessments.
Central to our philosophy will be the modification of the curriculum to make learning accessible to every child. Through thoughtful planning and Quality First Teaching, we will adapt our lessons to meet the diverse needs of our students, personalising their educational experience to ensure success for all.
The Library at DESS Primary Academic City
A Hub of Learning and Creativity
BUS SERVICE
Safety features will include
Individual 3-point seat belts
Voice reminder system to alert staff whenever a child leaves a bus
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Bell System
GPS tracking on all routes
Tablet based attendance system
CCTV Cameras and DVR
A ‘no child left behind’ patrol system
Digital display of students on board
wellness
The DESS Academic City Medical Team
Empowering Learning Through Innovation
Technology
The 6Cs
We are fully committed to nurturing the whole child and so pride ourselves on providing students with invaluable learning skills that are crucial in building both their character and resilience.
Our DESS Primary 6Cs Manifesto is our promise to our children and ensures that learning skills encompass: Critical Thinking, Compassion, Creativity, Communication, Collaboration and Curiosity.
Put simply, critical thinking is the ability to analyse information presented to form a judgement about a topic. In today’s information-saturated world, we believe our DESS children need to develop this skill to survive and thrive. By engaging in critical thinking tasks, our children gain a deeper understanding of the world around them including how they perceive themselves in that world. They learn to analyse, compare, contrast, make inferences, and generate higher-order thinking skills. They also become confident decision makers and learn to determine what they value and believe. At DESS, we endeavour to teach children how to think, not what to think, cultivating an ethos of being open-minded, curious and interested.
We value creativity as the ability to think differently: to see a problem or issue from a new angle. Being creative is not only attributed to artists and musicians, but to using our imaginations to innovate and create something new. Creative thinking is paramount in conquering our brain’s natural tendency to use information we already know, as well as being integral to problem-solving, innovation and entrepreneurship. At DESS, our emphasis is on child-led, enquiry-based learning which provides the opportunity for creative thinking to thrive, and for unconventional thinking to be embraced.
By having strong communication skills, we firmly believe that our DESS children will be able to navigate their learning journeys, as well as their personal and eventual professional lives with ease and success. Through honed communication skills all interactions and the needs of those around them will be understood more accurately and quickly, leading to harmonious relationships. At DESS, we encourage respect, great listening, conciseness, appropriate body language, confidence and open-mindedness, to allow our children to thrive as excellent communicators.
We promote collaboration to allow our children to work harmoniously together towards a common purpose. Through child-led, continuous provision and project-based learning, our children have an awareness of the importance of working together as one entity with a shared goal. By identifying and drawing on each other’s strengths, each individual child has the opportunity to thrive in their area of interest and showcase their talents. Relying on openness and knowledge sharing, our DESS children can further demonstrate cooperation, compromise, individual and collective responsibility, time-management and conflict resolution; transferable skills that are so vital for later on in life.
Curiosity is quickly emerging as a critical trait and, as a result, our DESS children are continuously encouraged to delve into the unknown, by asking questions about the world around them, through deeper exploration and learning. Intrinsically linked to critical thinking, our DESS children eagerly demonstrate that they are driven in their desire to seek answers and improve, by finding novel ways to interpret new information and explore new experiences. Showing a true curiosity for others, our children further build on their compassion and empathy skills, through asking questions and seeking a greater understanding of those around them. Through a sense of wonder, enquiry and discovering new approaches, our children will further develop their adaptability and resilience, as well as a greater sense of engagement and satisfaction in their achievements.
Dressed for Success
