Through engaging with the skill of compassion, our DESS Primary 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 Primary, children make decisions that take them forward in their personal journey, pursuing their daily endeavours with kindness, patience and purpose.
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House System
The sense of self-belief and belonging that radiates from our House ‘families’ plays a major role in reassuring students that they belong and have the support of their peers. It also removes any ‘small fish - big pond’ fears that can sometimes be felt - particularly by children who join from smaller primary school environments.
One of the main benefits of being part of either Jaguar, Leopard, Lynx, or Panther house is the opportunity it provides students of all ages to work together and contribute to a kind and connected environment.
Excluding the PE team, every pupil and staff member is assigned to one of four Houses and each house has a House Captain and Vice-Captain.
Throughout the academic year, students are 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 can be earned for positive contributions to the school, outstanding work, sporting success, and consistent levels of effort. Both individual achievements and group participation are celebrated, reinforcing the value of effort and collaboration across different phases and year groups.
Our 120 dedicated house leaders are the champions of this cause. They not only tally points with great enthusiasm but also embody the spirit of their Houses across all aspects of school life. These leaders 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 Oud Metha.
DESS 360 Care
To balance academic and pastoral needs and make sure we develop well-rounded, confident individuals, our commitment has three areas of focuses:
- Staff who are dedicated to ensuring we provide a nurturing environment that fosters both academic and emotional growth
- Initiatives to help parents be confident in our commitment to their children's education and wellbeing, knowing the school places equal importance on academic achievement and emotional health
- Children who are empowered to flourish and explore in their learning, supported by a school environment that encourages risk-taking and provides unswerving support.
External agencies play a vital role in offering guidance and support, collaborating closely with the school to nurture confident and well-adjusted young people.
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Inclusion
We strive to nurture independent, confident, and resilient learners who respond to challenges and aspire to reach their full potential.
To achieve that, we make sure inclusion sits at the heart of everything we do. We are passionate about improving education for all and providing children with the best start in life. We aim to develop self-worth, mutual respect, and enjoyment in the process of learning, and we make sure the quality of a DESS Primary education is guaranteed by targeting barriers and addressing needs.
Our Learning Zone team comprises highly skilled professionals who implement a several inclusive initiatives such as tailored one-to-one programmes, booster and focus groups, and in-class support – all based on both external specialist insights and our own assessments.
Curriculum modification is crucial to our approach, ensuring lessons are accessible to all learners. Through dynamic planning and Quality First Teaching, we adapt our teaching to meet the diverse needs of our students and personalise their educational journey.
The Library at DESS Oud Metha
A Hub of Learning and Creativity
Bus Service
HOUSES
One of the main benefits of being part of either Desert, Earth, Sky, and Coast house is the opportunity it provides students of all ages to work together and contribute to a kind and connected environment.
The sense of self-belief and belonging that radiates from our House ‘families’ plays a major role in reassuring students that they belong and have the support of their peers. It weaves a sense of community and belonging into the heart of the college, and also removes any ‘small fish - big pond’ fears that can sometimes be felt - particularly by children who join from primary school or smaller secondary school environments.
Each House is led by a dedicated pastoral leadership team, including a Head of House, Deputy Head of House, House Parent Liaison, and a team of Tutors and Support Tutors. Houses are distinguished by unique colours, logos, mascots, ethos, and values, fostering a strong sense of identity among students.
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Examinations
We do not select our students on an academic basis yet we are regularly ranked amongst the best International Schools for our examination results. Students at DESC achieve outstanding examination results due to the solid foundation given to them by their teachers throughout their time at the College.
At DESC, students sit some GCSEs in Year 10 (Science and English), however, most GCSEs are taken in Year 11. Currently, students take their A levels at the end of Year 13. Some students in the Sixth Form are enrolled on BTEC qualifications that have more of a portfolio-based assessment structure.
Our Facilities
Our school facilities are widely regarded to be among the best in the region and play a key role in the learning experience we provide. We continually invest in new and existing equipment and spaces to encourage participation and endeavour.
Our Facilities
Our school facilities are widely regarded to be among the best in the region and play a key role in the learning experience we provide. We continually invest in new and existing equipment and spaces to encourage participation and endeavour.
Life at DESC
Our Creative Arts Faculty curriculum is structured to develop an interest in art, design, and technology, in an environment that stimulates creativity alongside functional and imaginative problem-solving skills. The educational journey begins with challenging briefs, encouraging students to develop, experiment, design, edit, refine, and review their outcomes.
Life at DESS
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 Primary 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 Primary, 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 Primary, 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 Primary 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 Primary, 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 Primary 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 Primary 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 Primary 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.
Life at DESS
