Dubai: If you’re worried about your child going to school crying or grumpy, here’s a helpful tip. When you are looking for a school for your child in Dubai, look for the school’s ‘wellbeing rating’. It is a helpful indicator of whether or not the school prioritises student wellbeing as a key factor in education.
This rating is part of a programme by Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) to increase the focus on overall happiness in schools in Dubai, and here’s what you need to know to better understand what this rating means.
The Dubai Student Wellbeing Census
Wellbeing of students in schools is a key part of UAE’s National Strategy for Wellbeing 2031. The Dubai Schools Wellbeing Evaluation assesses how well schools in Dubai promote student wellbeing.
The programme is grounded in the belief that wellbeing is crucial for students to thrive. Wellbeing includes a student’s psychological, cognitive, social, and physical health. Students with high wellbeing tend to be more engaged in school, have better academic outcomes, and experience lower dropout rates.
As part of the census, middle and senior schools students take a 30-minute survey each year to provide information on key indicators that would help understand how well the school focuses on this strategy.
How schools are evaluated
Schools are evaluated across five key focus areas:
1. Leading and pursuing wellbeing: This assesses the school’s vision for wellbeing, how it’s implemented, and how data is used to improve.
2. Listening to and supporting stakeholders: This looks at how well the school supports students, staff, and families in terms of wellbeing.
3. Enabling wellbeing experiences and outcomes: This examines how the school curriculum and environment promote healthy habits, social-emotional skills, and overall student wellbeing.
Wellbeing levels – understanding the rating
Schools receive a wellbeing rating based on the following four-point sale:
• Very high: Exceptional provision for student wellbeing.
• High: Well-established provision for student wellbeing.
• Moderate: Developing provision for student wellbeing.
• Low: Insufficient provision for student wellbeing.
How can I check a school’s wellbeing rating?
KHDA provides an online directory of schools, with each school’s fee structure, overall KHDA rating and other important details mentioned.
You can find the directory on the KHDA website – khda.gov.ae, in the ‘find education institutions’ section. Each school will have their ‘wellbeing rating’ mentioned, along with the other details.
