Accreditation and Beyond
Dubai British School Development Plan, September 2008 – August 2011
Approved, January 26 2009
EXTRACTS - click HERE to download full PDF
EXTRACT 1: INTRODUCTION
1. Introduction to the 2008 – 2011 Development Plan
This 3 year development plan builds on and extends the work begun by founding staff and SLT from 2005 – 2008. It is informed by the 2007 report of the CIS visitor and the 2008 report of the Dubai Schools’ Inspection Bureau (DSIB) School inspection team. It has been written by the school’s Senior Leadership Team in full consultation of the staff.
It describes a vision for the school in 2011 as a fully articulated organisation with a clear sense of its community identity. It addresses the specific standards in order to achieve CIS Accreditation by November 2009 and is designed to enhance the school’s position as a leading British International School both regionally and globally, ready to review and act on the recommendations made as a result of the 2008 – 9 accreditation process, in order to achieve continuing school improvement.
The action plan that addresses the recommendations made by the DSIB following the visit of the inspection team in October 2008 is attached as Appendix 1 to this plan.
Accreditation and Beyond comes after a period of rapid growth over the first three years of the school’s life, and as we approach our stated target population of 1,100 students aged 21/2 to 18. The effects of this expansion, both intended and unintended are being reviewed as the school charts its priorities and needs for the coming three years.
2. Development Plan Objectives
Accreditation and Beyond is designed to
2.1 Ensure our smooth and uninterrupted development from September 2008 to August 2011, by which time our main aim is to be a school driven by its mission.
2.2 Realise our objectives which will enable students to
2.2.1 develop intellectual curiosity, communication and problem solving skills
2.2.2 think independently and laterally
2.2.3 respect cultural diversity
2.2.4 develop a life-long passion for learning
2.2.5 achieve beyond their previous limits and expectations
2.2.6 develop a sense of personal accomplishment and self-confidence
2.3 Secure our British International curriculum and consistent pedagogy, which will reflect the nature of knowledge, value the connections between academic disciplines while also respecting the distinctions that make them each special ways of knowing and doing.
2.4 Empower staff to contribute to the school’s mission, policy and development while demonstrating their accountability.
2.5 Fulfil and support staff in their personal Continuing Professional Development as they build their own repertoire of teaching within the framework of the school’s curriculum and pedagogy.
EXTRACT 2: EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Executive Summary
Objectives and Priorities
This three year development plan is designed as a stable yet flexible instrument enabling the school to define a vision to be achieved by August 2011. It affirms the essential character of the Dubai British School as a British International School which aims to fulfil the full potential of children as critical, independent learners. The school will have a clearly stated curriculum and its own, well articulated pedagogy. It demonstrates how this vision is to be achieved, lays out a methodology for reviewing success and for taking the necessary steps to achieve Council of International Schools (CIS) accreditation by December 2009. Especially in Section B it shows how the school plans to respond to the report of the DSIB (Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau) whose inspectors visited the school in October 2008.
The plan implicitly acknowledges the constraints of limited time and finite resources and therefore seeks to outline ambitious, yet achievable priorities for each year.
Structure
The plan is predicated on a new policy structure of seven sections which provide a comprehensive descriptive framework for the school’s activities. These are based on the CIS Sections for accreditation which break down all school activity into seven sections:
Section A Mission, Philosophy and Objectives
Section B Curriculum
Section C Governance and Management
Section D Staff
Section E Student Support Services
Section F Resources
Section G Student and Community Life
A vision to be achieved by August 2011 is described for each of the policy sections, followed by a description of what has to be addressed in order to achieve accreditation by December 2009.
The main plan’s objectives, vision and accreditation imperatives are constant features for the period 2008 – 2011 and provide stability and clear direction: once approved it will not change for three years. Flexibility and prioritisation are achieved by the appending of three annual schedules of priorities which are reviewed, updated and added to every year. As these schedules develop, the school is able to react to changing circumstances while continuing to target the same vision for August 2011.
Implementation
The plan is written by the school’s Senior Leadership Team in consultation with the staff and the school’s Board, which will approve a final version by January 2009. Once authorised at this level, the plan will be implemented by the staff and school leadership teams, which report progress regularly to the Board.
Review
The plan and schedules of development priorities will be reviewed every year in May. Evidence for progress will be collated and conclusions drawn accordingly. In the light of this analysis the development schedules will be updated annually, and in Term 1, 2011 - 12 a completely new 3 year development plan will be written for 2011 - 2014. All staff will be invited to take part in this process.
Progress in completing the priorities for 2008 -2009 was reviewed in June 2009, and the process of reviewing our progress in achieving the vision described in the main development plan has now started. Please see Extract 3.
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