The Aquila School has recently received accreditations from two international education accrediting bodies. The school, located in Dubailand, has received accreditation from the British School Overseas (BSO) and Cambridge Assessment International Education.
Wayne Howsen, Principal of The Aquila School, welcomed the accreditations: “We are delighted to have retained our BSO accreditation and are incredibly proud to have been rated with the highest possible grading across every category. We are a happy community school committed to ensuring every child experiences amazing learning and we are thrilled that the BSO and the Cambridge Assessment Intentional Education teams were able to see this.”
The pupils at the school were commended for their outstanding attitude and behaviour and it was noted that relationships between teachers and pupils are very positive. The BSO report commended the school for its excellent curriculum, highly effective teaching and the outstanding way that pupils are cared for. The school was also praised for the excellent provision of information for families.
The BSO report states: “The school provides an impressive quality of education supported by an outstanding level of pupil care. The school provides a robust and highly effective British education that meets the needs of its pupils. The school’s curriculum is broad, balanced, and innovative: pupils are engaged in their learning. Teachers make good use of the wide range of resources and creative outdoor spaces, to plan interesting lessons across all subject areas. Pupils’ behaviour is exemplary, and they enjoy school. As a result, pupils across all key stages become highly confident and successful learners.”
The school’s second BSO inspection confirms that the school is still outstanding and exceeds all of the BSO standards
The Aquila School, part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP), has also recently been approved by Cambridge Assessment International Education to offer its world-leading Cambridge programme. The programme is for pupils aged 11 to 19 and is designed to give pupils a clear path for educational success, leading towards Cambridge IGCSE qualifications and Cambridge International AS and A-Level qualifications. The incoming Year 10 pupils at The Aquila School will be the school’s first cohort to sit the IGCSE and GCSE examinations in 2024. The school currently caters for children from FS1 to Year 10 and will eventually be an all through school.
The school has also been approved by Cambridge Assessment International Education to offer its world-leading Cambridge programme in secondary
Mr Howsen shares his thoughts on both accreditations: “There are so many wonderful aspects of the BSO report and the Cambridge Assessment Intentional Education feedback, to celebrate. Both these accreditations are a testament to our hardworking school team, our engaged and supportive families, and our happy and inquisitive pupils. We know from families that what matters to them is that their children are safe, happy and learning and that the school keeps families well informed about what is going on. We are never complacent and are always looking for ways to improve and look forward to building upon the great reputation our school already has.”
The BSO is a voluntary inspection framework for British schools overseas that inspects schools against a common set of standards that British schools across the world can choose to adopt. By achieving BSO accreditation, The Aquila School has demonstrated that the standard of education it provides is comparable to independent schools in the UK. The inspection for The Aquila School was carried out by Penta International, which specialises in inspecting schools overseas.