IB @ DUBAI INTERNATIONAL ACADEMY - EMIRATES HILLS
Best International Baccalaureate Curriculum School Award Entrance
I am a passionate advocate of the IB Curriculum, and believe that the holistic approach to education, emphasising not only academic learning but also personal, social, and emotional development is the best possible preparation for success in a constantly changing and interconnected world. Our students can think critically, communicate effectively, work collaboratively and have a global and inclusive understanding of the world. An IB student is a thinker - they ask questions, make connections, and seek answers through research and investigation. An IB education develops critical thinking skills and aims to ensure students become lifelong learners. I am often blown away with the creativity of our students, and the IB curriculum values encourage this along with independence and initiative. Our students take ownership and drive their learning towards their interests and passions within the Curriculum Framework – only an IB education can do this!
Relationships are the bedrock of our success and we encourage students, parents and staff to play an active role in our community. We aim to inspire all students to dream big, understanding that hard work is key to outstanding academic achievement. Equally important is the sense of belonging and students are offered a plethora of opportunities to participate and compete in activities to support their social, emotional and physical wellbeing. I am very proud of our Mother Tongue Programme. To help students retain a connection with their home language and culture, Dubai International Academy offers two to three hours a week of language instruction for children with Danish, Dutch, Finnish, French, German, Hindi, Italian, Spanish, Swedish or Mandarin as their mother tongue.
We place a huge emphasis on developing students’ mindsets to encourage them to be positive, aspirational and resilient. It is important that they develop self-belief and confidence. The concept of international-mindedness and the benefits of being a global lifelong learner are key attributes to achievement in an ever-changing world.
Our students benefit from a safe, nurturing environment where they are challenged to reach their potential and step out of their comfort zone, preparing them for the rigours of life ahead. Our core values permeate everyday life and lead many to describe us as “a happy school”. These embedded values allow students to become role models to each other and positive, well-grounded citizens who develop as future leaders capable of positively impacting our world.
The outstanding facilities, well-resourced and technologically advanced learning environments allow students and staff to explore learning in a variety of ways, personalising learning to maximise the student experience.
STEAM is integrated across the curriculum by incorporating its concepts and practices into various subjects such as English, Individuals and Societies (I&S), and arts. This is where an IB Curriculum excels in helping students develop a more holistic understanding of the world and how different subjects are interconnected through an inter and trans disciplinary approach. Here at DIA, we believe that technology enables, energizes and empowers our students and we strive to provide as many opportunities for our students to excel in these areas. DI@TECH is one such annual event where students from all year groups have the opportunity to showcase their imaginative and innovative designs and technology creations .
Nurturing our young minds to think out of the box, thereby applying their IB skills of creativity and critical thinking is one of our main drives within the school. Our Incubator Programme which provides a platform for students to develop and implement their ideas has seen some great success. For example, our PYP and MYP students have designed their own online game which are now available at the Android and Apple stores. While our DP students have designed and created a prototype lunar rover!
Principal's Bio
Hitesh is a dedicated and innovative professional with over 20 years of rich experience in School Leadership, Administration, Teaching & Training and Student Management. He joined Dubai International Academy in 2007 as a Technology teacher and has progressed through the ranks of school leadership at DIA to be the school Principal. He is an advocate of the IB philosophy and an expert in all four programmes, having led the authorisation process multiple times across the Innoventures schools. He strives to foster an environment where students take ownership of their own learning through student choice and opportunity.
He leads the school’s Academic Committee to develop and action the school’s strategic plan which have led significant school improvements in the areas of student progress, assessment, teaching for effective learning and curriculum adaptation within the annual Dubai Inspection Framework (KHDA). Hitesh is involved in developing a whole school evidence-based programme focused around wellbeing and the improvement of positive behaviour strategies. He leads the systematic review of the cumulative impact of initiatives on teacher workload and make proportionate and pragmatic demands on staff which has improved staff retention. Working on budgetary planning, student enrolment, the admissions process and succession planning for efficient deployment of resources, leading to the school running at full student capacity is a part of his profile. He directs the quality assurance for teaching and learning including performance management systems, staff observations, appraisal, and data triangulation to ensure the highest standards of Teaching & Learning are adhered, which is reflected in the DSIB “Outstanding” rating in teaching and assessment.
He accomplishes this through facilitating the running of over 50 student led clubs, local and international trips, competitions, sports teams, student council and prefects ensured a more personalised experience for our students. A graduate in Computer Science Engineering, he also has a Master’s in Philosophy for Computer Management. He can be often found on the Cricket field coaching the school Teams and has an excellent record of his teams winning the DASSA championships in Dubai. Hitesh also heads the Group Educational Technology team that helps to maximize the use of technology systems into teaching and learning.