Educational Ethos

At Durham Dubai we have a very clear mission supported by our aims and values. These all add up to help us build in each and every one of our students ‘confidence for life’.

So, what should students and parents expect to see and feel when they come through the doors at Durham Dubai?

First, we believe that the students are the stars; they are our reason for Durham Dubai and they are at the centre of everything we do and every decision we take. Next, we are a ‘hands on’ kind of school – if a job needs doing, we all contribute: staff, students and parents, no matter what the task or what our role is within the school. Importantly, we are positive, optimistic school. We meet challenges head on and look for solutions in the belief that they can always be found. We look for the best in people. We expect the best from our students and staff and as a result, will be rarely disappointed.

At Durham Dubai we are also humble and we accept that we all get things wrong from time to time. We recognise when something has gone wrong, we apologise, we fix it, we learn from it and we move on.

And finally, we are kind, accepting of each other, supportive of one another and appreciative of all that a person has to offer.

Aims & Mission

Mission

Durham School Dubai’s mission is to provide its students with a complete education; one which instils in them an aspiration for achievement, a respect for others and a ‘Confidence for Life’.

Whilst academic life is at the heart of the school, we set out to provide a host of opportunities in sport, music and drama so that every student is given a chance to explore their potential.   

Durham School Dubai is committed to educating its students in the very broadest sense of the word, preparing them for the challenges and opportunities of the 21st century whilst retaining a sense of traditional values established both here in Dubai and over Durham School’s 600 year history.

Aims

Within a community shaped by moral integrity and kindness, Durham School Dubai aims to cultivate responsibility and ambition to ensure that every student can thrive, be happy, and make a positive mark in the world.

The three pillars of a Durham School which support this aim and shape the environment where students can learn and grow are:

  • Academic challenge: providing students a lifelong appetite for learning.
  • Pastoral care: supporting students emotional, moral and spiritual strength.
  • Co-curricular: opportunities to enrich and develop the individual, fostering leadership, collaboration and teamwork.

We do this by nurturing and supporting our students to become:

  • Thinkers who can understand, research, evaluate and create, both collaboratively and independently.
  • Individuals who are morally sound, emotionally resilient, reflective and effective communicators.
  • Adults who act with responsibility, humility and kindness and are ready to make a positive contribution to society.

Our Values

Our four values are the MARK of our school and lie at the heart of all that we do:

Durham School – A Rich Heritage

Durham School Dubai is a branch school of Durham School UK and we are privileged to be able to draw upon the knowledge, skills and experience gathered by our mother school over the past 600 years.

Founded in 1414, Durham School is a traditional British boarding school with a modern international community. Situated in the picturesque and historic city of Durham in the north of England, it is a school that encourages students to take full advantage of everything a busy, co-educational school has to offer, living life to the full as part of a community in which the individual flourishes.

Durham School is a learning community that takes great pride in excellent pastoral care designed to ensure students are known as individuals and challenged to develop their talents. At the heart of our pastoral care provision is the Houses system that creates a genuine sense of belonging that roots students to the School.

The Durham Way – Confidence for Life

At Durham School Dubai, ‘Confidence for Life’ underpins everything that we do. We equip our students with skills, knowledge and ambition to succeed: we develop their abilities and aptitudes, we guide them through their education at school and prepare them for the challenges of university and life thereafter. Our reward is to see them grow into the amazingly confident young adults they have become.

How we think about ourselves, how we talk to ourselves and how we project ourselves depends on this appreciation of ourselves. In today’s society where images of supposed perfection constantly bombard us, it has never been harder to be confident. Our aim at Durham is to celebrate each student’s uniqueness. Our aim is for them to be the best version of themselves that they can be, and this is only possible if they believe in themselves and are confident of who they are and what they can do, whatever that may be.

From our EYFS classes right through to 6th Form, we work on positive mind sets, constructive feedback, mentoring through our total commitment to outstanding pastoral care, house systems and student counselling. We celebrate each individual and their achievements and we challenge our students to work hard, try their best and be positive about themselves.

Meet our Leadership Team

Mark Atkins

Principal

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Charis Wightman

Head Teacher

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Wael Shokr

Assistant Head Teacher

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Meet our
Leadership Team

Mark Atkins

Principal

Read More >>

Charis Wightman

Head Teacher

Read More >>

Wael Shokr

Assistant Head Teacher

Read More >>

Our Teachers

Our teachers are our greatest resource – it is they who inspire, educate and shape your children, setting them on the path to future success. There is no better way for your children to spend their time than with a passionate and caring practitioner – one who stretches and supports in equal measure, one who sets the example and one who helps your child to do just that little bit more than they thought they could.

We select our teachers very carefully, all highly trained, predominantly from the UK, and all with experience and a track record in bringing the best out of their students. We value them as you do and set out to fill your child’s world with teachers who will be long remembered as people who really made a difference.

Meet our Teachers

Alumni