Edarabia had the opportunity to interview Mrs Jan Steel, Principal/CEO, GEMS Royal Dubai School. Mrs Steel shared her insights on the school’s plans for 2025, her thoughts on education in the next five years, and how RDS is addressing student stress, bullying, and preparing students for life after graduation.

1. What are your plans for 2025?

2025 will see the construction of GEMS Royal Dubai School’s new state-of-the-art, purpose-built secondary building that will open in September 2026. We are expanding our Primary school to become a through school, serving students in FS1 to Post-16, with Years 7 and 8 already open in our existing building. 2025 will also see RDS celebrate 20 years of excellence in education since we first opened in September 2005.

2. How do you decide what to focus on academically each year, and which new ideas are you pursuing?

We have a ‘Three-year Excellence Plan’ that sets out our strategic aims in line with our vision, which is driven through our School Development Plan. We continue to refine this via rigorous monitoring, evaluation, and review cycles, with next steps identified from student attainment and progress data as well as external feedback from DSIB and GEMS reviews.

3. What challenges do you anticipate in the field of education over the next 5 years?

Not so much a challenge and more of an opportunity for education is the growing use of technology such as AI. At RDS, we are embracing AI and have seen a positive impact in terms of increased personalisation for students. Our teachers use AI tools to ensure classroom activities are truly challenging for students, and we have seen positive results in student attainment.

4. How do you keep students interested in learning, especially those who struggle or seem Unmotivated?

The pitch and pace of lessons is critical, alongside a vibrant and engaging curriculum. If students are challenged and learning is fast-paced, students can only be engaged. When planning writing topics, for example, our teachers ensure students’ interests are used as a hook to learning or are based on real-life experiences.

5. How does the school ensure all students feel welcome and have the same chances to succeed?

A central part of our vision at RDS is ensuring a sense of belonging. Through #RDShineBright, our students celebrate their successes, both academic and holistic, and create a journal of achievements to share with their families, friends, and teachers. We are a truly international community built upon values, including kindness and empathy. Students are highly respectful of each other and enjoy celebrating each other’s cultures.

6. How proactive is the school in matters of student stress and bullying?

We have zero tolerance for bullying at RDS. Our staff are highly proactive, address any concerns immediately, and ensure resolutions. Our strong well-being curriculum equips students from a very early age with the tools to manage their own well-being and stresses, know the difference between right and wrong, and be highly empathetic towards others. Our well-being student leaders play a pivotal role in shaping this culture and acting as buddies to their peers.

7. How do you help students build the skills they need for life after graduation?

Our innovative curriculum is designed to build students’ knowledge and skills over time and across subjects. Based on the National Curriculum for England, our adaptations and enhancements ensure that problem-solving, critical thinking, and entrepreneurship are interwoven throughout the curriculum.

8. How involved are parents and the community in making the school better?

We are incredibly transparent with our parent body and strive to actively achieve #ParentsasPartners, as we truly understand that they are key stakeholders in the strategic journey of RDS and their child’s education. We meet parents termly to update them on progress towards meeting our SDP priorities and publish weekly updates of impact seen across the school in our newsletter to build further transparency and trust in our educational strategy.

9. How do you develop a school culture that attracts and keeps great teachers?

We are committed to creating a high-performing culture. This ensures standards are high across everything we do and that we are all on a journey of improvement – adults and students alike. Our teachers are engaged with the latest research and are provided with numerous professional development opportunities to be part of and lead professional learning groups. This may be working with colleagues across our incredible cluster of schools (including the GEMS Jumeirah and GEMS Wellington schools) or the wider network of BSME schools.

10. Do teachers at your school have growth opportunities for leadership roles?

We are passionate about growing leaders, and different pathways are planned for succession and opportunity. We are fortunate to be part of such a great GEMS network and support this when positions become available. By working alongside such experienced leaders here at RDS, teachers moving into leadership have exposure to high-quality professional development to further enhance their skills sets.

11. As a principal, what is your definition of success?

Success is every member of the RDS community being confident, happy, and excited learners, making incredible progress in all aspects of their life – bringing the RDS vision to life.

12. If you had the opportunity to inspire the world in one sentence, what would that sentence be?

Every day is a school day – learning never stops.