GEMS Heritage Indian School

Update: GEMS Heritage Indian School is suspending all educational activities from March 2021. The school has suspended its admission procedures and students will be transferred to alternative schools managed by GEMS Education.

Established in 2016, GEMS Heritage Indian School is an Indian School following the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) curriculum. Initially, the school started its operation in a temporary facility provided by the GEMS New Millennium School. In 2018, it moved to its permanent facility near the IMG World of Adventures in Dubailand.

Only one third of its construction is currently complete. It will emerge as the biggest school in the emirate after its completion with the capacity to accommodate 10,000 students. As a part of GEMS Education, the school focuses on providing top-quality Indian education and facilities to its students. The management of the Heritage Indian School has experienced professionals that are associated with the GEMS group for over 20 years.

Right now, it has around 1,100 students taught by a teaching staff of 73 full-time teachers and 30 teaching assistants. The student to teacher ratio is 1:15, which is on the lower side as compared to other Indian schools in Dubai. The school offers the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework in the Kindergarten phase. Some of its aspects are also reflected in the syllabus for primary students.

This GEMS Heritage Indian School Dubai review by Bayut ellucidates the details about education, admissions, fees and facilities.

The school is located in Dubailand. Dubailand is one of the largest residential and commercial hubs in Dubai popular among locals and tourists alike. The school is in proximity to a few residential areas. These areas are:

• The Villa
• Arabian Ranches
• Motor City

The Villa is the nearest residential community from the school. It is one of the popular residential spots in Dubai that appeals to both locals and expatriates. As the name suggests, it is a villa-based community offering large and luxurious villas ideal for large families. Those looking for apartments can opt for Motor City.

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GEMS Heritage Indian School has abundant space, which it intends to fully utilize to offer exceptional facilities. Currently, the Dubailand campus has 128 fully functional classrooms with technological support. This is to provide an authentic digital literacy and citizenship classroom environment. Science is an important part of the syllabus followed at the school. For this purpose, it has three science laboratories and three ICT laboratories. The ICT labs have updated computers, high-speed internet and other technological resources. However, the most incredible science-related feature at this institute is the Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths (STEAM) lab. Unlike STEAM labs in other schools, it supports arts-related activities.

Besides these, it also has two music rooms, a Renaissance Centre and four outdoor courtyards. It also has a range of sports facilities that offer incredible support to its students. These facilities include an outdoor sensory garden, play area, indoor gym, tennis courts, a multipurpose sports hall and football fields. The school is renowned for its cricket facilities. GEMS Heritage Indian School Dubai has one of the largest cricket facilities available in educational institutes in Dubai. The school has a cricket pitch and 20 indoor and outdoor cricket nets.

The school plans to introduce new facilities to the campus including green spaces, high-tech science labs and other sports facilities. These are under construction and will be included in upcoming years.

GEMS Heritage Indian School is situated near the IMG Worlds of Adventure in Dubailand, Dubai. Those looking to visit the school can access it through the Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311).

GEMS Heritage Indian School has a cricket academy called GEMS Heritage Cricket Academy that provides excellent cricket facilities. The Heritage Cricket Academy, in collaboration with the East Sports Management (ESM), ensures that proper cricket training is provided to students. The academy also has the latest technology that allows the coaches and trainers to work on the skills of students.

Another strong point that inclines parents’ attention towards this school is the partnership with Malhaar Centre for Performing Arts. It is an Indian performance art centre that provides training in music and dance. The partnership allows the students to receive the best training. In this way, the school discovers the hidden potential of its students. Performance art is now integrated within the timetable for students in Grade 1 to Grade 5. It also provides training to students after-school timings. Based on their aptitude, it trains the students in the following:

• Dance (kathak)
• Percussion (Tabla)
• Hindustani vocals

GEMS Heritage Indian School follows the Early Year Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework for Kindergarten students. It is a unique feature for an Indian school that follows the CBSE curriculum for other grades. EYFS is an internationally recognised teaching approach for young learners, which focuses on seven key areas of learning. It is a less formal teaching method as compared to the Indian CBSE curriculum. Teachers incorporate various indoor and outdoor playing activities to help students understand fundamental concepts.

The school has an incredible range of facilities supporting students’ learning. A striking feature of this campus is the Renaissance Centre – a hub for innovative and disruptive technology. It is where students are introduced to high-end technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), autonomous vehicles and advanced genomics.

The school is a part of the famous GEMS Education Group – known to provide quality education throughout the world. All the GEMS schools are well-connected and share the best teaching and management practices with each other. Its global classroom initiative connects over 250,000 students to share their ideas and vision. Additionally, GEMS emphasises on building a strong connection with parents through GEMS Ambassador Programme and GEMS Reward Programme.

It offers education from pre-kindergarten to Grade 10. The educational system at the school is as follows:

• Kindergarten is the first phase of education at GEMS Heritage Indian School. It starts from Pre-Kindergarten and ends on Kindergarten 2 (KG2). Children aged 3 to 5 years old are typically enrolled in this phase.
• The primary section consists of Grade 1 to Grade 5 having children aged 6 to 10 years old.
• Middle school starts from Grade 6 and ends on Grade 8. It enrols children aged 11 to 13 years old.
• Currently, the secondary section encompasses Grade 9 and Grade 10 with pupils aged 14 to 15 years old. The school will launch Grade 11 in April 2020.

The educational programme at this school is based on the Central Board of Secondary Education for Grade 1 onwards. It is a reputable Indian curriculum widely acknowledged internationally. Offered in over 24 countries, students completing their education from CBSE schools go on to study in top educational institutes. In the kindergarten phase, it follows the Early Year Foundation Stage (EYFS) to develop strong foundations. The specifics of the syllabus for each phase of education are as follows:

Kindergarten Curriculum

As stated above, it follows the EYFS framework. A UK-curriculum inspired framework that focuses on the learning and development of students through informal and play-based learning approaches. GEMS Heritage Indian School focuses on the development of seven key areas of learning among young learners. These areas are further divided into prime and specific areas. The prime areas of learning are:

• Social, personal and emotional development
• Physical development
• Language and communication

The specific areas of learning are:

• Expressive arts and design
• Literacy
• Understanding the world
• Mathematics (numeracy)

To ensure the development of the aforementioned prime and specific learning areas, the school’s approach includes:

• Thematic approach
• Integrated learning
• Differentiated work
• Teacher-led activities
• Reading and writing programme
• Field trips
• Developing and enhancing enterprise and innovation skills

Primary Curriculum

In the primary phase, students are gradually introduced to a more formal learning approach. The school uses the best practices from the British and CBSE curriculums to ensure they are ready for the next challenges. Modern teaching strategies and approaches are adopted in order to cultivate lifelong learning capabilities. Subjects involved in the primary stage are:

• Arabic
• Computer science
• English
• Environmental studies
• Islamic studies or Moral science
• Language
• Mathematics

Besides textbook based learning, it uses LEGOs and other basic and advanced tools for 21st-century skills.

Middle School and Secondary School Curriculum

In the middle school, GEMS Heritage Indian School fully adopts the CBSE curriculum. The difficulty-level increases in each grade and students are expected to accept challenges and goals. The subjects involved in the middle school are:

• English
• Mathematics
• Computer science
• Science
• Social studies
• Arabic
• Language
• Islamic studies / Moral science

Students completing middle school think critically and provide solutions to complex problems. The inquiry-based approach further helps the students to engage in solving real-world problems in meaningful and purposeful ways. One of the main features of the middle and secondary schools’ curriculum is the activities centred on STEAM subjects.

For further information, read the detailed curriculum guidance by the GEMS Heritage Indian School.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is an education regulatory body established by the government of Dubai. The body is established to improve the quality of education offered by educational institutes. It annually inspects the performance of schools and judges them based on a 6-point scale. The scale varies from outstanding (the best rating) to very weak (the worst rating). The brief description of each rating in the KHDA’s rating scale is as follows:

In its second inspection, GEMS Heritage Indian School was awarded a ‘Good’ rating by the KHDA. It also received a Good rating in its previous inspection. This newly developed school has several positives, which are as follows:

• Supportive leadership provided by the governors and top leadership of the school resulting in loyal staff and continuous improvement.
• Social and personal development of students and partnership with parents in educating children is very strong.
• The environment of kindergarten and leadership helps young learners in attaining high standards.
• The role of teachers and their willingness towards professional development and sharing best practices.
• High-end campus with excellent facilities for academics and non-academic activities.

Nevertheless, GEMS Heritage Indian School can consider the following recommendations by KHDA for better ratings:

• The school must improve the progress of students in Arabic. It can ensure the programmes match the skills and expertise of students in each age group. Additionally, it can also focus on each language skill and provide constant feedback to children.
• It also needs to improve the impact of middle leadership.
• GEMS Heritage Indian School can consider the assessment to develop students’ learning outcome.

The school opens to welcome new students in early April. The academic year ends in the middle of March. There are three terms in an academic year at GEMS Heritage Indian School. The dates of major events at this school are:

• The first term starts in the first week of April and ends in the last week of June.
• After a 2-month summer holiday, the second term starts in the first week of September. It ends in the second week of December.
• Before the start of the third term, students go on a 3-week winter holiday. The third term starts in the second week of January and ends in the middle of March.

To know the exact dates of various school’s events and national and Islamic holidays, view the academic calendar of GEMS Heritage Indian School.

GEMS Heritage Indian School, following the Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework, accepts admission applications from all ethnicities and religions. It has a strong inclusive team that caters to the needs of students with different learning preferences. The school offers an admission on the following priority:

• Siblings of the students currently studying in this school
• Children of the school’s administration and staff members
• Students who previously studied in this school
• Candidates submitting the application form and meeting the admission requirement

To start the admission process, parents need to fill out an online admission form. Parents are expected to provide accurate information to avoid discrepancies and cancellation of information in the future. The parents must adhere to the following age-grade guidelines while filling up the form:

• The child must be 4 years old by 31st of July for admission in KG1
• The child must be 5 years old by 31st of July for admission in KG2
• The child must be 6 years old by 31st of July for admission in Grade 1

The school contacts the parents when a vacancy arrives. Those clearing the placement test are awarded the admission at GEMS Heritage Indian School. The application fee is AED 525 (inclusive of VAT tax) which is refundable in cases when admission is not offered.

Documents

The documents required for the admission process are:

• A copy of the candidate and his or her mother’s and father’s Emirates ID
• 4 recent passport-size photographs
• A copy of the candidate and his or her mother’s and father’s passport with valid UAE residence visa
• Immunisation record
• Previous academic record (last 2 years record for admission in Grade 1 and above; nursery report for admission in KG1 and KG2)
• Original transfer certificate

Transfer Certificate

Please note that the transfer certificate is mandatory for admissions in Grade 2 and above. The guidelines for the acceptable transfer certificate are:

India

Those coming from India must have a transfer certificate attested by the Education Office of that zone/area/district. The UAE Embassy in India must attest to the seal and signature by the Education Officer. It must also be certified by the Indian Consulate and Ministry of Foreign Affairs in the UAE.

Gulf countries (Other than UAE)

The following authorities of that country must attest the transfer certificate:

• Ministry of External Affairs 
• Indian Consulate
• Ministry of Education 
• UAE consulate

From UAE (except Dubai)

Those coming from Emirates in UAE other than Dubai need to get their certificate attested by the Ministry of Education of that Emirate.

For further details, view the admission process at GEMS Heritage Indian School.

Tuition fees

The GEMS Heritage Indian School fees are as follows:

• Pre-KG and KG1 – AED 14,290
• KG2 – AED 16,331
• Grade 1 to Grade 4 – AED 18,373
• Grade 5 to Grade 8 – AED 20,414
• Grade 9 and Grade 10 – AED 22,455
• Grade 11 – AED 24,000

Other charges (Mandatory)

Other charges for students include:

• Application fee – AED 525 (one-time only for new students)
• Registration deposit – 10% of the annual tuition fee for that grade (for new students)
• Re-registration deposit – 5% of the annual tuition fee (for existing students)

Discounts

It offers a discount for the siblings of current students and children of staff members. The discount details are given below:

• 15% for the third child
• 25% for the fourth child
• 50% for the fifth child
• 50% to 100% for the children of staff members

The exact discount for children of staff members depends on the agreement in the employee contract. These discounts are on the annual tuition fee.

The GEMS Heritage Indian School offers scholarships to reward the students with great potential. The GEMS Education scholarship is one of the largest scholarship programmes in the UAE, which rewards students that excel in academics, creative and performing arts and sports. This merit-based scholarship offers a concession of 25% to 100% of the annual tuition fee.

For academic scholarship, students need to complete a verbal and non-verbal skills test conducted by the school. For sports, creative art and performing art, they also need to show their skills in front of the judges. The scholarship form typically closes in the last week of February each year. Submit the scholarship form to apply for the scholarship at GEMS Heritage Indian School.

The school has a canteen that offers a range of hot and cold food items to students. It ensures that all the food items are fresh, healthy and prepared in a hygienic environment. Canteen is available to students during the break time and all the food items are available at affordable prices.

There is a safe and reliable transport service provided by the GEMS Heritage Indian School. School Transport Service (STS) LLC is its partner that manages the transport operations. It is a renowned school transport provider in the UAE, which is an automatic choice for many top schools in Dubai. It has a fleet of amazing SMART buses that complies with international safety and security standards.

The security features available to the students include:

• GPS tracking facility
• Electronic attendance system (RFID)
• Video surveillance
• Panic button
• Sleeping child check
• STS application

To apply for school transport, submit the transport form along with the terms and conditions and code of conduct for students at the STS counter. The counter is available at the school where the forms are easily available. After submitting, the STS representative checks the availability, routes and charges and informs parents. Complete the process by depositing the transport charges either at the STS or on their official website.

An STS representative named Francis Soloman is available to help the parents. To contact, call +971 5 47928095 or email cce-ghs@stss.ae.

For further details, view the school transport at GEMS Heritage Indian School.

GEMS Heritage Indian School does not offer boarding facilities to students.

The school offers holiday camps to its students. For this purpose, it collaborates with East Sports Management (ESM) – one of the leading holiday camp providers in the UAE. It arranges camps in summer and spring break.

GEMS Heritage Indian School has an outstanding range of sports facilities. It not only covers a wide range of facilities but also offers specialised training to students. One such example is the GEMS Heritage Cricket Academy, which offers the best cricket coaching in schools in UAE.

The cricket academy at the school is one of its kind. It houses a range of cricket-related facilities, including certified cricket coaches. The facilities available at this academy:

• 3 international-size turf-based pitch with floodlights
• 21 cricket nets
• International-grade cricket pavilions
• VIP spectator lounge
• Bowling machines
• Biggest live-stream screen
• Complete cricket gear for students (from KG to professional)
• PITCHVISION One – Cricket technology

The campus also has spacious football grounds and football pitches. Additionally, 4 impressively built multi purpose sports halls cover the basic needs of students. It features 2 volleyball courts, 2 tennis courts and retractable cricket nets. For basketball and badminton, there is a separate indoor sports hall in the primary and secondary building.

It offers an extra-curricular programme that caters to the non-academic needs of students. Whether the students interested in Karate or basketball, technology or public speaking, the school got it covered. Most of the extra-curricular activities are available as an after-school enrichment programme, where the students are provided appropriate training. By offering such a programme, it ensures the holistic development of students.

GEMS Heritage Indian School plans several trips for students in an academic year. One noticeable school trip was the field trip to Bollywood Park in Dubai.

Currently, the school only provides after-school care in the form of enrichment activities. Sport is an essential part of the after-school care programme and the GEMS Heritage Cricket Academy plays a pivotal role in engaging students to build their skills.

There is a fully equipped medical clinic that provides necessary medical interventions to students and staff likewise.

The parent is an important stakeholder for GEMS Heritage Indian School. The school provides every opportunity for parental engagement in education. To ensure strong parental engagement, the school ensures close communication among parents, teachers and the school.

For this purpose, it has initiated several programmes for parents including GEMS Reward Programme and GEMS Ambassador Programme. Besides, there are the following modes of communication available at this school:

3-a-day App

The 3-a-day app, as the name suggests, provides practical advice on 3 key sections:

• Activities to share
• Something to talk about
• Guidance to encourage children

It is an educational application available on popular platforms such as Google Play and Apple Store. The app ensures parents are engaged in the overall learning and development of students.

GEMS Parent Portal

Another popular option at all the GEMS School is the GEMS parent portal. This electronic platform allows the parent to easily access key information such as attendance record, teachers’ feedback, circular and notifications and academic performances.

Parent-teacher meetings

The school encourages a friendly and informative culture. The open-door policy at the school allows the parents to discuss their child’s progress with teachers. Apart from that, it also arranges several parent-teacher meetings throughout the year.

Location:  Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed (E311) road, near IMG Worlds of Adventure, Dubailand, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

GEMS Heritage Indian School Dubai Email Address

• Registrar: registrar_ghs@gemsedu.com

GEMS Heritage Indian School Contact Number

• Reception: +971 04 3894888

Official Website

• GEMS Heritage Indian School Website
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Note that the cover image belongs to GEMS Heritage Indian School