Fiona Hughes D’Aeth, Head of Content Strategy at Independent Schools Show shares insider tips on finding the perfect school fit, what to look for on tours, and how UAE families can make confident education choices.
With the Middle East’s growing number of premium schools and international curricula, choosing the right education for your child can feel overwhelming. Ahead of the Independent Schools Show arriving in Dubai this June 6, 2026, we spoke to Fiona Hughes D’Aeth, Head of Content Strategy, to get expert guidance for parents navigating this important decision.
From looking beyond league tables to understanding school culture, wellbeing support, and the true meaning of “fit,” here’s what UAE families need to know before shortlisting, touring, and enrolling in a school that will help their child truly thrive.
Many parents focus on league tables and academic results. How important are these compared to overall “fit,” and how should families balance the two?
League tables and academic results can be a helpful tool when it comes to shortlisting schools but they are by no means the whole picture. They are a snapshot in time about a particular cohort and whilst it may give you some information about their academic standing, it is not necessarily an indication as to whether your child will thrive in that particular school. Fit is a much wider concept and should take into account your child’s personality, curiosity, academic aptitude and plans for the future. Working out if your child is a good ‘fit’ for a school is more about the values and ethos of a school, the peer culture, the pace of learning, and support for wellbeing. So, by all means use league tables as a guide but the final decision is better to be based relationships, environment and the learning approach of the school.
When parents visit a school for the first time, what should they be observing beyond the prospectus and presentation?
Visiting a school is the best way of getting a ‘feel’ for it and sensing if this is a place where your child will thrive. Culture shows in the small moments, observe the way staff greet families and each other and how the children interact together and with the teachers. Are the relationships warm and respectful and purposeful? When invited into classrooms, take time to talk to the children and ask them what they enjoy most about school, ask teachers what they think are the positives about the school and why they like working there. Whilst the buildings maybe impressive, it is the relationships and learning dynamics which will shape your child’s experiences.
What questions should parents ask about a school’s teaching philosophy and approach to learning?
Schools are striving to produce well rounded and balanced individuals, and this should be reflected in their teaching philosophy. A good education is about so much more than teaching to the test, whilst results are important, the learning journey is even more so. Parents should find out if the teaching is inquiry based and rich in contextual knowledge, rather than being purely exam driven. Are they inspiring curiosity and creativity? How do they cater for mixed abilities in a class? How do they measure progress? Is teaching consistent across the whole school? Ask to see examples of class projects or individual student’s work to understand more about a school’s approach to learning. The key is to make sure that the school’s teaching philosophy matches your child’s learning style and future plans.
How can parents assess whether a school will truly support their child’s individual strengths and challenges?
This is always a tricky one to pick up on a first visit but it is definitely something that parents should drill into. It is really important to be transparent with a school if your child has particular strengths or needs and ask to meet the inclusion or pastoral lead in order to find out about personalised pathways for children. If the school has an inclusive teaching philosophy with a flexible model to accommodate each child, then they are likely to nurture individual potential rather than offer generic support.
School culture can be hard to define. What specific questions help parents understand whether a school’s values align with their own?
The culture of a school is revealed in their daily practices. Parents should be asking questions such as: What behaviours are celebrated? How is success defined? How are mistakes and conflict dealt with? What does leadership look like for students? How does the school engage with parents as partners? Talk to pupils and ask them what they like most and if there are things that they would change. Look at the language that the school uses to see that it reflects respect, a belief in growth, and shared expectations about kindness, ambition, balance and community and check that these values align with your family.
What should parents ask about student wellbeing support?
Wellbeing is a key part of any school’s culture, happy children learn better, so it is important that your child will be support emotionally as well as academically. It is helpful for parents to understand the structure of the pastoral system in place, for example how many counsellors are there, is support offered in a proactive way or only reactive? How are teachers trained about safeguarding and mental health awareness? Increasingly schools have methods of checking in on pupil well-being so that they can pick up the pulse of the school and tackle issues quickly by responding to real time feedback.
How important is extracurricular provision in determining “fit,” and what should families be looking for?
Extracurricular activities are a key part of a well-rounded education, developing the PQ, EQ and SQ alongside the IQ. Schools that encourage children to take part in a broad ECA programme with sport, the arts, STEM activities and service opportunities are creating rounded and resilient students who are building confidence, team working and leadership skills, as well as creating a feeling of community and belonging where children can find their ‘tribe’. Check how inclusive the ECA’s are, does everyone get a chance to be in a team, take part in a school production? ECA’s and supra curricular activities are also a great help in building towards a competitive university profile.
Are there any red flags parents should watch out for during the admissions process or school tour?
A strong school will welcome informed questions and should be able to provide clear, evidence-based responses, so if the answers are vague, or inconsistent, that should raise alarm bells. Access to classrooms, opportunities to speak to pupils and staff should all be a normal part of a school tour, if you are only shown the shiny facilities that this should be a concern. Look out for the student voice in the school, is this celebrated and are they encouraged to have agency? It is important to probe into staff turnover, inclusion and wellbeing policies and also check how transparent a school is about waiting lists and capacity as well as class size and teacher ratios.
Finally, how can parents involve their child in the decision-making process in a meaningful way – especially if the child is anxious or unsure?
How engaged the child is in the decision-making process partially depends on their age. In the early years, the choice will be clearly driven by the parent but it is important to make sure that the child feels at home and comfortable in the environment. As a student gets older, they have more of a voice and ownership of the decision. Before going on a tour together, discuss what is important to them, is it friends, activities, environment, subject choices? On a tour encourage them to ask questions and debrief with them afterwards by asking open questions about their observations. For anxious children, it can be helpful to focus on the practicalities, routines, familiar activities, buddy systems. Parents make the strategic decision but the child’s emotional responses are a key indicator of ‘fit’. Children need to be heard but not necessarily burdened with the final decision.
