Case study: How Kings' School Al Barsha enhanced student wellbeing

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The best by every child: How Kings' School Al Barsha enchanced student wellbeing with Komodo

For this case study, the Komodo team spoke with Michael Clark, Primary Headteacher at Kings' School Al Barsha

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Introduction

Kings' School Al Barsha provides world-class British education to Primary and Secondary students in Dubai. Established in 2014, it is part of the distinguished Kings' Schools family founded in 2004. Kings’ School Al Barsha was the fastest among new schools in Dubai to achieve ‘outstanding’ status, first awarded in 2018, and has maintained this status ever since. 

At the heart of Kings' School's approach is their ethos: "The Best by Every Child." This philosophy guides everything they do, with their teaching methods focused on fostering a creative, forward-thinking mindset while providing a holistic educational environment that prioritises student happiness, health, and wellbeing. Their innovative approach encourages active learning in all aspects of children's lives, promoting independence, self-motivation, and resilience.

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The challenge

While Kings' School Al Barsha already had a strong foundation in student wellbeing, they faced several key challenges:

1. They were missing a systematic approach to capture and analyse wellbeing data across the entire school.
2. Without comprehensive data, identifying school-wide trends was difficult.
3. Students needed a confidential way to communicate concerns without the social anxiety of raising issues in class.
4. The school wanted to ensure they had a consistent approach to wellbeing monitoring and response protocols.
5. Traditional methods weren't effectively capturing the full spectrum of students' emotional needs.

"We have always had data and trends on wellbeing but, what Komodo has given us is the ability to see trends across the school that maybe we couldn't see before."
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The solution

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Kings' School Al Barsha implemented the Komodo wellbeing platform as a strategic enhancement to their existing wellbeing approach.

They were seeking a solution that would:

• Give students an accessible channel to provide feedback on their wellbeing
• Integrate seamlessly with their existing wellbeing strategy
• Be straightforward for both students and staff to use
• Provide actionable insights that could drive meaningful interventions

The implementation process was streamlined by Komodo's customer success team, who provided comprehensive training to teachers and leaders on:

• How to interact with the data
• Identifying significant trends
• Utilising the platform's resources to support students

Students quickly adapted to the platform, finding it intuitive and accessible. "The platform is very simple, with quick steps, but the information it gives us is incredible," notes Michael.

A key focus during implementation was helping students understand the meaning behind each survey question and fostering an environment of open communication and honesty. Kings' prioritised explaining the purpose of the wellbeing monitoring to build student buy-in and trust in the process.

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The impact

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Kings' School Al Barsha has seen significant positive outcomes from implementing Komodo:

Enhanced student voice through check-ins

"The most powerful thing from the students' perspective has been the check-ins," says Michael. The platform allows students to request conversations with staff members whenever they need support—eliminating the embarrassment of raising their hand in class. "From a students' point of view, the check-ins have been really powerful and the surveys themselves have been appreciated."

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School-wide trend identification

Komodo revealed patterns that were previously invisible, such as anxiety related to digital technology use. This insight prompted meaningful conversations and practical changes in how the school manages digital interactions within their environment.

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Targeted interventions based on data

When survey data revealed high levels of social anxiety among students concerned about peers' perceptions, Kings' acted swiftly:

• They implemented a wellbeing calendar to roll out key initiatives.
• March was designated as "kindness month," encouraging students to connect with their peers.
• Follow-up surveys showed measurable improvements in social anxiety metrics.

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Early identification of at-risk students

"One thing that is quite powerful is the recommended check-ins, where the platform picks up on patterns and trends that we can act on. We've had students pop up that maybe weren't on our radar beforehand." This early warning system has enabled the team to identify struggling students and initiate deeper conversations with them and their families before issues escalate.

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Class-level interventions

Data analysis across a range of areas had shown up patterns in areas such as social interaction, something which could well have been affected by distance learning during COVID times. In response, Kings' implemented social group interventions specifically in those classes, addressing the unique needs of these student groups.

Improved staff wellbeing

An unexpected benefit came from Komodo's "compliments" feature: "There's nothing better than opening your laptop and getting a shout out from a student that you teach every day. The reason why we come to school is for them, and we have enjoyed coming to school and seeing the messages just pop up on our email. It's been a real boost to our own wellbeing."

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Kings' School Al Barsha's implementation of Komodo has transformed their already strong wellbeing approach into a comprehensive, data-driven system that supports both students and staff. By providing students with a confidential channel to express concerns, enabling early intervention for struggling students, and revealing school-wide trends that inform targeted programming, Komodo has enhanced the school's ability to live its ethos of "The best by every child."

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