Our Founder

Founded in 1982, Diyafah was born from the vision of Mrs. Winnie D’Cunha, whose mission was to nurture the best in every child—spirit, mind, and body. She envisioned a school environment that would not only foster academic excellence but also instil strong values and critical thinking.

“Life is a journey. The path we take, what we will look back on, and what we look forward to, is up to us. We determine our journey and destination.”

Mrs. Winnie D’Cunha

Founder Her goal was to help students perceive, understand, and evaluate real-life situations with clarity and confidence—empowering them to grow into thoughtful, capable individuals ready to make a positive impact on the world

Established 1982

Life is a journey. The path we take, what we will look back on, and what we look forward to, is up to us. We determine our journey and destination. 43 years ago, our founder, late Mrs Winnie D’Cunha, had a vision to help children through their journey of life by providing a school that would act as a stepping stone to future endeavours.

As we head towards this momentous occasion- completing 43 years in the field of education, we look back with pride and look forward with hope to continue touching lives and changing the future.

AL DIYAFAH HIGH SCHOOL LLC, DUBAI

Al Diyafah High School was founded in 1982, by the late Mrs.Winnie D’Cunha’s. It started as a Nursery, with just 2 children in a small villa located on Al Diyafah Street, in Dubai. To accommodate the growing numbers, the school moved to a new campus in 2001, where Al Diyafah High School is presently located.

Since its inception in 1982, the Diyafah brand has evolved to be a leader in holistic education with its outstanding curriculum combined with learning against multiple disciplines. The school now has over 1,600 students from several nationalities, all studying together as one big family. A very successful senior school was started to allow the students to continue their studies, offering a wide range of subjects from Science, Commerce and Humanities streams.

DIYAFAH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL LLC, ABU DHABI

Located on Abu Dhabi Island in Mohammed Bin Zayed City, Diyafah International School was established in 2013 and has since carved a niche amongst the private schools in the emirate as a school providing quality and affordable education.

The school is renowned not only for its demanding academic rigour but also for its strong community engagement, as we believe it is important to work together with our parents and teachers to build a strong ethos where empathy and respect prevail. Diyafah offers a wide range of curricular with many success stories of students achieving High School qualifications for entry to universities across the globe.

Our Commitment to You

The school's mission statement "Let Your Light Shine" summarises Mrs D'Cunha's vision of developing competent, caring and confident students through a holistic based education.

Our students actively support a wide range of social issues from the environment to literacy and relief aid. Such an all-rounded system of education has helped Diyafah produce an ever-increasing list of alumni who have gained admissions in leading universities across the globe in countries such as UK, Canada, USA, Australia and the sub-continent.

Screen Time and Student Wellbeing

This is one of the most common refrains parents hear when they try to set limits on smartphones (and other things!). The feeling of injustice in children is real, and for parents, the sense of isolation and guilt that follows can be equally strong.