Dubai’s 23 ‘outstanding’ private schools rated by KHDA

Find out the schools’ fees, curricula and grade levels offered.

Last updated:
Zainab Husain, Features Writer
3 MIN READ
The list of ‘outstanding’ schools were declared following KHDA inspections for the 2023–24 academic year. KHDA announced in May that formal inspections will be paused for the 2025–26 academic year.
The list of ‘outstanding’ schools were declared following KHDA inspections for the 2023–24 academic year. KHDA announced in May that formal inspections will be paused for the 2025–26 academic year.
Shutterstock. Photo for illustrative purposes only.

Dubai: All private schools in Dubai are regulated by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), which ensures they uphold high standards of education. However, in May, KHDA announced that no formal inspections will take place for Dubai private schools during the 2025–26 academic year.

Instead, KHDA will continue to monitor school performance through targeted visits focusing on specific areas related to educational quality and ongoing development. These visits will be guided by feedback from the school community and aligned with the priorities of the Education 33 strategy (E33).

KHDA did conduct inspections in 2023-2024 academic year, where 23 schools were deemed ‘Outstanding’, in the inspection of 209 schools.

The curricula represented most frequently among the outstanding schools are French, International Baccalaureate (IB), UK, Indian, and US.

List of schools rated ‘outstanding’ during 2023-2024 academic year

Deira International School

  • Grades: Foundational Stage (FS) 1 - Year 11, Year 12 - Year 13

  • Curriculum: UK / IB

  • Tuition fee: For UK curriculum – from Dh44,616 per year for FS1 to Dh81,501 for Year 11; for IB Year 11 – above Dh89,000 and Year 13 – Dh89,889

Dubai English Speaking College (Academic City)

  • Grades: Year 7 - Year 13

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: For Year 7 starting from Dh84,325 and for Year 13 Dh90,633

Dubai English Speaking School – Oud Metha

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 6

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: Starting from FS 1 Dh43,084 to Dh53,320

GEMS Jumeira Primary School

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 6

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: Starting from FS 1 Dh44,200 to Dh55,714 for Year 6

GEMS Wellington International School

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 13

  • Curriculum: UK / IB

  • Tuition fee: For UK curriculum – FS1 Dh47,527 to Dh103,399 for Year 13; for IB Years 12 and 13 around Dh103,000

Horizons English School

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 6

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: From FS1 Dh34,607 to Year 6 Dh50,396

Jumeirah College

  • Grades: Year 7 - Year 13

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: Year 7 Dh78,946 to Dh98,681 for Year 12

Nord Anglia International School

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 11, Year 12 - Year 13

  • Curriculum: UK / IB

  • Tuition fee: Starting from Dh69,625 for FS 1 to Dh99,794 for Year 11

Safa Community School

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 13

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: For FS1 starting from Dh55,937 to Dh90,940 for Year 13

Victory Heights Primary School

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 6

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: For FS1 starting from Dh40,138 to Dh54,733 for Year 6

Dubai British School

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 13

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: Dh53,027 for FS1 to Dh79,541 for Year 13

Dubai British School Jumeirah Park

  • Grades: Pre-kindergarten to Year 13

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: Starting from FS1 Dh55,350 to Dh83,015 for Year 13

GEMS Dubai American Academy

  • Grades: KG 1 - Grade 12

  • Curriculum: American / IB

  • Tuition fee: Starting from KG1 Dh66,185 to Dh93,300 for Grade 12; for IB Grades 11 and 12 Dh93,300

GEMS Modern Academy

  • Grades: Pre-primary - Grade 12

  • Curriculum: Indian / IB

  • Tuition fee: Dh38,246 in KG1 to Dh56,706 in Grade 12 (Indian) and Dh73,876 in Grade 12 (IB)

Jumeirah English Speaking School – Al Safa 1

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 6

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: Dh54,131 for FS1 to Dh65,098 for Year 6

Jumeirah English Speaking School – Arabian Ranches

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 11, Grade 12 - Grade 13

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: From Dh54,129 in FS1 to Dh104,544 in Year 13

Kings School Al Barsha

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 13

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: For FS1 starting from Dh57,999 to Dh105,873 for Year 13

Kings School Dubai

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 6

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: From FS1 Dh47,179 to Dh71,801 for Year 6

Dubai College

  • Grades: Year 7 - Year 13

  • Curriculum: UK

  • Tuition fee: For Year 7 Dh97,415 to Dh110,305 for Year 13

Dubai International Academy

  • Grades: KG 1 - Grade 13

  • Curriculum: IB

  • Tuition fee: Starting from KG1 Dh44,979 to Dh79,696 for Year 13

Lycée Français International

  • Grades: Grade 1 - Grade 12

  • Curriculum: French

  • Tuition fee: Starting from Grade 1 Dh36,920 to Dh50,700 for Grade 12

Lycée Français International Georges Pompidou School – Oud Metha

  • Grades: Pre-primary - KG 2

  • Curriculum: French

  • Tuition fee: From Pre-primary Dh31,276 to KG 2 Dh31,276

Repton School

  • Grades: FS 1 - Year 13

  • Curriculum: UK / IB

  • Tuition fee: For UK curriculum FS 1 – Dh57,178 to Dh102,753 for Year 13

Sign up for the Daily Briefing

Get the latest news and updates straight to your inbox

Up Next