Best Dubai KGs, Foundation Stage, British Schools
Perhaps unsurprisingly price and attainment at Foundation/KG level is highly correlated, as the above chart shows, with the trend line for tuition fees moving in the same direction - downwards - with attainment.
This is in general good news. The chart below basically shows your money makes a difference and is being well spent. More negatively, there is no escaping the fact that the less you pay, in general, the lower performance of the KG your child will attend. Price is, to some degree a proxy for quality.
The devil, as always, lies in the detail and within that general trend line there are price performance stars.
If you are targeting a top 10 school (where attainment is at 89% above) you will see schools above and below the trend line.
Kings Dubai, GEMs Wellington, GEMs JPS deliver on attainment, but you pay above average tuition fees for that level of attainment. Conversely, DESS, JAPS, Horizon, Dubai Scholars and the English College, Dubai will deliver comparable results with lower than average tuition fees (for that level of attainment).
Horizon and Dubai Scholars stand out as particularly good value while, across the data, Repton and Jumeirah Baccalaureate School really are charging too much for the current levels of attainment they deliver. Of course, both schools will promote more than academic attainment to justify the price tag - Repton has some of the best facilities in the UAE, as does Jumeirah Baccalaureate which is also situated in the heart of Jumeirah 1 - a perfect location for many in its target market. Jumeirah Baccalaureate is also an IB based school.
Note: Not all kindergartens in Dubai are regulated by the KHDA. Any new Foundation school/KG that is a learning centre, as opposed to child care centre, will fall under the Dubai education regulator's remit. Existing kindergartens that are learning centres have the option to be regulated and subject to reports - which means that not all have.
Parents should ask whether the Foundation/KG they are considering is or will fall under KHDA regulation. No matter how mature the Foundation/KG is, there is nothing as motivating as an annual report to sharpen the mind and keep learning centres focused on improvements to education provision.
It also gives you some safeguard knowing that the school is being benchmarked annually against its peers.
Given this report uses KHDA data as a benchmark for its analysis, this cannot be an exhaustive analysis of every Foundation/KG in the emirate. The majority of KGs that we have included here are part of larger schools - K-6 or K-12 schools.
KG Table
| School | Type | T:S | Age | Fees KG | Attainment KG | Availability | Costs |
| Kings Dubai | K-7 | 1:12 | 9 | 33441 | 100% | 1 | |
| Sharjah English School* | K-12 | 1:12 | 40 | 3.5 | 400 AED when invited for an assessment. Payment AED 5,000 on acceptance. Can only be refunded/utilized in part payment of the final term’s fees | ||
| GEMS Jumeirah Primary School | K-6 | 1:15 | 16 | 37,045 | 100% | 1 | 500 AED registration fee. 7500 AED on acceptance adjustable against the first term fees, 2500 AED enrollment fee at the end of each year |
| Horizon School | K-6 | 1:16 | 22 | 20,934 | 78% | 2 | Not published |
| Jumeirah English Speaking School | K-6 | 1:14 | 39 | 34385 | 100% | 1 | 500 AED registration fee, 500 AED entrance fee. Acceptance fees not published |
| GEMS Wellington International School | K-13 | 1:13 | 13 | 39,817 | 100% | 2 | 500 AED registration fee. Acceptance fees not published |
| Jumeirah English Speaking School - Arabian Ranches | K-13 | 1:11 | 8 | 34,385 | 100% | 1 | 500 AED registration fee, 500 AED entrance fee |
| Deira International School | K-13 | 1:09 | 8 | 31,750 | 67% | 4 | 150 AED admissions test fee. 3000 AED admissions fee, non-refundable |
| Emirates International School - Jumeirah | K-13 | 1:10 | 22 | 30,140 | 33% | 2.5 | 2000 AED admission fee, plus 30% of annual fee for new students, 10% reenrollment fee |
| Emirates International School - Meadows | K-13 | 1:10 | 8 | 26,645 | 50% | 1 | 2000 AED admission fee, plus 30% of annual fee for new students, 10% reenrollment fee |
| Jumeira Baccalaureate School | K-12 | 3 | 50000 | 67% | 2.5 | 1000 AED application fee. 7,000 AED registration fee on acceptance ajusted from term one fees, 2000 AED re-enrollement fees yearly. | |
| Raffles World Academy | K-12 | 1:12 | 7 | 28737 | 67% | 2 | Assessment Test Fee AED 1000 (non-refundable). On acceptance, Registration Fee AED 7,000 (non-refundable but adjustable against Semester 1 fee if admission is confirmed). Re-registration Fee AED 3,000 (non-refundable but adjustable against Semester 1 fee). Sibling discount of 5% is applicable for the fourth child onwards |
| Repton School Dubai | K-13 | 1:09 | 6 | 47599 | 100% | 4 | A non-refundable Registration Fee of AED 500 is payable at the time of registration. A non-refundable Assessment Fee of AED 1,000 is payable at the time of assessment. An initial deposit of 30% of the annual tuition fees paid seven days after receiving an offer of a place. AED 50,000 is payable on acceptance of a boarding place. |
| Al Ameen Private School | K-10 | 1:14 | 28 | 4703 | 67% | 2 | Not published |
| Al Diyafah High School | K-13 | 1:13 | 31 | 7404 | 33% | 2 | Admission and Registration fee of AED 500, non-refundable. The school may charge up to 10% of the School fees as confirmation fee |
| Al Safa Private School | K-8 | 1:14 | 9 | 26133 | 67% | 3 | |
| Al Salam Private School | K-12 | 1:15 | 25 | 11,265 | 33% | 2 | 300 AED registration fee, non-refundable |
| Cambridge International School | K-13 | 1:18 | 10 | 15,327 | 67% | 2 | 500 AED registration fee, non-refundable. 2500 AED admission fee on acceptance adjustable from first terms fees |
| Dubai British School | K-13 | 1:12 | 8 | 36,993 | 100% | 3 | 500 AED registration fee, non-refundable. Up to 10% for re-registration yearly, up to 30% for new registrations on acceptance. |
| Dubai English Speaking School | K2-6 | 1:15 | 50 | 34360 | 100% | 1 | 500 AED application fee, non-refundable. 3000 AED advance fee to secure a place on offer deducted from first term's fees, 500 AED enrollment fee for new students, non-refundable |
| Dubai Gem Private School | K-13 | 1:13 | 40 | 9919 | 56% | 2 | Not published |
| Dubai Scholars Private School | K-12 | 1:17 | 37 | 11666 | 33% | 2 | 1500 AED registration fee |
| GEMS Royal Dubai School | K-6 | 1:15 | 8 | 35539 | 67% | 5 | 500 AED registration fee at the time of application, non-refundable and non-deductable. 5,000 AED Admission fee needed to secure the seat, deductable - on acceptance. |
| GEMS Wellington Academy - DSO | K-10 | 1:15 | 2 | 34750 | 44% | 4 | 500 AED registration fee, non-refundable, non-deductable. 7,500 AED Admissions fee on acceptance needed to secure the seat, deductable |
| GEMS Wellington Primary School | K-6 | 1:13 | 6 | 40761 | 89% | 2.5 | 500 AED registration fee. 5,000 AED Admission fee on acceptance needed to secure the seat, deductable |
| Jebel Ali Primary School | K-6 | 1:14 | 36 | 36297 | 100% | 2 | 500 AED booking fee. 2,000 AED registration fee on acceptance, 1750 AED credited against first term fees |
| Pristine Private School | K-13 | 1:13 | 21 | 8731 | 67% | 2.5 | Not published |
| Raffles International School South Campus | K-10 | 1:14 | 6 | 28738 | 67% | 3 | 1000 AED assessment test. On acceptance, 7,000 registration fee, refundable against first term fees, 3,000 AED re-registration fee (annual), adjustable |
| Regent International School | K-12 | 1:13 | 10 | 34172 | 67% | 3 | 500 AED assessment test. On acceptance, 30% enrollment fee, adjustable against first term fees. |
| Star International School - Umm Al Sheif | K-8 | 1:11 | 5 | 29678 | 89% | 3.5 | 500 AED registration fee. On acceptance, 1,000 AED tuition deposit |
| The English College - Dubai | K-13 | 1:12 | 21 | 25457 | 100% | 2 | 300 AED application fee. On acceptance, 4,000 tuition fee deposit (secondary), 3000 AED primary, deductable. |
| The School of Research Science | K-12 | 1:12 | 14 | 23650 | 44% | 3 | Not published |
| The Winchester School | K-13 | 1:18 | 10 | 9923 | 56% | 3.5 | 500 AED, 2,000 AED on acceptance, deductable |
| Al Sadiq Islamic English School | K-11 | 1:17 | 14 | 3811 | 44% | 4 | Not published |
| Apple International School | K-8 | 1:18 | 19 | 5861 | 33% | 3.5 | 400 AED registration fee, 400 AED admission fee, non-deductable |
| Arab Unity School | K-12 | 1:16 | 39 | 5290 | 67% | 3 | Not published |
| Deira Private School | K-6 | 1:08 | 4 | 19500 | 67% | 3 | 500 AED registration fee. On acceptance, 30% deposit, deductable |
| Dubai Carmel School | K-12 | 1:11 | 27 | 7620 | 33% | 3 | 500 AED annual registration fee, non-deductable |
| GEMS Winchester School | K-9 | 1:18 | 2 | 9377 | 33% | 3.5 | 500 AED, non-deductable. 2,000 AED deductable on acceptance. |
| Queen International School | K-12 | 1:18 | 15 | 12844 | 44% | 3.5 | Not published |
| Star International School - Al Twar | K-9 | 1:10 | 8 | 19055 | 44% | 3.5 | 500 AED, non-deductable |
| Star International School - Mirdif | K-6 | 1:10 | 5 | 29252 | 67% | 3.5 | 500 AED, non-deductable. 2000 AED deductable on acceptance, 2000 AED annual deposit |
| The City School International | K-11 | ? | 24 | 12349 | 33% | 3.5 | Not published |
| The Oxford School | K-12 | 1:17 | 25 | 10135 | 44% | 3.5 | 400 AED registration fee. 400 AED admission fee, non-deductable on acceptance. |
| The Sheffield Private School | K-13 | 1:18 | 9 | 19117 | 25% | 3.5 | 500 registration fee, 500 AED admissions test. Seat confirmation fee 5,000 to 10,000 AED depending upon grade. Annual reregistration fee of between 1000 AED and 2000 AED. All deductable. |
| The Westminster School | K-13 | 1:17 | 18 | 5392 | 33% | 3.5 | Registration and admission fee - 650 AED, during new enrollment |
Next > Best British Schools in Dubai: The WSA Survey, What Current Parents Think
Jump to:
The Best British Schools in Dubai Part 1: Start Here
Best British Schools in Dubai: What We Measure
Best British Schools in Dubai: The Data we have Used
Best British Schools in Dubai: The Demand for Places
Best British Schools in Dubai: Post 16 Education
Best British Schools in Dubai: Secondary Education
Best British Schools in Dubai: Best British Primary Schools
Best British Schools in Dubai: Best British KGs
Best British Schools in Dubai: The WSA Survey, What Current Parents Think
Best British Schools in Dubai: Nationality, Fees and Attainment
Best British Schools in Dubai: A Final Summary
Best British Schools in Dubai Table: Contact Emails and Overview
