Best Schools in Dubai, and Why?

What are the best schools in Dubai? In this guide we tell you not only which schools are the highest performing overall, but how to break that down so that a ranking can be made meaningful for your child.
Best Schools in Dubai, and Why?
By WhichSchoolAdvisor.com
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LET'S GO

Originally published in 2020, this guide has been updated every year with the latest inspection results including those for the new schools, whose inspections were postponed as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic.  The best schools in Dubai? Good news, the list is growing - albeit more modestly than in previous years. In the latest list from Dubai’s Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) the number of ‘Outstanding’ schools in Dubai hit an all time high of 20, with 39 schools rated Very Good, increasing by 8 compared with 2018-19. This means that three-quarters of students now study in schools that are deemed Good or better - by the regulator.

Note: Click here for the parent view on the Best Schools in Dubai...

As of 2022-2023 there were 326,001 students studying in private schools in Dubai. Students are divided between 164,546 boys and 154,591 boys, including 32,327 Emiratis (the only figure to fall on previous years). Enrolment at the start of the 2022-2023 year was up 4.1% on June 2022.

According to the last time the demographics were published (2021-2022), in keeping with the UAE's extraordinarily broad range of residents' nationalities, students come from some 173 different nationalities, with the largest nationality groups being 98,527 Indian, followed by 34,452 UAE nationals, 22,668 Pakistanis, 17,238 Egyptians, and 13,594 students from the UK. The school with the widest range of nationalities in the city was GEMS Wellington Academy DSO with students from 103 countries. 

There were a total of 215 schools in 2022-2023 (up four schools from 2021-2022, and up seven since the 2019-20 academic year - the year preceding Covid). The utilisation of available capacity – that is the take up of places within the schools - was not published in 2022-2023, but was 81% in 2021-2022. It is expected to be in the high 80% this academic year (2023-2024) with considerable population growth in the emirate.

26% of students study in Indian curriculum schools (where there has been flat growth over the past 5 years) and 15% students study in US curriculum schools (also flat over the last 6 years). Just under 23,000 students attend IB curriculum schools – a curriculum that has grown quickly from 2015-16, by 6% over the past 6 years.

However, it is still the UK curriculum that continues to grow most quickly (an increase in student numbers from approx. 80,000 in 2015-16 to over 117,000 in 2022-23, representing total growth of just under 7% over the past 6 years).

Interestingly, there has also been strong growth in French curriculum schools, with an increase in almost 5% of students over the past 6 years, though absolute numbers (approx. 6,500) remain low.

According to the emirate's education regulator in 2022-2023, 11% of Dubai's 326,000 students attend Outstanding schools, 26% attend Very Good schools, while 40% attend schools deemed to be Good. That means over three-quarters of students (77%) study in schools rated Good or better. This is an all time high.

The volume of good schools in the emirate should be of great comfort to existing residents, as well as those moving in. There is choice with an increasingly wide range of fee options across all curricula. The only issue is whether the supply of new schools can keep up with fast demand.

Read:  Good Affordable British Schools in Dubai

But what do these rating mean in terms of the Regulator’s expectations?

In this article we have leaned heavily on the KHDA's Dubai School Inspection Bureau reports, so it is important to understand how they are prepared.

Internationally qualified school inspectors pay on site visits (annually in most cases) to every private school in Dubai (after a settling in period for new schools) to rate it on key questions such as:

  • How good are the students’ attainment and progress in key subjects? (Key subjects focus on Maths, Science, Arabic, Islamic Studies and English)
  • How good is the students’ personal and social development?
  • How good is the teaching, learning and assessment methods?
  • How well does the curriculum meet the educational needs of all students?
  • How well does the school protect and support its students?
  • How good are the leadership and management of the school?
  • How well does the school perform overall?

Following each inspection, the school gets a full written report with details of the school’s performance and shortfalls. Parents considering specific schools can access the latest school inspection report under the Inspection Report tab above the review on WhichSchoolAdvisor.com.

The school is expected to prepare an action plan addressing any recommendations for further development, which is then used as a benchmark for the next year’s inspections.

Performance levels for Dubai schools are rated as follows:

  • Outstanding schools - Quality of performance substantially exceeds the expectation of the UAE;
  • Very Good schools - Quality of performance exceeds the expectation of the UAE
  • Good schools - Quality of performance meets the expectation of the UAE (This is the expected level for every school in the UAE)
  • Acceptable schools - Quality of performance meets the minimum level of quality required in the UAE (This is the minimum level for every school in the UAE)
  • Weak schools - Quality of performance is below the expectation of the UAE
  • Very Weak schools - Quality of performance is significantly below the expectation of the UAE

Why you should filter reports

The KHDA rates schools based on its own weighting system. In the 2014/15 Guide to schools, for example, it noted its next round of reports would focus on Special Educational Needs provision, and the core subjects of Maths and English.

With tough PISA and TIMMS targets, the KHDA's reports in 2016/17 placed more emphasis than ever before on academic results in external examinations. For subsequent reports, accurate assessment of students and Value Added benchmark testing has come to the fore. 

In 2022-2023, at least partly as a result of Covid, the KHDA became very focused on wellbeing.

The inspection team will of course continue to look at Ministry of Education requirements for Islamic and social studies, Arabic as a first and second language and Moral Education.

As a parent it may be that not everything the KHDA uses in its overall rating, you will consider important - for non-Muslims the weighting given to Islamic Studies, for example, may not be considered so vital. Nor may you be so concerned about Arabic as a second language (which is mandatory), although this is without doubt becoming increasingly more important to the regulators.

If you do only look at the top line rating, you could be excluding schools delivering outstanding education in those areas you consider important...

Further reading: www.khda.gov.ae/en

You will notice some gaps in the following table. Please note the KHDA announced in September 2019 that schools that had been rated Outstanding and Very Good would not receive the full inspection in 2019-20 and would retain their rating, based on a one-day slimmed down version of the inspection. As a result, a total of 17 schools retained their Outstanding rating.

Schools that score an overall Outstanding rating are undoubtedly some of the most sought-after school places in Dubai.

The table

School Name Curriculum 2022-2023 2018-2019 2017-2018 2016-2017 2015-2016 2014-2015 2013-2014 2012-2013 2011-2012 2010-2011 2009-2010 2008-2009
OUTSTANDING SCHOOLS                          
Kings School Dubai LLC UK Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding
GEMS Wellington International School UK Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good
Jumeirah College UK Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Outstanding
Jumeirah English Speaking School UK Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Outstanding
Dubai College UK Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good
GEMS Jumeira Primary School Dubai UK Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good
GEMS Dubai American Academy US Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good Good
GEMS Modern Academy Indian Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good  
Dubai English Speaking College UK Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good Good Good
Repton School UK Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good Good Good Good Good
Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou School Oud Metha French Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable
Dubai British School UK Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable
Jumeirah English Speaking School (Br) UK Outstanding Outstanding Very good Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good Outstanding
Horizons English School LLC UK Outstanding Outstanding Very good Very good Very good Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good Good Good
Dubai English Speaking School UK Outstanding Outstanding Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good
Kings School Al Barsha LLC UK Outstanding Outstanding Very good Good                
Dubai International Academy LLC IB Outstanding Very good Very good Outstanding Outstanding Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable
Deira International School UK Outstanding Very good Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Victory Heights Primary School LLC UK Outstanding Very good Very good Good Good Acceptable            
Nord Anglia International School LLC UK Outstanding Very good Very good Good                
VERY GOOD SCHOOLS                          
GEMS Royal Dubai School Dubai UK Very good Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable
Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou School (Dubai Branch) French Very good Very good Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good Good Good Good Good Good
The Indian High School Indian Very good Very good Very good Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Outstanding Good Good  
UK Jebel Ali School UK Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Outstanding Good Good Good
Indian Delhi Private School Indian Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good  
GEMS Our Own English High School UK Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good  
The Millenium School Indian Indian Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good  
The Winchester School DUBAI UK Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
GEMS Wellington Academy -Fze UK Very good Very good Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good        
Uptown International School IB Very good Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good
Lycee Francais International French Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good
GEMS World Academy IB Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable
Universal American School Branch  US Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable
Raffles World Academy UK Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Good Acceptable
IB Jumeira Baccalaureate School IB Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good      
Repton Al Barsha Fz-Llc UK UK Very good Very good Very good Good Good              
Safa Community School UK Very good Very good Very good Good                
Raffles International School LLC UK Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Good
Regent International Private School UK Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable
Kings School Nad Al Sheba LLC UK Very good Very good Good Good                
Sunmarke School LLC UK Very good Very good Good Good                
Ranches Primary School UK Very good Very good Good                  
The English College Dubai LLC UK Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good
M B Private School UK Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Weak
Emirates International Private School IB Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Safa British School UK Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good
Greenfield International School IB Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Good Good Good
JSS International School LLC Indian Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Good    
JSS Private School LLC Indian Very good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable        
GEMS Our Own Indian School Indian Very good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Good Good Good Good Acceptable  
Ambassador School Indian Very good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable      
GEMS New Millennium School LLC Indian Very good Good Good Good Good              
GEMS Wellington Academy Al Khail UK Very good Good Good Good Good              
Credence High School LLC Indian Very good Good Good                  
Dubai British School Jumeirah Park UK Very good Good Good                  
Hartland International School FZ UK Very good Good Good                  
Arcadia School Dubai Branch UK Very good Good                    
Lycee Français Jean Mermoz LLC French Very good                      
North London Collegiate School Middle East IB Very good                      
GOOD SCHOOLS                          
The School of Research Science LLC UK Good Good Very good Very good Very good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable
American Academy for Girls US Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good
American School Dubai US Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good
Dubai National School US Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good
Japanese School Japanese Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good
Cambridge International School UK Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable
Emirates International Private School IB Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable
Horizon International School LLC UK Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable
Primus Private School LLC Indian Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good  
The Indian High School-Branch Indian Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good  
Dubai Gem Private School UK Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable
Dubai Scholars Private School UK Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable
Greenwood International School US Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable
Our Own High School Dubai Branch Indian Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable  
Al Ittihad Private School (Br) US Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Good
Al Salam Private School UK Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Good
German International School Dubai German Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Good
Al Diyafah High School LLC UK Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
ST. Mary Catholic High School Dubai UK Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Good Acceptable Good
Al Rashid Al Saleh Private School MOE Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Pristine Private School UK Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Dar Al Marefa Private School IB Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good Good
Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Islamic Institute MOE Good Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Al Mawakeb School Al Barsha LLC US Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
The Westminster School DUBAI UK Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Iranian Towheed Boys School Iranian Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable      
Collegiate International School US Good Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable        
Dubai National School (Branch) US Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good Good Good Good
All Mawakeb School Al Garhoud LLC US Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
GEMS Legacy School Dubai Branch Indian Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable  
All Basateen Private Nursery Hatta MOE Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak
Russian International School Russian Good Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable      
The Sheffield Private School LLC UK Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Apple International School UK Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Acceptable Weak Acceptable
GEMS International School Al Khail IB Good Good Good Good Acceptable              
GEMS First Point School L.L.C. UK Good Good Good Good                
Springdales School L.L.C Indian Good Good Good Acceptable Good              
Mirdif American School US Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak
Star International School (Branch) UK Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good Acceptable Good
Al Basateen Private Nursery MOE Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
GEMS Al Khaleej International School US Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
The City School International Private UK Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
The Indian Academy Indian Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable          
AI Ittihad Private School US Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good
Sharjah American International Private US Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Dove Green Private School LLC UK Good Good Acceptable                  
Swiss International FZ-LLC IB Good Good Acceptable                  
GEMS Founders School Dubai UK Good Good                    
International School of Creative Science Nad Alshiba LLC UK Good Good                    
Kent College LLC FZ UK Good Good                    
International Concept Education LLC IB Good Acceptable Good Good Acceptable              
Star International School UK Good Acceptable Acceptable Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak
North American International School US Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Al Shurooq Private School MOE Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak
Al Adab Iranian Private School for Boys Iranian Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable      
Al Adab Iranian Private School for Girls Iranian Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable      
GEMS Winchester School UK Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable        
The Indian International School (Dso Indian Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable        
New Academy School US Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak Weak Acceptable Acceptable
Sabari Indian School LLC Indian Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable              
Capital School L.L.C. UK Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable                
GEMS Metropole School Dubai Branch UK Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable                
ST. Mary Catholic High School Dubai Muhaisnah Branch UK Good Acceptable Acceptable                  
American School of Creative Science LLC US Good Acceptable                    
Smart Vision School UK Good Acceptable                    
Al Mawakeb School Al Khawaneej LLC American Good                      
Al Salam Community School LLC UK Good                      
Ambassador International Academy LLC IB Good                      
Amity School LLC Indian Good                      
Brighton College Dubai LLC UK Good                      
Chinese School Dubai Chinese Good                      
DEWA Academy MOE Good                      
Dubai Heights Academy UK/IB Good                      
Dubai International Academy Albarsha IB Good                      
Dunecrest American School LLC IB Good                      
Dwight School LLC IB Good                      
Fairgreen International School LLC IB Good                      
GEMS Founders School Mizhar UK Good                      
Global Indian International School LLC Indian Good                      
Himayah Kindergarten For Education- Karama MOE Good                      
Newlands School UK Good                      
South View School LLC UK Good                      
The Aquila School UK Good                      
The Arbor School LLC UK Good                      
ACCEPTABLE SCHOOLS                          
United International Private School Philippine Acceptable Good Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak
Dubai International Private School Br US Acceptable Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Good Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Woodlem Park School LLC Indian Acceptable Good Acceptable Weak                
Clarion School LLC US Acceptable Good                    
Queen International School UK Acceptable Acceptable Good Good Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good Good Good
Deira Private School UK Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good Acceptable    
Elite English School Indian Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good Acceptable  
The International School of Choueifat us Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good Good
Philadelphia Private School US Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good Acceptable
Dubai Carmel School UK Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Good
Al Eman Educational EST MOE Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Al Nibras International Private School US Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
American International School US Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Dubai International Private School US Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Dubai Modern Education School US Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Modern Skills School LLC US Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
The National Charity School For Girls MOE Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Arab Unity School L.L.C. UK Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak
Oxford School UK Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak
Gulf Indian High School Indian Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable  
New Indian Model School Indian Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable  
The Central School Indian Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable  
Iranian Khadije Kobra School Iranian Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable      
Iranian Salman Farsi Boys School Iranian Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable      
Iranian Towheed Girls School Iranian Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable      
Buds Public School Indian Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak  
Little Flower English School Indian Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak  
The International School of Choueifat (Branch) US Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable            
Al Sadiq Islamic English School UK Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Al Arqm Private School MOE Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
Islamic School for Training & Education MOE Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
English Language Private School UK Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak Weak Acceptable
International Academic School US Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable
AJ Maaref Private School LLC US Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak
Dubai Arabian American Private School US Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak
Crescent English School Indian Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable  
H.H.Shaikh Rashid Al Maktoum Pakistani School Pakistani Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak Acceptable Acceptable  
Next Generation School LLC US Acceptable Acceptable                    
Oak Tree Primary School UK Acceptable Acceptable                    
Pakistan Educational Academy Pakistani Acceptable Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak  
Grammar School UK Acceptable Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak
The Philippine School Philippine Acceptable Weak Weak Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable    
Gulf Model School Indian Acceptable Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak Weak Acceptable Acceptable Acceptable  
Bright Learners Private School LLC American Acceptable                      
Bright Riders School Indian Acceptable                      
GEMS Albarsha National School - Dubai Branch UK Acceptable                      
Himayah School For Education Boys Diera (Abu Hail) Ministry of Education Acceptable                      
Himayah School For Education Girls Al Karama Ministry of Education Acceptable                      
Ignite School LLC American Acceptable                      
National Charity School Primary MOE Acceptable                      
Pearl Wisdom School LLC Indian Acceptable                      
Renaissance School LLC American Acceptable                      
The National Charity School for Boys MOE Acceptable                      
The School of Research Science-US American Acceptable                      
Vernus International Primary School - FZCO American Acceptable                      
WEAK SCHOOLS                          
Al Ghaf Private School LLC UK Weak

Note, Very Good schools all show strong inclination to reach an Outstanding rating. More importantly, they may already be an outstanding school for your child.

All will have many outstanding features, and will have fallen short of Outstanding status because of one one or two key criteria. This could be Arabic/Social Studies, SEN support, Value Added Performance testing and so on. Your choice of school will be significantly enhanced should you understand these criteria and be able to weigh them in importance to the needs of your child.

Despite assurances from the KHDA that schools can achieve a rating of Very Good or even Outstanding, none has ever achieved this on first inspection. 

Schools rated Good by the KHDA

If you are currently researching a school for your child, note that Dubai's Outstanding and Very Good schools have traditionally been run at or near capacity.

Very Good and Good Dubai schools will also be targeted by parents and you should broaden your search to schools on this list. This is NOT about second or third best. Again, quite often the KHDA will mark down schools for criteria that may not be relevant to you. It is important to read beyond the overall KHDA ranking.

Some schools have been rated Good for years, and a lower fee structure can impede the improvement of their facilities or campus. However, if you're looking for a school strong academically but without the sparkling facilities, these schools can often be a good option. (See here for more information.)

It is Not All About The KHDA: Other Inspections and Affiliations

Although the KHDA inspection process is mandatory for private schools in Dubai, schools can also choose 'voluntary' accreditation and inspections linked to their curricula home country. These inspections often emphasise different indicators and analyse different aspects of the school, including cultural orientation, which parents can use in addition to the KHDA inspection reports.

British schools can choose accreditation and inspection from the British Schools Overseas, which sends OFSTED trained inspectors from the UK to check the school every five years. To find out more about the BSO process see here and for UAE schools most recent BSO inspection summaries see here.

All French schools must apply to become affiliated with the French Ministry of Education. The process involves a thorough audit on application, and once licensed they are inspected annually by the French government. This process is NOT optional, however given all the French schools' KHDA ratings (mainly Outstanding to Very Good), this would certainly appear to be no bad thing.

In recent years, US curriculum schools were requested by the KHDA to be affiliated with an approved US accreditation body. The preferred choice is the New England Association of Schools and Colleges, (NEASC), however some schools already have long standing accreditation with other bodies (notably the Middle States Association).

Comparing Dubai schools internationally

The best Dubai schools are very good, with the likes of Dubai College, Dubai English Speaking College, Jumeirah College, JESS Arabian Ranches, Kings School Dubai and Al Barsha and so on comparing favourably with some of the best private schools in the UK - at least in terms of academic results.

As a whole however, the UAE has some way to go on international benchmarks like the PISA test. This is changing however with particularly Dubai schools beginning to make some serious head way.

The KHDA publishes PISA results which show steady improvement over the past 10 years.

  2009 2012 2015 2018
Science 486 491 497 501
Maths 479 485 493 501
Reading 474 481 484 500
There is, however, a gulf between the best performing and worst performing schools, and this level of detail - i.e. which are the schools delivering - is not released to the public.  We do know however that IB and UK curriculum schools scoring significantly higher than their peers and are already closing in on the benchmarks set in the UAE for 2021.

Higher performance in these tests is reflected in the ratings of schools in the UAE by the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau. Two thirds of Outstanding schools in the emirate are either UK or IB schools.

Note, however, that this is not necessarily to do with the curriculum. UK and IB schools tend to be the most expensive, charge the highest fees, and therefore are the most well- funded schools in Dubai.

Exam Results

The other way to benchmark the UAE's schools - domestically and internationally - is of course to look at results in external examinations. This works well for UK and the International Baccalaureate curriculum schools - although the IB organisation frowns on using the Diploma for international comparison.

For Indian schools, CBSE and CISCE results have never reached the level of importance that peer qualifications elsewhere have. This we believe is because Indian universities do not use the CBSE and CISCE to assess the competence of a student for entrance. The same applies for US universities which offer places before exams are taken.

For GCSE, A Level and IB, parents also need to draw a distinction between selective and inclusive schools. In Dubai, Dubai College is the only true selective school academically, and its results reflect this. If you recruit academically oriented students, you will get strong academic results.

Many inclusive schools say that Value added is the most important metric. This is the difference between the projected score of a student upon entrance, and what he or she gets because (at least partially) of the work put in by the school. Unfortunately, this kind of data is complex and difficult to compare across schools.

That leaves exam results as, arguably, the worst way to compare schools, except for all the others...but failing the ability to compare by other means, and on the basis that schools that publish their results are showing a degree of transparency that we would like to see from all schools, please see the links below.

Jump here for the 2023 UAE's A' Level results
Jump here for the 2023 UAE's GCSE results
Jump here for the 2023 UAE's IB Diploma results

Parent Opinion


To find out what parents think, click on the Parent Opinion tab, or the Overall Parent Rating - both highlighted above.

What do parents of children actually going to schools in Dubai think..? We have the answer for that too. 

If you click on any school review you will find a tab for Parent Opinion. Click on it to see how a school does for a range of metrics - discipline, academics, how much children look forward to going to school, the quality of feedback - and so on.

To give context, each metric is compared against a UAE average....

And there is more...

We have compiled a proper ranking of the scores for you, so you can see easily how Dubai parents rate their own schools. Some of the rankings are:

Getting into one of the best schools in Dubai

If you are currently researching schools, you want to read our guide to getting into a good school in the UAE.

In conclusion, the standard of schools in Dubai is increasing every year.  A rigorous approach to schools' operations, accreditation and inspection has ensured that standards are improving.  Even if a school maintains the same KHDA rating for many years, this does not mean that improvements have not occurred - quite the reverse in fact, since the demands of the regulator have also grown and continue to do so. 

In addition to reading the reviews on WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, we always strongly advise parents to go into the detail of the inspection reports - which can be found under the Inspection report tab above each review - to check out the WSA Experience, which is our own personal inspection process that we undertake by our OFSTED trained team, and to check out the Parent Feedback from our surveys which can also be found on the review pages. 

WhichSchoolAdvisor.com was set up and is operated by parents for parents; we hope you feel that you can rely on us. 

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