Dubai School Starting Age - KHDA UPDATE
UPDATE: In the latest comments from the KHDA to the The National newspaper, the authority said "schools will still be able to offer FS1 classes, provided they can prove the education is of a high quality and that pre-primary is a recognised part of their curriculum."
In a note to The National newspaper Kalthoom Al Balooshi, director of institutional development at KHDA said certain curricula, for example UK, would start providing education from the age of three.
As far as WhichSchoolAdvisor.com is aware this would only apply to England and Wales curriculum schools, where the starting age for FS1 is 3 years of age and FS1 is a core part of the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum.
Schools would presumably still need to have a "high quality" of education - which may (or may not) mean schools should be rated Good or Outstanding to offer FS1 by the Dubai Schools Inspection Bureau.
In the latest piece of information released by the KHDA to XPress newspaper, Al Balooshi noted "The list of schools that have been granted approval will be announced after all the requests have been processed by KHDA.” This begs two further questions. When will the list be finalised, and, obviously, which schools will be on it? WhichSchoolAdvisor.com believes many (but not all) schools will have been given an intimation if they will be on the list, so the advice below to contact your school still stands.
Note: There are more UK based schools than any other in the emirate. In total 51 of the schools in Dubai are UK curriculum based, and account for just under one-third of all students in school...
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ORIGINAL STORY STARTS: In a bid to clarify the starting age for pupils in Dubai, the KHDA has confirmed to schools the implementation, for the 2014/15 academic year, the UAE federal policy which states that to enter school children have to be three years and eight months old on 31st August (4 years old on 31st December).
Children at this age will enter FS2/KG (4 months younger than previously). It appears that FS1/pre-KG will no longer be offered by schools.
The current regulation is that children may enter school in September, provided they are 3 years old by 31st August for Foundation 1/pre-KG, and 4 years old by 31st August for Foundation 2/KG1.
The confusion has been acute for families who have already applied for places in FS1 this September. According to the rules, unless their child will be 3 years and 8 months – and a place is available in FS2/KG – these children will not be able to attend school after all.
Sources have informed WhichSchoolAdvisor.com that while in official communication the KHDA has stated there would be "no exceptions" to the rule, in practice the regulator is pragmatically assessing schools on a case by case basis. In a note to WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, the KHDA said it was currently "working out the finer points of how the updated admissions policy will impact schools."
This appears to be born out in a note from Jumeirah English Speaking School directly to parents:
"Following questions raised by related articles in the press, we can confirm that JESS has approval from the KHDA for the provision for 3 year old children to attend Foundation 1."
Schools have been instructed by the KHDA to communicate the new ruling to parents. However, advice for parents of children who have been accepted for an FS1 place, and who have yet to have an official response to the policy, would be to contact their school directly.
It is not yet clear how many schools will enforce the new ruling for the 2014/15 year. However, the fact that places have been offered to parents, staff employed and facilities put in place, implementing the ruling at short notice is likely to cause considerable issues for both parents and the schools themselves.
Concerns have also been raised as to whether nurseries in the Dubai would be able to fully pick up the slack, should the ruling be enforced for the 2014/15 academic year.
New schools being built, and those that have yet to offer places, are moving ahead on the principle that schools will no longer offer FS1 or Pre-K schooling.
It is also clear that by the 2015/16 academic year FS1/Pre-K will be removed from existing schools currently offering the year group.
The KHDA's official statement to schools
"The federal government of the UAE, in collaboration with local educational authorities, has introduced an admission policy for children starting school from the 2014/15 academic year.
The main components of the policy are:
• The cut-off age date for schools starting their academic year in September has changed to December 31.
• The cut-off age date for schools starting their academic year in April has changed from to July 31.
• This ruling will take effect from the beginning of the 2014/15 academic year for September schools and for 2015/16 for April schools .
• All students must be enrolled in school by the age of 6. This is the equivalent of Grade 1/Year 2.
Abdulrahman Nassir, Chief of Customer relations at KHDA said: “This policy will ensure uniformity across the schools sector in the UAE and that each child receives the best possible start to their education.”
The KHDA has informed Dubai private schools of these changes. Schools must update their admission policies as soon as possible and communicate these with parents."
My son Dob is 11 may 2012. We have shifted to dubai recently and have put him in a nursery near to our apartment. Can he join grade1 or year 2 by sep 2017 because he will be 5 years and 4 months by then? Or does he have to be enrolled in Fs2? His learning skills are very good and above average for his age. Thanks
My son will turn 4 years old on 5 may 2017.so, can he join kg1 for year 2018 or no? As he has speech problem and also diagnosing epilepsy but docter gave permission for him to join school but we parents want to wait 1 year more to get him admission in school
Hi,
my youngest daughter will be 4 on 6 September 2017. She is currently going in FS1 in a school with UK curriculum in Dubai. Her elder sister is attending Year 1 in another school with UK curriculum. We want to move our youngest to the school of her sister next year in FS2. However this other school would not accept her as they apply strictly 31 August cut-off age.
My question is: Can they do it while the law establishes a later cut-off date according to which our daughter should be enrolled in FS2 in September 2017? This is not about assessment: They refuse her for FS2 only based on her age. We are trying to get them to assess her at least.
What is the situation as we are confused with so many different cut-off calendars: every school seems to have its own policy.
Thank you, Gent
Hi Gent,
I'm sorry to learn of the difficulties you are experiencing. The problem you face is not uncommon. Unfortunately, the rules and regulations laid down by the Ministry of Education are quite clear in that they specify children must have turned 4 by 31st December (so 3 years and 8 months on 31st August) to enter an international school in the UAE with a school calendar running from September to June. An exception has been made for UK curriculum schools, as the norm in the UK is for children to start school at aged 3+ in FS1. However, since this is a concession and an exception to the MoE rule, schools generally feel obliged to follow it strictly although there do seem to be some schools with a significant proportion of UK passport holders who do appear to be more flexible and are able to obtain approval from the regulator.
In addition, since children are not actually obliged to attend school in the UAE until the year in which they turn 6 (so 5+ in September), the education authorities are less inclined to make exceptions to the cut-off date.
Having said this, the fact that your daughter will have already completed FS1 at her current school may be sufficient to allow you to make a direct appeal to the KHDA for her to be admitted to FS2 at your other daughter's school. My advice would be to contact the KHDA and ask for their assistance in resolving this matter if you are unable to persuade the school authorities to review their decision.
Hi, is it mandatory for a child to attend nursery in order to get FS1 admission? Also If I can know when does the pre-registration will start for 2017 sept... as I got to know it varies from school to school and some might start from next week onwards?
HI Javaid,
It is definitely not mandatory for children to attend Nursery prior to starting school. Indeed, legally, children do not need to start school until the year in which they turn 6 (so year 1/KG2). However, many families choose to put their children into school for FS1 as this is the first year within the UK curriculum and is increasingly the norm. Many schools still add places for children to join from FS2, but the trend is definitely towards earlier entry.
Schools all set their own timeline in relation to when admissions start. Generally, it is not before October as they are still dealing with the new admissions from September. You will need to check the websites of the individual schools that you are interested in applying to - or alternatively call the Admissions team to find out when they will start taking applications.
Hello,
We have just moved from Sydney to Dubai few weeks ago and my daughter DOB is 04.Feb.2012. I am planning to enroll her in a British curriculum school for 2016/2017. Can she enroll in Year 1 or KG2. Please advise
HI Mohamad,
As your daughter turned 4 in February, she is age-appropriate for FS2 during the current academic year in the UK curriculum. As the academic year has already started (at the beginning of September), you will probably need to arrange for her admission as soon as possible.
Hi
DOB for my son is 9th Jan 2014 , please advise when I can start him in UK curriculum. FS1 or FS2? I heard that FS1 is no longer there..please advise.
Thanks
Neetika
Hi Neetika,
You don't mention in which Emirate you are located. Some schools in Abu Dhabi have phased out or separated FS1 this year, as there has been some discussion whether they fit under ADEC's supervisory role. In the other Emirates, almost all British Curriculum schools offer FS1. Your son will not be turning 3 until next January, so the earliest he can join FS1 is September 2017. He is too young to join FS2, even in schools that follow the January to December calendar, since he would need to be 4 years old for this class.
Hi Nikeeta,
FS1 is very much about learning through play and if you choose a nursery that follows the Early Years Foundation Stage curriculum, this will be very similar in approach. In terms of schools that may work for you, I would advise you to check the details of Primary schools in Dubai which you can find via the search function on Whichschooladvisor.com's Home Page. You may also find it useful to check the KHDA website which also provides a listing of schools with details of the year groups taught.
Hi Lyn
Thanks for responding, we are located in Deira, Dubai.
Please let me know the requirement of age of child for FS1. Also is FS1 curriculum like the nursery??...focus on learning through playing? I am planning to put him in nursery near our house from January. Can you recommend any school that offers Nursery and FS1 in the same premises so that he can continue there.....this information will be of great help . Thanks !!
My son's DOB is 01/01/2013, I am looking for KG1 Admission for a CBSE curriculam school in Sharjha. Kindly advise when he will be eligible for KG1 registration?
HI Ambika,
Children need to be 3 years and 8 months old to start school. Since your son will already have turned 4 in January, he is eligible to start school in April 2017. Most Indian schools have already started taking applications (in fact some may already be closed) and I would advise you therefore to contact the schools as soon as possible.
Hi, My son will turn 2 on 23 September 2016. I intend to put him in UK curriculum (FS1) from September 2017 onwards. Will he be eligible for FS1 in Sep 17 as per new regulations..? Please assist.
Hi Manas,
I am very doubtful that your son will be admitted to FS1 in September 2017 since he will not yet have turned 3 by 1st September which is the minimum age. I would also suggest that to start him in school when he is still only 2 and will be potentially in a class with children who are very nearly 4, may not be the best option for him. Bear in mind that he is likely to be in a class of 20+ children with 2 adults; this is not likely to be the level of attention that he is used to. In addition, physically and emotionally, he may well be significantly younger than other children in the class. Even if you are able to find a school place for him, my advice would be to wait until 2018 and ease him gradually into school through a nursery or similar.
Hi sir
My son is currently studying in nursery class in India. As I am moving to dubai, is this possible to get admission in mid session. And will school take fee for full session or half according to mid session as I have already paid fee for 2 quarters in Indian school
HI Rashmi,
There are several new schools offering pre-KG classes in Dubai although many families use nurseries for this age group. The schools would usually accept children part way through the academic year provided they have places available. It is usual for schools to charge only for the period that the child attends and not for the full academic year, but you would need to confirm this with the schools to which you apply.
My son d/b is 11.08.2010. As per the KHDA rule he is 9 days short. For grade 1. He completed ukg in india. Is there any changes in rule. I heard there will be some chages (flexibility) 3rd week of sep. Is it true.
Unfortunately, there does not seem to be any common rule on flexibility on the cut off date. Some schools are willing to seek approval for a later cut off date depending on the child concerned, whilst others strictly adhere to the 31st July date. Assuming you are placing him in term 2 in an Indian curriculum school, they would usually base the grade on his previous one in India as in September he would be part way through the academic year.
My youngest daughter will be 3 years and 11 months by September 2017.
Should i enroll her in FS1 or FS2 next September 2017 (British curriculum)?
Please clarify.
Thank you.
HI Sheila,
This is really a decision for you to make and will be very dependent on your daughter's personality, current involvement in a nursery or similar and how independent and mature she is. If you enrol her in FS2, she will be among the youngest in the class and this can be a challenge if she is physically smaller and/or less confident and outgoing than her peers, most of whom will have been in school for a year already and will be familiar with the routines, have friends and know the teachers. If she is currently at nursery, outgoing, confident and you feel that she will settle into FS2, then it may well be worth applying. The school will assess her in any case and if they have concerns, may well suggest that you place her in FS1.
Hi Lyn, I am jumping in here as my youngest daughter is on the same situation: She will be 4 on 6 September 2017. She is currently going in FS1 in a school with UK curriculum in Dubai. Her elder sister is attending Year 1 in another school with UK curriculum. We want to move our youngest to the school of her sister next year in FS2. However this other school would not accept her as they apply strictly 31 August cut-off age.
My question is: Can they do it while the law establishes a later cut-off date according to which our daughter should be enrolled in FS2 in September 2017? This is not about assessment: They refuse her for FS2 only based on her age. We are trying to get them to assess her at least.
What is the situation as we are confused with so many different cut-off calendars: every school seems to have its own policy.
Thank you, Gent
Hi,
My daughter turned 3 on the 5th of jan 2016. I am looking for a school to enroll her, in any recommendation, and is she eligible for FS 1?
Hi Ammad,
As your daughter is 3 already, she is eligible for FS1 in Dubai. In Abu Dhabi or the Northern Emirates, you may find that she will not be accepted this year as she will not be 4 until January. You don't mention location, so it is hard to advise you, but many of the newer schools will potentially have availability. Even some of the more popular schools have had leavers this summer. It is worth calling schools in your area that meet your budget requirements.
Respected team :-my doughters dob is 22november 2013 is she able to start her education in fs1 gems school
Hi Asma,
Since your daughter will not be 3 until November, the earliest she can start school is September 2017.
Hi, Our son turned 3 years old on 10 Aug 2016. We are looking to enroll him in KG1 (Indian curriculum), next year (2017). Our understanding is that he needs to be 4 years old by 31st July 2017. This would mean he will have to wait another year?
Could you kindly confirm if this is the case?
Dear Pav,
You are correct that your son needs to be 4 by 31st July in order to start school and this means that he will be too young to join KG1 next April. There are several Indian schools that offer pre-KG for children who have turned 3 - this may be an option for you and it may be worthwhile checking the websites of the schools that are of interest to you to see if this option exists.
Hi, my daughter's DOB is 5 January 2014. When will she be eligible to start FS1?
HI Abir,
Children need to be either 3 years old or 3 years and 8 months old on 1st September, depending on which Emirate you live in and the policy of some schools. As your daughter is 3 in January, she should be able to start school in FS1 in September 2017. Please check with the individual schools that you are interested in to confirm that they will accept her, assuming they have places available, as some do adhere very strictly to the 1st September cut off and she will not be quite 3 years and 8 months at that date.
Hi, My son is 20th February 2014 born and now he is 2.5 and is in prenursary so will he be able to get admission in KG1 in Abu Dhabi and when the new semester starts?
Please advise.
Dear Pooja,
Your son would need to be 3 years old to join FS1 in the UK curriculum in September, so he is too young for this year. He would need to be 3 years and 8 months by April 1st to join KG1 in the Indian curriculum and the same age to join KG1 on September 1st in other international schools. As he is not turning 3 until February next year, the earliest he can start school will be in 2018.
Hello,
My daughter is currently studying in CBSE curriculum Grade 1 at India. Her DOB is 11/12/10. Can she get admission to Grade 2 in dubai next year 2017-18? Or she has to study again grade 1 at Dubai? Will current policy
Pls suggest.
Thanks.
Dear Ubendran,
Your daughter will be 6 years and 4 months when she comes to Dubai at the start of the next academic year. She is age-appropriate for grade 1 under the regulations here. However, since you will be transferring from India and will have to produce a fully attested transfer certificate which shows that she has completed grade 1, I would suggest that you reconfirm with the schools to which you wish to apply, as the transfer certificate may take precedence over her date of birth.
Dear Ubendran,
Provided your daughter is 6 by 31st July (so 5 years and 8 months), she is eligible to join grade 1. If you relocate and have a transfer certificate showing that she has completed KG2 and is currently studying in Grade 1, this would usually take precedence over her age.
Thanks for your reply.
However, if i took TC for my daughter in between Grade 1 before completion from current school at India, could she get admission in the Grade 1 (term 2 or term 3) in any dubai school irrespective of her age, since i am getting attestation as required? or Will she only get admission in KG2?
Please suggest.
Thanks.
Hi my son will be 3 years in October 2016 .what is the age for preschool and also kg1 in IndIan ciruculum.
Hi Sneha,
Children need to have turned 4 by 31st July (so 3 years and 8 months by 1st April) to join KG1. Several schools have reintroduced pre-KG and your son would now be old enough to attend this grade from April 2017.
Hi, my twins are born in April 2014. We are currently looking for nurseries but want to know if they can get admission for FS 1 in a school by September 2017 where they by then would be 3.5 or will they have to be set back a year behind? Pls advice. THANKS.
Your twins are age appropriate for FS1 in most UK curriculum schools in Dubai where the requirement is to have reached 3 years of age by 31st August. In the other Emirates, the age requirement is 3 years and 8 months, in which case you would need to wait one further year.
Hi, my child missed the KG1 in CBSE board in UAE. Now he is 6 years and around 4 months. Can he get admission in any curriculum in KG2?
Please advise.
Hi Rajesh,
Your child should already be in school as he is over 6 years of age.He would be age appropriate for grade 1 in the Indian curriculum now and age appropriate for year 2 in the UK curriculum in September. Usually, children are placed according to their age. However, it may be, based on assessment, that s/he can be placed one grade lower if the school and you request this of the regulator. Whatever the case, you should urgently arrange to get him into school as quickly as possible. In the meantime, if you are not already doing so, you should ensure that he is receiving some form of tuition that ideally would enable him to join the correct grade for his age.
My son is born on 6th January 2013 and i am looking for his admission is UK curriculum for the academic year 2016 - 17. I visited several schools and they said that he should be 4 years by the cut off date is 31st December 2016. The difference is only of 6 days and he cant get admission in FS1 for that?
Please advise me some good British schools in Sharjah.
Thanks
Dear Rajesh,
The cut off date for CBSE schools is 31st July. This means that your son is well over the age for KG2 admission - for which he would need to be 5 years old turning 6. Schools generally do not like to hold children back in a lower grade for social reasons. You are also legally obliged to have your son in school since he is already 6 years old. I would advise you to contact your preferred schools without delay to see if they will consider him for KG2 or whether they believe he should enter grade 1. If you have difficulty in finding a school to accept him, I would advise you to contact the relevant Education Authority (ADEC, KHDA or the Ministry of Education offices relevant to your location.
Dear Umm Abubakar,
Following the Ministry of Education's ruling on age of school entry, there does not appear to be any flexibility in regard to the cut off dates. You will need to wait until September 2017 for FS1. You can find details of schools in Sharjah on our Home page under the Schools section.
Hi, my son will turn 4 this month of May and we do online admission for FS 1 two months ago and they replied that we have to wait for the date of admission test. We're waiting for their email but it happened that when we contact the school they said that his age is for FS 2. And both slot for FS 1 and FS 2 are no longer available. Is my son's age really belong for FS 2? Because as far as my observation with his readiness he still needs to undergo FS 1. Please do give me an advise as I was feeling disappointed with the school where we did email for admission. Thanks in advance.
Dear Loida,
UK curriculum schools vary in the cut off dates that they are permitted to use. Some require that a child is 3 years old by 31st August; others follow the general rule of entry for children to be 3 years and 8 months old (so 4 by 31st December). Since your son will already have turned 4 in May this year, he would potentially have been old enough to join FS1 classes in certain schools (dependent on their policy) last September. My advice would be to check with other UK curriculum schools as to when the cut off date is for their FS1 classes and to see if you can obtain admission. The other option would be to consider a non-UK curriculum school (either IB or American) where children start KG1 aged 3 years and 8 months if you feel that this would be more appropriate for your son.
My daughter is studying KG1 in India and her DOB is 15th Aug 2011. Will she be able to go for KG2 in Dubai Indian schools? Is there any flexibility regarding age criteria at least for 15 days?
My son born on 1st Aug 2012. we are seeking an admission for him on CBSE curriculum for 2016 – 2017. Since she is 1 days young to the new rule. this situation we got admission in kg1. Is there any grace period from KHDA?
Hi Dear,
I am looking for a british school in Dubai for my son from Septermber 2017. Please can you guide me when the admissions will open? and how I should target school search
Hi Farooq,
Most schools will start admissions within the next few weeks so you should definitely check with them in terms of when applications will open. I would suggest that you focus mainly on location, costs and the standard of the schools according to their reputation - either based on the information you will find on Whichschooladvisor.com through our guides and reviews or via the KHDA reports. The following article may help you http://whichschooladvisor.com/guides/seriously-affordable-british-schools-in-dubai/. Once you have been able to work out a shortlist, try to arrange a visit - this is often the best way to decide whether a school is the right one for your child. Do also bear in mind that the newer schools are more likely to have places available than the long established ones. Good Luck.
Dear Suresh,
As far as we know, the KHDA is not offering any flexibility around the cut-off date. You can contact them directly to confirm this on 800 KHDA (5432).
My son will be 5 years old in July. Would you please let me know the list of schools offering kg1?
HI Isha,
We do not have a list of schools with availability, but you can search for a list of schools offering Nursery (KG1) and Primary (KG2) under the Schools section on our Home Page. Alternatively, you can also download a list of schools in Dubai from the KHDA website - http://www.khda.gov.ae/en/schoolsen.
Hi, my daughter was born in 2013, March. Can we apply for school admission in British Curriculum for 2016? She will be 3 years and 6 months to September 2016? Please advise.
HI Thushara,
Although not all schools offering the British curriculum are adhering to this date, it is possible for children to start in Foundation 1 provided they have turned 3 by 1st September, so yes, provided you can find a school that is following this cut off date, it should be possible for your son to start school in September. The normal rule otherwise for international curricula, is that children must be 3 years and 8 months on 1 September.
Hi,
My son is presently studying in KG-1 in India and his DOB is 04th October 2011. As per the present rule of Dubai, as of 31st July, he will be 4 yrs and 8 months. So, would it be possible for us to seek admission for KG-II? Schools are saying he has to repeat KG-1. Need advise.
Dear Subhro,
I think that you will find the requirement is for a child to be 4 years and 8 months at the start of the academic year in April and 5 by 31st July for admission to KG2. Unfortunately your son does not meet this criterion and hence you are being advised that he must repeat KG1. There is no flexibility in this regard.
My daughter born on 3rd Aug 2012. we are seeking an admission for him on CBSE curriculum for 2016 – 2017. Since she is 3 days young to the new rule. this situation we got admission in kg1. Is there any grace period from KHDA?
Thanks & Regards
shahna
Dear Shahna,
Our understanding is that officially there is no flexibility around the cut off date, but you can approach the KHDA directly by telephone 800 KHDA (800 5432). You will almost certainly need to find a school that is willing to apply for an exception and this is likely to be the most difficult part of the process, but if you have confirmation from the KHDA that an exception is possible, this will assist your case.
Hi
My kid was born on 15 jan 2010 and she is doing grade 1 in India on CBSE syllabus. Will she be able to join Grade 2 in UAE if we try for her admission now in dubai schools ? She will be only 6 yrs 6 months by July 31 2016.
HI Anish,
Our understanding is that children who are already studying in the home country and who have turned 6 years (which is the mandatory age at which children are required to start school in the UAE) may enter the next school grade provided, they have completed grade 1 and have an appropriate transfer certificate. I would advise you to contact the schools to which you plan to apply to confirm that this is the case.
My son born on 8th Aug 2012. we are seeking an admission for him on CBSE curriculum for 2016 - 2017. Since he is 8 days young to the new rule, no school ready to take him. Is there any grace period from KHDA?
Thanks & Regards
Simi Eby
Dear Simi,
Officially, there is no grace period on the cut off date. However, if you wish to contact the KHDA directly, you can discuss your son's case and see if an exception can be made. You can contact them by phone on 800 KHDA (800 5432).
My daughter D.O.B is 30 July 2013. Inorder to join UK curriculum school (FS1) which year can she join? When contacted Dubai Gem they advised that she cant join because she has not met age criteria. Please advise.
Dear Webstar,
Your daughter will be 3 by 31st August 2016 and there will be some UK curriculum schools who will accept her from that date. However, many schools are adopting the new cut off date set by the Ministry of Education which would require your daughter to be 3 years and 8 months at the start of the academic year. You will need to enquire at individual schools to see which date they are using. Many schools would say that a child who will be so young compared with other children joining the school at that time, should probably wait the additional year. 3 years and 1 month is very early.
Our son is born on Sept 15,2012. Is it possible to get admission in any CBSE syllabus/Indian curriculum for the academic year 2016-2017.
Please advice
Dear Sherin,
Since your son will not have turned 4 by 31st July 2016, it will not be possible for him to be admitted in 2016/17. The Ministry of Education requirements now mean that children under the age of 4 years on the cut off date, may not be admitted to school in the UAE.
My daughter is enrolled in Pre K at a British school this September. She will be 2.10 months old but 3 by December. The curriculum is British but I see she is also in the same class as children turning 4 in September. How can this happen?
Hi Karen,
You mention that your daughter is joining a pre-K class; this is not usually the designation in a UK curriculum school and in the UAE in general, children are not permitted to start school unless they will be 4 on 31st December (so 3 years and 8 months on 31st August). The sole exception which has been granted in Dubai to UK curriculum schools is that children may enter FS1 if they are 3 years old by 1st September. This year group is specifically designated for children who are aged 3 and will turn 4 during the school year. There will be children who turn 4 during the month of September, but are still 3 years on the first of the month, who enter FS1 - either because the school is adhering strictly to the age guideline, or because parents have requested that their children enter at this age into FS1. For your daughter to start school at 2 years and 10 months, if she is joining an FS1 class, seems to me to be very unusual, as she is too young according to all the rules.
Hi, my son dob is 8th Nov 2010, according to previous rule he was in fs1, though he turned 4 in Nov, but in gems he was nit accepted in fs2.
Now he is enrolled in blossoms nursery for fs2, as I couldn't find seat in gems wellington academy silicon oasis and they recommended me blossoms nursery for this year so next year they will enroll him in year 1 in their school.
However now according to new rule, my son should be in tear 1, instead of fs2, please guide me can he still continue fs2 as he I have alresdy paid registration fees or he has to be in year 1.
Thanks
Dear Ridah,
As your son will not be 5 years old on 31st August, he is too young for year 1. FS2 is the correct year group for him since he turned 4 in November last year. Almost all UK curriculum schools accept children aged 3-4 for FS1 and aged 4-5 for FS2 and aged 5-6 for year 1, using 31st August as the cut off date.
Hi Lyn,
My daughter D.O.B is 3/12/2010 & she is currently studying in KG2 in Dubai (her age is 4.5 yrs +).
I have planned to change her school for grade 1, as the school is for kindergarten only. Her age will be 5.5 years + for next year grade 1.
Will she get admission or She has to seek admission again in KG2 next year 2016-17.
Kind Regards,
Pankaj Yadav
Hi Pankaj,
Can you let me know which curriculum your daughter is following and if this is a 12 grade or 13 year school? That will enable me to guide you further.
continuation of my first post: seek to promote my son 2015-2016. pls advise. thanks.
Dear Riko,
I advise you to contact the Customer Service team at the KHDA in Academic City. You can do this by phone on +971-4-3640000 / 800 KHDA (800 5432), although it may be better to meet with them at their offices - details of the location and timings are on the website - www.khda.gov.ae. There are a number of issues that you will need to discuss with them prior to trying to identify a school. Since your son has not been in school for the past 2 academic years, it is not a simple case of registering him at a school - you will need the assistance of the KHDA to do this. They will also need to advise you on the appropriate grade of registration. The KHDA website also has details of all private schools in Dubai, their fees and location. The more moderately priced schools (such as Winchester) are very full and with waiting lists, so you would be advised to start this process as soon as possible.
hi, I am seeking school admission 2015-2016: a school not too expensive and affordable tuition, and near jebel ali our area residence. I need help to accept my son in school bcoz of age(dob:28oct2000), my son completed grade 5 - Yr2012-2013, Gems-Winchester 2014-2015 made us nothing into waiting-list, just accepted registration fee non-refundable and had assessed-exams, just we wait their call as per they advised but nothing unless personally talk to dropped-by and by that time only later knew for the age KHDA-required admission. My son came from transferred and then I'm jobless from the past years, so now able to resume my son schooling found new job to support. Please advise. Thanks
Hi
My twine (Boy and Girl) birth date is 01/08/2011 (12:15pm). They will enter age 5 on 1/08/2015.
Is Sharjah MoE or KHDA will allow my kids for KG1 admission. Since my elder one is studying in one of the Sharjah Indian Curriculum (CBSE) school, we have 2 seats available.
But School asking for MoE approval.
Is it necessary, since my kids entering their 5th birthday on 01/08/2015.
Please advise
small correction on age (they are turning to 4 not 5)
Hi Jades,
The cut off date is 31st July, which means that your children are officially one day too young to start school. This is the reason why you will need to request approval from the Ministry. The school will be able to advise you on how to go about this.
Hi, my son was born on the 6th July 2011 and as per the new rule he should be enrolled in FS2/2015-16, but the British school I applied to in Sharjah says that he shall be admitted to FS1 as his age of turning 4 by July 2016 - that he cannot be entered for FS2. So, is it different in Sharjah from Dubai? Kindly advise.
HI Zareena, Can you confirm that this is a UK curriculum school to which you are applying? The July date usually applies to Indian curriculum schools. However, I understand that the Dubai KHDA allows children to enter UK curriculum schools in line with the practice in the UK which is that they must be 3 years old on 31st August to join FS1 and 4 years old to enter FS2; however the Ministry of Education has ruled that children must be 3 years and 9 months to enter the first year of school and this case you son would enter FS1. I would suggest that you contact one or two other UK curriculum schools to check their practice - and it may be possible to request a variance through the Education Zone - so it is worthwhile checking the understanding to which other schools are working. The changes to the rules have caused some confusion!
Hi My son's birthdate is 17-8-2011 and I want to take an admission for the academic year 2015-2016 in Indian school CBSC curriculum. Can he get the admission? Is there any news for granting a grace period? Please reply.
Hi Minal, to the best of our knowledge, there is still no grace period being approved and you will need to wait a further year to obtain admission for your son.
Hi my daughter DOB is December 4, 2007, she only completed KG2. Is it possible to register her british curriculum here in Dubai for grade 3 level even she don't have TC of grade 1 and 2? The KHDA will approve her documents?
I want to register her in Oxford. Please help me. Thank you
HI Ella,
I would suggest that you contact the school and confirm with the Registrar, but I think it is highly unlikely that the KHDA and the school would register your daughter in year 3 if she has missed at least one full year of schooling. It may be worthwhile contacting the KHDA Customer Service team directly also to ask for their advice - 800 KHDA (800 5432).
This is regarding the admission of my daughter ( DOB-23/10/2009 ) studying in KG-2 in a CBSE school India .i want to know whether it is possible to get admission to Grade-1 if we bring TC from present school. Regards, Joe
I am trying to get admission for my son (born on 23rd August 2011) to KG1 in Sharjah(CBSE ) .But as per the ministry rule the child should be 4 years until 31st of July and so no school is giving admission. Is there any school which can consider this period of 23 days. Will the Ministry give some approval to schools to consider such August born children for KG1 Admission .
Please Advice.
Hi Akila, it seems that the Education authorities in each Emirate are adhering quite strictly to the cut off dates set out by the Ministry of Education. It may be worthwhile contacting Sharjah Education Zone to obtain confirmation, but I think it is likely that you will have to wait a further year for your son's admission to school.
Hi,
my son is already in KG1 he DOB is 26 Mar-2011. Its almost end of the year and school is saying they cannot promote t0 KG2 due to age criteria.Please help what can be done. we paid almost 1 yr fees.
Hi Priya,
My understanding is that if your son is already registered with the KHDA in a school in Dubai and has completed the school year, he can be promoted as this rule was only implemented for the 2015/16 year. If the school continues to disagree, you should contact the KHDA directly for clarification. Tel: +971-4-3640000 / 800 KHDA (800 5432).
hi, my kid will be 4 year old on 22 September 2015 , i want to take admission for my kid in FS1, Is it correct age for fs1 or we should try fs2 for British curriculum.
please advice
hi, my kid will be 4 year old on 7 may 2015 , i want to take admission for my kid in FS1, Is it correct age for fs1 or we should try fs2 for British curriculum. please let my know any good school with yearly fee dh 15,000 , Thanks.
Continuation of my first post, my child age is 7, her birthdate is December 4, 2007.
My daughter completed KG1 and KG2 in Qatar before we moved to the UAE this September. I failed to find school for my daughter because the admissions of all schools was closed. She was supposed to be in grade 1 this school year - 2014-2015. Now I started to call some schools to inquire about 2015-2016, but it seems schools don't want to accept her because she's "too old" for grade 1. They are saying that the child should be 6.
I'm worried if I will be able to find school that will accept my daughter. Is this a rule that if a child is older than her year group she cannot go to school?
Hi Louella, many schools operate a policy where they aim to keep children of the same age-group together for developmental and social reasons. My advice would be that you contact schools now to find a place for your daughter in January. It is a legal requirement for children to be in school in the year in which they turn 6, so it is important that you do not wait until next September to find a place for her. At the moment, she has only missed one term of school and should be able to make this up quickly. Many of the newer schools have places available still and should be able to help you. You may find, though, that the fact she has been out of school is a concern for them (the rules require children to not miss school for more than 30 days) and if this is the case, please contact the KHDA in Dubai or ADEC in Abu Dhabi and ask for their assistance.
Hi Lyn, i have contated some schools since last september, they dont't want to accept my daughter because there were no seats available or slots for her, so i decided to find school for school year 2015-2016.
Hi Louella, you are actually in breach of the law by keeping your daughter out of school, as it is a legal requirement in the UAE that children attend school during the year in which they turn 6 years old. All schools are able to accept children during the school year and you should apply for school places now for a January start. You will have real difficulty in finding a place for September as she will have missed an entire school year.
Hi lyn, i tried last september, in st. Mary's highshool, the philippine school and i called some schools also when we came here in dubai, but they are saying they are full already. And nobody told me that KHDA policy.
Hi Louella, I would suggest that you use the information about schools on our website and also the details of schools listed on the KHDA website - www.khda.gov.ae - to find out details of all the schools in the area in which you live (or that provide bus services to your area) and then to call them to see which have availability. Schools have a regular turnover of students who leave part way through the school year and you will need to register your daughter on the waiting lists for the schools that would be suitable. The KHDA website lists all schools (check the Inspection Reports for a summary of the schools and their contact information). You can also find out more about the schools by checking the reviews on our website. Most schools will have Administration staff working over the coming week and schools return around 4 January. Good luck with your search.
Hi,
please let me know, whether any grace period allotted for age criteria for 2015-2016. my daughter dob is august 22 2011. Hence 22 days short for new ministry rule. Can anyone suggest is it possible for admission in any school.
Dear Divya,
According to the most recent clarifications from the KHDA, there is no grace period permitted. Children who do not meet the cut-off date will need to wait a further year before starting school.
My son (1st AUG 2011) is one DAY SORT to be 4Yrs for KG1 admission for the session 2015 - 2016 and schools are not considering a day as cut-off age set is 31st July 2015. Pls advise
Hi Azim,
The best advice we can give is that you contact the school with which you wish to register your son. According to the last information provided by the KHDA, there is no flexibility in the cut-off dates, but rules change often without publication. You can also contact the KHDA Customer Service team directly to enquire on +971-4-3640000. They are open from 7.30am to 4.30pm except Thursday when they close at 2.30pm.
Good evening,
Our son is born on December 28th 2011. So he will turn 4 on December 28th 2015, so according to this article he should start KG1 in September 2015. Now the school that we registered him for says that I misunderstand and that children who turn 4 after January 1st 2016 will start KG1, while my son has to start in KG2. So he will be 3 years and 8 months old and starting KG2, while he has not done KG1. He will join a class of children that are in KG1 now and some kids in his class will be up to 1 year and 3 months older than he is.
I think the school has got this wrong. Am I correct? Or is he really supposed to start KG2 in September 2015? This is for International BC.
Thank you for your advice.
Kind regards Saskia
HI Saskia,
Can you please advise which school it is that you are speaking with? It would be helpful to know this, as some IB schools operate a different grading structure.
Hi Mariette, we have also received confirmation directly from the KHDA that there will be no grace period and that the stated cut-off dates of 31st July for schools following an April start-date to their academic year, and 31st December for those following a September start-date will be strictly applied. The sole exception is UK curriculum schools offering Foundation stage where the 31st August date will remain.
HI. Now it is confirmed that there is no grace period for KG1 admission. This is as per the information received from KHDA yesterday. The MOE has not approved their suggestion to grant 1 month grace. Hence the age requirement is 4 years on or before 31st July, 2015.
My son (Mar 7, 2010) is studying in KG2 in Choueifat in Oman. we are moving mid year this december to dubai and we have been told by dubai choueifat that he will join KG1 (meaning repeating KG1) as he is not 5 years in 2014 december. my worry is that he is going to miss 1 whole year and will be one year behind his whole life when we move back to pakistan. is this the new law. i am confused trying to figure where he stands as of now.
Please advise.
Regards
HI Irfan, I'm afraid that the information provided by Choueifat Dubai is fundamentally correct as the Ministry of Education has imposed a change in cut-off dates to 31st December (instead of 31st August). However, it may be worthwhile checking with Choueifat Dubai again and asking them to assist you with requesting an exception from the KHDA in Dubai, as your son is already in the same school, following the same curriculum in Oman. If the school will support you in the fact that your son is capable academically of continuing in Dubai in his current grade, it may be possible to get agreement from the KHDA to this exception.
Hi,
In connection with the KG1 admission when I was checking for the age criteria I came across the circular mentioned in this page explaining the age. In the Ref 5/ 067/2014 KHDA circular mentioned above it is mentioned that a child registering for KG1/FS2 of 2014-2015 need to be 4 years by 31st of December 2014.But in some articles I found that the age criteria is 4years as on July 31st. I kindly request you to provide a clarification on the age limit for the academic year April 2015-2016.
Thanks
The 31st December date seems to apply to US and other international curricula - excluding UK and Indian/Pakistani. UK curriculum schools have been able to apply for approval to retain the 31 August date, since this is in line with UK practice.
Indian/Pakistani schools whose school year starts in April, have a 31 July cut-off date.
Hi ,
I am worried about the KG1 admission for my daughter for the academic year April 2015-2016 Indian curriculum .She will be 4years as on 9th August 2015,falling short of 8 days from the current age limit July 31 2015. I would be thankful if age relaxation is given for her as she falls short from the age criteria by few days.
Thanks
From what has been told to me from my friends in the schools, the KHDA has offered 30 days grace period allowing admissions for those born on or before 30th August, 2015
The best advice on the 8 day difference is to contact the school. They may be able to get approval for a variance (there was flexibility previously), but the MoE's line, (from whom this ruling emanated and which is now being applied by the relevant authority for each Emirate), is that there would not be exceptions.
my daughter will be 3 years and 6 months by September could you please let me know list of schools offering FS1
Hi Andy, we answer questions on our Q and A site - http://whichschooladvisor.com/qanda/
Hi Irena and Aicha,
Kindly see the latest addition by the KHDA which notes that where a core part of the curriculum starts before age 4 (as of Dec 31) and that the school offers a good quality of education, a school may still offer FS1.
This would seem to be a very good compromise and show welcome flexibility to the MoE ruling.
All of the schools you noted are UK schools where the curriculum, EYFS, starts at 3 yrs... All are also rated highly by the DSIB.
All schools that I contacted after seeing this letter told me, that they do not change the age policy (DESS, GEM, KINGS). Is it possible to have the list of schools, to which this new rule applies to?
"The list of schools that have been granted approval [to have Pre-K/FS1] will be announced after all the requests have been processed by KHDA.” This is the latest information to have been released by the KHDA. So to answer your question - we are waiting for the list!
Hi ,
Is there any confirmed NEWS about grace period of one month for the admission in KG1 for the year 2015-16. My son is born on 22nd august hence will be short by 1 month on July 31st 2015 as per the cut-off age set by KHDA.
please advise.
I've contacted different schools also, repton, Safa, kings, Gems... all of them. No change.
My son is December 2010. I was hoping that he will be accepted in FS2.
Regulation is here but no one is applying it