20 Affordable British Schools In Dubai
First the good news, there are affordable British schools in Dubai and some are really rather good. WhichSchoolAdvisor.com isn't alone in this, the KHDA thinks so too!
Before we begin it is important parents consider what the pay off for lower fees will be. There is no escaping the reality that less expensive schools will usually have fewer facilities. You can't expect planetariums and Olympic sized swimming pools if you don't want to pay for them.
There are however some necessities: You should expect outdoor play areas and sports facilities within any school. Parents need to be reasonable and to decide what they can and can't live without before assessing any affordable British school in Dubai.
As many of the less expensive schools are 'older' they have been unable to increase their fees significantly, unlike the newer kids-on-the-block which tend to start high. This means that while you are getting an institution with an established, and often respected culture and long alumni, it is also likely to be in older buildings, with older facilities and equipment, and often located in the older, more congested parts of the emirate.
Many 'budget' schools also trade off lower fees with fewer subjects offered for GCSEs and A' Levels, so if your child is planning Mandarin and Theatre Studies post 16, again, expect to be disappointed by what's on offer.
A fallacy is that good quality British education requires British teachers to deliver it. Don't just take our word for it, check the ratings awarded by the KHDA who recognise good teaching wherever it takes place, regardless of nationality.
Note however you will find some Acceptable rated schools here. We include these schools because some schools may be rated as acceptable overall because of criteria important to the KHDA, but may be not to you. As an example, if your child is looking for Post 16 education, and it is the Foundation Stage of a school that has dragged it down, then only its highly rated senior school should be of interest to you.
Read on to find Dubai's best educational bargains...
Kindly update for abudhabi too...
Hi, the information here is really helpful. I need to know about some affordable british school in sharjah as well. Can u plz help
Your website is very informative and useful but I need to suggest that, education becomes more and more expensive and salary doesn't increase.
Obviously, everyone wants to get their child admitted to a British curriculum or IB system school.
Kindly, consider it as a request or suggestion to make education accessible. Provide a list of schools that would be affordable to middle class people too...
I agree with you: We just keep on paying for nonrefundable registrations and yet our kids are not given places. It adds more burdens to parents because we need to register our child at diffirent schools.
Hi Tahmina, the list on this page is an attempt to identify exactly such schools. Unfortunately, most of the newer schools that have places available are also more expensive because of the costs associated with a new school set-up, but if you contact the more affordable schools early enough, you will hopefully have a chance to find places. We hope with the growth in competition after the entry of the new schools, that there will be more moderately priced schools over the next few years.
Also, Dubai Gem Private School!
A nice list, great news for those in Dubai. Any plans for compiling such a list for Abu Dhabi? Thanks.
Yes - in the planning... Watch this space.