Schools and KHDA ratings
Dubai has a large choice of British schools, and the good ones fill early. Pick your child’s stage.
Which stage is your child at?
5 stagesThe numbers for you
What’s different at this stage
| 2026–27 | A transition year: children born September–December 2022 can join FS1 or FS2 |
| From 2027–28 | The cut-off applies strictly |
| Arabic | Now taught from the earliest years, phased in from September 2025 |
Sources: MOE: new age cut-off; Khaleej Times: KHDA age guide; KHDA admissions guidelines (via DBS); CambriLearn: British school fees.
How KHDA ratings work
KHDA inspects private schools and rates them on a six-point scale.
Full inspections were paused in 2024–25 and 2025–26, so most ratings date from 2023–24. From 2026–27 inspectors arrive with no more than 24 hours’ notice.
Sources: WhichSchoolAdvisor: inspections 2025–26; Gulf News: 24-hour-notice inspections.
Getting a place
- Shortlist on the KHDA directory by rating, fees and distance
- Apply: the application fee is capped at AED 500, refundable if no place is offered
- Assessment or interview
- Accept: a deposit of up to 10% of tuition, taken off the first term’s fees
- Documents: passport, Emirates ID or visa, birth certificate, reports and a transfer certificate.
Costs beyond tuition
- Uniform, books and devices
- School bus, charged separately
- Trips, clubs and exam fees
- Fees are paid termly (up to 40%, 30%, 30%) or monthly at some schools
Questions people ask
Sources: KHDA school directory; Gulf News: 2026–27 fee freeze; Khaleej Times: Outstanding school fees.
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