TOP-8 Schools in Dubai

GIIS is one of the best international schools in Dubai that offers high-quality education. Its award-winning 9 GEMS holistic teaching curriculum is a combination of skill-based programs and universal values learning. It combines academics, sports, extra-curricular and co-curricular activities for a better educational experience. GIIS offers four levels of schools: Pre Primary, Primary, Secondary and High school with three types of curriculum: Global Montessori Plus (GMP) for Pre KG to K-2; CBSE curriculum for students of Grade 1-12 and IBDP for Grade 11-12.

Admission process: The school application process in GIIS is open at any time during the academic year. However, it is recommended to contact the admissions office as soon as possible due to availability. The first step is to contact the admissions office by filling the form on the school´s website.

You can also take a 45-60 minutes campus tour or virtual tour of school facilities and student spaces by booking this through the website as well. After the tour, students are required to take an individual assessment test to help the admission team determine their level of ability and academic plan. After this, you will need to fill out the application form and submit the necessary documents for enrolment. Note that the age criteria for Pre KG are 3 years old, KG 1 is 4 years and KG 2 is 5 years.

Working hours: In accordance with scheduling, study days at the school are from Saturday to Thursday. On Saturday the office teamwork from 9 am to 3 pm and every other day from 8 am to 4:30 pm. Friday is a non-working day.

Address: Global Indian International School Dubai is located on Al Meydan Rd, Al Quoz 1. Nearby areas are Business Bay and Al Safa.

Contact Number: +971 4 225 5681

Springdales is one of the greatest private schools, founded in 1955 and operating around the world. The first campus in Dubai opened in 2013. The school has a reputation as a progressive educational institution that fosters character building in students through a values-based education system with an emphasis on the performing arts, internationalism, and humanitarian spirit.

It offers an EYFS (UK) curriculum with Indian and UAE cultural influences for KG and primary school and CBSE for secondary. It has three classroom complexes; KG, Primary and Secondary (Middle and High) Schools. According to the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA), the school was rated as Very Good.

Admission process: The application process for this school is reviewed throughout the academic year. To apply you must first fill in an online form on the school's website. After the application, you will then be contacted by the admissions team where your child will be invited to the school for an assessment for placement. Pre-Primary and KG1 will have a play-based assessment and students from KG2 to Grade 2 will be tested on language/literacy and numeracy standards. For Grade 3 and above, students will be assessed in English and Mathematics.

Working hours: The school office is open all days of the week from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm, except for Friday.

Address: The Campus is located in Al Quoz 4, next to Jumeira University. Nearby areas: Al Quoz 1, Al Quoz Industrial Area 2, Business Bay.

Contact Number: +971 4 338 1311

GEMS Dubai American Academy (DAA) is one of the best private schools and opened in 1998. It offers world-class education through teaching, learning and innovation. Every student has access to extracurricular, athletic and leadership opportunities. DDA offers both the American Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate Diploma from KG through to Grade 12. It is the only American school that received a KHDA rating as Outstanding.

Admission process: DAA is already accepting student applications for the 2021/22 academic year. The application can be found on the school's official website. You will then be contacted by the DAA Admission Team of the school for further details. You can also book a campus tour at 9 am daily from Sunday to Thursday to get a better experience of school life in the Dubai American Academy. Note that for KG1 a student must be 4 years old by the 31st of August. Other age requirements and FAQs are available on the school website.

Working hours: Parents can visit the Admissions Office at the school anytime from 7:30 am to 4:00 pm from Sunday to Thursday.

Address: The school is located on Sheikh Zayed Road and Hessa Street in Al Barsha. Nearby areas: Dubai Internet City, Barsha Heights, The Palm Jumeirah.

Contact number: +971 04 704 9777

Universal American School or UAS is a small, non-for-profit school located on a 753,000 sq. ft campus. It was founded in 2005 and the school offers academic, artistic and athletic educational programs. From PreK (KG1) to Grade 5 to KG2, students are educated within The Creative Curriculum to boost confidence, creativity, and acquire lifelong critical-thinking skills. For Grade 1-5 the school offers the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) with American (AERO) and UAE Ministry of Education concepts. Middle school level, from grade 6-8, students are taught with a curriculum based on AERO standards. From grades 9 to 12, students can choose from the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program or a selection of Advanced Placement and Common Core courses. KHDA rated Universal American School as Very Good.

Admission process: An application should be completed online at the school's website. Admission to UAS is based on various documents, such as the student’s application, previous school records and so on. The administration team will then contact you for further details and proper grade placement. You can also book a school tour through the Admissions Team. Elementary School tours are available on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays at 8:30 am. Middle and High School tours can be booked on Sundays and Thursdays at 8:30 am and Tuesdays at 9:30 am.

Working hours: The school office works from Sunday to Thursday from 8 am to 4 pm. Friday and Saturday are non-working days.

Address: The school is located on Rebat St in Dubai Festival City. Nearby areas: Dubai Creek Harbor, Umm Ramool, Jaddaf Waterfront.

Contact number: +971 4 232 5222

Dubai British School (DBS) offers a high level of education to students from the age of 3 to 18. DBS aims to give its students the best possible learning experience through 6C: critical thinking, communication, cooperation, caring, creative thinking and courage. The learning process is based on the National Curriculum of England, also known as the British Curriculum for Foundation Stage, Primary and Secondary school. A Level Pathway and vocational BTEC Programmes are the bases for Sixth Form schools where students over 16 can prepare for leading higher education institutions. Since 2017 the school has held the KHDA rating as Outstanding.

Admission process: The application can be sent online, but before doing so you should check the admissions availability. You will then be contacted to provide a number of necessary documents. If there are no spots available, you will be added to the waiting list for the next available school year. For a better understanding of the learning process in Dubai British School, you are able to book a campus tour. Virtual Tours are also available.

Please note that for FS1, FS2, and Year 1 classes, students are placed according to their age group. For Year 2 and older classes, they are placed according to their transfer certificate.

Working hours: The school works from Sunday to Wednesday from 7:45 am to 1:30 pm on Thursday. Friday and Saturday are non-working days.

Address: Dubai British School is located in The Springs and Meadows area of Dubai’s Emirates Hills. Nearby areas: Jumeirah Islands, JLT, Jumeirah Village Triangle, Discovery Gardens, Dubai Marina.

Contact number: +971 04 361 9361

Dubai College is one of the oldest and top-ranking British schools in Dubai. It was founded in 1978 and has a KHDA of Outstanding. A high level of education and excellent extra-curricular activities have made the school an award winner of the Independent Schools Awards 2019, International School Awards 2020. Dubai College has a British Curriculum and welcomes students from Year 7 to Year 13.

As a non-profit school, Dubai College provides a comprehensive education for all its students. The main areas of focus are: creative, academic, philanthropic and athletic. The school administration also encourages parents to be involved in their children's education. The school is known for providing high standards of education and developing the necessary skills to create future leaders.

Another reason why parents prefer to send their children to Dubai College is the outstanding academic results. Most of the students successfully pass their A and AS-level exams.

Admission process: The high standards mean there is a selective admissions process. Applications for the 2021/2022 year are now closed for all years. The application procedure takes place online with all required documents. Applicants for Year 7 to 10 are then given an entrance assessment/interview for better placement.

Working hours: Dubai College is open from Sunday to Wednesday from 7:50 am to 3:35 pm and from 7:50 am to 12:35 pm on Thursday. Friday and Saturday are non-working days.

Address: The school is located in the Al Sufouh 2 area of Dubai. Nearby areas: Dubai Internet City, Barsha Heights.

Contact number: +971 4 399 9111

Hartland International School or HIS provides one of the best academic opportunities and an expansive enrichment program with the British Curriculum. Its high-quality education and experienced staff have enabled HIS to retain a Very Good rating from KHDA. The school offers the best learning process from Foundation Stage to Year 13. From FS1 to FS2 students learn through the Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum (EYFS). From Years 1 to Year 6 the learning process is based on the International Primary Curriculum. In Years 12 and 13, the school offers an A-Level programme.

The academic year at Hartland International School consists of three semesters: a winter semester, a spring semester and a summer semester. The school year begins in early September and ends in early July. The school has an inclusive admissions policy and accepts students of all nationalities and ability groups.

Admission process: Applications are now open for September 2021. The admissions process begins by filling out the online application form. In order to fill out the application form, parents will need to pay the registration fee of AED 525 and provide all the necessary documents. Then your child will take an assessment session at the age-appropriate level and is structured so that HIS can understand the child fully.

Please note that according to KHDA, a certificate of transfer and a medical certificate are required when transferring a child from one school to another.

Working hours: HIS works from Sunday to Thursday from 7:30 am to 4 pm. Friday and Saturday are non-working days.

Address: Hartland International School is located in Sobha Hartland in Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City. Nearby areas: Dubai Design District, Downtown Dubai, Business Bay, Nad Al Sheba.

Contact number: +971 4 407 9444

The GEMS Wellington International School is a 348,480 sq. ft school campus for children aged 3 – 18 years. The extremely high standards of the educational system with a KHDA "Outstanding" rating and modern infrastructure, make this school one of the best international schools in Dubai. The school operates according to the British curriculum from elementary level to grade 11, as well as the International Baccalaureate diploma programme for grades 11 and 12. In 2019, the success rate of the IB Diploma exams was 98%. Based on the  British curriculum and the values of England's national curriculum, GEMS Wellington International School in Dubai is one of the leading institutions.

Admission process: Parents who want their children to be registered at GEMS Wellington International School must complete the online application form and pay an application fee of AED 525 (including VAT). Application fees are accepted in the form of an AED cheque, cash, bank transfer or online payment.

Parents should make sure that the online application form includes all necessary information about their child: information about allergies, special medical conditions, current contact information and emergency phone numbers for both parents. They should also make sure that their child has received all necessary vaccinations.

Working hours: The school is open from 7:30 am to 4:30 pm Sunday to Thursday. Friday and Saturday are non-working days.

Address: The GEMS Wellington School is located in the Al Sufouh area. Nearby areas: Al Sufouh, Dubai Internet City, Barsha Heights, Palm Jumeirah.

Contact number: +971 4 348 4999