Latest: Best rated schools in Dubai with fees under Dh35,000 per year

Dubai's private schools have announced tuition fees for the next academic year.

Some schools were allowed to raise fees by up to 6 per cent from September, with the emirate's education regulator citing operational costs and the economic situation as factors in the decision.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority in March said only schools that maintained or improved inspection ratings would be allowed to increase fees.

Tuition fees for Dubai's private schools had been frozen for the past three academic years.

The KHDA this week issued a school fees fact sheet, detailing costs at more than 200 institutions for the next academic year.

Twenty Dubai schools were rated outstanding when inspection results were released last month.

Schools were assessed on pupils' learning outcomes and attainment, provisions for learners, and leadership and management.

Here, the National lists the 2023-24 academic year tuition fees at the 20 top-ranked private schools in the emirate.

Dubai College

The non-profit school in Al Sufouh, which follows the UK curriculum, is one of the oldest in the city and is often touted as one of Dubai's best.

Founding headmaster Tim Charlton set up the institution in 1978, so British secondary school pupils would not have to return home to the UK for education.

The teachers have been known to maintain high standards and the school has some members of staff who have worked there since the 1980s.

Dubai College's fees for years seven to 11 are Dh89,205 ($24,292) for the 2023/24 academic year. Fees for years 12 and 13 are Dh101,012 a year.

Jumeirah College

Jumeirah College is a UK-curriculum school in Al Safa 1.

It has 1,125 pupils from more than 59 countries.

The school has been ranked as outstanding from 2010-2021.

In 2021, pupils had offers from prestigious universities, including Imperial College London, London School of Economics, the University of Oxford and University of Melbourne.

Fees at the school range from Dh75,178 for year seven to Dh93,972 for year 13.

Jumeirah English Speaking School — Al Safa 1 and Arabian Ranches

Jumeirah English Speaking (JESS) follows the UK curriculum and International Baccalaureate and is one of the oldest schools in the emirate.

The school has two branches — one in Al Safa 1 and another in Arabian Ranches.

The non-profit school was founded in an apartment in Deira in 1975 with only 17 pupils. Now the school has more than 1,400 pupils in Arabian Ranches and slightly more than 2,000 pupils in Al Safa 1.

The schools place great focus on culture, curricular activities and on ensuring pupils are ready for the future.

Last August, JESS increased its primary school fees by 5 per cent but there was no charge at the secondary school.

Fees start at Dh44,340 for foundation grade 1, rising to Dh96,667 for grade 13.

Gems Modern Academy

Gems Modern Academy, in Nad Al Sheba, was founded in 1986 and is the only Indian curriculum school in Dubai to be ranked as outstanding by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority.

The school has offered the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme since 2014.

The school's vision is to inspire children to be positive change-makers.

Tuition fees start at Dh29,505 in pre-kindergarten and go up to Dh70,351 in grade 12.

Dubai British School

Located in Emirates Hills, Dubai British School has 1,171 pupils and is sought after by families.

The school has been rated outstanding from 2017 to 2023.

It is ranked highly for teaching, learning and meeting the education requirements of pupils.

Fees range from Dh50,496 in foundation stage one to Dh75,746 in year 13.

Dubai English Speaking School (primary only):

Dubai English Speaking School (DESS), one of the oldest in the country, was established in 1963 in a room of a residential villa in Dubai.

Dubai's late Ruler, Sheikh Rashid bin Saeed, in 1967 granted the school land in Oud Metha.

From only a handful of pupils in the villa, about 2,700 pupils now attend DESS and its secondary school arm, Dubai English Speaking College.

Fees at DESS range from Dh40,220 in the foundation stage to Dh49,776 in years one to six.

Dubai English Speaking College

In 2006, DESS opened its own secondary school, Dubai English Speaking College in Academic City (DESC).

The school was established with an aim of providing quality British education for pupils up to the age of 18 and preparing them for entry into university.

DESC caters only to pupils in year seven to year 13.

The non-profit school does not select pupils on an academic basis.

DSIB has rated DESC outstanding since 2013, considered an impressive feat after having opened as recently as 2007.

DESC's fees range from Dh78,720 in years seven to 11 to Dh84,609 in the sixth form.

Gems Jumeirah Primary School

Gems Jumeirah Primary School in Jumeirah 3 is one of the most sought-after primary schools in the emirate and has been rated outstanding since 2010 by the KHDA.

The school offers a bespoke and innovative curriculum that focuses on the British Curriculum while also incorporating best practices from other international curriculums.

Fees at the school start at Dh42,091 in foundation stage one and rise to Dh53,056 in year six.

Gems Dubai American Academy

The only American curriculum school to find a spot on the list of outstanding schools, Gems Dubai American Academy was founded more than 20 years ago.

The school in Barsha South focuses on celebrating diversity, resilience, creativity and driving positive change.

Fees start at Dh63,026 in kindergarten and go up to Dh88,848 for grade one to grade 12.

Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou Primary

The Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou Primary (LFIGP) is in Oud Metha.

LFIGP pupils’ attainment and progress in mathematics have been outstanding across all ages, according to DSIB's latest quality indicators report.

For the 2023/24 academic year, fees at LFIGP range from Dh20,668 a year for kindergarten.

The Dubai branch's fees range from Dh35,021 for grade one and up to Dh48,093 for grade 12.

Gems Wellington International School

One of several Gems schools to make the outstanding category, the Gems Wellington International School in Al Sufouh offers both the UK curriculum and the International Baccalaureate diploma programme.

The school has a 1:13 teacher-to-pupil ratio and an impressively low rate of teacher turnover.

Foundation years fees start at Dh45,259, with years one to six starting at Dh57,006.

Fees for years seven to 11 are Dh78,601 to Dh88,446, with those for sixth form reaching Dh98,465.

Horizons English School (primary only)

Horizons English School, in Dubai’s Al Wasl area, caters to foundation stage one to year six, with almost 1,000 pupils enrolled.

Quality indicators have deemed Horizons’ pupils' personal and social development as outstanding, while their progress in Arabic as a first language was rated as acceptable for pupils in primary years.

Horizons’ fees range from Dh30,000 for foundation years to Dh42,016 for years one to six.

Repton School

The Repton in Nad El Sheba is one of three branches in the UAE.

This branch, founded in 2007, has had an outstanding rating on DSIB inspection reports from 2014 until 2023.

Repton has listed its 2023-2024 fees as follows: the foundation stage fees start at Dh54,449, and years one to six range from Dh61,547 to Dh72,328 and years seven to 11 reach up to Dh90,640.

The school fees for years 12 and 13 are Dh97,850.

Kings School Dubai (primary only)

Close to Burj Al Arab, Kings School Dubai in Umm Suqeim offers primary education for children aged three to 11.

The original school in a family of three Kings Schools, it has attained an outstanding rating by DSIB every year since inspections began.

The fees for the 2023/24 academic year start are Dh44,928 for the foundation stage, reaching up to Dh68,374 for year six.

Kings School Al Barsha

The British Curriculum school in Al Barsha differs from its branch in Umm Suqeim, in that it caters to pupils from years FS1 to year 13.

This is a relatively new school, having opened in September 2014, and has managed to achieve a DSIB score of outstanding in its past two inspections.

Kings School Al Barsha’s fees start at Dh55,231 for foundation years.

The school is the most expensive of the top 17 on the KHDA's portal, with a maximum grade 13 tuition fee of Dh109,596 per year.

However, there is currently a 9.03 per cent discount on tuition fees, so fees for grade 13 stand at Dh99,699.

Gems Royal Dubai School

This branch of Gems is the only outstanding primary school in the Mirdif area that offers the UK national curriculum.

Founded in 2005, the school has been rated outstanding for the fifth consecutive year in the 2019-2020 DSIB report.

The school caters to the learning needs of FS1 pupils up to year six.

Fees for the 2023/24 academic year are as follows: FS1 fees are Dh 38,331 and fees for FS2 all the way up to year six are Dh48,331.

Dubai International Academy

This school in Emirates Hills follows the International Baccalaureate.

It was the first IB school in the UAE to receive an outstanding rating in 2015-16, which it achieved again in 2016-17. However, it was rated very good in 2017-18, before returning to outstanding status this year.

The school caters to kindergarten through to secondary school.

Fees start at Dh42,832 for kindergarten 1 through to Dh75,893 for year 13 for the 2023/24 academic year.

Deira International School

Deira International in Dubai Festival City has ranked very good for the past four years. But for the first time, the KHDA/DSIB inspection awarded the school an outstanding status.

Deira International opened in 2005 when it had 240 pupils and a teaching team of 34.

The school has grown to 1,600 pupils from more than 80 countries. About 14 per cent of pupils are Emiratis.

Fees start from Dh42,487 for foundation stage through to Dh85,599 for sixth form.

Nord Anglia International School

Opened in 2014, Nord Anglia International School is a popular choice among parents and follows the UK curriculum.

It has recently been rated outstanding.

The school roll sits at 2,350 pupils of more than 90 nationalities, with a teacher ratio of 1:11 and maximum class sizes of 20.

Fees start at Dh66,302 for foundation stage through to Dh100,264 for year 13.

Victory Heights Primary School

This British Curriculum school in Dubai's Sports City has been steadily improving over the years.

Having opened in 2013, it was rated good in 2015-16 and 2016-17, and very good in 2017-18 and 2018-19. However, in May last year, it was finally awarded an outstanding rating by British Schools Overseas.

This year, it was awarded the KHDA outstanding rating.

Fees for the 2023/24 year start at Dh38,222 for foundation stage up to Dh52,121 for year six.

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