Primary Schools and Education in Dubai

Primary school education starts for children in Dubai from the age of four and a half, and as you can imagine there are international schools available that cover almost all the major international curricula – from the British system to the International Baccalaureate for example.

If you’re moving to live in Dubai and taking children out of school to move them with you, it will be very important to help them settle in to a new school as seamlessly and as effortlessly as possible, therefore for many parents it will be important to find a school following the same curriculum or national guidelines as their child is used to.  Similarly, if you’re likely to repatriate or re-relocate again in the future, making sure your child is in an international school environment will be very important.

Fortunately there are a wealth of decent primary school options in Dubai, and in this, the second of our four guides to education, schools and colleges in the emirate, we take a look at a range of primary schools available. 

We have selected a handful of the most popular, interesting or well rated primary schools to review, and provided full contact information for them…however, we do not endorse these schools in any way and have not independently checked them out – therefore we strongly recommend that you visit any primary school or educational establishment that you are considering for your child.

Whilst a school can look good on paper, (or on the Internet), you need to see how it operates first hand before you can get a feel for whether your child will be happy to go there.  Speak to other parents if you can, consider joining some expatriate forums discussing Dubai, and ask for personal recommendations about the school/s you’re interested in, and even take your child along for half a day if allowed so that they can see whether it’s acceptable to them.

As with all levels of educational establishment in Dubai, the best primary schools have waiting lists and places are booked up well in advance of annual entry – so if you’re thinking about moving to the emirate you need to begin researching school options as soon as possible.  Write to the schools you’re interested in and find out about fees, enrolment guidelines and perhaps prepare yourself for the fact that some schools even interview prospective parents before they accept their children!

If you have a good employer they may be willing to help not only with school fees, but with getting your child enrolled at a given primary school – so ask well in advance of your relocation to Dubai about any help you will get.

American School of Dubai

Contact details: -

American School of Dubai
PO Box 71188
Dubai
United Arab Emirates
Telephone: (+971 4) 344-0824
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As you can imagine by the name of this school, it follows the American curriculum and it is an independent co-educational establishment.  The American School of Dubai takes children from pre-kindergarten age through to grade 12 and so it’s ideal for those families who want their child to have an uninterrupted education or those who want their child to of course follow the American curriculum.

The school’s campus is located across eight acres of land in a residential area of Dubai in Jumeirah, and the facilities include three main buildings, two pre-kindergarten villas, a two-story library, an elementary art centre and two multi-purpose gyms.  This would appear to be a very professionally run establishment…

Australian International School

Contact details: -  Note: this school is located on the border Dubai shares with Sharjah: -

Maliha - Kalba Road

P.O. Box 43364

Sharjah
Tel: +971 6 558 9967/ +971 6 533 7722

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The Australian International School has a primary, middle and secondary school and so it again offers parents the option of having their child educated throughout their school life within one establishment.  The school is “quality assured” by Education Queensland which means that it’s the first Australian school in the Middle East and also the first where the state government of Queensland has entered into a partnership to provide the Queensland curriculum ‘offshore’. 

Facilities include everything from dedicated computer and music rooms to a swimming pool, gym and playground.  There’s also a library, science labs and a canteen.

Cambridge International School

Contact details:
PO Box 60835 

Dubai
Tel + 971 - 4 282 4646

email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

The Cambridge International School in Dubai is part of the GEMS Education network that manages a number of international schools around the world.  The school follows the British national curriculum and online you can download the school’s prospectus and get very detailed information about their core values, the courses they teach all levels and ages, their fees and specific key stage learning data.  Educational standards are generally regarded as very high at this particular school, and your child can start at primary level and progress all the way through to sixth form.

Deira International School

Contact details:
P.O. Box 79043.
Dubai
Tel +9714 2325552

With a primary, middle and secondary school, this international educational establishment prides itself on providing schooling to pupils from a very wide range of ethnic and international backgrounds!  The primary school alone is home to pupils from 75 different nationalities.  The curriculum children follow is either the British or the International Baccalaureate and the facilities on offer are high grade.  Parents are invited to visit to get a feel for the school before enrolling their student child because the school’s heads are confident that all parents will receive a warm and friendly welcome.

Dubai American Academy

Contact details:

PO Box 32762
Al Barsha

Dubai
Tel: (9714) 347-9222

Fax: (9714) 347-6070

E-mail: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

This is another GEMS school and the curriculum followed is a combination of an enriched American curriculum in conjunction with the International Baccalaureate.  Children can progress from primary to secondary school and the facilities on campus are excellent.  There is also an afterschool club and online you can download a prospectus as well as complete fee information and school handbooks for your children.

Dubai British School

Contact details:
PO Box 37828

Springs 3

Emirates Hills

Dubai
Tel +971 4 361 9361

Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

“Dubai British School is a dynamic British International School that aims to be at the leading edge of educational innovation and excellence in British international education globally.  They provide an international curriculum firmly rooted in the National Curriculum of England and enriched by specialist provision for the Arabic language and a strong performing and visual arts programme, as well as a multitude of sporting and extra-curricular activities and opportunities.”

See also - http://www.dubaibritishschool.ae/about-dbs/taaleem-schools/

Horizon School Dubai

Contact details:
Horizon School
PO Box 6749
Dubai
Tel: 009714 3422891
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

This is purely a primary school and it covers the British national curriculum with massive emphasis on inclusion – i.e., every child can and is encouraged to try and get involved with every activity.  It has a range of exciting and engaging afternoon activities from karate to cooking, and the broad range of subjects the school covers stands any child in very good stead for their future.

Jumeirah Primary School

Contact details:
PO Box 29093

Dubai

Telephone: +9714 394 3500

email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Another GEMS school, this one is very popular and has a long waiting list.  The curriculum followed is the British national, key stage based curriculum and the school’s onsite facilities to enable and encourage learning are excellent.  The school has specialist facilities for children who have learning or developmental issues, there is a dyslexia unit and everything from the child’s nutritional health to their physical wellbeing is cared for and nurtured at this excellent and highly rated establishment.

Kings’ School Dubai

Contact details:
P.O. Box 38199
Dubai
Tel: +971 4 348 3939
Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

This is a primary school with foundation classes available as well.  The school’s motto is ‘The Best by Every Child’ and the curriculum followed is based on the British national curriculum with additional focus on subjects such as IT, PE, music and languages.  Facilities are good and according to the school’s own philosophy: “we have high expectations of our pupils and although the search for academic excellence is at centre stage, pastoral care and personal development in the form of moral strength and stability, creativity, self-discipline and physical well-being are highly significant aspects of an education at Kings’.  Together they embrace the needs of the whole child by way of preparation for participation in a fast moving, rapidly changing international community.”

Uptown Primary School

Contact details:
PO Box 78181

Corner Algeria Road and Road 15
Uptown
Mirdif
Dubai
Tel +971 4 288 6270

Email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

This school offers the primary and middle years programmes of the International Baccalaureate curriculum system and has specialist facilities for those with special needs as well.  The facilities for education and play are excellent and there is great emphasis on the holistic development of a child.  The school aims to equip expatriate children with the communication and developmental skills they will need to cope in an international and potentially often changing environment – therefore it is perhaps ideal for parents who have to relocate often.

The above list of ten primary schools is just a handful of those on offer in Dubai.  As you can see they range from schools teaching a very international curriculum to those only teaching the British or perhaps American curricula.  Schools have broad ranges of facilities, and teachers onsite come from a wide range of backgrounds too – therefore a parent really needs to visit the schools they are interested in to see if they are suitable for their child.  It’s a very personal choice, but we hope the above links give you a good place to begin looking for the right primary school for your child.

All Four Education in Dubai Articles Can Be Found Here: -

Education, Schools and Colleges in Dubai - Pre-School, Nurseries
Primary Schools and Education in Dubai
International Schools in Dubai for Secondary Education
Internationally Recognised Universities in Dubai