GEMS Dubai American Academy

GEMS Dubai American Academy (DAA) is a private international school located in Al Barsha, Dubai. The school is operated by GEMS Education and was established in 1997. Dubai American Academy follows the American curriculum from KG1 to Grade 10, and offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in Years 12 and 13.

Dubai American Academy empowers students to thrive as innovative, ethical, and globally minded leaders. Rooted in academic excellence and driven by future-focused learning, DAA inspires growth, creativity, and purposeful citizenship. It is considered one of the best American schools in Dubai. According to KHDA ratings, GEMS Dubai American Academy has been rated 'Outstanding' since 2011.

• Location: Al Barsha
• School fees: AED 64,665 - AED 91,158
• Curriculum: American / IB curriculum
• Co-ed or segregate: Co-ed
• KHDA rating: Outstanding
• Years Offered: KG 1 - Grade 12

Gems Dubai American Academy is located in Al Barsha 1, a sub-district of Al Barsha Dubai. The top residential communities close to Dubai American Academy are:

• Al Sufouh
• Al Quoz
• Dubai Internet City
• Dubai Marina

Al Sufouh offers modern apartments and villas. Parents wanting to stay close to the Dubai American Academy can consider:

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The GEMS Dubai American Academy campus is over 70,000 sq. m. and boasts contemporary facilities and amenities, including fully-equipped classrooms, technology rooms, Arabic language rooms, and a library and achievement centre.

There are ten cross-discipline science labs for Chemistry, Physics and Biology. Moreover, there are technology rooms to host workshops. Students can find visual arts rooms such as 2D and 3D studios, photography, music and a recording studio.

The educational institution is home to an ultra-modern auditorium with a 565-seat capacity, two black box theatres, a digital theatre, and drama classrooms. Multimedia facilities at Dubai American Academy include a TV studio or the ' green screen' room, a radio suite, a MAC lab/editing suite and a digital learning zone.

GEMS Dubai American Academy is located in Al Barsha near Jebel Ali Racecourse. The campus is a few minutes away from Al Sufouh Beach.

GEMS DAA has a team of highly qualified teachers who sustain the excellent standards expected by the GEMS management and deliver top-quality education. Teachers are provided multiple tools to increase efficiency and give children the best academic training possible.

Another strength of GEMS is its diversity. By experiencing other cultures and beliefs, pupils develop self-confidence to succeed in a globalised world. DAA's graduating students achieve outstanding IB results and university placements. GEMS Dubai American Academy prepares students for university by developing employability skills, nurturing personal and social skills, and experience in their future study courses.

GEMS Dubai American Academy prepares students for university by developing employability skills, nurturing personal and social skills, and experience in their future study courses.

At GEMS Dubai American Academy, the course structure is divided into four phases: kindergarten, elementary, middle and high school.

GEMS Dubai American Academy teaches a rigorous American curriculum from preschool to Grade 10. Meanwhile, Grades 11 to 12 follow the International Baccalaureate (IB) programme. The primary language of instruction is English.

The school teaches mathematics, language, arts, social studies, science and Arabic language for native and non-native speakers. Muslims also study Islamic education. Students learn health and physical education, focusing on healthy living. Besides core subjects, children are taught various electives, including visual and performing arts, digital video and world languages.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) inspects schools annually and rates them on a six-point scale:

GEMS Dubai American Academy has been ranked outstanding since 2011. Here's a history of the KHDA ratings for GEMS Dubai American Academy so far:

GEMS Dubai American Academy's academic calendar runs from late August until late June next year.

Besides that, the school remains closed on national and religious events, subjected to moon sightings. For more information, check out the Gulf Model School academic calendar.

Submit the online enquiry form on the school's website under the registration tab to start the admissions process. You will receive an enquiry number that works as a reference in the admission process.

The admission team sends acknowledgement via email and guides parents regarding the next steps. Once parents receive an acknowledgment, they must pay a non-transferable and non-refundable application fee of AED 525.

From Grade 1 to Grade 12, the school adopts a holistic approach to reviewing student's assessment results. This includes the student's previous school report and entrance assessment results from Dubai American Academy. Results of the MAP assessment are required for Grades 1 to Grade 12. This computer-based testing system observes basic math, reading, and learning skills.

Parents have to submit these documents at admission:

• Student's Photograph
• Parents or sponsor visa
• Sponsor or parents Emirates ID
• Applicant's recent school or nursery report (at least last two years if applicable)
• Student's visa and passport
• Student's vaccination record
• The UAE Residence Visa and transfer certificate are not required for the application process, but both are needed at enrolment. These documents are necessary for a child's registration at the Ministry of Education Dubai.
• Students from a school outside of Dubai should submit an original hard copy of the transfer certificate. Transfer certificate should be collected from the child's current school and submitted to the admission office of GEMS Dubai American Academy.

Before starting the admission process, parents must ensure that their child meets the following age placement criteria.

This is based on the age of the students on 31 December (for schools beginning in August). Source: KHDA

* This is to cater to students transferring from systems that admit students of a younger age)

Here's the breakdown of GEMS Dubai American Academy Fees:

School fees include loaned items such as books and an iPad (only in elementary and middle school). Registration for Internal after-school activities is also included. School fees do not include uniforms, transport, lunch, or external activity offerings. Students in middle school and high school are expected to bring their laptops.

Some other charges include:

The other charges are based on the info available in KHDA’s fee fact sheet.

GEMS DAA offers excellent scholarships as per the GEMS Education scholarship policy. You can contact the school for more information.

GEMS Dubai American Academy has partnered with Slices, a homegrown food catering service, to provide students with fresh, healthy, and nutritious food. Adding to the parent's comfort, the service runs on an efficient cashless system. The Slices card can be topped up or recharged online, and parents will receive notifications when it needs to be topped up.

GEMS DAA realises the importance of reliable transportation services. Hence, it has partnered with School Transport Services or STS, a transportation organisation offering safe school commute services.  The commitments of STS with GEMS DAA include:

• Providing a secure, timely and safe journey to school
• Not compromising on the safety of their students, environment and team members;
• Being transparent and open with parents, school, and students.

In association with reputable companies, GEMS DAA holds camps during the school holidays. The GEMS DAA and ESM hosted a spring holiday camp for children aged 4 to 12 in 2019.  The charges were AED 1,000/- per week. At GEMS DAA, an English language learning summer camp was organised with Delta Learning for 4 to 15-year-olds.

GEMS DAA provides a variety of sports facilities. Students can pursue their interests and explore new interests. Regarding the best sports facilities at Dubai American Academy, the big sports hall accommodates three basketball courts.

An Olympic-size pool and access to training and development programs are other student sports facilities. A tennis court, running track, soccer field, fitness trails, running tracks and basketball courts are also provided at GEMS DAA. Students can participate in gymnastics, baseball and softball, football, golf, basketball and tennis.

Students can choose from many extra-curricular activities at GEMS Dubai American Academy to pursue a healthy lifestyle.

Focusing on students' versatility, the school has a wide range of indoor extra-curricular programs starting from KG2. Pupils who like a healthy lifestyle can visit the fitness club or head to the swimming pool for a dip.

The academy is also home to a large track and field. Kids who are fond of karate can take lessons at the school. Other indoor activities include choir, forensics, ballet and dance. Internal KG2 – Grade 8 activities are teacher-led, while pupils in higher grades can opt for student-led tasks.

External activities include ESM, Delta Learning and Music Hub.

Student safety and security are the utmost priority and hold critical importance, as stated in the strategic policy document. GEMS Dubai American Academy takes all significant steps to protect children from harm, abuse and exploitation.

The school has permission to give children over-the-counter medicines should the school nurse consider them necessary. These medicines are not readily offered but after careful deliberation.

The school has professionally trained nurses. Unwell students are provided with quick health care services. And if an emergency occurs, the nurse takes the child to the hospital.

Student work and portfolios are sent to parents through Seesaw. Grade Reports are issued three times per academic year. Parents can access all the information about their children through the school portal. Each parent also has access to PowerSchool Unified Classroom. This is a portal through which grades are posted and updated regularly.

Parents can also email and set up a meeting to communicate with teachers. The SPOTS Newsletter includes all school and divisional news, including monthly event calendars, reminders, updates, and messages from the superintendent/CEO.

The DAAParents' Association (DAAPA) was set up to help parents connect and communicate with the school. All DAA parents automatically become members of this association and can volunteer their services.

The DAAPA organises activities such as inviting prominent guest speakers, the International Food Festival, school dances, movie nights, and more. All funds generated from DAAPA-sponsored activities fund DAAPA programs and student enrichment programs.

Telephone: +971-4-704-9777

• Email address: communicationdaa@gemsedu.com

GENERAL INFORMATION

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What curriculum does GEMS DAA offer?

GEMS DAA follows the American curriculum and the IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11–12.  

Where is GEMS Dubai American Academy located?

The school is located in Al Barsha 1, Dubai, near Jebel Ali Racecourse.  

What is the KHDA rating of GEMS DAA?

GEMS DAA has consistently been rated 'Outstanding' by KHDA since 2011.  

What are the annual school fees at GEMS DAA?

Fees range from AED 64,665 to AED 91,158 depending on the grade level.  

How can I apply for admission to GEMS DAA?

Start by submitting an online enquiry form on the school’s official website.