Dubai Scholars School

• Dubai Scholars School location
• Years offered
• Dubai Scholars School curriculum
• KHDA rating
• How to apply?
• Fee structure
• Dubai Scholars School scholarships
• Dubai Scholars School transportation
• PTA and contact information

Established in 1976 — Dubai Scholars is a private school founded with a vision to serve the expatriate community in Dubai. This educational institution has grown into one of the best schools in Al Qusais. It first started from a villa in Deira. In the early nineties — the learning centre moved into Al Qusais — its present-day location.

Dubai Scholars is a co-ed school that offers education from Early Years (Foundation Stage) to Sixth Form (Year 12 and 13). This school follows the British curriculum laid on the framework of the National Curriculum for England. The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) rated the performance of the school as good.

A project by Scholars International Group — a well-known education services provider, Dubai Scholars is one of the oldest educational institutions in Dubai. It is known for providing quality education at reasonable fee prices. It is a part of the Scholars International Group in Dubai that also manages the Scholars International Academy and Clarion School.

Read this comprehensive guide by Bayut to learn more about the educational programme, campus facilities, admission and fee details and extracurricular provisions by Dubai Scholars.

Dubai Scholars is in the vicinity of opulent and affordable residential communities, including the following:

• Al Twar 1
• Al Nahda
• Deira

Al Twar 1, one of the most expensive residential communities in Dubai, is nearest to the school. It consists of spacious and luxurious villas with state-of-the-art facilities. Those interested in living in affordable residential communities can opt for Al Nahda and Deira.

• Apartments for rent near Dubai Scholars
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Spanning a massive area of 200,000 sq. ft. — Dubai Scholars is home to numerous top-notch facilities. The school is meticulously crafted to support the physical and mental development of children whether in academic learning, on the sports fields or at music studios.

Catering to the need of students of different ages, the sections are divided for students of early years, primary level and secondary stages. The management ensures the highest standards of cleanliness, health and safety are implemented to offer the best learning environment. Some noteworthy facilities at the campus include:

Dubai Scholars School is located close to the Dubai-Sharjah border in Al Qusais. It is 11 minutes away from Dubai International Airport via car and a 12-minute drive away from Al Mamzar. Al Qusais is among the oldest neighbourhoods of Dubai. It is a mixed-use development that boasts several well-crafted apartment buildings and a variety of commercial properties, including warehouses and offices.

The educational institution is located adjacent to Al Ittihad Road (E11) which connects to Sheikh Rashid Road, a major road that provides access to prominent neighbourhoods of Dubai. Al Ittihad Road also connects the school to a few areas of Sharjah.

Offering a student-centred learning environment — Dubai Scholars School focuses on providing inquiry-based learning. The school focuses on creating humble and confident leaders capable of taking risks. It uses different teaching techniques to instil essential abilities, such as communication and problem-solving skills.

Another attractive feature of this school is that it inculcates the virtue of tolerance in students. All students appreciate and embrace different cultures and beliefs. Dubai Scholars School understands that the world is constantly changing. Therefore, it adopts new techniques and technologies to prepare students for the dynamic world.

Dubai Scholars School is known for embracing a cosmopolitan community that come from diverse backgrounds. The core values of the school are deeply instilled in each member. Its core values consist of five major traits:

• Accountability and responsibility
• Integrity
• Empathy
• Compassion
• Respect

KHDA is now making it mandatory for schools to ensure that all students physically attend the school. Therefore, from Oct 3 onwards, schools will discontinue the distance-learning programme. Those wishing to continue their learning via a distance learning programme will have to submit the relevant health certificate issued by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Schools can return to blended or distance learning provisions if a positive COVID-19 case is identified.

• Parents are allowed to pick up and drop off their children to and from the school from designated areas on campus.
• KHDA has also reduced the maximum safety distance for social distancing to one metre. This allows schools to conduct many activities within classrooms that were impossible previously. Nevertheless, schools must take precautions to ensure the health and safety of students and staff. Students above six years old and staff are required to wear a mask at all times on campus.
• Schools can conduct swimming lessons, extracurricular activities, after-school clubs, holiday camps, field trips and other activities that were previously suspended due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Schools must carry out these activities under strict health and safety measures. This includes cleaning of campus, sports areas and changing facilities after each use.
• Students will continue to enter and exit from designated points. Students without a face mask will not be allowed to enter. The school representative will check the temperature of students and staff entering the school premises. No one with a temperature above 37.5-degrees centigrade is allowed to enter. They will be sent to their homes.

For more information, read the detailed COVID-19 protocols and guidelines issued by KHDA.

Dubai Scholars School offers the renowned National Curriculum of England with an Edexcel syllabus for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and A-Level.  Performing arts, community service, sports, multi-cultural interactions and languages are some parts of the curriculum that make it well-rounded.

Foundation Stage

Dubai Scholars understands that children learn most about their surroundings by playing. Therefore, it has implemented this strategy to help children in developing foundational skills. For this purpose, the school follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework of education. When students come to school in the foundation stage they are prepared to gain social and cognitive abilities.

Children also develop other critical abilities, such as problem-solving and the skills to plan and lead. In this stage of the child’s journey, plays and activities play a crucial role by arousing creativity, sparking curiosity and developing critical thinking.

With a team of highly-trained educators, the learning programme for the foundation stage is well-balanced and relevant. Teachers try to connect with children emotionally, so they can share their stories and problems with them. Consequently, teachers can better understand students’ needs.

Primary Year School Programme (Key Stages 1 and 2)

The primary stage at Dubai Scholars involves Key Stages 1 (Year 1 to Year 2) and Key Stage 2 (Year 3 to Year 6). It inspires students to be independent and deep thinkers — the learning programme is extensive and balanced and caters to the requirement of each child.

The school uses summative and formative assessments which enable educators to hone different talents of an individual. The learning centre offers opportunities to students to build research, inquiry and teamwork skills. Children also participate in various extra-curricular activities, such as overnight camps and celebrations.

To help children discover their abilities and build their skills — several events are organised including reading events, activity clubs, annual concerts and the Junior School Innovation Club.

Students are taught the following courses at the Primary level:

Humanities include Geography and History.

Other subjects include:

Students have to choose a second language option from Year 4 onwards. It can either be Hindi or French. This educational institution also encourages students to learn through practical approaches and by observation. Students carry out different experiments in the science lab as well as the art room.

Secondary Years School Programme (Key Stages 3 and 4)

Just like the primary stage, the secondary stage teaches the National Curriculum for England that guides them to IGCSE and A-levels. These qualifications are highly recognised worldwide and open various opportunities for students.

Year 7 to Year 8

This school focuses on building abilities that will help students in IGCSE courses.

Below mentioned subjects are taught in Year 7 and Year 8:

Years 9 to 11

Throughout Year 9 to Year 11, the school fosters critical thinking skills in students. Students are motivated to gain robust research and writing skills.

IGCSE curriculum (Edexcel) is taught to students in Year 9. Students make course choices in Year 8 which they study in Year 9. Students study eight IGCSE courses, out of which, four courses are compulsory and the remaining are optional.

The core subjects are:

Arabic is taught as per the Ministry of Education (MOE) guidelines and curriculum. Students can choose from Hindi or French as the second language. Islamic Studies is taught as per the guidelines of the Ministry of Education. Later, students study IGCSE Islamic Studies. Non Muslims can either opt for History or Environmental Management as an alternative to Islamic studies.

Non-compulsory Subjects are:

The Sixth Form Programme

The minimum requirement to move into the Sixth Form is a B grade in both optional and necessary subjects studied in the final phase of Key Stage 4. It is aimed to fill the space between the levels of academic and social maturity of students completing Year 11.

The school also aims to prepare students to enter top universities worldwide. In the past, students from Dubai Scholars have successfully been admitted into top universities such as Oxford University and Cambridge University.

Students of Sixth Form teach English and run recreational programmes at the labour camps. These include cultural nights and sports matches. Seniors also help students of younger age groups through Buddy Tutoring Programme and Math PALS. Moreover, the foundation stage and lower primary are also given story reading classes by the sixth form students.

As per the new COVID-19 protocols issued by KHDA, schools are discontinuing the distance learning programme from October 3, 2021. Those wishing to continue their education via distance learning have to show a relevant health certificate issued by Dubai Health Authority (DHA). Schools may revert back to distance learning if COVID-19 cases are detected in a class or a group in a class.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a governmental body responsible for the progress of the education sector of Dubai. KHDA annually inspects schools and judges their performance based on a specifically designed scale. The six-point scale varies from outstanding to very weak. KHDA aims to maintain a high-quality education without compromising the health and wellbeing of educators and students.

The school has received a ‘Good’ rating from KHDA since 2010. Below are some highlights from KHDA’s report of Dubai Scholars for the academic year 2019-2020:

• Rates of progress made by students to attain high standards in mathematics, English and science
• Visionary leadership results in improving teaching and learning in an inclusive environment
• Students’ positive behaviour, outstanding learning and relationship
• Unique and positive FS curriculum focusing on the holistic development of students
• A plethora of creative, innovative and enterprising experiences for students within and outside classrooms

The organisation also suggested a few recommendations to improve the rating. These were:

• Improve the quality of teaching to ensure greater consistency by organising classrooms and lectures and improving teaching skills in Islamic Education.
• The school must accelerate students’ progress in Arabic as an additional language. For this, teachers need to develop a monitoring system for rapid improvement, improve teachers’ and leaders’ understanding of the Arabic curriculum and develop assessments in line with the curricular standards.

The academic year at Dubai Scholars Private School starts in late August and ends in beginning of July. There are 182 school days in the academic year of 2021-2022. The year is usually split into three terms:

• The first term at Dubai Scholars starts in the last week of August. Students join the school after a long summer break at the end of the previous academic year. The term ends in the second week of December with the start of the winter holidays.
• The second term starts in the first week of January and ends in the fourth week of March. This is followed by a spring break that ends in the first week of April.
• Classes resume with the start of the third term in the second week of April. The term ends with the end of the academic year in the first week of July.

Besides the aforementioned seasonal holidays, the school observes holidays on many religious, national and international events. The exact dates of these events are subjected to moon sightings and government’s announcements. For more information, contact the school.

The school follows the age criteria set by the KHDA regulations. Parents are requested to check the guidelines before applying. Parents can submit an online application form through the school’s website. Parents have to pay a non-refundable admission fee of AED 500 at the office. Following documents are required for admission:

• Candidate’s two passport-sized photographs
• A copy of the passport of the candidate and both parents
• Applicant’s Valid Visa
• Two photographs of the student (passport size)
• A copy of the Birth Certificate
• Transfer Certificate
• Student’s Emirates ID card
• School Report
• One copy of the candidate’s Emirates ID
• One copy of father’s Emirates ID
• Both Parents’ Emirates ID card

Parents will receive an email with details and dates for the child’s assessment. The school will get in touch with the parent after the application has been assessed. After which the child will be offered a place at the school upon availability.

The age-grade guideline is given below:

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

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

For more information, view the admission process at Dubai Scholars Private School.

The tuition fee charged by the school is as follows:

Please note that the tuition fee for FS1 to Year 10 can be paid in three instalments. Whereas, the tuition fee for Year 11 and above can be paid in two instalments. Refer to the fee structure of Dubai Scholars for termly fee structure. Please note that parents will have to pay AED 1,500 as the registration fee (at the time of admission) and 10% of the annual tuition fee to secure a seat for their child.

Currently, the school does not offer any scholarships.

The school has a canteen that provides students with a range of snacks, sandwiches and juices.

The transport service of the school is managed by The Big Yellow Bus Transport Company LLC. To ensure a safe journey for students — the vehicles are fitted with top-notch safety features. Parents have to pay a 10-month fee. One can only withdraw from school transportation when the term is concluded. However, the fee is not refunded. You are required to pay the transport fee at the start of each term.

You will have to notify the school one month prior to the withdrawal of transport service. Planning each commute carefully — all essential arrangements are done to ensure the smooth journey of students. However, due to any unforeseen event or uncertain traffic, there could be a delay in commute time.

The transport service provided by the school delivers and picks your child from specific points. Not door-to-door. If there is a change in the address, guardians are required to inform the school in writing. If the concerned person is not there at the stop, the student is brought back to the school.

If the change of route takes place in between an academic year, parents are required to consult the transportation supervisor, Mr Herald Tauro. Any complaints regarding transportation service should be submitted to the principal or administrator. Parents are requested to abstain from any argument or quarrel with the staff.

Transport Fees for the Academic Year 2021-2022

Parents need to pay the transport fees to The Big Yellow Bus Transport Co. LLC either by cheque or cash.

Dubai Scholars School does not provide any boarding facilities.

The school provides camps during the spring, winter and summer breaks.

Enabling students to hone their strengths and to enhance their capabilities — sports activities have an essential part of the educational journey. The school encourages students to follow a healthy active lifestyle.

All students at Dubai Scholars School are motivated to engage in sports activities regardless of their skill level. The school believes in providing a healthy and safe environment for students where they can explore their talents and develop their skills. Some noteworthy sports facilities at the campus include provisions for hockey, football, basketball and cricket.

Offering an array of after-clubs, extra-curricular activities at Dubai Scholars are led by students. Dubai Scholars keeps the cost of these activities very low. Resources are bought from the fees taken from students.

The clubs available for students of Dubai Scholars are:

Only one of these activities can be registered at a time.

The school provides a number of field trips each academic year for all year groups. These trips are optional and have additional charges. A few of the trips in the recent past include a five day trip to Shanghai where a group of 21 students from Years 8 to 10 attended. The sixth form had a one day trip to Ras Al Khaimah where they were engaged in many adventurous activities. The 7 and 8 graders had a fun trip to Aventura. Field trips in the primary include trips to the parks and museums.

Dubai Scholars does not provide any after-school services as of now.

The welfare of students in Dubai Scholars holds significant importance. The school maintains a secure and healthy environment where students can perform academic, sports and recreational activities with comfort and without any hesitation.

If there is any injury or accident, first aid is given to the affected child. If the injury is severe, the child is taken to the nearest hospital immediately and the parents are informed.

Dubai Scholars uses many modes to communicate to parents including emails, newsletters, The School Communicator and diaries. In the early years and primary stage — the class teachers notify parents about the form of communication he or she is going to use.

The School Communicator — an app that provides important updates and information daily, can be downloaded through PlayStore. A monthly parent-teacher meeting is also scheduled to keep the guardians informed on the progress of their child. Parents are also encouraged to get involved in extracurricular activities along with academic events.

Besides, other sources of communication include the official website, social media pages and the school designated WhatsApp groups.

Dubai Scholars School Address: Behind Thumbay Hospital, Al Qusais, Dubai, UAE.

Telephone Numbers

• For  general enquiries: +971 04 706 9000

Email Addresses:

• School Admin: admin@dubaischolars.com
• Admissions: admissions@dubaischolars.com

Website and Social Media

• Official Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note that the cover image belongs to Dubai Scholars School