Dunes International School

Founded in 2017, Dunes International School (DIS) is a well-established CBSE school located in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi. The school is affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, India, and offers the CBSE curriculum from Pre-Kindergarten through to Grade 12. DIS is committed to delivering a balanced, future-focused education that nurtures academic excellence alongside personal growth.

Dunes International School provides a supportive and inclusive learning environment where students are encouraged to explore their potential with confidence. The campus features modern classrooms, science and computer laboratories, a well-resourced library and dedicated activity spaces. Technology is thoughtfully integrated across the school’s infrastructure, promoting innovation, digital literacy and creative thinking. The school follows a co-educational model, with English as the primary language of instruction.

Students at DIS are prepared for the All India Secondary School Examination (AISSE) at the end of Grade 10 and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination (AISSCE) at the end of Grade 12, both conducted by the CBSE. The school places strong emphasis on academic achievement, character development and global citizenship.

Dunes International School Abu Dhabi has been rated "Good" by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK), reflecting its commitment to quality education and continuous improvement. The annual fee structure ranges from AED 12,320 for Pre-KG to AED 24,120 for Grade 12, offering families access to affordable CBSE education in Abu Dhabi.

• Location: Mussafah
• School fees: AED 12,320 - AED 24,120
• Curriculum: Indian (CBSE)
• Co-ed or segregate: Co-ed
• ADEK rating: Good
• Years offered: Pre KG - Grade 12

Dunes International School is located in the Mussafah area in Abu Dhabi. Mussafah is a development located close to the mainland as well as the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. DIS campus is close to residential communities such as:

• Mohammed Bin Zayed City
• Abu Dhabi Gate City
• Al Forsan Village

Mussafah is one of the major industrial areas in Abu Dhabi and features the popular residential neighbourhood Al Shabiya, situated right next to MBZ City. Parents of DIS students can consider the following housing options to move closer to the school:

• Apartments for rent near DIS
• Villas for rent near DIS

Dunes International School operates from a spacious campus located in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi. The school provides students with the necessary amenities to conduct research, improve their talents and acquire new skills.

In addition to the technology-enhanced classrooms and spacious auditorium, DIS offers facilities where students can express their creativity in mediums such as dance, drama, writing, art and craft. Some of the amenities include:

Dunes International School (DIS) location is in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi.

Dunes International School is an all-through school that imparts education from Kindergarten to Grade 12 following its affiliation with the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). Located in Mussafah, Abu Dhabi, DIS was established in 2017 and was rated Good by the Abu Dhabi Department of Knowledge and Education (ADEK) in its latest inspection.

Dunes International is a CBSE school that offers state-of-the-art facilities and a technologically advanced campus for the benefit of the students. The child-centred environment offered at DIS provides students with the necessary encouragement to become successful, well-rounded individuals.

The school prepares students to take the All India Secondary School Examination (AISSE) and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination (AISSCE) conducted by the CBSE at the end of Grade 10 and Grade 12, respectively. The curriculum emphasises STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics) learning. It encourages students to be creative and critical thinkers, problem solvers, inquirers, communicators, open-minded and principled global citizens.

In addition to the rigorous curriculum, DIS also offers a myriad of extracurricular activities for the benefit of the students. These include activities such as football, basketball, arts, music, drama and more. The school also organises regular field trips and international trips to provide students with the much needed beyond the classroom learning experience.

Dunes School measures students progress against international standards. When a student requires additional learning support, the school makes the necessary arrangements, including additional classes, individualised attention, and special projects.

The school also pays special attention to gifted and talented students and ensures that each student can achieve their full potential. DIS students have gathered various awards and achievements to their name, which is a testament to the quality of education offered at DIS.

DIS is an all-through school that offers classes from Kindergarten to Grade 12. The classes are split into Kindergarten, Primary, Middle and Secondary sections. These comprise of the following grades:

Dunes International School is affiliated with the Central Board of Secondary Education. At DIS, students follow the CBSE curriculum designed by the NCERT, New Delhi. Dunes International School syllabus takes on an inquiry-based, collaborative and problem-solving approach. The language of instruction is English, with the Arabic language taught across all the grade levels as mandated by the Ministry of Education (MoE). Islamic and UAE Social Studies are an integral part of the syllabus offered at the school.

Kindergarten Curriculum

At the Kindergarten level, the school focuses on developing the cognitive and motor skills of the students. Teachers provide individualised attention to every student to better familiarise themselves with formal education. Subjects taught at this level include:

• English
• Mathematics
• Environmental Studies

Music, Art, Swimming, Dance and Sports activities are also inculcated into the Kindergarten curriculum. Students participate in fun activities such as games, art and crafts, story sessions, field trips, special weeks, assemblies and events.

Primary Curriculum

The curriculum focuses on developing literacy and 21st Century skills from grades 1 to 5. Subjects offered at this level are:

Middle Curriculum

From Grades 6 to 9, the curriculum brings forward the integration of Science and Technology. Special attention is given to Mathematics, and new thematic approaches are introduced throughout the curriculum. Subject specifications are:

• Languages: The curriculum emphasises listening, speaking, reading and writing.
• Science and Technology: Focus is placed on inquiry-based learning and learning through research and experimentation.
• Social Science: Development of necessary social skills.
• Mathematics: A problem-solving approach is implemented.

The school also incorporates music, art and craft, physical education (PE) and sports into the timetable for well-rounded development.

Secondary Curriculum

At the end of Grade 10 and Grade 12, students sit for the board examination conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE). The curriculum at these grade levels focuses on preparing the students for the AISSE and AISSCE examinations.

Once students pass Grade 10, they are asked to choose a ‘stream’ of study, which will dictate their subject combinations in Grade 11 and Grade 12. DIS offers two streams– Science Stream and Commerce Stream. Subjects specifications for each stream are as follows:

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is a government entity responsible for licensing all private education institutes and monitoring their commitment to providing high-quality service according to regulations. Through the Irtiqaa Programme, they carry out periodic evaluations of all schools and are based on six basic criteria as listed below:

1. Quality of students’ achievement.
2. Quality of personal and social development as well as innovation skills of the students.
3. Quality of teaching and assessment.
4. Quality of curriculum.
5. Quality of student safety and wellbeing, as well as the guidance and support provided to them.
6. Quality of school leadership and management.

International evaluators use a scale comprising six quality levels, as shown below:

Dunes International School Abu Dhabi was rated Good for its overall performance by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) in its inspection conducted for the current academic year.

At DIS, an academic year is split into three terms. The school calendar for the academic year is as follows:

For more information, contact the school.

Dunes International School admission process is fairly straightforward and selective. Parents looking to enrol their child at DIS must ensure that the child meets the age requirements guideline stipulated by ADEK. The registration process is as follows:

• Step 1: Fill and submit the online registration form.
• Step 2: Upon confirmation of registration, students must appear for interactive sessions/written assessments depending on the grade level. The admissions team will convey the time and date for these sessions through call/email. A meeting with the Principal follows this. Upon successful completion, parents are required to pay the registration fee of AED 600. This fee is non-refundable/non-transferable but will be adjusted with the first quarter fees.
• Step 3: Admissions will be granted only after paying the tuition fee and completing other admission formalities for students who have confirmed registration. They can do so by visiting the school cashier.
• Step 4: The admission will be confirmed once the child is registered in the ADEK portal using their Emirates ID.

The following documents are required for admission:

• Online Registration Form print-out
• Copy of the valid Emirates ID of student and parents
• Copy of the attested TC (applicable for grade 2 and above)
• Final report card of the last grade attended
• Vaccination record
• Medical insurance card of student
• Electricity /water bill/ tenancy contract (mentioning premises ID)
• Passport copy and residence visa of student/parent
• Attested birth certificate

Parents are requested to bring a colour copy of the aforementioned documents when they accompany their ward for the interactive session/written assessment.

The school shares the below age placement criteria for parents to follow when seeking admission for their child/children.

This is based on the age of the students on 31st March (for the school beginning in April). Source: Dunes International School, Abu Dhabi

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

Dunes International School tuition fees for the first quarter is expected to be paid before the commencement of the academic year. The remaining balance can be paid on a yearly/quarterly/monthly basis. The fee structure at DIS for each grade level are as follows:

Books Fee should be paid along with the tuition fee for the first quarter and is subject to VAT. The mode of payment can be Cash or a current-dated Cheque.

DIS does not have a canteen facility on the premises. Students are expected to bring healthy, packed lunches, snacks and drinks from home.

DIS provides safe and efficient transportation for students. The transportation facility covers the Mussafah region and Abu Dhabi region. The charges incurred are as follows:

• Transport fees for Abu Dhabi Region - AED 450

Dunes International School regularly organises educational trips to international locations. One such occasion was a trip to the USA where DIS students ‘Trained like a Martian’. Students also took part in the Space Challenge, Space Missions and Astronaut Life at Huntsville Space Camp. They fulfilled the Super Hero City Walk in Atlanta and went on thrilling rides at the Six Flags Amusement Park.

Students travelled to India during the holidays, visiting historical locations in Chandigarh, Shimla, Manali, Amritsar and Delhi. On another occasion, they visited Agra and Jaipur. Students from Grade 5 to Grade 10 received the unique opportunity to bask in the country’s history, culture, and cuisine.

DIS believes that active participation in sports curates much-needed discipline among students. Sports also promote a healthy and active lifestyle that is essential for young students. To this effect, the school offers activities in Football, Basketball, Swimming, Cricket, Karate and many other sports.

Some of the wide range of sports facilities the school offers are as follows:

At Dunes International, students can choose from many extracurricular activities depending on their passion and interest. The school offers ECA in Art, Craft, Music, Dance and Sports.

Students that are interested in arts and crafts are provided with a range of options. They can opt for acrylic, watercolour, sketching, charcoal and more. Those interested in dance receive training from a qualified dance instructor that is skilful in various form dance forms. A dedicated music teacher trains students and encourages them to participate in inter-school singing competitions and join the school band. DIS has dedicated Art, Music and Dance Rooms to serve this purpose.

Students that are inclined to participate in sports can choose from a wide range of sports activities such as Swimming, Football, Basketball, Cricket or Karate. Other activities offered by the school that contribute to the child’s well-rounded development include Information Technology, Robotics, and the Performing Aarts.

Dunes International School Mussafah regularly conducts educational excursions. Field trips are an integral part of the education module followed at DIS. Students from each grade level are taken to historical and cultural locations around the country relevant to their curriculum. Field trips are also conducted to allow students to unwind and relax.

DIS offers an extensive extracurricular activities programme to its students, including sports, arts and crafts, dance, music, performing arts, robotics and more. Some of these activities occur during school hours, whereas some are scheduled to take place after school.

There are two medical clinics on the premises of DIS– one for boys and one for girls. The school employs well-trained, qualified nurses to take care of the medical needs of the students. The clinics are provided with the required medical equipment to tend to cases of emergency.

The medical clinic also provides health ad nutrition tips, yoga regimes and other beneficial guidance according to the needs of the students.

Dunes School Mussafah welcomes active parental involvement. DIS recognises the importance of parental engagement and considers it essential for the continued development of the school and the students. The school maintains a transparent relationship with the parents and keeps them in the loop regarding all updates about DIS and its students.

The school schedules one-on-one sessions with parents to meet and discuss the student’s progress and provide and acquire feedback. The close communication maintained between the parents and teachers ensures that the students’ daily progress is noted. DIS has incorporated a daily updating system that the parents can access through email or the parent portal.

• Telephone: +971-2-5527 527
• Email Address: info@dunesinternationalschool.com
• Dunes International School Website
• Dunes International School Facebook

Note that the cover image belongs to Dunes International School.

Do you conduct after-school activities?

Some of the extracurricular activities are conducted after school hours.

How many grades/years are there in your school?

Dunes International School offers education from Pre-KG until Grade 12.

Can you please describe the academic calendar of your school?

The academic calendar runs from April until March.

Can you please mention the range of the tuition fee charged by your school?

Tuition fees range from AED 12,320 - AED 24,120.

How do you communicate with parents?

The school focuses on effective parental involvement by scheduling sessions and face-to-face meetings with parents along with a daily update system that parents can access through email or the online parent portal.

How often does your school arrange field trips?

Every now and then, the school takes students on an educational or recreational trip within the country.