Swiss International Scientific School, Dubai

• Swiss International Scientific School Dubai location
• Years offered
• Swiss International Scientific School Dubai curriculum
• How to apply?
• Fee structure
• Swiss International Scientific School Dubai scholarships
• Swiss International Scientific School Dubai transportation
• PTA and contact information

The Swiss International Scientific School, Dubai (SISD) started operations in 2015. This school offers a bilingual syllabus where students can either opt for the combination of English/French as the medium of instruction or choose the English/German option. The curriculum followed by the school is the acclaimed International Baccalaureate (IB) program.

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai has over 1,450 students aged 3 to 17 years. They belong to over 75 nationalities. Located in Al Jaddaf, the school offers both day and boarding facilities for boys and girls from Pre KG to Grade 12.

• Location: Dubai Healthcare City
• School Fee: AED 62,484 - AED 99,000
• Curriculum: International Baccalaureate (IB)
• Co-ed or Segregate: Co-education
• KHDA Rating: Good
• Years Offered: Pre-K to Grade 12

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai is located near Dubai Creek. Residential communities near the school include:

• Al Zabeel
• Bur Dubai
• Dubai Festival City

The historic neighbourhood of Bur Dubai is towards the west of Dubai Creek. Home to many leisure spots including the massive Dubai Festival City Mall, Dubai Festival City is a well-known residential and commercial district in Dubai.

People looking to settle near the school can consider these options:

• Apartments for rent near Swiss International Scientific School
• Apartments for sale near Swiss International Scientific School

The 70,000 square metre campus has been designed by leading architects and hosts the following facilities:

Facilities for Early Years and Primary Section:

• One kids’ pool with a lifeguard – it remains open from 06:00 am to 06:00 pm
• Three indoor play areas
• Two adventure play areas
• A multi-sports course
• A sensory room
• A zen garden
• A multilingual library
• A science lab
• Two technology labs

Facilities for Secondary Section:

• A multilingual library
• Four study rooms
• A dance studio
• A drama studio
• Five music practice rooms
• An exam room
• Four science labs
• A preparation room

Other facilities:

• Parents café on two floors
• One 600-seater auditorium

Situated in Dubai Healthcare City – Phase 2 within the larger Al Jaddaf community, the school is only 15 minutes away from the Dubai International Airport. Proximity to Al Khail Road makes it easily accessible from other areas.

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai is the first private school in Dubai to offer multiple-language education in French, English, German and Arabic. The bilingual curriculum not only makes Swiss International Scientific School Dubai unique, but it also celebrates diversity and helps students treat all cultures and languages with dignity and respect. It is one of the best primary schools in Dubai.

Swiss International School Al Jaddaf is under the patronage of the bilingual French/German-speaking Swiss Canton of Valais. Canton supports Swiss International Scientific School Dubai in an advisory capacity on academic matters. This partnership is beneficial to maintain the quality of teaching, learning, reviewing assessments and examinations. Students benefit from active cultural exchanges between the schools during winter and summer camps.

Research has proven that:

• Bilingual students have cognitive advantages– Students have better social and academic skills and develop soft skills that help them in the workplace.
• Bilingualism leads to better collaboration– Students can embrace other cultures and work together in an improved manner.
• Bilingualism helps overcome language barriers
• Research shows that bilingual employees are paid several percentage points more than their monolingual peers.

Swiss International School Dubai is the first UAE school to integrate Digital Citizenship education into the curriculum from Grade 1 to 12. This curriculum is adapted from Common Sense Media. The ICT labs are converted into innovation labs. Swiss International Scientific School Dubai students take part in competitions and events such as the Hour of Code, 3D Design, Formula 1, First Lego League, KenKen Math competition and many other learning activities.

The school offers the Swiss curriculum for students in the Senior school. Swiss International Scientific School Dubai is a candidate school for the IB Career-Related Programme (IBCP). This is a unique programme designed for students aged 16 to 19 years. The program addresses the needs of students who wish to engage in career-related learning.

This new school has already made a name for itself and has collected several awards for its efforts.

Early Years Program

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai offers the IB Primary Years Programme (IB PYP). Students are given an opportunity to learn in a multicultural environment. This helps students to grow academically, socially, culturally and physically. Early implementation of a bilingual curriculum allows children to have a better command in more than one language.

Here’s an overview of the teaching and learning process across the grades:

Pre-Kindergarten students are taught in French/German and are exposed to additional languages through an English assistant teacher. Specialist learning includes two Personal Education (PE) classes per week. Students at this stage are encouraged to engage in self-led and adult-led activities.

The KG1 curriculum is taught in English and other languages are reinforced through French or German teaching assistants. Students are also taught language, math and science. Specialist learning includes two PE, two Arabic and five French or German language classes per week.

In KG2, a co-teaching model is adopted where an English-speaking teacher and French or German-speaking teacher takes care of the class. Specialist learning includes two PE and four Arabic classes conducted weekly.

Every week, students of the Early Years Program attend a 40-minute lesson for Maths, French/German language, Arabic, arts, science, music and physical education.

In Pre-Kindergarten, a native German-speaking teacher conducts the class with an English teaching assistant. In KG1, students get familiar with bilingual co-teaching with an English and German teacher. Arabic is taught in two sessions during a week. KG 2 students study from the same co-teachers while Arabic is taught in 4 sessions per week.

Primary Years Program

IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) design is enquiry driven and offers concept-based education. The school is one of the best IB curriculum schools in Dubai and for the Primary section, the curriculum is designed in a way that the core subjects are taught in English for one week and in French the next week. Core subjects taught during the primary years include Language, Maths, Science and Social Studies. Other subjects include Moral Education, UAE National Education, Arabic, Islamic Studies, The Arts: Visual and Performing, Physical Education (PE), Technology and Innovation.

Bilingual co-teaching is implemented for Grade 1 and Grade 2 while 6 lessons of Arabic and 3 sessions of Islamic Studies are compulsory for Muslim students per week. Students in Grade 3 to Grade 5 study five lessons of Arabic per week with the compulsory two sessions of Islamic Studies.

Middle Years Programme

IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) is a holistic programme for students. It is based on three main disciplines: multilingualism, intercultural understanding and holistic learning. All bilingual students who take subjects in French or German and English get a bilingual MYP Certificate once they complete the programme.

Swiss Baccalaureate:

Students can opt for the Swiss Baccalaureate or MYP/DP in Grade 7. The Swiss Baccalaureate curriculum covers ten basic subjects, one core subject (a specialist subject) and one supplementary subject (for Grades 10 to 12). Beside English Language and Arts, three subjects are evaluated in English: Geography, History and the chosen Supplementary Subject.

Diploma Programme:

The two-year IB Diploma Programme (DP) is an international program that allows students to have a wide breadth of knowledge. The well-developed international educational programme primarily aimed at 16-to-19-year-olds is recognised by universities around the world.

Careers Programme:

Swiss International Scientific School Al Jaddaf is a candidate school for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Career-related Programme. The programme leads to further/higher education, apprenticeships or employment opportunities.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a government organisation responsible for maintaining the quality of private education in the UAE.

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai has received a ‘Good‘ rating from the KHDA in the academic year 2018-2019. The school wasn’t inspected for the academic year 2019 – 2020 due to the ongoing pandemic.

According to the Swiss International Scientific School Dubai KHDA report, its strengths are:

• Strong speaking and listening skills of students across two or more languages
• Well-developed mathematical concepts and skills
• Strong social and personal skills of students and how they take responsibility for their learning
• Measures that are taken to ensure the security and safety of students
• Promotion of healthy lifestyle in students
• Parental contribution as partners in learning and for improvements in school
• Support and guidance by the governors and school leaders
• Resources provided by the school governors

Key recommendations by the KHDA include:

• Appropriate planning to help students write fluently and expressively in all languages
• Promoting best aspects in lessons to provide student-centred learning
• Setting challenges for each student at an appropriate level including students of determination and gifted and talented students
• Implementing a new assessment policy for all age-groups and subjects
• Using data for planning and teaching

The first semester starts in the last week of August and ends in second week of December. Students then go on winter vacation. 

Students return to school for the second semester in the first week of January. The second semester ends in the fourth week of March followed by spring break that lasts till the first week of April. 

The third and final semester begins after spring break and ends in the first week of July. 

The Swiss International Scientific School academic calendar is available on the official website. Parents should note that academic and working days are subject to change because of the holidays announced by the government.

Boys and girls aged 3 to 18 years can apply to Swiss International Scientific School Dubai admission. There is a boarding facility for students from Grade 6 onwards.

Parents have to download and fill the online application form available on the school website. They also need to upload the following documents:

• Copy of child’s most recent nursery or school report (for KG1 and above)
• Copy of child’s passport (first page and visa) and Emirates ID (front and back), if available
• Copy of passports (first page and visa) for both parents and Emirates ID (front and back), if available
• A passport-sized photograph of the child and both parents
• A copy of any diagnostic testing that mentions learning difficulty or educational assessment (if applicable)
• Copy of any psychological assessments (if applicable)
• Copy of custody papers (if applicable)

Once the school receives the completed form and the necessary documents, the admission department requests a confidential teacher recommendation from the former school for applicants seeking to enter Grade 2 and above.

Applicants are invited for an interview and assessment. Parents are required to pay the non-refundable application fee of AED 525 when they come for the assessment.

If a candidate is successful, an offer letter is sent within five working days. Parents will then have to accept and sign the offer letter. A registration fee needs to be paid within seven working days to secure the seat.

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.

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai fee structure for the current year is:

The deductible registration fee is mentioned here:

Tuition fee includes expenses of books, examination fee and internal after-school activities. Cumulative sibling discounts are also effective. The school fee is calculated for a single year. Accepted payment methods include cheques and bank transfers.

The school also offers discount on fee for siblings in the following manner:  

• 2nd and 3rd child: 5% discount 
• 4th child: 20% discount
• 5th child: 50% discount

The school offers scholarships to both Swiss International Scientific School Dubai students and non-SISD students. A merit scholarship is offered to deserving day school and boarding school students. Parents should contact the school admission office to know more about the scholarships on offer and the application process.

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai encourages students to adopt a healthy lifestyle. Swiss International Scientific School Dubai employs the catering services of Swiss Canonica Catering. Special care is taken to provide balanced meals to both day and boarding students. The canteen is stocked with healthy items and the menu keeps changing. All food items adhere to the highest standards of food safety.

Early Years students receive their meals in the classrooms where teachers are present to help them if needed. From Grade 1 onwards, the students go to the canteen at lunchtime, where there is a variety of food on offer.

The lunch service is optional and students can bring their home-packed lunch. Food vouchers can be purchased from the Parent Café.

SIS Dubai has collaborated with Maverick Passenger Transport LLC. to provide bus transportation for students. All buses follow the RTA guidelines and have skilled drivers and attendants on board.  

A policy of ‘no child left behind‘ is strictly followed and separate checks are done after three completed runs. More information regarding the bus routes is available here. Below is the breakdown of the transport fee to give you a better idea:

• All areas within 20 km:
  • One-way fees: AED 7,400 per year
  • Two-way fees: AED 9,200 per year
• All areas over 20 km:
  • One-way fees: AED 7,800 per year
  • Two-way fees: AED 9,700 per year

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai offers full-time and weekly boarding options for students besides a Flexi-boarding option. The boarding house is a purpose-built accommodation on the Swiss International Scientific School Dubai campus. It is within easy reach of the secondary school building and sports facilities. Spacious rooms boasting modern designs are available for boarding students. Rooms have en-suite facilities.

Swiss International School Dubai staff provides the best pastoral care to its students, be it counselling or medical aid. A specially dedicated team is in charge of students welfare, emotional and practical needs. Students have regular activities and schedules that are optimal for both leisure and academics.

You can find full boarding, weekly boarding and flexi boarding fees here.

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai offers Sports, Language and Tech/STEM Camps during the school holidays with several activities like swimming, tennis, football, basketball, gymnastics, robotics, 3D designing and languages. The camp is open to both SISD and non-SISD students.

Language and Literature (English, Russian, French, German, Spanish, Italian, Chinese, Arabic) camps are also offered to students. These camps are managed by Headway Institute.

Sports camps are usually organised by STRYX Sports. Students can take part in sports activities such as Tennis, Football, Gymnastics.

Parents will be pleased to know that Swiss International Scientific School Dubai organises Summer and Winter Boarding Camps for Languages, Robotics and Sports.

Swiss International Scientific School offers the following sports facilities:

• Two tennis courts
• A fully equipped gym
• An indoor running track
• An indoor volleyball/basketball court
• A beach volleyball court
• An outdoor basketball
• Two paddle tennis courts
• A football/rugby pitch
• An Olympic swimming pool with a lifeguard from 06:00 am to 06:00 pm

Playground time is distributed among different groups of students. All equipment is appropriately cleaned and sanitised between groups.

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai provides both internal and external After School Activities (ASA) to students. All internal ASAs are offered by the staff of Swiss International Scientific School Dubai and are free of charge. Some fees might apply for equipment in special cases. Students can choose a maximum of two internal ASA per week. However, no such restrictions apply to external ASAs.

Internal ASAs

Each student is allowed to participate in 2 Internal ASAs per week. Please note that after-school care is not included in this quota.

• Early Years students can take part in internal ASAs on Sunday, Tuesday and Wednesday.
• Students in Primary Years can also take part in these activities on Sunday, Tuesday, Wednesday.
• ASAs for Middle Years are conducted on Sunday, Wednesday and Thursday.

Activities for Early Years (PreKG, KG1, KG2)

Internal ASAs for Primary School Students (Grade 1 to Grade 5)

Activities For Secondary School (Grade 6 to Grade 12)

External ASAs

External ASAs are provided by verified providers and usually, are charged as per activity. Students can register for these activities by contacting the provider directly via phone or email. It can also be done during the planned ASA Expos on campus.

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai is currently working with the following providers:

• STRYX Sports
• Mad Science
• Culture Emulsion
• Headway Institute
• Chess Knowledge
• Exclusive Music Education

Here’s a brief description of the different ASAs offered by external providers.

• STRYX Sports – Athletics, Basketball, Coding/ Robotics, Dance, Drama, Football, Gymnastics, Karate, Musical Theatre, Parkour, Roller Skating, Rugby, Swimming, Tennis, Wall Climbing, Yoga
• Mad Science – Future Scientists, Junior Scientists
• Culture Emulsion – French Theatre
• Headway Institute- Chinese, Italian, Spanish, Russian
• Chess Knowledge – Chess
• Exclusive Music Education- Piano (Group / Private)

External ASA’s for Early Years (Pre-KG to KG-2)

Activities For Primary School (Grade 1 to Grade 5)

Activities For Secondary School (Grade 6 to Grade 12)

Parents can contact the school to know more about the internal and external after-school activities that will be offered during the current academic year.

Field trips at Swiss International Scientific School Dubai are closely related to the school’s academic calendar. These trips are designed for specific age groups to improve their understanding of classroom material through practical experience.

Beyond Borders and Boundaries (BBB) is a program offered at Swiss International Scientific School Dubai. BBB is an opportunity for Swiss International Scientific School staff and students to extend their learning outside the classroom. Students taking part in these trips can improve their problem solving, time management, teamwork and leadership skills. Students also take part in community service and outreach programmes. Students took part in trips to Sri Lanka, Nepal, Turkey, Cambodia, Vietnam and UAE in the past academic year.

At Swiss International Scientific School Dubai, after-school care is available from September to July. It requires registration for every season. After-School Care is free of cost and is offered on weekdays from Monday to Thursday to students in Pre-KG to KG2. The timings are from 02:15 pm to 03:30 pm. On Thursdays, this service is also available to children studying in Grade 1 to Grade 5.

There’s an Afternoon Club for PreKG to KG2 students who have siblings in Primary or Secondary School that take part in ASAs from 03:45 pm to 04:45 pm. On Thursdays, the Afternoon Club is arranged for students in Pre-KG to Grade 5 who have a sibling attending ASAs from 03:45 pm to 04:45 pm.

Swiss International Scientific School Dubai has medical clinics in primary and sports buildings. These clinics remain open from 07:30 am to 05:00 pm. Nurses are present at the clinic to provide first-aid and emergency care.

Parents can also consult them in person or via emails. A consultant from Mediclinic City Hospital comes to the school twice a week for medical observations. Every year, each student gets a comprehensive health check-up.

The school encourages parents and teachers to communicate with each other via telephone, email or conference at any time. Conferences with the teachers may also be arranged by appointment. Parents receive regular communication from the school via student SeeSaw portfolios, weekly newsletters, school website/parent portal, Swiss International Scientific School Dubai blog and Parent Forum.

Parent Forum Committee (PFC) is found to facilitate easy communication between parents and the school administration regarding student life, social issues and general school operations.

• Telephone Number: +971-4-375-0600
• Emails:
  • General Enquiries: info@sisd.ae
  • Admission Enquiries: admissions@sisd.ae
• SISD Website
• SISD Facebook
• SISD Twitter
• SISD Instagram
• SISD YouTube

Note that the cover image belongs to Swiss International Scientific School Dubai

What are the timings of the school?

The school is open from 8:10 am to 3:30 pm.

Does Swiss International, Dubai conduct after-school activities?

Swiss International Scientific School has many indoor and outdoor activities after school hours from 3:45 pm to 4:45 pm.

How many grades are there in the school?

The school offers classes from Pre-KG to Grade 12.

Does the school follow a co-education model?

The school has a co-educational model through out all the classes.

How many students are currently studying in your school? How many nationalities are represented?

Swiss International Scientific School has more than 1500 students coming from 75 different nations.

Does the school have any special education programmes or learning plans for students of determination?

The school pays special attention to students of determination and meet all their educational needs.

Please describe the academic calendar of the school?

The academic year at Swiss International School Dubai starts in the last week of August and ends in the first week of July.

Please mention the range of the tuition fee charged by the school?

The annual fee ranges from AED 62,484 to AED 99,000.

Swiss International Scientific School encourages educational excellence by providing scholarships on merit.

How does the school communicate with parents?

Swiss International Scientific School believes in smooth and constant communication with parents. It organises periodic parents-teacher meeting. Parents can also make use of the parent portal on the school website.

Does Swiss International School have a cafeteria or a canteen on campus?

The school has a cafeteria that offers healthy meals to students from Grade 1 onwards. Students can bring lunch from home.

How often does the school arrange field trips? Are there any international trips?

Fields trips are considered as part of the academic program at Swiss International School. On international trips, students have visited Nepal, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Vietnam.

Does the school organise holiday camps for winter, spring or summer breaks?

The school offers holiday camps during the winter and summer holidays for students.

How many teachers are currently teaching in the school?

The school has 125 teachers.