Dubai schools guide for relocating families

Begin with fit, not a league table

List the child's current curriculum, age, completed year or grade, languages, interests and support needs. Decide whether continuity, a planned return to the home system or a future university route matters most. The best fit is not automatically the school with the highest inspection label.

Use KHDA's school directory and parent guidance to build a shortlist. Then contact each school directly for current places, likely placement, assessment, documents, start date and support. A marketing tour and a wait-list email are not offers of admission.

If siblings need places, ask whether all places are confirmed and how deposits work if one child is not admitted. Keep each child's application status separate.

Curriculum changes the long view

Check the KHDA evidence

KHDA publishes school information, inspection material and parent guides. Read the full evidence for the school rather than copying a rating into a spreadsheet. Look at strengths, areas for improvement, phase-specific findings and whether the information covers the years your child will attend.

Inspection evidence is one input. Add the child's likely class, subject choices, teacher continuity, pastoral care, inclusion, facilities that matter, student turnover, transport and communication with parents.

Ask the school which statements are current for the coming academic year. Staffing, subjects, capacity and fees can change after an inspection or older review.

Use the School Fees Fact Sheet

KHDA requires a School Fees Fact Sheet for each private school and academic year. It separates tuition and mandatory fees from optional services. That distinction makes it the correct starting point for cost comparison.

Match the fact sheet to the child's grade, curriculum and academic year. Record application, registration or re-enrolment payments and whether they are deducted from tuition. Add transport, uniform, books, devices, meals, activities, trips, exams and learning support where relevant.

Read the current registration and refund policy before paying. Ask for the consequence if the family move is delayed, a residence document is pending, the child does not take the place or a sibling remains on a waiting list.

Admission evidence

• Child and parent passports in the requested form
• Birth certificate and current name evidence
• Residence or Emirates ID evidence when required and the school's deadline if pending
• Previous reports, transcripts and transfer or leaving certificate
• Vaccination or medical records requested by the school
• Assessment or reference information
• Custody, guardianship or consent evidence where applicable
• Documents for learning support and direct discussion of provision
• Any authentication or equivalency evidence specified by the receiving authority

Do not guess the document route

Document certification can depend on the issuing country, school stage and receiving body. Ask the school and responsible authority for the exact current route before paying for attestation or translation. A commercial agent's standard bundle may contain unnecessary steps or miss a required one.

Check spelling, dates and parent details across passports, birth records and school documents. If records differ for a valid reason, ask which supporting record is accepted. Never edit a certificate image to make it match.

Keep original documents secure and share only what the school or authority needs through its verified system. Children's identity and educational records should not sit indefinitely in an agent's ordinary messaging account.

Test the school run

A map distance does not represent a weekday journey. Test the route at drop-off and collection time, including building exit, parking or bus collection. Ask the school transport provider for the current route, collection window, journey expectations, supervision and cost.

For two working adults, model sick days, after-school activities, different finish times and holidays. If one parent expects to handle every journey, put the time cost beside the rent saving of a distant home.

Do not sign a long tenancy because a school appears nearby until the place and year group are confirmed in writing.

Questions for a school visit

1. Ask how the school would place this child and what remains subject to assessment.
2. Request the current KHDA evidence and fee fact sheet for the exact grade.
3. Ask about class size or range, teacher turnover and communication with families.
4. Discuss the child's actual language, pastoral or learning needs with the responsible staff member.
5. Confirm subject choice and qualification pathways for older students.
6. Ask what is included in tuition and what families usually buy separately.
7. Check transport, meal, device, uniform and activity arrangements.
8. Get the admission, deposit, withdrawal and refund position in writing.

Plan for the first term

A child may be changing country, home, friends, curriculum and climate at once. Leave room in the calendar rather than filling every afternoon immediately. Establish transport, sleep, homework and communication with the school first.

Keep the previous school's contacts and records accessible. If the child may return to another system, maintain a file of reports, subjects, attendance and qualifications that supports the next transfer.

Review fit after the settling period using the child's experience as well as adult expectations. Raise a concern with the school early and use KHDA parent guidance if an issue cannot be resolved through the ordinary process.

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