The Dubai school year, holidays and starting age
When the year starts and ends, why there is a break almost every month, how a British school calendar differs from an American one, and the age cut-off — three full years on 31 August.
- ✓ The subject in full: what changes in your transaction, and what it costs to get wrong
- ✓ The questions that follow the piece, answered further down
Talk through your case
The school year, holidays and starting age in Dubai
The school year in Dubai is probably shaped differently from the one you are used to: it starts earlier, finishes later and has a break almost every month. In all, children are in school for about eight months of the year. That is worth knowing in advance — both for planning travel and for deciding whether both parents will work.
When the year starts and ends
The school year begins on the last Monday before 1 September — in 2023, for example, that was 28 August. It ends in mid-June at American schools and in early July at British and IB schools.
Holidays
Most schools divide the year into three terms with holidays in between. A typical pattern:
Talk to a licensed broker: 📲 +971 50 120 32 64 on WhatsApp, @dubai_oleg on Telegram
- a week’s mid-term break in October;
- winter holidays in December — about three weeks, into early January;
- a week’s mid-term break in February;
- spring holidays from late March to early April — about two weeks;
- summer holidays — almost two months, to the end of August.
American schools have no week-long mid-term breaks, which is why their year ends earlier, in mid-June. The Swiss school SISD divides its year into semesters rather than terms, but its pupils are on holiday on the same dates as children at British and IB schools.
On top of that come religious and public holidays — for example, several days off to mark the end of Ramadan. The exact dates follow the lunar calendar and are announced shortly before the holiday.
What age children start
Compulsory education in the UAE begins at six, but most children in Dubai start school much earlier. Before six there are three years of early-years education, which can be done either at a nursery or already at school.
The earliest school age is three, and it is counted strictly: the child must be three full years old on 31 August. If the birthday falls in September, the child starts school a year later. Nurseries take children from 45 days old, with each setting its own entry age. Some schools with a Nursery class admit children from two.
What the stages are called
In the British system the foundation stage lasts two years — FS1 and FS2 — followed by Year 1 to Year 13. In American and IB schools the early years last three years — Pre-KG, KG1 and KG2 — followed by Grade 1 to Grade 12. This is what causes confusion when you compare fee tables: “the first year of school” means a different age in the two systems.
Why it pays to start at three
The main reason is admission. At three, the assessment is a play-based interview that checks whether the child can follow simple instructions and is ready to be part of a group. The older the child and the stronger the school, the tougher the selection, and there are almost no free places in the upper year groups of strong schools. A family that secures a place in FS1 has, in effect, secured it through to graduation. Starting at three is also convenient for families whose older children are already at the school.
What is assessed at different ages is covered in entrance assessments and CAT4, and how the school day itself runs in the school day and extra costs.
The full “Schools in Dubai” series
- Schools in Dubai: how the system works
- KHDA school ratings in Dubai: how to read them
- Getting into a Dubai school: the five steps
- School documents in the UAE: attestation and the transfer certificate
- Dubai school fees and how to pay less
- The school day in Dubai and the costs on top of fees
- British, American or IB: choosing a curriculum in Dubai
- IB Diploma vs A-levels: what each gives a school leaver
- British schools in Dubai: twelve strong options
- American schools in Dubai
- IB schools in Dubai: seven international-curriculum schools
- Dubai school entrance assessments and the CAT4 test
- The Dubai school tour: what to ask and what to watch for
- A child with no English at a Dubai school
- School first, home second: where to live near a Dubai school
The essentials
Short answers to what people most often arrive with on this subject. Every figure states the period it belongs to — rates, visa thresholds and yields move.
When does the school year start in Dubai?
On the last Monday before 1 September — in 2023, for example, that was 28 August. The year ends in mid-June at American schools and in early July at British and IB schools.
At what age can a child start school?
At three, and the child must be three full years old on 31 August. Some schools with a Nursery class take children from two; nurseries take them from 45 days.
How many holidays are there in a year?
Almost one a month: a week in October and in February, about three weeks in winter, about two in spring and almost two months in summer, plus religious and public holidays. In all, children are in school for about eight months.
At what age does education become compulsory in the UAE?
At six. Before that there are three years of early-years education, at a nursery or at school.
Why is the year shorter at American schools?
They have no week-long mid-term breaks in October and February, so their year ends in mid-June rather than early July.
This material is provided for information purposes and does not constitute individual investment advice. Property returns depend on many factors and are not guaranteed.