IB schools in Dubai: seven international-curriculum schools

The International Baccalaureate was devised in Geneva in 1968 to bring the world’s schools under a single programme and make it easier to get into international universities. Its aim is an international mindset, a broad outlook, creativity and openness to new ideas. Knowledge is assessed not only by tests but by projects, essays and presentations, and a second foreign language is taken to a working level.

Below are seven IB schools in Dubai worth a look. Figures are from the 2022/23 KHDA inspections and the 2023/24 fee tariffs.

1. North London Collegiate School Dubai (NLCS)

Part of the London school’s brand, with more than 170 years of history and campuses in South Korea, Singapore and Vietnam as well. It sits among the world’s top hundred IB schools on final exam results and ranks highest in that table of any school in the Emirates. A school with a British flavour: its academic standard matches the top British schools. Selection is strict — children with weak English are not admitted.

• Founded: 2017
• Pupils: 1,341
• KHDA rating (2022/23): Very Good
• Diploma: IB Diploma
• Fees (2023/24): from AED 72,070 for Pre-KG to AED 115,617 for Grade 12
• Discounts: 5%, 10% and 15% on the second, third and fourth child; a corporate discount and one for graduates of partner nurseries; up to 7% for paying the year early

2. Jumeira Baccalaureate School (JBS)

Beyond a strong programme, it has architecture unique in Dubai: not one large building but green grounds with several campuses.

• Founded: 2010
• Pupils: 1,297
• KHDA rating (2022/23): Very Good
• Diploma: IB Diploma
• Fees (2023/24): from AED 40,900 for Pre-KG to AED 86,700 for Grade 12
• Discounts: 10% on the third child and beyond — only when the whole year is paid up front

3. Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai (SISD)

The only school in the city with fully bilingual teaching — English–French or English–German. There are also English-stream classes where French or German is taught as an additional language. It is Dubai’s second school with boarding, from Grade 6. The year is split into semesters, but holidays line up with British and IB schools. Parents mention strong primary maths, a 50-metre pool, a stadium and easy parking.

• Founded: 2015
• Pupils: 1,857
• KHDA rating (2022/23): Good
• Diploma: IB Diploma
• Fees (2023/24): from AED 54,875 for Pre-KG to AED 102,749 for Grade 12 (English stream), from AED 64,359 (bilingual); weekly boarding (five days) from AED 188,618 to 204,599, full boarding from AED 227,468 to 243,449 (Grade 6 to Grade 12)
• Discounts: 5% on the second and third, 20% and 50% on the fourth and fifth child; no discounts on boarding

4. Bloom World Academy

A Bloom Education school opened in 2022 in the building Dwight used to occupy. It is the only school in Dubai where the official school day runs from 9:00 to 16:00, with extra sessions from 8:00 to 9:00 and from 16:00 to 17:00. Its personal pathways system means that from the first years a child chooses four subjects to pursue from 14:00 to 16:00, Monday to Thursday.

• Founded: 2022
• Pupils: around 450
• KHDA rating (2022/23): not yet rated as of 2022/23
• Diploma: IB Diploma
• Fees (2023/24): from AED 40,500 for Pre-KG to AED 75,000 for Grade 10
• Discounts: 5% on the second child and beyond

5. GEMS World Academy (GWA)

The GEMS flagship and one of the best-equipped schools in the city: an Olympic pool, a climbing wall, a planetarium. It takes children from two. For many international families something else matters more: a mother-tongue programme for native speakers is built into the timetable, covering 16 languages, Russian among them. Parents note that the school has a large Russian-speaking community, which makes settling in easier for those families.

• Founded: 2008
• Pupils: 1,851
• KHDA rating (2022/23): Very Good
• Diploma: IB Diploma
• Fees (2023/24): from AED 41,200 for Nursery to AED 117,552 for Grade 12
• Discounts: 25% on the third child and beyond, 4.25% for paying the year with a partner bank’s card

6. Dwight School Dubai

A branch of New York’s Dwight School (founded in 1872), which also has campuses in Seoul and Shanghai. The emphasis is on soft skills — teamwork, presentation, imagination — and it is often called an IB school with an American accent. The new campus looks like an American university: large green grounds with separate buildings. It is small enough that every child is known by name.

• Founded: 2018
• Pupils: 485
• KHDA rating (2022/23): Good
• Diploma: IB Diploma
• Fees (2023/24): from AED 58,500 for Pre-KG to AED 99,500 for Grade 12
• Discounts: 5% on the second and third, 10% and 15% on the fourth and fifth child

7. Australian International School Dubai (AIS)

Formally it follows the Australian curriculum, but in substance that is close to the IB — with slightly more attention to children’s wellbeing. A young school that adds a year group each year. Parents report that children with weak English settle in well.

• Founded: 2021
• Pupils: around 284
• KHDA rating (2022/23): not yet rated as of 2022/23
• Diploma: Australian Diploma, with the IB Diploma planned
• Fees (2023/24): from AED 52,000 for Pre-KG to AED 81,000 for Grade 8
• Discounts: a 25% founders’ discount during the school’s first three years

How to choose between IB schools

• The highest academic standard — NLCS; confident English is a must.
• Keeping a home language — GEMS World Academy, with mother-tongue lessons in the timetable.
• French or German as a second first language — SISD.
• Atmosphere and soft skills — Dwight, JBS.
• A budget for the early years — JBS and Bloom: foundation classes from AED 40,500–41,000.

Why the IB Diploma carries weight in university admissions — see IB Diploma vs A-levels.

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
• The Dubai school year, holidays and starting age
• 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
• 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