Dubai College

A leading educational institution in the UAE, Dubai College (DC) has a rich history of academic excellence. Established in 1978, DC Dubai has impressed parents with their exceptional academic outcomes in external examinations. It is also well-known both locally and internationally for its commitment to developing future leaders. The reputation of Dubai College stems from their sustained and consistent efforts towards enhancing their pupils’ development in sporting, philanthropic, creative and academic fields – which are the four foundations of Dubai College.

The British curriculum of Dubai College cultivates a holistic style of education that helps students become well-rounded. It is one of the renowned British curriculum schools in Dubai because of its strong educational values.

DC is a non-profitable co-educational institute that provides education from secondary years to the sixth form. A board of governors, including respected members of the community, manages the school. The high standards of extra-curricular activities and teaching provisions is another reason Dubai College developed an outstanding status in the last 40 years. The waiting list is extensive, and the school receives an average of three to four admission applications per seat. Despite the opening of newer international schools in Dubai, Dubai College is still regarded as one of the high-profile secondary schools in the UAE.

Currently, the school has over 950 students, with 38 of them requiring additional support from the SEND team. The teaching staff of Dubai College has 103 full-time experienced teachers, including the principal and senior management. The teacher to student ratio is 1:9, which ensures plentiful individual attention and care.

Read this guide by Bayut to learn more about Dubai College.

• Location: Al Sufouh
• School fees: AED 86,607 - AED 98,070
• Curriculum: National Curriculum of England
• Co-ed or segregate: Co-educational
• KHDA rating: Outstanding
• Years Offered: Year 7 until Year 13

Located in the popular region of Al Sufouh 2, Dubai College is in proximity to several popular residential areas. The nearby residential areas are:

• The Greens
• Barsha Heights
• Dubai Internet City

The Greens is the nearest residential community to Dubai College that offers apartment-style living in 10 residential complexes. Those living far from the school will find it as an ideal place to live.

• Apartments for rent near Dubai College
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Sprawling over an area of around 19 acres, the Dubai School campus has several facilities for its students that have made it a reputable educational institute in Dubai. The campus includes well-lit and fully equipped classrooms that are airy and comfortable. To support the science-related subjects taught at Dubai College, it has 21 scientific laboratories. It also has 10 ICT laboratories with computers for computational education. The school is also equipped with arts, drama and music-related facilities, including four art studios, drama studios and a music recording room. DC also has a music centre with teaching and recital facilities, three drama studios and a massive library with a vast collection of academic and non-academic books.

Other noteworthy features of Dubai College include 250 individual study-bays in the Sixth-Form Centre, an auditorium with a seating capacity of 900 students, a lecture hall with a seating capacity of 160 students and collaborative learning spaces that can be used for various subjects.

To meet other requirements of students, the campus also has a well-developed canteen, bathrooms and sports-related facilities.

Dubai College is located in the Al Sufouh district, near the junction of Hessa Street and King Salman Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street. It is close to the Dubai Knowledge Park, which is another notable higher educational hub. The communities of Flamingo Villas and Acacia Avenues are some of the popular residential areas near Dubai College.

Established in 1978, Dubai College is one of the oldest schools with unparalleled experience in delivering a top-notch education to its pupils. His Highness Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Al Maktoum offered the piece of land to Tim Charlton, the founder of Dubai College, to build a school. Since its inception, Dubai College is a not-for-profit school that reinvests its revenues for improving the school’s facility.

Creating an all-round education system for its students, the management of Dubai College believes that it is important to support the four main pillars of creative, academic, philanthropic and sporting endeavours. The school also follows a house-based system. Dubai College has four distinct houses: Barbarossa, Chichester, Cousteau and Heyerdahl. The names of these houses are based on famous personalities with outstanding achievements. Its primary purpose is to encourage healthy competition among students. Students belonging to each house compete with one another in various competitions and tournaments.

The management also encourages parents to become constructively involved in the education of their kids. Dubai College supports its staff by investing in their training and development. The result of this has been the consistently high outstanding rating by the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA).

Dubai College also aims to be at the centre of the educational experience with the help of leadership from within the community of Dubai. Dubai College aspires to engage with both international and local regulators, along with other professional bodies. It also hopes to cultivate a strong alumni network. The school is known for providing high standards of education and developing the requisite skills to create future leaders.

Another reason parents are inclined towards enrolling their children at Dubai College is their outstanding academic record. A majority of their students clear the AS and A level examinations with flying colours.

Dubai College offers three different stages from Years 7-13. The years are split into the following stages:

The curriculum of Dubai College develops the knowledge and understanding of each student and their personal skill sets, to shape them into individuals prepared to take on real-world challenges. Dubai College follows the National Curriculum of England and offers sixth form education to students in Grade 12 to Grade 13. Upon completion of sixth-form education, a majority of its students study at top-tier universities in the UK. In addition to this, the curriculum enriched and adopted by Dubai College helps students to study at US-based universities.

The college staff arranges for parent-teacher meetings and keeps parents informed about the progress made by students. The school also organises consultation evenings on a priority basis, the schedule for which can be found on the college calendar and official website.

The medium of instruction is in English, and Arabic is taught as a second language. Please note that Arab nationals need to study a more intensive Arabic A course while non-native speakers are taught the more basic Arabic B syllabus.

The Lower School from Years 7 to 9

The lower school comprises Year 7 to Year 9 featuring children aged 11 to 14. The curriculum designed for the lower school emphasises introductory knowledge of a wide variety of subjects. Dubai College aims to provide maximum exposure to the students beginning their secondary education. Some of the core subjects included in these years are:

In Year 9, students will be provided with an option to study Latin. It is the year when the students also start preparing for the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). They also introduce Year 9 students to Moral Education sessions during Enrichment Days to encourage their lateral thinking and to instil behaviours that will help them lead their lives as ideal global citizens. These sessions are also a part of school assemblies and other activities.

The Middle School (Years 10-11)

During Middle School, all students must take part in the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSEs) examinations. Moral Education is imparted to the students as yearly group assemblies and special enrichment days along with other activities and games.

The basic General Certificate of Secondary Education Curriculum, which is strongly endorsed by the management, consists of the subjects mentioned below:

To balance the curriculum, students have to select 4 optional subjects. The following are the subjects from which they have to choose:

• Computer Science, Geography, Economics or History
• Arabic, Spanish or French
• Design and Technology, Art, Latin, Drama, Physical Education or Music.

Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13)

Most students choose to study four A-Level subjects at the start of Year 12 of their study. During the 12th year, some of the subject combinations become too small as many students drop subjects they are not interested in. In such cases, the college reserves the right to combine the subject sets at the beginning of Year 13 to maintain the best quality of teaching and learning. The subjects offered for A Level are:

Dubai College: A Level Options (September 2021)

AS Only Extended Projects

Sports is mandatory for all students, along with the specially designed Moral Education program that can be attended during Enrichment Days. The college also offers a ‘TopUP’ program for various subjects in Year 12 and Year 13 to better equip university-bound students. Islamic Education is compulsory for all Muslims, while Arabic is only compulsory for those with Arabic passport holders.

For more information, visit Dubai College’s curriculum.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a monitoring authority under the Government of Dubai, which oversees educational quality in private schools, higher educational institutes, early childhood education centres and other training institutes. KHDA inspects private schools in Dubai with judgments made on a six-point scale:

Based on fixed criteria set by KHDA, Dubai College has been rated as “Outstanding” for the year 2018-2019. DC has maintained this rating for the last nine years and has shown tremendous progress over the years. Here is a 10-year history of KHDA rating for DC:

Following are the key strengths reported by KHDA in its last inspection report:

• KHDA has noted the inspirational role of the principal of Dubai College in attaining its mission. The mission of the school is to develop a stimulating learning community for all. This has helped students in attaining excellent academic achievements.
• The school’s role is exemplary in fostering positive attitudes in their students. Students’ willingness to help others is commendable.
• Rapid progress is observed in various subjects due to superior teaching skills and students’ learning skills.
• The curriculum is adopted and enriched by Dubai College. This is innovative and challenges students to work hard and attain exceptional academic achievements. In addition, the school makes necessary amendments to the curriculum based on students’ needs.
• First-class health and safety facilities for all students and special support is given to students of determination.

The recommendations offered by KHDA are as follows:

• Dubai College must improve its self-review and strategic planning to accelerate students’ achievement in Arabic as a first language. For this purpose, they need to raise the challenge and expectations for students to accomplish. They can also refine the assessment to measure students’ progress by considering the student’s capabilities.
• They must also raise the attainment of students in Arabic as an additional language by drafting a curriculum as per the MOE framework. They can also make amendments by incorporating a wider pool of teaching strategies to ensure students’ engagement.

Like many other international schools in Dubai, the academic calendar of Dubai College starts in August and ends in July. The school year is spread over three terms with Dubai College holidays usually occurring during December and April.

• The first term starts on 29th August 2022 and ends on 9th December 2022, followed by a three-week winter holiday.
• The second term commences on 2nd January 2023 and ends on 24th March 2023, followed by a 2-week spring break.
• The summer term starts on 10th April 2023 and concludes on 7th July 2023.

For Dubai College admissions, passing an entry test is mandatory. The evaluation tests take place in November for students applying for the following academic year. For candidates who are in the UAE, assessments will be held at Dubai College. For foreign applicants, evaluation papers will be posted to their current schools. They will oversee them and evaluate them before returning them to the school.

Receipt of the application containing the address, e-mail and the name of their present school is considered as approval to dispatch the assessment papers.

Age of entry

The school ensures that students are enroled in the appropriate grade for their age. For this purpose, they follow the age-year chart issues by KHDA. For entry into Year 7, the candidate must be eleven years old and should have finished his/her Year 6 by 1st September.

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)

Younger candidates who have their 11th birthday before the calendar year ends will not be accepted. The same conditions mentioned above apply to students who wish to enter Years 8, 9 and 10.

Required documents

The documents required for the admission process are as follows:

• A copy of the UAE’s Residency Visa
• A copy of the student’s Emirates ID card
• A copy of the student’s passport
• A copy of the birth certificate
• A passport-sized photograph
• Candidate’s previous academic record (Year 5 report for admission in Year 7)
• Proof of extra-curricular activities (for admission in Year 8 onwards)
• A document explaining medical conditions and or SEND requirements

Parents will have to pay AED 525 along with the documents as registration and assessment fees. Visit the admission policy for the Dubai College to learn more.

All new students of the school require a Personal Debenture of AED 25,000, which will be returned once students leave the school. For more information, check out the admission process at Dubai College.

At Dubai College, the fee is payable in three terms. For the academic year of 2022-2023, Dubai College fees are given below:

There are some other charges as well:

The other charges are based on the info available in KHDA’s fee fact sheet.

For new students, a personal debenture of AED 25,000 is required. The fee will be refunded unless unresolved amounts are due when the student leaves. Dubai College school fees also include optional extras:

The charges mentioned above are per annum basis. Discounts on transport charges if more than one child uses the school transport service. The school offers a 20% discount on the transport charges of the second child and a 50% discount on the transport charges of the third child. The school also has a special offer on transportation charges of fourth and subsequent children.

For more information, view the fees structure for Dubai College.

There are currently no scholarship programs available in Dubai College. The school, however, offers bursaries to support any student facing financial difficulties. Parents are requested to contact the school office for information.

The school encourages children to develop healthy eating habits. For this purpose, they allow students to either bring a packed lunch from home or purchase from a limited range of items from the school’s canteen. To assist students in purchasing items from the canteen, a cashless card is introduced.

The canteen opens during morning breaks, during lunch break and after school timings. Drinking water is also available in the school and they encourage pupils to drink water as much as possible. Please note that the school does not allow its students to eat and drink outside their form and canteen, especially in the school buses. A sixth form canteen is also available in the Sports and Performance Arts Centre of Excellence, where sandwiches and cold food items are available throughout the day.

Dubai College offers a pickup and drop-off service to and from the areas mentioned below:

The following areas are covered by school transport for students enroled in after-school activities:

Students who use Dubai College transportation have to carry their passes, which they may have to show on request.

Please contact the transport department of DC for more information. For booking and registration, fill out the school transport form. Timing and schedule are available on the parents’ portal.

The school does not currently offer any boarding facility for students and teachers. Parents looking to rent apartments close to the school can consider flats in Jumeirah, Al Sufouh, Umm Suqeim, Jumeirah Lakes Towers or in Barsha Heights. Families interested in larger spaces can opt to rent villas in Al Wasl, Al Safa, Jumeirah and Al Satwa.

The school offers the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award program for students looking to enhance their skill set during the holidays. These are holiday camps where students fly to different countries for cultural education or philanthropic purposes. A group of experienced teachers accompanies children on the trip. The itinerary is decided by the school for holiday camps in winter and summer.

Sports play an important part in the extra-curricular activities of Dubai College. Dubai College views sporting activities and events as an opportunity to develop a competitive spirit. These activities also help students to develop their social skills and participate in activities that are necessary for a healthy lifestyle. In addition to that, Dubai College also offers some representative opportunities. Students who are good at a particular sport are encouraged to play in the inter-school fixtures organized by Dubai Affiliated Sports School Association (DASSA).

Besides lunchtime and after-school sports clubs, Dubai College also runs many sporting programmes throughout the week. Sports tournaments are usually held on weekends.

List of Sports Offered at Dubai College

• Athletics and cross country (Lunchtime: Sun to Wed)
• Basketball (Lunchtime)
• Swimming
• Rugby (Afternoon: Sun to Wed)
• Rounders: (Lunchtime: Sun, Tue and Wed)
• Netball (Afternoon: Mon, Tues & Wed)
• Boys/Girl Football (Afternoon: Sun to Thurs)
• Cricket (Lunchtime: Sun to Wed)

The sports facilities within Dubai College’s campus are:

• Rugby, football and cricket fields and pitches
• Four all-weather netball and tennis courts
• A multi-purpose sports hall for various indoor games
• Swimming pool

To gain information on sorting fixtures, visit Dubai College Sports Page.

Dubai College offers an extensive range of extra-curricular activities to its students. The school believes that extra-curricular activities are important to ensure their mission of providing broad exposure and experience for their pupils. Dubai College aims to foster the universal skills of teamwork, a sense of community, ownership, problem-solving, self-management, leadership, commitment and responsibility.

The school encourages students to participate in at least one extra-curricular activity per week, representing their school’s house. The extra-curricular activities take place during lunch hours or after-school hours (3:45 to 5:30 PM).

The range of extra-curricular activities available in Dubai College includes music, drama, sports, the Duke of Edinburgh award and co-curricular field trips. In addition, the school also collaborates with external bodies like ABRSM to arrange extra-curricular events.

Pupils of all years have the chance to go on creative, academic, sports and philanthropic field trips. These trips could be to local venues or popular locations overseas. Some popular field trips arranged by the school include visits to:

Dubai College offers several after-school activities that students can engage in, but they do not have any other after-school care programmes to cater to children of working parents.

Students are encouraged to take part in after-school activities. This provides them with an opportunity to represent the school at a competitive level. Based on what is most popular among pupils, the after-school activities at Dubai College change from term to term. A majority of these activities take place at lunchtime or after school hours. The after-school activities begin at 3.45 pm and last until 4.45 pm, right in time for students to catch the last school bus that leaves at 4.55 pm. Some activities end late, usually around 5:40. Students taking part in these activities will have to arrange their ride home.

For these after-school activities, students are taken by the college transport to ‘away’ fixtures. After an “away” fixture, school transport will return students to the college. Parents can pick their kids either from the school or from the outdoor venue. In case any outdoor activity is cancelled, the details will be posted on the school’s office board and on SharePoint (a web-based platform integrated with Microsoft Office used for collaboration). In such circumstances, it is the responsibility of the student to arrange for the commute as necessary.

The Dubai College has an onsite clinic managed by a full-time nurse. The school nurses ensure students are looked after in case of accidents on the premises. When required, the nurse gets in touch with parents to enquire about the medical conditions of students. Parents are requested to submit all medical information of the student at the time of admission.

One of the most preferred modes of communication among parents and teachers is the Parent Portal of Dubai College. The parent portal is available on Dubai College’s official website where parents can easily sign up online and get access to all the latest school news and events and happenings.

Parents can also get in touch with the school staff through their social media platforms , such as Twitter and Facebook.

• Phone: +971 4 3999111
• Dubai College Website

Social Media Platforms

• Dubai College Facebook
• Dubai College Twitter
• Dubai College YouTube

Note that the cover image belongs to Dubai College.

What are the timings of your school?

From Monday to Thursday the school remains open from 07:45 am to 03:35 pm. However, on Fridays the school ends at 12:00 pm.

Do you conduct after-school activities?

Yes, the school conducts after-school activities from 03:45 pm to 05:30 pm.

Is a transport facility available for students participating in after-school activities?

Yes, the school offers transportation service to students who are staying late to participate in extracurricular activities.

How many grades/years are there in your school?

The school offers classes from Year 7 until Year 13.

Does your school follow a co-education model?

Dubai College is a co-education institute.

How many students are currently studying in your school?

Currently, there are over 900 students enrolled at the school; majority of them are British nationals.

Do you have any special education programmes or learning plans for students of determination?

The school pays special attention to students of determination and is keen to meet all their needs and requirements.

Can you please describe the academic calendar of your school?

The school starts in the last week of August and ends in the first week of July.

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

The school fees range from AED 86,607 to AED 98,070.

How do you communicate with parents?

The school has a parent portal through which teachers and parents can easily communicate.

Do you have a cafeteria or a canteen on campus?

The school has tow cafeterias; one is reserved for post-secondary students. The cafeterias offers healthy options during morning breaks, lunch breaks and after school.

How often does your school arrange field trips?

Dubai College arranges local and international trips for students round the year.

How many teachers are currently teaching in your school?

Currently, there are around 103 teachers employed by the school