Greenwood International School, Al Muhaisnah

Located in Muhaisnah, Greenwood International School (GIS) was inaugurated in the year 2006. It is an all-through school offering education from kindergarten to high school. GIS, Dubai follows the American curriculum, but recently it switched to the State of Michigan and US Common Core Standard from the state of Florida to get accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

Greenwood International School, Dubai is a private school with separate classes for boys and girls. There are over 1,400 students, 108 teachers and 23 teaching assistants. The teacher-to-student ratio is 1:26, which is quite admirable. 59 students of determination also receive education at GIS, Muhaisnah 1.

Greenwood International School has made it to the top 10 American schools in Dubai as well.

The KHDA rating for the school has remained ‘Good’ for the past nine inspections.

Residential communities near GIS school include:

• Al Mizhar
• Al Qusais
• Al Twar
• Mirdif

The nearest family-friendly neighbourhood is Al Mizhar, which houses elegant villas and is located right next to the famous Mushrif Park.

Families seeking rental properties near the school for the convenience of their children can browse the below-listed options.

• Apartments for rent near Greenwood International School
• Villas for rent near Greenwood International School
• Villas for sale near Greenwood International School

As of now, there is only one branch of Greenwood International School, Muhaisnah 1 that offers American curriculum-based education. The purpose-built campus ensures an effective learning environment for the benefit of students. From hallways to classrooms, you will find each facility to be well-maintained, well-equipped and furnished.

GIS campus facilities include science labs, a music room, an art room, computer labs, two prayer rooms, libraries, a multi-purpose hall, a clinic, outdoor areas and playgrounds, canteen, kindergarten indoor and outdoor play areas and a photocopy centre.

Elevators are installed to provide convenience and comfort to students with special needs. Similarly, the main entrance of the school has a raised ramp and rail for the specially-abled students.

Greenwood International School is located in Muhaisnah 1 near Dubai Women’s Medical College. The GIS school shares locality with other numerous schools and the popular Etihad Mall.

Greenwood International School, Deira is on a mission to provide quality American curriculum-based education to its students. The school actively promotes and develops students to be responsible global citizens.

The school has a leadership team consisting of heads of departments of different subjects and members from the board of governors. The primary aim is to maintain the quality of education and provide top-notch facilities that are imperative for an interactive and engaging learning environment.

The admission policy allows students from diverse backgrounds to be a part of the global community. Students of determination are keenly supported by the school; there are special-need facilities to make them comfortable.

Finally, the amount of clubs and programmes that GIS school, Dubai has arranged for children to pursue their interests is quite impressive.

Since Greenwood International School offers an education based on the American curriculum, classes are divided into four categories: kindergarten, elementary school, middle school and high school.

Please note that the segregation policy is effective from Grade 5.

Kindergarten Level

The curriculum at this level pays special attention to the supervision by parents and teachers. The main activities at this level allow children to explore the world around them, including building self-reliance, forming good work, playing and learning to get along with others.

Subjects at this level include Mathematics, Arabic, Islamic and Quran, English, orals, Science, PE, Art, Stories and Music.

Elementary School

The elementary school consists of Grade 1 to Grade 5. At this stage, students make use of technology during their lessons. Further, learning approaches such as multi-sensory and hands-on activities are included in this level to increase the engagement of students.

Subjects offered during elementary school are English, Maths, Science, Arabic, Islamic Studies, Social Studies, Art, P.E and ICT.

Different tests are conducted to evaluate the progress of elementary students, including MAP (Measure of Academic Progress) and CAT4 (Cognitive Ability Test) in Grade 4.

Middle School

Curriculum and teaching methods used in middle school are different from the methods used in previous grades. Here, teaching and lesson plans are customised based on the performance of students in MAP and CAT tests.

The focus of the teachers at this stage is to allow students to integrate globalisation, moral values, innovation, and leadership as per their learning and creativity levels.

The curriculum of middle school is aligned with Common Core Standards and includes subjects like English, Maths, Science, ICT, Art, Physical Education, Moral Education, Arabic, Islamic Studies and Social Studies.

High School

The high school is the last level observed in the American curriculum and students graduate with a diploma or a certificate. A minimum of 24 credits is required to graduate from high school or receive a diploma. The curriculum involves electives as well, where students take advanced courses in the field that they plan to pursue at a later stage or in college.

Here’s a list of the subjects offered during high school and their respective credits.

• English: 4 credits
• Arabic: 4 credits
• Science: 3 credits
• Maths: 3 credits
• Social Studies: 2 credits
• Islamic Studies: 2 credits
• P.E: 2 credits
• Arts: 0.5 credits
• Electives: 3.5 credits

Electives available to students are divided among the 4 grades.

• Freshman Year: Geometry/Algebra I and Earth science/ intro to physical sciences
• Sophomore Year: Environmental/Cell Bio, Accounting/Graphic design and Visual arts/ Drama
• Junior Year: Economics/ Thermodynamics and Physical Chemistry/ ICT
• Final Year: Calculus/ Business, Heredity/Waves/Mass Communication and Organic Chemistry/ICT

To assist private schools in Dubai in maintaining the quality of education, the UAE government has established a regulatory body called the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA). This entity rates schools based on a six-point scale as ‘Outstanding’, ‘Very Good’, ‘Good’, ‘Acceptable’, ‘Weak’ and ‘Very Weak.’

For the ninth time in a row, Greenwood International School’s KHDA rating is ‘Good’.

The report highlighted key strengths of GIS school, Muhaisnah.

• The school provides outstanding health and safety facilities for students and staff.
• Students show a responsible attitude towards peers and adopt a healthy lifestyle.
• The role of Islam and its contribution to the UAE’s culture and world culture is well understood by the students.
• Students are remarkably aware of the environment and the potential to be a good citizen of the school and the community at large.
• A good partnership between teachers and parents is formed that only enhances the learning abilities of the child.
• Proven improvement in student’s reading skills across the curriculum.

Nevertheless, the following are the areas that need improvement according to KHDA report:

• Governance and leadership should provide urgent and purposeful action to significantly raise student achievement, especially in the elementary school.
• Improve the quality of teaching.

Greenwood International School academic calendar, following the American system, is divided into two semesters.

• The first semester starts in the last week of August and ends in December. Students of Grades 1 to 5 have mid-year exams in the first and second week of December. Following this, there is a 3-week break from mid-December to the first week of January. After which students of Grades 6 to 12 appear for mid-year examinations in the third and fourth week of January.
• The second semester starts in the first week of February with a 2-week break from the last week of March to the first week of April. This semester ends in the last week of June after which students get to enjoy a 2-month summer break.

Interested candidates need to fulfil a few requirements to complete the admission process at Greenwood International School, Deira.

Registration Process

The admissions start in February. All requests will be directly made to the school administration department. Throughout the registration process, the registrar will supervise all the applications.

The following documents need to be submitted to proceed with the admission process:

• A copy of Emirates ID, passport and residence visa
• A copy of the original birth certificate of the child
• Family book (Kholasat Kayd) is required for UAE nationals.
• 6 new photographs of the student (size 4×6 cm)
• Vaccination card and medical file
• Mark sheet or statement of the pass of examination for the last school class starting from Grade 2
• For high school student, a letter of recommendation from their last school
• Transfer of certificate from the previous school
• Students with SEND requirements must submit their Comprehensive Assessment Report/ Psycho-Educational Report or doctor’s report (for the diagnosed cases), IEP and SEND Progress Report.

Please ensure that all the above-listed documents must be attested by the Ministry of Education or the Education Office, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the UAE Embassy or Consulate in the country from which the school certificates are issued and Ministries of GCC Countries.

Admission in the school is subject to passing entrance tests and assessments designed for each level.

Before initiating the admission process, parents must ensure that their child follows the following age cut-off.

This is based on the age of the students on 31st March (for schools beginning in April) and 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)

Following is the Greenwood International School fees structure:

GIS School, Dubai has a School Lunch Program (SLP) to provide low-fat, low-sugar and nutritional foods to students.

Three categories of foods are not allowed in the school canteen: competitive food, foods with minimal nutritional values (FMNV) and foods with trans-fat. However, on special occasions such as birthday parties, bake sales and other events parents are allowed to send these foods.

The school has adopted an ‘eCanteen’ system’ where students can use their GIS card for cashless lunch payment.

The transportation facility at GIS, Muhaisnah is provided by both the school and an outsourced company, Apollo.

GIS school operates 6 buses to provide transportation to students coming from different locations. However, they have Apollo on board as well to cover the transportation needs of all the students.

A transportation form is to be filled and submitted to the administration department with current residence address and contact information. Upon the availability of seats in the bus covering the desired route, the school will inform the parents. All buses provided are in excellent condition with drivers and nannies trained by the school and the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

Please note that in case of any change in address, contact information or pick-and-drop schedule, parents need to reach out to the admin department with the latest information to avoid any inconvenience. The bus routes are designed as per the following areas and the bus fees are calculated accordingly.

Sports facilities at the school include a mini football pitch, three recreational tent-covered areas to host different sports and a basketball court.

Greenwood International School, Muhaisnah creates a friendly ambience and paves the way for students to develop their passion and interest in areas other than academics. For this purpose, there are several clubs available for students to join and explore their non-academic pursuits.

GIS school provides ample opportunities to its students when it comes to exploration and real-life experiences. Apart from residential and eco field trips for educational purposes, the school also invests in overseas trips. Some of these trips are to London, where students get to experience English history and culture. Students were also taken on an Umrah trip by the school.

GIS, Dubai has an after-school care club until 02:10 pm for the Kindergarten section.

The medical centre at Greenwood International School, Muhaisnah 1 has a full-time physician and two nurses, all of which are licensed by the Dubai Health Authority (DHA). The clinic is well-equipped to provide various services from first aid treatments to Automated External Defibrillator (AED).

Greenwood International School, Dubai has established a parent portal for parents and guardians to receive updates regarding the child’s academic performance. This portal can be used to access the school and events calendar.

Other than this, the website has a feedback and queries page where parents can message any complaints, queries or questions they have.

Similarly, a WhatsApp group for each grade is maintained by the school. Parents can join this group by requesting the class teacher.

• Telephone Number: +971-4-288-8000
• Email:
  • General Enquiries: info@greenwood.sch.ae
• Greenwood International School Website