St. Mary Catholic High School Dubai

Located in Bur Dubai, St. Mary Catholic High School follows a British curriculum. Established in 1968, it is ranked among the list of schools in Dubai with fees affordable to parents. The school started as a single-classroom learning centre with a handful of teachers. Today, it has over 1,950 students taught by 153 teachers. About 30 nationalities are represented at the school, but most students hold an Indian passport. The low teacher-to-student ratio of 1:13 ensures the undivided attention of teachers. Most teachers on this campus are also Indians.

Saint Mary Catholic High School provides education from Year 1 to Year 13. It follows the National Curriculum of England with GCSE/IGCSE/GCE examinations in secondary and advanced level examinations in the higher secondary stage. The quality of education is standard and students that have passed out represent the school in some top colleges and universities. It has a limited range of well-maintained facilities supporting the syllabus. Besides, the facilities are also favourable for several non-academic activities, especially sports.

Read this guide to learn more about the facilities and education at St. Mary Catholic High School Dubai.

The school is situated in the popular Bur Dubai area. Bur Dubai is one of the largest residential hubs in Dubai that offers a plethora of residential options to residents.

The school’s strategic location makes it accessible to residents living all over Dubai. Some nearby residential communities from the school are:

• Al Karama
• Al Mankhool
• Al Jafiliya

Al Karama, a popular mixed-use area in Dubai, is nearest to the St. Mary Catholic High School Oud Metha. The area is crowded with several low-rise residential buildings with apartments for rent. It serves as an affordable community where all the amenities are available within the vicinity. Those looking for other nearby places can opt for Al Mankhool and Al Jafiliya communities. Nearby residential options from the school are:

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Oud Metha Campus

Housed inside the spacious plot in Oud Metha, Bur Dubai, the facilities are sufficient and support the overall growth and development of students.

Each classroom on this campus has ICT multimedia facilities, such as interactive whiteboards and projectors. These facilities are extensively used to deliver engaging and easy-to-understand lectures. Outside the classrooms lie free-flowing spaces that lead to large open spaces. The campus also has computer and science labs.

It also has a library stocked with a plethora of academic, fictional and non-fictional books and novels. Students can also find journals, periodicals, newspapers and online databases in the library. Another noteworthy indoor facility is the multipurpose hall dedicated to school events, indoor games and other popular school events. There is also a cafeteria, where students can enjoy their meals and socialise with peers.

Some outdoor facilities include a soccer pitch and basketball court. The giant outdoor spaces also act as playgrounds for children.

Muhaisnah Campus

St Mary School Dubai Muhaisnah is a relatively newer campus established in 2015. Most of the campus facilities are well-maintained and provide excellent academic and non-academic support to students. All the classrooms and laboratories are clean and safe. Classrooms have the latest technology to support students’ learning. Other noteworthy facilities include outdoor sports and play areas for children, a school clinic, an indoor sports hall and much more.

Saint Mary Catholic High School Dubai campus is situated close to Sheikh Rashid Auditorium at Oud Metha Road in Bur Dubai. Churches such as St. Thomas Orthodox Cathedral and Holy Trinity Church and schools, such as Dubai English Speaking School and Pakistan Education Academy, surround the educational institute. Those interested in visiting the school can access it via Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Ain Dubai Road.

St. Mary Catholic High School has a long and rich history of providing quality education to students in Dubai. Founded in 1968 by Father Eusebius Daveri, the school provides standard quality education to its students. The experience of over 50 years helped the school to implement the best teaching strategies.

St Mary’s School Dubai does not have a dedicated nursery and foundation stage schooling. Therefore, it serves as a gateway for students studying in local nurseries and foundation schools. Thus, it is a popular choice among parents of children studying in kindergartens and nurseries. Additionally, it follows the internationally recognised National Curriculum of England from Year 1 to Year 13. Students completing their education are enrolled in top colleges and universities.

The school’s syllabus focuses on the provision of quality education based on the international context. They enriched the curriculum to add the religious catholic teachings to Christian students who are in the majority. They also offer Islamic Education to Muslims and Social Studies to students of other faiths.

Middle-income parents seeking a good quality school for their kids consider St Mary High School Dubai. Students have access to sufficient academic and non-academic facilities at a nominal tuition fee. It serves as a great option for parents to enrol their kids in a British curricular school without straining their pockets.

It is a primary, middle and secondary school in Dubai that educates children aged 6 to 18 years old. The phases of education are:

The educational programme at St. Mary Catholic High School is based on the National Curriculum of England and Wales. It is an internationally recognised programme practised in British schools throughout the world. Students are prepared for IGCSE and GCSE examinations in Year 11 and A Levels in Year 13.

In the primary stage, a cross-curricular link is established between different subjects for better learning. The subjects taught to students at this stage are:

Afterwards, students are prepared for secondary certification examinations (IGCSE/GCSE). The school offers lessons in the following 16 subjects:

Students have to study 8 subjects from the aforementioned options.

For the Advanced (A) level, students have the options of the following subjects:

For more information, view the syllabus of St. Mary Catholic High School.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is the education regulatory body of Dubai. His Highness Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum developed it in 2006. This governmental entity aims to improve the quality of education offered by educational institutes in Dubai. It annually inspects the performances of schools and judges them based on a six-point scale. A detailed inspection report is issued every year that highlights the positives and recommendations for the school.

The school was rated ‘Good’ by the KHDA, a feat achieved for eight consecutive years since 2012. Here is a summary of the ratings for the last 10 years.

KHDA observed the following positives for St. Mary Catholic High School:

• The support provided by the school in promoting inclusion and tolerance
• Exemplary behaviour towards learning shown by students in secondary and Post-16 stages
• Community and environmental responsibility are shown by Post-16 students
• The attainment of secondary stage students in English, mathematics and science

The recommendations issued by KHDA in the latest inspection report are:

• Elevate students’ progress and attainment in the Post-16 stage and in Arabic
• Ensure improvement objects are measurable in terms of quality of teaching and students’ learning
• Set individual improvement targets by making use of the assessment data
• Review the curriculum for students in the lower primary phase to offer more challenging tasks to them

The academic year at St. Mary Catholic High School starts in August and ends in June. There are three terms in an academic year with the following important dates:

• The first term starts in the last week of August and ends in the second week of December. A three-week winter holiday starting from the third week of December follows the end of the first term.
• The second term starts in the first week of January and concludes in the fourth week of March. After the second term, students go on a spring break.
• The last term begins in the second week of April and ends in the last week of June.

For more information, view the academic calendar of St. Mary Catholic High School Dubai.

The admission process at this educational institute starts by completing an online application form available on the school website. The online form is available on the official website when admissions are opened. Admissions for the next year are open typically in October and ends in January.

Please note that the school also requires a printed version of the application form along with the following documents:

• A copy of passports with the valid UAE residence visa of both parents and the candidate
• Four passport size photographs of the candidate
• A copy of the candidate’s immunisation record
• Previous academic record
• A copy of Emirates IDs of both parents and the candidate
• A copy of the birth certificate of the candidate
• Baptismal Certificate (for Christians only)

Parents also need to submit a non-refundable application fee to proceed forward. The age-grade guideline is as follows:

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)

St. Mary Catholic High School usually issues the names of shortlisted candidates on the school website. The date of assessment is also mentioned on the website. Formal assessments in English and mathematics are conducted to gauge students’ skills. The names of successful candidates are posted on the website. This is followed by an interview taken by the principal or the admission team. Parents of the shortlisted candidates after the interview round need to submit the required deposit to secure a seat.

For further information, read the admission process of St. Mary Catholic High School Dubai.

The St Mary’s Catholic High School Dubai fee is as follows:

Please note that the aforementioned annual charges include tuition fees, textbook charges, computer and other lab charges, SIMS Capita London and additional study material.

For more information, view the fees structure of St. Mary Catholic High School Oud Metha.

Currently, the school does not offer any scholarship programme to its students.

Saint Mary School Dubai has a canteen where students and staff can buy a range of hot and cold food items. All the food items are prepared in a hygienic environment using fresh raw materials. These products are available at affordable prices.

This educational institute offers a safe and reliable transport facility for its students. It has outsourced its transport operations to the School Transport Services (STS). It is a reputable transport service provider in the UAE managing the transport operations of top schools in Dubai. STS has a well-maintained fleet of buses with incredible modern-day safety and security features. For monitoring, the school buses have video cameras and a Global Positioning System (GPS) tracking system. Other noteworthy safety and security features include a panic button, sleeping child check and electronic attendance system. The transport staff of STS, including bus drivers and conductors, act as per the guidelines set by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

St. Mary Catholic High School Oud Metha does not offer any boarding or hostel-related facilities to students.

The school does not offer holiday camps to its students, however; it offers international trips to students during spring break. Previously, students were taken to many places, such as:

• NASA Headquarters
• Washington DC
• China
• Italy
• Germany
• Switzerland

These trips are planned for students of Year 5 to A-Levels.

The school encourages students to remain fit and physically active. Sport is an important part of the students’ lives at St. Mary Catholic High School Oud Metha. A separate physical Education department is established at the school for sports-related activity. The department discovers talent,  trains them and arranges friendly and competitive matches. At this school, students play basketball, football, athletics, volleyball and gymnastics.

It also arranges annual sports competitions for boys and girls where they showcase their sporting skills. The sports facilities available at the campus include a football pitch, basketball courts and plenty of outdoor spaces for physical education.

The school has an Extra-Curricular Activity (ECA) Programme that caters to the non-academic needs of students. However, the activities are limited as compared to other British curriculum schools in Dubai. The ECA programme includes sports competitions, partaking external competitions and clubs. The noteworthy activities available to students of the St. Mary Catholic High School Dubai branch are:

Community Service

Community service as an extracurricular activity is available to students in Grade 12. It serves as an opportunity for them to give back to the community. Not only this, but it also focuses on building essential skills among the participants that would help them succeed in the modern-day world. The opportunities available for students in the community Service programme are:

• Assisting the special educator in educating a child
• Assisting the after-school extra-curricular activities
• Assisting admin and staff members
• Assisting the staff in preparing students for annual concerts and other competitions
• Assisting the librarian

Environmental Club

The most popular extra-curricular activity at the campus is the Environmental club of St Mary Catholic High School. The club is active for over 12 years and has played an important role in spreading awareness among students. Each year, the club arranges several activities that support its mission of protecting the planet. Some noteworthy activities by this club were Save Water Campaign and Earth day.

Other activities

Other ECA at the school include:

Saint Mary Catholic School Dubai arranges several field trips for its students. Most of the field trips within the school days are arranged within the UAE. Younger children mostly visit places like Dubai Mall, Kidzania, Mall of Emirates, various parks and museums.

The older students were taken to Motiongate, IMG Worlds of Adventure, Miracle Garden, waterparks and other popular recreational locations in the country.

The only after-school care available to students at St. Mary Catholic High School is in the form of extra-curricular activities.

The school has one clinic on-campus, with one full-time doctor and two full-time nurses.

At St. Mary Catholic High School Dubai, the most common mode of communication for parents is the SIMS Parent Application. It is a desktop-based application that allows parents to access vital information such as students’ progress, attendance record, teachers’ feedback and much more.

Parents can also contact the school via the school’s official website. Here, parents can get general information such as news, circulars and the latest updates. Additionally, parents can fill out the online contact form for an enquiry. Another effective mode of communication at this school is the WhatsApp Group. The school has designated WhatsApp groups for each year group in which parents of the students studying together in a classroom are added.

• Address: Oud Metha Road, near Sheikh Rashid Auditorium, Oud Metha, Bur Dubai, Dubai, UAE.
• Telephone Number:  +971 4 3370252
• Email Address: maryscol@emirates.net.ae
• Principal’s Email Address: paul.joseph-smchs@smgeducation.org
• Official Website

Note that the cover image belongs to St. Mary Catholic High School Dubai