United International Private School (UIPS)

Founded in 1992 by Col Mohammad Al Hersh and Dr Mohammed Al Neyadi, the United International Private School (UIPS) is the first of the few Filipino schools in Dubai. Since its establishment, the school has been successfully catering to the academic needs of expatriates from the Philippines. The school timing for elementary and secondary school starts at 7:20 am and ends at 2:30 pm from Sundays to Thursdays.

Following the Philippines curriculum, the school offers education in an international context without compromising Filipino tradition and culture. Those studying in UIPS start their academic journey from kindergarten and end it in Grade 12. The skills and expertise developed by the school help students pursue an education in top colleges and universities in the world.

Currently, a teaching staff of over 92 teachers, predominantly Filipinos, supports the need of over 2,200 students. The school also supports a small proportion of students with additional learning needs. KHDA rated the current performance of the school as acceptable.

This guide provides a comprehensive overview of the various aspects of United International Private School (UIPS).

The School sits in the heart of Muhaisnah 4 – a community flooded with exceptional living amenities. The school is close to various residential and industrial development areas, making it an ideal destination for all. The community is near the Dubai-Sharjah Border, suitable for families living in both emirates. One of the major roads in Dubai, Sheikh Mohammed Bin Zayed Road (E311), connects the community with the rest of Dubai. The following are the nearby residential communities from UIPS:

• Muhaisnah 3
• Al Qusais
• Al Nahda

Muhaisnah 3 is the nearest residential community to United International Private School. This area is known for mix-use projects resulting in outstanding amenities for the residents. It is a villa-only community, providing spacious and luxurious living opportunities to its residents. Those interested in apartment-style living can look into Al Nahda and other nearby locations.

• Apartments for rent near United International Private School (UIPS)
• Apartments for sale near United International Private School (UIPS)
• Villas for rent near United International Private School (UIPS)
• Villas for sale near United International Private School (UIPS)

The UIPS campus at Muhaisnah 4 has many facilities for its students. The school ensures appropriate sports facilities for pupils belonging to different age groups. Classrooms are spacious and airy and decorated with posters. There is a separate activity room for kindergarten students for learning and play activities. Besides, there is a separate instructional room for kindergarten students.

The facilities at elementary and high school instructional rooms, including the furniture, provide a comfortable learning environment to its students. The campus also has separate science laboratories for physics, biology and chemistry. There also exist three state-of-the-art Information and Communication Technology (ICT) laboratories to aid in students’ learning.

In terms of sports and outdoor play, the school offers limited opportunities with only a shaded court for basketball. Other facilities at UIPS include a conference room, school library, medical clinic, a school cafeteria and a parking space for school buses.

The school is near Gulf Model School at 17 A Street in Muhaisnah 4. The school is easily accessible through Haleb Street and 76th Street that connects to 17 A Street.

The Filipino community has limited options in terms of good schools in Dubai. Fortunately, United International Private School is one of the few Filipino schools in Dubai close to their national and ethnic values.  It follows the Philippine curriculum of Education with an international context. The international context makes it an attractive option for Filipinos.

The school emphasises Information and Communication Technology (ICT) education. The facilities available at the campus further support the students to pursue top-notch skills and expertise in ICT. Additionally, the other facilities at the campus, including science laboratories, are satisfactory.

Another attractive feature for parents to enrol their kids in UIPS is its affordable fee structure. Their annual tuition fee is less than many international schools in Dubai. Moreover, the quality of education offered at this price range is exemplary, allowing parents to enrol their kids without a strain on their pockets.

UIPS educates students from Kindergarten to Grade 12, featuring children aged 4 to 17. The school splits the education system into the following stages:

At UPIS, the school follows the K-12 Basic Education Curriculum (BEC). It is a Filipino education curriculum designed by the Department of Education (DepED) in the Philippines, approved by the KHDA and the Ministry of Education (MOE). It is an educational programme offering 12 years of education after kindergarten.

With this curriculum, the school targets subject-wise learning areas. They expect students to master these areas with the completion of each grade. The educational syllabus at UIPS allows the school to monitor students’ transition through different stages to develop individual developmental domains. The school further strengthens students’ learning by exposing them to cross-curricular and extra-curricular activities.

Teachers at UIPS focuses on developing the cognitive and intellectual skills of students. For this purpose, it offers challenging activities in science and mathematics. Consequently, students can apply scientific and mathematical theories in real-life applications. Social studies cover the cultural and ethnic heritages of the UAE and the Philippines. The school also caters to creative and artistic needs through physical education, health education, arts and music. Islamic Education is for Muslims and Values Education to non-Muslim students.

The school addresses the needs of less academically able students by offering learning enhancement programmes.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) is a governmental entity regulating the education sector of Dubai. KHDA is responsible for overseeing and managing the quality of private education institutes in Dubai. They rate school annually and offer a judgement based on a six-point scale.

KHDA inspected United International Private School from 5th to 9th December 2022 and rated it as “Acceptable.”

Students show good attainment and progress in English and Science in external national tests but it is lower in Mathematics. Senior High school students show at least good standards in most subjects. Students develop skills required in international benchmark tests. They show outstanding personal development and have a strong sense of social responsibility with a very good understanding of living healthily. Students and staff share a respectful relationship. Students also have outstanding attendance records and they showcase an excellent understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture.

Teaching is consistently good in Junior High and very good in Senior High. Most teachers methodically plan lessons but they do not us

e assessment data for effective lessons to meet the specific needs of students.

United International’s curriculum is broad and balanced. It meets the Philippine National Curriculum requirements. It has been broadened for the KG section with the addition of content such as parts of speech in English. The curriculum adaptations do not guarantee preparations for external benchmark tests.

The school has embedded well-being across all aspects. Its ethos is founded on excellent care, guidance and protection of students. UIPS has made considerable improvements in the transportation arrangement for the entry and exit of children.

The principal and VP share a clear vision and understanding of the school’s current performance. They are well aware of the school and require further capacity to improve the school’s overall performance. Communication channels in school seem to be effective but they still need to be more impactful for improving teaching and learning.

The strength of the school include:

• Very good learning and teaching in Senior High
• The caring ethos, warm relationships and concrete commitment to the well-being of students, staff and parents
• Students’ outstanding understanding of Emirati culture and Islamic values
• The online resource development and investment put in digital infrastructure and learning management system
• The commendable partnership with parents and their involvement in the decision-making processes

Some key recommendations made by the KHDA are:

Improve the overall performance of the school by:

• Making sure leaders monitor teachers’ lesson plan to ensure it matches the needs of students
• Focusing on the development priorities identified in the improvement and action plan
• Ensure every teacher understands the relevance of assessment and utilises it for lesson planning to meet the needs of student

Improve KG and Primary level learning and teaching by:

• Ensuring learning activities offer challenges for all groups of students

Raise students’ achievements in external benchmark tests by making sure students particularly primary and Junior High groups are efficiently prepared and have developed critical thinking, research skills and independent learning practices

Modify and adapt the curriculum to make it more aligned with national and international expectation and provides further opportunities for enterprise and innovation.

The academic year of 2021-2022 for United International Private School has 188 days spread across four terms.

The academic year starts in late August with a three-week winter and a three-week spring break. The winter break starts in the third week of December and ends in the last week of December. Students go on the last week of March and return on the third week of April after the spring break. The year ends in the last week of June.

United International Private School (UIPS) follows an inclusive and straightforward admission policy. The school recommends parents fill out the form with the required information to start the admission process.

The documents required for the admission process are:

• Two passport size photographs (white background)
• A copy of the candidate’s birth certificate
• A copy of the candidate’s and parents’ passport and visa
• Original and a copy of Emirates ID of both the candidate and parents
• Immunisation record (for students aged six years or above)

The school may also ask for the report card and transfer certificate. If applying from outside Dubai, the relevant bodies must attest to the transfer certificate. Contact the admission team to learn more about the attestation details.

Once all the relevant documents and forms are submitted, the school will contact the parents with further details. Admission at UIPS depends on academic record, admission results, deportment and interview. Initially, the school conducts an assessment in written form to screen students. The school may conduct an informal session, such as an interview or observation if further assessment is required. The assessment result will either be passed or considered.

The age-grade guideline followed by UIPS 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)

For further information, view the admission process at UIPS.

The fee structure for the year 2022-2023 is as follows:

Other services are charged separately.

The fee is payable in full, bi-annually, quarterly and monthly basis. The acceptable payment methods are cheque, cash, debit and credit card. Please note that parents should make all transactions to the school’s accounts department.

The school also offers sibling discounts to parents:

• 5% discount on two children
• 10% discount on three children
• 15% discount on three children
• 20% discount on four children

To reward loyal parents, UIPS offers sibling discounts to parents. For more information, visit the fees structure at the United International Private School.

The United International Private School has a comprehensive scholarship programme for academically gifted students. The school offers scholarships to top performers from Grade 4 to Grade 11.

• The first honour of each grade will receive a fee deduction of 15%.
• The second honour of each grade will receive a fee deduction of 12%.
• The third honour of each grade will receive a fee deduction of 10%.

For more information, contact the school’s administration.

UIPS has a cafeteria with large dining spaces for students. A diverse range of healthy and nutritious options are available for children. All the hot and cold items at the school cafeteria are affordable. They allow students to re-energise themselves for studies. Students can also bring a lunch from home.

The school understands its status as a high-quality Filipino school. Therefore, to cater to the educational needs of Filipino students living throughout Dubai and Sharjah, the school has its transportation service.

They have well-maintained buses within their fleet. All the buses comply with the safety and security regulations laid by the Roads and Transport Authority (RTA).

The routes and their respective charges are as follows:

For more information regarding students code of conduct, View the school transportation at UIPS.

Currently, the school does not provide any boarding or hostel service to its students. For convenience, the school offers a safe and reliable transport service to its students.

The school offers no holiday camps to its students.

The school has a multipurpose sports hall that facilitates all indoor games such as basketball, badminton, table tennis and volleyball.

United International Private School (UIPS) offers several extra-curricular opportunities to students. The K-12 basic education curriculum allows the school to integrate students’ attention in academic and non-academic activities. The school believes that taking part in such activities results in well-rounded students. Some of the renowned extra-curricular activities at UIPS are:

Sports competition

As a part of the Filipino Inter-School Athletic Association (FISAA), United International Private School conducts a yearly sports competition. In this competition, students with athletic skills participate in different sports.

CadT Training

CadT training is a popular leadership development activity at UIPS. In this programme, students learn about the importance of the constitution and human rights, resulting in leadership skills among the participants.

Journalism Seminar Programme

Journalism Seminar Programme is specifically for students fond of writing. This programme improves students’ writing skills that help them in academic and non-academic disciplines. Improved writing skills help students become part of UIPS publications such as UIPS Bulletin and The Creek.

Other extra-curricular activities at UIPS include Philippine Independence Day, foundation day, family fun day, National UAE day and the scouting movement.

The school extends the learning of students beyond the walls of its classrooms. It targets curiosity and inquisitive nature of its students to great effect by exposing them to different environments. For this purpose, they arrange several school trips throughout the academic year. Besides educational purposes, they also organise recreational trips for students. Children mostly visit parks, museums and other places of historical significance.

Currently, the only after-school care at UIPS is in the form of extra-curricular activities.

UIPS has a clinic managed by experienced medical staff to provide medical care to students. The medical facilities at school are suitable to handle minor to moderate illnesses and injuries. The school maintains the medical records that parents have to submit at admissions.

At UIPS, there is a strong focus on communication between school and parents. The school considers constant communication with parents as vital for its success. To facilitate communication, the school introduced several modes of communication.

Parent-teacher conference is the primary source of communication between teachers and parents. Parents and teachers share their feedback on different aspects of the school.

Besides the parent-teacher conference, the school conducts parent-teacher meetings at the end of each phase. In these meetings, the school shares the academic performance of the children with their parents. Parents and teachers can also contact each other through the school’s designated WhatsApp groups.

• Telephone:+971-4-254-3888
• Email: uips-info@uips.ae
• United International Private School Website
• United International Private School Facebook
• United International Private School Instagram

Note that the cover image belongs to United International private School (UIPS)

What are the timings of the school?

7:40 am to 2:45.

How many grades are there in the school?

KG2 to Grade 12

Does the school follow a co-education model?

Yes, United International Private School has a co-education model.

Please describe the academic calendar of the school.

The school year starts in August and ends in June.

Please mention the range of the tuition fee charged by the school.

AED 5,540 to AED 11,797.

Does the school offer scholarship programmes to needy and deserving students?

Yes, UIPS has set up a scholarship programme to top three honor students from Grade 4 to Grade 11. 

How does the school communicate with parents?

United International School Dubai conducts parent-teacher conferences and meetings to enable smooth communication with parents. It also has a WhatsApp group to ensure parents are promptly informed.

How many students are currently studying in the school?

UIPS has 1914 students.

Does the school have a cafeteria or a canteen on campus?

The school has a cafeteria where students can buy and have lunch.

How many teachers are currently teaching in the school?

There are 79 teachers and 14 teaching assistants in United International Private School.