Vernus International School, Dubai

Vernus International School (VIS), also known as Vernus International Primary School, is an American curriculum school offering classes based on the California Common Core State Standard (CCSS) from Pre-K to Grade 5. The latest addition to the list of American schools in Dubai opened its doors to young children in August 2020.

Initially, VIS only had two sections for each grade, with almost 22 to 24 students. The teaching faculty is mainly from the United States and believes that Project-Based Learning (PBL) is the best possible teaching and learning approach. The school plans to add grades and offer classes until Grade 12 gradually.

• Location: Dubai Silicon Oasis
• School fees: AED 34,000 - AED 39,500
• Curriculum: American
• Co-ed or segregate: Co-ed
• KHDA rating: Acceptable
• Years offered: Pre-KG - Grade 5

Residential communities near Vernus International School include:

• Academic City
• Nad al Sheba
• International city
• Warsan 2

Academic City, also known as the Dubai International Academic City or DIAC, is completely dedicated to educational institutes. International City Dubai is popular as one of the best affordable housing areas in the city.

Al Warsan is a mixed-use community and a relatively recent development divided into four sub-communities. Nad Al Sheba Dubai offers a mix of villas and apartments and is also divided into four big sub-communities.

Parents looking for apartments and villas near the school can check out:

• Apartments for rent near Vernus International School
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• Apartments for sale near Vernus International School
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Vernus International School has a purpose-built campus with excellent science labs, a STEM centre, cooking stations and sports facilities. There is a learners’ swimming pool and a safe outdoor play area.

VIS classrooms are bright and spacious to make kids feel comfortable. Digital library, hydroponics lab and virtual reality hub are other premium facilities at Vernus International Primary School Dubai campus.

Vernus International School is based in Silicon Oasis City Oasis 2, Dubai Silicon Oasis, near Sheikh Zayed Bin Hamdan Al Nahyan Street. The campus is close to Dubai Academic City.

Vernus International School is a new US curriculum school in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, that aims to deliver holistic education to pre-K to Grade 5 students. The primary focus, as stated earlier, is Project-Based Learning (PBL) for teaching and learning. Similarly, the management understands that classroom learning is more than academic achievement.

VIS’s mission is to focus on social, emotional, physical and technical skills development through an innovative teaching approach monitored closely by education specialists.

Through Project-Based Learning, the school promotes intellectual curiosity and innovative thinking skills in students. The school has a safe learning environment where students are accountable for their academic achievement and get full support from their teachers.

Open communication between parents, students and teachers is valued at the school.

The school fosters the spirit of lifelong learning and builds a community of young productive citizens. Vernus International School aims to become a valuable asset to the local community. It is one of the few schools that offer a Multilingual Program that includes English, French and Arabic.

The school currently offers classes from Pre-K to Grade 5. There are plans to gradually add years until Grade 12. At this point, all classes are divided into two sections.

Section	Grade
Kindergarten	Pre-KG – KG2
Elementary School	Grade 1 – Grade 5

The American curriculum followed at Venus International Primary School, Silicon Oasis, is based on the California Common Core State Standards (CCSS). The curriculum is designed to cater to the needs and interests of every child. Best international research is incorporated to develop knowledge built on children’s natural curiosity. The school believes that students’ educational and cultural needs are met only when they get attention and support from the school and parents.

The school is spacious and has an attractive and engaging interior. Classrooms, in particular, have resources to make learning effective and easy.

The school wants children to communicate their feelings and articulate their talents and skills. VIS also firmly believes in cultural diversity and intercultural learning and encourages students to participate in various extra-curricular activities.

Learning at the Kindergarten level focuses on sensory activities, role play and outdoor learning. Teachers ensure that each child develops his/her speaking and listening skills and is respectful of their adults and peers.

Subjects taught in the Elementary school build on the foundation in the Kindergarten classes. Project-Based Learning (PBL) includes these programmes:

• Art & Music
• Food & Cooking
• Sports & Wellbeing
• Technology & Innovation
• Farming & Gardening

The Ministry of Education Arabic curriculum is also implemented across all grades so that students are well aware of the Islamic and UAE culture. Non-native Arabic students take at least four periods of the Arabic language.

Islamic Studies is incorporated in the curriculum following the Ministry of Education guidelines from Grades 1 to 5. Islamic Studies books and resources highlight Islamic values through surahs and hadith and are approved by the MOE for native and non-native Arabic students.

English, French, Spanish and Arabic are part of the curriculum from Pre-K to Grade 5.

Vernus International School assessments involve both formative and summative evaluations. Teachers assess students’ critical thinking, curriculum mastery and application, class participation and investigative approach. While Project-Based Learning is the target approach, sometimes teachers use textbooks to enhance learning outcomes.

The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) rates Dubai schools on a six-point scale between ‘Outstanding’ and ‘Very Weak.’

The school was inspected for the first time between 13 to 17 March 2023 and received an 'Acceptable' rating. However, KHDA has not yet published a full report. We will highlight the strong and weak points of the school once the full report is published.

Venus International Primary School’s 10-month academic calendar starts in August and ends in July. 

Academic Calendar Breakdown	Dates
First day of Term 1	29 August 2022
Last day of Term 2	9 December 2022
Winter Break	12 December  - 30 December 2022
First day of Term 2	2 January 2023
Last day of Term 2	24 March 2023
Spring Break	27 Mach - 7 April 2023
First day of Term 3	10 April 2023
Last day of Term 3	5 July 2023

Vernus International Primary School admission process starts with online registration. Interested parents can complete the form available on the school’s website. Similarly, you can also contact the school via WhatsApp or their social media handles listed in the last section of the guide to know more about the seats’ availability.

VIS also encourages parents to visit the facility themselves to get familiar with the learning process and environment. Once parents are satisfied, they can easily register their child by filling out the online form. Please note that when the form is received, parents need to pay the application fee of AED 525.

The school contacts parents and schedules an assessment. Parents need to pay AED 525 for assessments to take place. 

Documents to be submitted at the time of admission include:

• Passport of student
• Emirates ID of the student (front and back)
• Visa of the child
• Most recent school reports
• Any medical or diagnostic report, IEPs/ILPs (individualised educational/learning plans)

Once the assessment process is complete, parents will receive feedback within 24 hours. At this point, parents are requested to submit the following:

• Birth certificate of the student (English or Arabic)
• Immunisation record of the student
• Six recent passport-size photographs of the student
• Leaving certificate from the previous school
• Copies of parents' passport
• Copies of parents’ visas
• Copies of parents Emirate ID (from and back)

When all documents and forms are successfully received, parents are requested to deposit a tuition fee equivalent to 10% of the yearly tuition fee. Also, the school welcomes students from other countries.

For international students, parents must complete the registration form and submit copies of the child’s passport and birth certificate. They must also present an attested copy of the Transfer Certificate for the child’s enrollment.

• Students from the United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia or New Zealand need a Transfer Certificate with the school’s stamp and signature.
• Those from GCC countries must submit TCs with signatures and stamps from the school and the Ministry of Education of the GCC country of origin.
• For all other countries, the TC must bear the stamp and signature of the school, the government of origin’s Ministry of Education and Foreign Affairs, and the UAE Embassy in that country.

Once seats are all full, VIS places successful applicants on a waiting list. Parents will be informed once a place is available in the corresponding grade.

Please note that VIS follows the age placement guidelines approved by the KHDA. Here’s an overview of the age requirements to give you a better understanding.

Year	Age
FS1	3 Years
FS2	4 Years
Year 1	5 Years
Year 2	6 Years
Year 3	7 Years
Year 4	8 Years
Year 5	9 Years
Year 6	10 Years

Vernus International Primary School fee structure includes books, stationery, uniform and medical clinic costs.

Grade	Application Fee	Assessment Fee	Registration Fee	Tuition Fee
Grade Pre-K to KG 2	Application Fee AED 525	Assessment Fee AED 525	Registration Fee AED 3,400	Tuition Fee AED 34,000
Grade Grade 1 to 3	Application Fee AED 525	Assessment Fee AED 525	Registration Fee AED 3,700	Tuition Fee AED 37,000
Grade Grade 4 and 5	Application Fee AED 525	Assessment Fee AED 525	Registration Fee AED 3,950	Tuition Fee AED 39,500

Registration and assessment fees are inclusive of VAT. VIS also offers sibling discounts to facilitate parents:

• 1st sibling: 5% discount on annual tuition fee
• 2nd sibling: 7% discount on annual tuition fee
• 3rd sibling: 10% discount on annual tuition fee
• Emirates staff: 15% discount on tuition fees

Please note that the VIS fee structure mentioned above is approved by the KHDA and can be paid monthly, termly or annually. Parents can directly visit the school’s account office to deposit payment via cash, credit card or cheque.

Charges for extra-curricular activities and field trips must be paid to the class teacher as and when these events take place.

Some additional charges include:

Optional Services	Fees
Transport	AED 4,260 to AED 9,000
Uniform	AED 50 to AED 600
Extracurricular Activities	AED 0 to AED 1,500
School Trips	AED 0 to AED 150

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

VIS recommends children bring snacks and a packed lunch that provides them with a healthy and balanced meal.

VIS provides transport services. Those who want to know more about the school bus services can contact the main reception transportation office.

Premium sports-related campus facilities include a football court, a tennis and handball court, a swimming pool and a gymnasium. There are indoor and outdoor play areas for Vernus International Primary School students.

Students can choose to play volleyball, football and basketball at the school.

The school has designed extracurricular activities to give students a chance to try out new things and continue learning outside their classrooms. Some popular options include:

• Chess club
• Sports
• Arts
• Music
• STEM
• Foreign languages
• Drama

Students also participate in field trips that help extend their classroom learning. The field trip fee is paid to the class teachers.

A full-time doctor and nurse take care of the medical needs of students during school hours.

Grade-specific WhatsApp groups, besides social media pages and a parent portal, are created to keep parents informed about the latest news and announcements.

• Telephone: +971-4-320-8000
• Email: registrar@vis-dubai.ae
• VIS Website
• VIS Facebook
• VIS Instagram
• VIS YouTube

Please note that the cover image belongs to Vernus International School.

What are the timings of Vernus International School?

The school remains open from Monday through Friday. The timings are:

• Pre-KG: 08:00 am to 01:00 pm
• KG 1 - KG 2: 08:00 am to 01:45 pm
• Grade 1: 08:00 am to 02:30 pm
• Grade 2 - Grade 5: 07:45 am to 02:30 pm

On Fridays, all the grades start at 07:45 am and end at 11:30 am.

How many grades/years are there in Vernus International School?

Vernus International School offers classes from Pre-KG until Grade 5.

How many students are currently studying at Vernus International School?

Currently, there are 331 students enrolled in the school, including 14 students of determination.

Can you please describe the academic calendar of Vernus International School?

The academic calendar 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 Vernus International School?

The annual fee ranges from AED 34,000 to AED 39,500.

How do you communicate with parents?

There are multiple ways for VIS to communicate with parents, including a parent portal, social media pages and grade-specific WhatsApp groups.

How often does Vernus International School arrange field trips?

The school organises various local trips for students throughout the academic year.

How many teachers are currently teaching at Vernus International School?

The teaching staff consists of 26 teachers and 11 teaching assistants.