Dubai National School
Good Al Barsha, Dubai · British (NCfE)
- KHDA rating
- Good
Good standards in most areas. The most common rating among Dubai schools. Ratings are from the last full inspection cycle (2023–24).
- Annual fees
- AED 22,000 to 46,000 a year
Varies by year group; confirm current fees with the school. 2026–27 fees are frozen by KHDA directive.
- Curriculum
- British (NCfE)
- Established
- Founded 1996
- School transport
- Bus service available
- Location
- Al Barsha, Dubai
District-level pin for Al Barsha — use the Google Maps link for the exact gate.
Link verified against a live domain, July 2026.
Check travel time from your location
Opens live directions in Google Maps — real traffic from your own address beats any published estimate. School-run traffic peaks roughly 7–8am; test your route at drop-off time.
In context
Its mid-range fee is about 38 per cent below the median for British (NCfE) schools in this guide (AED 54,632). It is one of 62 schools in this guide currently rated Good.
Worth comparing: Greenwood International School (AED 16,000 to 30,000 a year) — a lower-fee option in the same area.
These comparisons are computed from the verified data in this register, not editorial opinion.
What the inspectors said
Paraphrased from the last full DSIB inspection (2023–24 cycle) and its published record — read the complete report on the official KHDA directory.
Strengths the inspectors named:
- Good in 2023–24 — the Al Twar branch, opened in 2006, serving a student body just over 60% Emirati and almost entirely Arab national.
- Children in Kindergarten and students in High School achieve well in all subjects.
- Most students show respectful and considerate behaviour, with a strong understanding of Islamic values and their relevance to the UAE, and strong social responsibility and innovation skills.
- Strong health and safety standards, robust child protection policies and effective counselling services — four counsellors on staff.
- Exceptional staffing ratios for the fee level: roughly 1:10, average class size around 21 against a KHDA recommended limit of 25, and teacher turnover at about 9%, well below the international-school average.
What they asked the school to improve:
- Teaching quality is not consistently observed — most teachers have strong subject knowledge and engage students well in the best lessons, but the standard varies.
- Enrolment has fallen substantially, from around 1,750 students in 2018 to just over 1,250 — a trend worth asking leaders about directly.
- Boys and girls are taught separately from Grade 4 onward: a defining feature to weigh, not a flaw.
Inclusion (students of determination): Inclusion is rated Acceptable at this campus, which is below the standard the regulator expects and the most important fact on this page for a family whose child needs support. Inspectors record that students of determination receive varying levels of support in lessons and that provision is less developed for those with gifts and talents, with subject leadership capability requiring strengthening and self-evaluation data not sufficiently reliable. Set against that, personal development, social responsibility and students’ understanding of Islamic values and Emirati and world cultures are genuinely commended, and the school is NEASC accredited and affordable. Note also the contrast with its Al Barsha sibling, where many Middle and High school measures reach Very Good — same name, different provision. See the special educational needs guide for the questions to ask on a visit.
Inspector summaries are being added school by school as each report is read — 169 of 169 so far, dated per cycle, never invented. A school without a summary yet is unread, not unjudged.
Visit kit
Questions worth asking on a tour — tuned to this school’s rating and curriculum:
- Who leads inclusion here — and may we meet them before enrolling?
- How much staff turnover did you have last year, and why?
- What are actual class sizes this term — not the maximum?
- How and how often will I hear about my child’s progress?
Saved only on this device — never uploaded, never shared.
Special educational needs? Read the inclusion guide before you visit.
Other schools in Al Barsha
- GEMS Albarsha National School — Acceptable, AED 10,000 to 20,000 a year
- Repton Al Barsha — Very Good, AED 53,540 to 89,774 a year
- Nord Anglia International School Dubai — Outstanding, AED 69,625 to 105,288 a year
- Kings School Al Barsha — Outstanding, AED 54,000 to 98,000 a year
Work at this school? Correct or update this record — verified corrections are made promptly and logged publicly.