Dubai National School Al Barsha
Good Al Barsha, Dubai · American
- 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
- Fees not listed — confirm with the school
Varies by year group; confirm current fees with the school. 2026–27 fees are frozen by KHDA directive.
- Curriculum
- American
- Established
- Not recorded
- School transport
- Bus service available
- Location
- Al Barsha, Dubai
District-level pin for Al Barsha — use the Google Maps link for the exact gate.
We could not verify an official website for this school, so no link is shown.
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
It is one of 62 schools in this guide currently rated Good.
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 larger and older branch, established in 1988, with around 2,470 students, 58% of them Emirati and almost all Arab nationals.
- A long-established US-curriculum school aligned to Ministry of Education requirements alongside American state standards.
- Organised into clear phases from Kindergarten through Secondary, with a settled structure across a large campus.
What they asked the school to improve:
- Parent sentiment gathered independently is mixed: around two-thirds would recommend the school, with a meaningful minority unsure or negative — visit and ask current parents yourself.
- Boys and girls are taught separately from Grade 4 onward.
- As with its sister campus, ask specifically about consistency of teaching between phases and what the current improvement plan funds.
Inclusion (students of determination): 106 students of determination at the last inspection, and inspectors name strong provision for students of determination among the school’s strengths: students of determination are welcomed, there is a thorough system for identification and assessment, and intervention plans are appropriately targeted. The school publishes a detailed compliance statement covering the KHDA Inclusive Education Policy Framework, the Inclusion Handbook, the Parents Guide, Ministry of Education SEND laws and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Two honest findings sit against that. Inspectors record that ‘the progress of students of determination is variable and dependent upon the quality of teaching’, with not all teachers fully understanding the instructional practices and intervention strategies that promote good progress. And plans to install elevators to improve access for students with mobility needs had not been implemented at the time of the 2023–24 inspection — a practical accessibility gap worth asking about directly. 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.