GEMS Albarsha National School
Acceptable Al Barsha, Dubai · International / other
- KHDA rating
- Acceptable
Meets minimum standards; may be on an improvement plan. Read the full report before enrolling. Ratings are from the last full inspection cycle (2023–24).
- Annual fees
- AED 10,000 to 20,000 a year
Varies by year group; confirm current fees with the school. 2026–27 fees are frozen by KHDA directive.
- Curriculum
- International / other
- Established
- Founded 2005
- 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 27 per cent below the median for International / other schools in this guide (AED 20,451). It is one of 27 schools in this guide currently rated Acceptable.
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:
- New, focused leadership spearheading improvement — 68% of inspection areas now Good or better, up 6% on the previous cycle.
- Students’ excellent understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture and heritage.
- Rich, vibrant Foundation Stage provision, and improved Arabic outcomes in Primary.
What they asked the school to improve:
- Only 21% of indicators yet at Very Good or Outstanding — the improvement journey is real but early.
Inclusion (students of determination): Serving Emirati families seeking a British curriculum grounded in national identity, with bilingual early years provision, Islamic values and Emirati heritage as stated priorities, and around 600 students taught by 70 teachers and 19 teaching assistants. The honest context a family needs: the school has been rated Acceptable at every KHDA inspection since 2019–20, frequent leadership changes have slowed improvement despite substantial GEMS investment and modern facilities, and inspectors noted that while behaviour is strong in Foundation Stage and Primary, a small minority of Secondary boys did not consistently meet expectations. We have not found a separate published inclusion rating in our verified sources. 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:
- What did the last KHDA report ask you to improve, and what has changed since?
- 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
- 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
- Al Mawakeb School Al Barsha — Good, AED 24,000 to 50,000 a year
Work at this school? Correct or update this record — verified corrections are made promptly and logged publicly.