Grammar School
Acceptable Al Garhoud, Dubai · British (NCfE)
- KHDA rating
- Acceptable
Meets minimum standards; may be on an improvement plan. Read the full report before enrolling. From the 2023–24 inspection cycle — now more than two years old. KHDA has not completed a full cycle in two consecutive years, so this rating, and every rating on every other site, is older than it looks.
- Annual fees
- AED 5,120 to 7,040 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 1970
- School transport
- Bus service available
- Location
- Al Garhoud, Dubai
District-level pin for Al Garhoud — 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.
How far is this from another school? What the bus costs
If your children may end up at different schools, the distance that decides your mornings is the one between them, not from home to each.
In context
Its mid-range fee is about 87 per cent below the median for British (NCfE) schools in this guide (AED 48,202). It is one of 51 schools in this guide currently rated Acceptable.
Worth comparing: National Charity School Primary (AED 4,277 to 7,841 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 we could verify (2023–24 cycle) and its published record — read the complete report on the official KHDA directory. These findings are from the 2023–24 cycle and are now more than two years old. Leadership, staffing and provision can change substantially in that time — see the note below on why every rating in Dubai is older than it looks.
Strengths the inspectors named:
- Serving Dubai’s international community since 1970 — over five decades of continuous operation, making it one of the oldest schools in this register, in Al Garhoud.
- Among the most accessible UK-curriculum options anywhere in Dubai at roughly AED 5,100 to 7,000, running through to IGCSE, AS and A Level, and drawing over 60 nationalities.
- 1,321 students with 83 teachers on a ratio of about 1:16, and teacher turnover around 16% — moderate for the sector, and notably low for a school at this fee level.
- Operated by Athena Education, a group delivering affordable education across Dubai and Sharjah.
What they asked the school to improve:
- Acceptable, held with some consistency since 2016 — and Teaching for Effective Learning is rated Acceptable across all four phases, Foundation Stage through Post-16. That is honest rather than damning, but it is the central limitation and it is uniform.
- Most teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge and adequate planning; ‘adequate’ is the inspectors’ register, not ours.
- One guidance counsellor and six teaching assistants for 1,321 students — thin pastoral and in-class support capacity, and a fair thing to raise.
- Ask what the improvement plan funds this year: a decade at Acceptable is a long time for a school this well established.
Inclusion (students of determination): Acceptable in KHDA’s official Inclusion Rating Table, matching the school’s overall judgement — the bottom of the acceptable range on the measure that matters most to a family whose child needs support. The structural context is the number to weigh: one guidance counsellor and six teaching assistants across 1,321 students. That is thin capacity for in-class support however committed the staff, and it is the question to put to leaders 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 — 212 of 212 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 Garhoud
- North American International School — Acceptable, AED 22,000 to 42,000 a year
- Delhi Private School — Very Good, AED 10,000 to 17,000 a year
- Russian International School — Good, AED 15,722 to 25,180 a year
- Gulf Model School — Acceptable, AED 11,000 to 22,000 a year
Work at this school? Correct or update this record — verified corrections are made promptly and logged publicly.