North American International School
Acceptable Al Garhoud, Dubai · American
- 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 22,000 to 42,000 a year
Varies by year group; confirm current fees with the school. 2026–27 fees are frozen by KHDA directive.
- Curriculum
- American
- Established
- Founded 2002
- School transport
- Bus service available
- Location
- Al Garhoud, Dubai
District-level pin for Al Garhoud — 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 16 per cent below the median for American schools in this guide (AED 38,000). It is one of 27 schools in this guide currently rated Acceptable.
Worth comparing: Russian International School (AED 15,722 to 25,180 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:
- Teaching and assessment rated Good in Kindergarten and Elementary, where the inquiry-based, student-centred approach with cooperative learning and real-world application is most visible.
- A community school of around 890 students on a campus built for 1,500, with Emirati students the largest single group at roughly 27% — and enrolment growing steadily since 2021–22.
- Arabic and Islamic Education delivered to UAE Ministry standards and integrated into the wider social studies curriculum.
What they asked the school to improve:
- This school was downgraded: Good in 2019–20 and again in 2022–23, then Acceptable in the November 2023 inspection — a decline, not a plateau, and the single most important fact on this page.
- Inspectors were specific about why: in Middle and High school, expectations are often too low and learning activities insufficiently challenging — the finding that directly caused the downgrade.
- Fees of roughly AED 30,700–49,100 sit mid-range for the American curriculum, which makes an Acceptable rating a harder proposition — ask leaders directly what has changed since November 2023, and what evidence they can show.
- The downgrade matters more for Emirati families, given KHDA’s policy of encouraging them away from Acceptable-rated schools.
Inclusion (students of determination): We have not found a published inclusion rating for this school in the sources we can verify, and rather than infer one from the overall Acceptable judgement we say so plainly. What is verifiable: around 890 students at the November 2023 inspection, a relatively small US-curriculum school, with entry by assessment and an interview conducted by the principal for kindergarten applicants. If your child needs structured support, the questions to put directly are how many students of determination are on roll, who leads inclusion, and what the assessment at entry is actually used to decide. 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 Garhoud
- 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
- Dubai International Private School Garhoud — Acceptable, Fees not listed — confirm with the school
Work at this school? Correct or update this record — verified corrections are made promptly and logged publicly.