Three questions Dubai parents keep asking

Parents in Dubai keep asking the same three things in public forums: how to choose a school for FS1, what to do about long bus rides, and which British curriculum school to pick. Here are our answers, in plain steps.

How do I pick a school for FS1 when my toddler starts next year?

Most parents start with the KHDA list and fees, which is the right first filter, then narrow down by things the list doesn't show.

  1. Distance first. At three, a short, predictable trip matters more than a one-step better rating. Draw a radius around your home (or the area you plan to rent in) and only look inside it.
  2. Rating as a floor. KHDA inspection ratings run Outstanding, Very good, Good, Acceptable, Weak, Very weak. Pick the lowest rating you'd accept and drop everything below it.
  3. Fees for the whole run. KHDA publishes each school's approved fee per year group. Look at the Year 1 and Year 7 fees too, not only FS1, since you're likely to stay.
  4. Curriculum you can move with. If you might leave the UAE, choose the curriculum that fits where you'd go next. Changing curriculum later is harder than changing school.
  5. Seats, per year group. Popular schools fill FS1 early, often from their own nursery or siblings. Ask each school about FS1 for your start date specifically, and whether there's a waiting list for that year group.
  6. Check the year group. From 2026-27 the UAE cut-off for KG and Grade 1 moved to 31 December. See our cut-off guide before you count the years.

On a visit, ask how many adults are in each FS1 class, how the settling-in weeks work, and what a normal day looks like for a three-year-old.

My child's school bus takes over an hour. Is that normal, and what can I do?

Long rides happen when one bus loops through several communities, and the first child picked up has the longest trip. It's common to hear about, but you don't have to accept it.

  1. Ask for the route order. Ask the school's transport team where your stop sits on the route and the timed pick-up and drop-off. If you're near the start, ask whether a later stop or a different route is possible.
  2. Compare door to door. Time the same trip by car at that hour. If a 20-minute drive becomes 70 minutes by bus, that's a routing problem worth raising in writing.
  3. Ask other parents on your route. A few families asking together usually gets a route reviewed faster than one complaint.
  4. Look at the alternatives. These include a parent carpool, a shared private driver with neighbours, or dropping off in the morning and using the bus only home.
  5. Next time you choose. Before you accept a seat, ask each school for the bus time from your actual address. Count it alongside fees and rating.

Which British curriculum school should we choose as expats in Dubai?

Dubai has a lot of British curriculum schools, so the job is narrowing down, not finding one.

  1. Set your fee band. Annual fees run from under AED 20,000 to over AED 90,000. Decide your ceiling first, since it removes most of the list.
  2. Check two inspections. Look at the KHDA rating, and whether the school is also inspected under the UK's British Schools Overseas scheme. That second one matters if you may move back to the UK.
  3. Check the year group. The UK uses a 31 August cut-off. From 2026-27, the UAE uses 31 December for KG and Grade 1 entry. Children born September to December may be placed differently from at home, so ask each school in writing.
  4. Check the seat. A school can be full in Year 2 and open in Year 4. Ask about the year group your child would enter for your start date.
  5. Then visit two or three. Visit only after the steps above have narrowed the list.

Want this done for your family?

SixSchools sends you a private page with 6 Dubai schools near your home: KHDA rating, published fee, curriculum and the year group your child would enter. We also ask each admissions desk whether there's a seat or a waiting list. You get it within 48 hours. See a sample or start a brief.

General information, not advice. Each school's admissions team has the final word on places and year groups.