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Most Improved Schools in Dubai 2026: 14 Years of KHDA Ratings

128 Dubai schools have raised their KHDA rating across the inspection cycles since 2008. Ranked by how many bands they've climbed.

128
Improved schools
41
+2 bands or more
19
Now Outstanding
Home › Best Schools › Most Improved Schools

A school's current KHDA rating tells you where it stands now. Its trajectory tells you whether the leadership knows how to fix problems. 128 of Dubai's 240 private schools have moved up at least one rating band since their first inspection (data goes back to 2008). The ones that climbed two or more bands — without quietly cycling back — are some of the most well-managed schools in Dubai. Here is the full list.

#SchoolFirst ratingLatest ratingBands movedWindowCurriculumAvg Fee
1 Victory Heights Primary School L.L.C Acceptable Outstanding +3 2014 – 2024 UK AED 44,473
2 Deira International School Acceptable Outstanding +3 2008 – 2023 UK AED 64,962
3 Dubai British School Acceptable Outstanding +3 2008 – 2023 UK AED 72,899
4 Dubai International Academy L.L.C Acceptable Outstanding +3 2008 – 2023 IB AED 62,337
5 Lycee Francais International Georges Pompidou School Oud Metha Acceptable Outstanding +3 2008 – 2024 French AED 31,276
6 Credence High School L.L.C Acceptable Very good +2 2016 – 2023 Indian AED 22,829
7 Dubai British School Jumeirah Park Good Outstanding +2 2017 – 2024 UK AED 75,598
8 Kings School Al Barsha L.L.C Good Outstanding +2 2016 – 2023 UK AED 80,670
9 Safa Community School Good Outstanding +2 2016 – 2023 UK AED 68,761
10 Swiss International Scientific School FZ-LLC Acceptable Very good +2 2017 – 2024 IB AED 95,635
11 Nord Anglia International School L.L.C Good Outstanding +2 2016 – 2024 UK AED 81,315
12 Bilingual French International School L.L.C-FZ Acceptable Very good +2 2015 – 2024 French AED 75,143
13 The Indian High School Acceptable Very good +2 2013 – 2023 Indian AED 7,995
14 JSS Private School L.L.C Acceptable Very good +2 2012 – 2023 Indian AED 19,260
15 Ambassador School Acceptable Very good +2 2011 – 2023 Indian AED 34,299
16 Al Basateen Private Nursery - Hatta Branch Unsatisfactory Good +2 2008 – 2022 MOE AED 5,540
17 GEMS Modern Academy Good Outstanding +2 2009 – 2023 Indian AED 52,429
18 GEMS Our Own Indian School Acceptable Very good +2 2009 – 2023 Indian AED 10,952
19 Al Shurooq Private School Unsatisfactory Good +2 2008 – 2023 MOE AED 10,422
20 Dubai College Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 101,098
21 Dubai English Speaking College Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 67,948
22 Dubai English Speaking School Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 67,948
23 EMIRATES INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL MEADOWS Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2023 IB AED 55,437
24 GEMS Dubai American Academy - Dubai Branch Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2023 US AED 79,742
25 GEMS Jumeira Primary School - Dubai Branch Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 54,275
26 GEMS Wellington International School - Dubai Branch Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 73,782
27 GEMS World Academy Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2023 IB AED 97,277
28 Horizon International School L.L.C Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 56,070
29 Horizons English School L.L.C Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 37,812
30 M S B Private School Unsatisfactory Good +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 19,748
31 Mirdif American School Unsatisfactory Good +2 2008 – 2023 US AED 36,512
32 Raffles World Academy Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2023 IB AED 63,733
33 Regent International Private School L.L.C Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 76,353
34 Star International School Unsatisfactory Good +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 40,289
35 The Winchester School - DUBAI BRANCH Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 21,793
36 Emirates International School L.L.C. Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2024 UK AED 56,543
37 GEMS Royal Dubai School - Dubai Branch Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2024 UK AED 51,272
38 Lycee Francais International Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2024 French AED 45,925
39 Oxford School Unsatisfactory Good +2 2008 – 2024 UK AED 14,952
40 Repton School Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2024 UK AED 72,931
41 Universal American School - Branch Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2024 US AED 61,105
42 Pearl Wisdom School L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2022 – 2023 Indian AED 19,685
43 Al Ghaf Private School L.L.C Weak Acceptable +1 2022 – 2024 UK AED 45,000
44 Bright Riders School Acceptable Good +1 2020 – 2023 Indian AED 23,500
45 Amity School L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2019 – 2023 Indian AED 25,045
46 Brighton College Dubai L.L.C Good Very good +1 2020 – 2024 UK AED 79,773
47 Dubai Heights Academy Good Very good +1 2020 – 2024 UK AED 69,921
48 Dubai International Academy Albarsha Good Very good +1 2020 – 2024 IB AED 74,710
49 Dwight School L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2020 – 2024 IB AED 87,936
50 Lycee Francais Jean Mermoz L.L.C Good Very good +1 2020 – 2024 French AED 54,157
51 GEMS Founders School - Dubai Branch Good Very good +1 2018 – 2023 UK AED 31,800
52 Newlands School Acceptable Good +1 2019 – 2024 UK AED 28,880
53 North London Collegiate School Middle East L.L.C - FZ Good Very good +1 2019 – 2024 IB AED 117,708
54 American School of Creative Science L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2018 – 2024 US AED 54,245
55 Arcadia British School Good Very good +1 2018 – 2024 UK AED 63,614
56 Dove Green Private School L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2017 – 2023 UK AED 49,615
57 Hartland International School - FZ Good Very good +1 2017 – 2023 UK AED 70,792
58 Kent College L.L.C - FZ Good Very good +1 2018 – 2024 UK AED 83,765
59 Next Generation School L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2018 – 2024 US AED 37,226
60 Smart Vision School Acceptable Good +1 2018 – 2024 UK AED 42,022
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Related rankings

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does rating improvement matter when I'm choosing a school?

A school that has climbed from Acceptable to Very Good has demonstrated, through three or four independent KHDA inspection cycles, that its leadership can identify weaknesses and fix them. That's a much stronger quality signal than a school that has been Outstanding for one cycle. Improvement is harder to fake than a single good rating.

How are bands counted?

KHDA's bands are Outstanding (5), Very Good (4), Good (3), Acceptable (2), Weak (1). A school that went Acceptable → Very Good moved +2 bands. We exclude inspection cycles where KHDA marked the school as a "first inspection" — those aren't real ratings, just placeholders.

Can a school's rating go down again?

Yes, and it does — KHDA inspects regularly and isn't shy about lowering ratings. The schools listed here showed a positive net change between their first real rating and their most recent. Some moved up then sideways; some had a single big jump. The school's full year-by-year history is on its individual page.

How recent is this data?

The most recent KHDA inspection cycle covered in this dataset is 2025-26. KHDA inspections resume in the 2026-27 academic year, and newer cycles will be incorporated as KHDA publishes them.