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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 217 KHDA-rated 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 48,803
2 Deira International School Acceptable Outstanding +3 2008 – 2023 UK AED 61,128
3 Dubai British School Acceptable Outstanding +3 2008 – 2023 UK AED 64,158
4 Dubai International Academy L.L.C Acceptable Outstanding +3 2008 – 2023 IB AED 62,457
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 23,010
7 Dubai British School Jumeirah Park Good Outstanding +2 2017 – 2024 UK AED 88,301
8 Kings School Al Barsha L.L.C Good Outstanding +2 2016 – 2023 UK AED 82,209
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 102,652
11 Nord Anglia International School L.L.C Good Outstanding +2 2016 – 2024 UK AED 86,762
12 Bilingual French International School L.L.C-FZ Acceptable Very good +2 2015 – 2024 French AED 79,144
13 The Indian High School Acceptable Very good +2 2013 – 2023 Indian AED 7,911
14 JSS Private School L.L.C Acceptable Very good +2 2012 – 2023 Indian AED 16,801
15 Ambassador School Acceptable Very good +2 2011 – 2023 Indian AED 30,535
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 48,571
18 GEMS Our Own Indian School Acceptable Very good +2 2009 – 2023 Indian AED 9,756
19 Al Shurooq Private School Unsatisfactory Good +2 2008 – 2023 MOE AED 9,298
20 Dubai College Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 101,098
21 Dubai English Speaking College Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 86,127
22 Dubai English Speaking School Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 52,040
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 89,426
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 97,923
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 40,966
30 M S B Private School Unsatisfactory Good +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 13,587
31 Mirdif American School Unsatisfactory Good +2 2008 – 2023 US AED 34,536
32 Raffles World Academy Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2023 IB AED 62,078
33 Regent International Private School L.L.C Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 70,360
34 Star International School Unsatisfactory Good +2 2008 – 2023 UK AED 40,558
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 55,484
38 Lycee Francais International Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2024 French AED 41,495
39 Oxford School Unsatisfactory Good +2 2008 – 2024 UK AED 15,211
40 Repton School Good Outstanding +2 2008 – 2024 UK AED 78,884
41 Universal American School - Branch Acceptable Very good +2 2008 – 2024 US AED 67,278
42 Pearl Wisdom School L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2022 – 2023 Indian AED 19,091
43 Al Ghaf Private School L.L.C Weak Acceptable +1 2022 – 2024 UK AED 45,150
44 Bright Riders School Acceptable Good +1 2020 – 2023 Indian AED 24,036
45 Amity School L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2019 – 2023 Indian AED 26,418
46 Brighton College Dubai L.L.C Good Very good +1 2020 – 2024 UK AED 101,547
47 Dubai Heights Academy Good Very good +1 2020 – 2024 UK AED 70,324
48 Dubai International Academy Albarsha Good Very good +1 2020 – 2024 IB AED 74,778
49 Dwight School L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2020 – 2024 IB AED 91,684
50 Lycee Francais Jean Mermoz L.L.C Good Very good +1 2020 – 2024 French AED 52,031
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 29,442
53 North London Collegiate School Middle East L.L.C - FZ Good Very good +1 2019 – 2024 IB AED 117,230
54 American School of Creative Science L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2018 – 2024 US AED 51,960
55 Arcadia British School Good Very good +1 2018 – 2024 UK AED 82,830
56 Dove Green Private School L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2017 – 2023 UK AED 50,714
57 Hartland International School - FZ Good Very good +1 2017 – 2023 UK AED 73,021
58 Kent College L.L.C - FZ Good Very good +1 2018 – 2024 UK AED 85,529
59 Next Generation School L.L.C Acceptable Good +1 2018 – 2024 US AED 39,528
60 Smart Vision School Acceptable Good +1 2018 – 2024 UK AED 57,597
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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.