Guides · Glossary
Dubai school glossary
The words that appear on this site and in KHDA documents, defined in one or two sentences with the document and page they come from. Where a term is our own, it says so.
Regulator and inspections
- KHDA
The Dubai government authority that regulates private schools, inspects them and publishes their inspection reports and approved fees.
Source: KHDA, Education Directory (opens in a new tab) · More: About the data
- Inspection · Also called Quality assurance visit
A full visit by a KHDA team applying the UAE School Inspection Framework, after which a report with an overall rating is published.
Source: KHDA, KHDA to resume quality assurance visits for Dubai private schools (opens in a new tab) · More: What KHDA ratings mean
- Full Inspection Report
The complete KHDA report on one school for one school year; the document this site’s findings and answers quote.
Source: this site’s own term — About the data · More: About the data
- Parent Report
A shorter version of the inspection for families; this site does not use it as evidence, and where it differs, the same year’s full report takes precedence.
Source: this site’s own term — About the data · More: About the data
- Monitoring visit
A shorter KHDA visit by a smaller team on key lines of enquiry; the school receives a concise report of strengths and recommendations but no new overall rating.
Source: KHDA, KHDA to resume quality assurance visits for Dubai private schools (opens in a new tab)
- Inspection pause
KHDA paused full inspections in 2024–25 and 2025–26, with a 2025–26 exception for schools in their third year, so most latest ratings are from 2023–24.
- Inspections from 2026–27
From 2026–27 KHDA resumes its visits, still under the 2015–16 framework, with no more than 24 hours’ notice to the school.
Source: KHDA, KHDA to resume quality assurance visits for Dubai private schools (opens in a new tab)
- Not yet inspected
A school KHDA has not yet inspected, usually because it opened recently; it has no rating and no report.
Ratings
- KHDA rating · Also called Inspection judgement
The level inspectors give a school overall, or one area of its work, on the six-level scale from Very weak to Outstanding.
Source: KHDA, UAE School Inspection Framework 2015-16, p. 19 (opens in a new tab) · More: What KHDA ratings mean
- Six-level scale
The scale of the UAE School Inspection Framework, used in reports since 2015–16: Outstanding, Very good, Good, Acceptable, Weak and Very weak.
The six levels and what the framework says each means (p. 19):
- Outstanding — «Quality of performance substantially exceeds the expectation of the UAE»
- Very Good — «Quality of performance exceeds the expectation of the UAE»
- Good — «Quality of performance meets the expectation of the UAE»
- Acceptable — «Quality of performance meets the minimum level of quality required in the UAE»
- Weak — «Quality of performance is below the expectation of the UAE»
- Very Weak — «Quality of performance is significantly below the expectation of the UAE»
Source: KHDA, UAE School Inspection Framework 2015-16, p. 19 (opens in a new tab) · More: What KHDA ratings mean
- Good or better
A school rated Good, Very good or Outstanding overall in its latest report.
- Overall performance
The school’s single headline judgement, agreed by matching the evaluations of the framework’s 17 performance indicators.
Source: KHDA, UAE School Inspection Framework 2015-16, p. 18 (opens in a new tab) · More: What KHDA ratings mean
Fees
- Fees Fact Sheet
The KHDA sheet giving a school’s approved tuition for each year group for one school year, with the other charges it lists.
Source: KHDA, Fees Fact Sheet of each school · More: Fees by year group
- Tuition fee
The approved yearly amount for one year group; this site compares fees by year group and year, never as a school-wide average.
Source: this site’s own term — About the data · More: Fees by year group
- Mandatory fees
Charges the Fees Fact Sheet lists beside tuition; this site separates yearly charges from one-off charges for new students.
Source: this site’s own term — About the data · More: Whole-of-school cost
- Education Cost Index · Also called ECI
The yearly index KHDA approves; an eligible for-profit school may apply to raise fees by up to it, and schools open under three years are not eligible.
Source: KHDA, Education Cost Index 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab)
- 2026–27 fee freeze
KHDA confirmed there will be no increase in private school fees for the 2026–27 school year.
Source: KHDA, Dubai freezes private school fees for 2026-2027 (opens in a new tab)
Year groups and curricula
- Year group
The class a child is placed in, mainly by age: British schools use FS1, FS2 and Year 1–13; most others use KG1, KG2 and Grade 1–12.
Source: KHDA, Student Placement Guidelines FAQ (Parents), p. 11 (opens in a new tab) · More: Year groups in Dubai
- Year and Grade
British schools count one year higher than American and Indian ones, so Year 2 usually matches Grade 1.
Source: KHDA, Student Placement Guidelines FAQ (Parents), p. 2 (opens in a new tab) · More: Year groups in Dubai
- Foundation Stage · Also called FS, Reception
FS1 and FS2, the two early-years classes of British schools before Year 1; FS2 is also called Reception.
Source: KHDA, Student Placement Guidelines FAQ (Parents), p. 11 (opens in a new tab) · More: Year groups in Dubai
- Kindergarten · Also called KG
Pre-KG (Pre-K in American schools), KG1 and KG2, the early-years classes before Grade 1 in American, MOE, Indian and similar curricula.
Source: KHDA, Student Placement Guidelines FAQ (Parents), p. 11 (opens in a new tab) · More: Year groups in Dubai
- Phase
A stage of schooling that groups years: this site uses early years, primary, middle, secondary and post-16; curricula name their own phases.
- Age cut-off
The date by which a child must reach the required age for a year group: 31 December for schools that start the year in September.
Source: KHDA, Student Placement Guidelines FAQ (Parents), p. 2 (opens in a new tab) · More: Year groups in Dubai
- Curriculum
The programme a school teaches, named as KHDA lists it: British, American, International Baccalaureate, Indian, UAE Ministry of Education and others.
Source: KHDA, Education Directory (opens in a new tab) · More: All schools and curricula
Inclusion and wellbeing
- Students of determination · Also called SEN, SEND
The UAE term for students with special educational needs and disabilities; KHDA requires schools to admit them.
Source: KHDA, Directives and Guidelines for Inclusive Education, p. 8 (opens in a new tab) · More: Schools for a child with special educational needs
- Inclusion rating
The level on the six-level scale KHDA gives a school for how well it includes students of determination.
Source: KHDA, Education Directory (opens in a new tab) · More: Schools for a child with special educational needs
- IEP
Individual Education Plan: the plan a school must provide for a student on level 3 support, which should be in place within six weeks, with parents involved.
Source: KHDA, Advocating for Inclusive Education – A guide for parents, p. 17 (opens in a new tab) · KHDA, Directives and Guidelines for Inclusive Education, p. 21 (opens in a new tab) · More: Schools for a child with special educational needs
- Leader of provision · Also called SENDCO, Head of Inclusion
The qualified teacher who leads a school’s provision for students of determination and should be a member of the senior leadership team.
Source: KHDA, Advocating for Inclusive Education – A guide for parents, p. 16 (opens in a new tab) · More: Schools for a child with special educational needs
- LSA
Learning support assistant: part of the team every school must have to support students of determination, at no extra cost to parents.
Source: KHDA, Advocating for Inclusive Education – A guide for parents, p. 16 (opens in a new tab) · More: Schools for a child with special educational needs
- Individualised service agreement
An agreement registered with KHDA, the only way a school may charge for support beyond its standard service, at no more than the actual cost.
Source: KHDA, Directives and Guidelines for Inclusive Education, pp. 34–35 (opens in a new tab) · More: Schools for a child with special educational needs
- Wellbeing rating
KHDA’s rating of a school’s wellbeing provision: six-level words in reports from 2023–24, Very high to Very low in 2021–22 and 2022–23.
Source: KHDA, Wellbeing Matters: A guiding framework for the monitoring and improvement of wellbeing in Dubai private schools, p. 11
On this site
- Checked by a person
A value a person on this site checked against the report page it was read from.
Source: this site’s own term — About the data · More: About the data
Sources
- KHDA, Education Directory (opens in a new tab)
- KHDA, KHDA to resume quality assurance visits for Dubai private schools (opens in a new tab)
- KHDA, KHDA announces pause on school inspections for 2025-26 academic year as part of evolving approach to quality assurance (opens in a new tab)
- KHDA, UAE School Inspection Framework 2015-16 (opens in a new tab)
- KHDA, Education Cost Index 2025-2026 (opens in a new tab)
- KHDA, Dubai freezes private school fees for 2026-2027 (opens in a new tab)
- KHDA, Student Placement Guidelines FAQ (Parents) (opens in a new tab)
- KHDA, Directives and Guidelines for Inclusive Education (opens in a new tab)
- KHDA, Advocating for Inclusive Education – A guide for parents (opens in a new tab)
- About the data
KHDA documents are quoted as printed; a page number is given where the document has pages.