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Choosing a school in Al Barsha and Al Barsha South: 21 schools

To a relocation agent, «Al Barsha» is one neighbourhood south of Mall of the Emirates. KHDA files its 21 schools under five area names, and this site shows them on two pages; this guide puts all 21 in one place.

Counts, curricula, ratings and 2026–27 tuition from KHDA, checked 24 September 2026. Bus details from each school's own website, read 22 September 2026; two pages 10 October 2026.

The two lists · map, KHDA ratings, 2026–27 fees

The two sides are about 5 km apart. The fee pages give every school's tuition for any year group, after the discount the school lists on its KHDA Fees Fact Sheet.

One neighbourhood, five KHDA names

Every Dubai private school is registered with KHDA under an area name, and KHDA's names are finer than the ones people use. The 21 schools families call «Al Barsha» are filed under five: Al Barsha Second (10), Al Barsha First (5), Al Barsha South First (3), Al Barsha South (2), Meadows (1).

This site places each school where its building stands on the map, and shows KHDA's area name beside it. That gives two pages for the neighbourhood; the table says how the KHDA names split between them.

The two pages and the KHDA area names of their schoolsAl Barsha 1, 2 and 3 are one page: Al Barsha 1: 5 schools · Al Barsha 2: 2 · Al Barsha 3: 1

KHDA area nameAl BarshapageAl Barsha Southpage
Al Barsha Second37
Al Barsha First41
Al Barsha South First12
Al Barsha South02
Meadows01
All813

KHDA area names as in KHDA's open data (November 2025); the counts are the two pages' own. A school whose KHDA name differs from the part it sits in shows the KHDA name on its row.

Two things the names hide

A school's KHDA area and its page on this site may carry different names. American School of Dubai is Al Barsha Second to KHDA and sits in Al Barsha 1 here; GEMS World Academy is Al Barsha First to KHDA and sits in Al Barsha South. Of the 21 schools, 12 differ in this way, so search by the school's name or on the map, not by the KHDA area alone.

Kings School Al Barsha is on a different page. KHDA files it under Al Barsha Second, and its building stands in Dubai Hills, so this site lists it at Dubai Hills, where its row says «KHDA area: Al Barsha Second». It is not one of the 21 here.

All 21 schools: curriculum, KHDA rating and 2026–27 fee

Al Barsha has 21 private schools: 8 in Al Barsha 1, 2 and 3 and 13 in Al Barsha South. Tuition for the first year of primary in 2026–27 runs from AED 9,049 to AED 88,960 a year. Of the 20 schools KHDA has rated, 16 hold Good or better; one school has no rating yet.

Each school with its curriculum, its latest KHDA rating and the year of that inspection, and its 2026–27 tuition for one stage: Year 1 at British schools, KG2 at American, IB, Ministry, CBSE and Australian schools, Grande section at the French school. That is the first year of primary in each system, the same stage the fee pages use, so the column compares like with like.

The 21 schools in Al Barsha 1–3 and Al Barsha South21 schools · page, then name · first year of primary, 2026–27 · ratings with their year

first year of primary · AEDyear of the rating
Al Arqam Private SchoolAl Barsha 1MinistryAED 9,049KG2Acceptable 2023–24
American School of DubaiKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondAl Barsha 1KHDA area: Al Barsha SecondAmericanAED 69,961KG2Good 2023–24
Dubai International Academy Al BarshaAl Barsha 1IBAED 60,459KG2Very good 2023–24
Dubai National School – Al BarshaAl Barsha 1AmericanAED 24,172KG2Good 2023–24
GEMS Dubai American AcademyKHDA area: Al Barsha South FirstAl Barsha 1KHDA area: Al Barsha South FirstAmericanAED 66,185KG2Outstanding 2023–24
Al Mawakeb School Al BarshaAl Barsha 2AmericanAED 15,726KG2Good 2023–24
Smart Vision SchoolAl Barsha 2BritishAED 44,388Year 1 · approved AED 45,526Good 2023–24
Next Generation SchoolKHDA area: Al Barsha FirstAl Barsha 3KHDA area: Al Barsha FirstAmericanAED 31,607KG2Good 2023–24
Australian International School DubaiKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondAl Barsha SouthKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondAustralianAED 52,000KG2Good 2023–24
Bloom World AcademyKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondAl Barsha SouthKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondIBAED 55,000KG2Good 2024–25
Brighton College DubaiKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondAl Barsha SouthKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondBritishAED 74,445Year 1 · approved AED 94,786Very good 2023–24
Dhruv Global SchoolAl Barsha SouthIndian CBSEAED 14,000KG2 · approved AED 18,000Acceptable 2025–26
Dubai Heights AcademyKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondAl Barsha SouthKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondBritish, IBAED 46,000Year 1 · approved AED 55,536Very good 2023–24
Dubai Schools Al BarshaAl Barsha SouthAmericanAED 33,161KG2 · approved AED 34,024Acceptable 2023–24
GEMS Al Barsha National SchoolKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondAl Barsha SouthKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondBritishAED 56,244Year 1Acceptable 2023–24
GEMS Founders School – Al Barsha SouthKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondAl Barsha SouthKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondBritishAED 30,375Year 1Very good 2023–24
GEMS World AcademyKHDA area: Al Barsha FirstAl Barsha SouthKHDA area: Al Barsha FirstIBAED 88,960KG2Very good 2023–24
Lycée Français Jean Mermoz SouthKHDA area: MeadowsAl Barsha SouthKHDA area: MeadowsFrenchAED 46,418Grande section · approved AED 49,000No rating yet
Nord Anglia International SchoolKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondAl Barsha SouthKHDA area: Al Barsha SecondBritish, IBAED 81,228Year 1Outstanding 2023–24
Repton Al BarshaAl Barsha SouthBritishAED 64,356Year 1Very good 2023–24
Safa Community SchoolAl Barsha SouthBritish, IBAED 56,753Year 1Outstanding 2023–24

Tuition is the school's 2026–27 figure for that year group as listed on its KHDA Fees Fact Sheet, after the discount the sheet lists. Uniforms, books, transport and exam fees are extra. The rating is the overall judgement of the school's latest KHDA inspection, with its school year; «No rating yet» means KHDA has not published a full inspection for the school and says nothing about quality.

For an older child: Fees for Year 7 · Fees by year group. Each school's page has its full fee schedule, its inspection reports and its calendar.

What the table shows

  • Fees for this stage range from AED 9,049 to AED 69,961 in Al Barsha 1–3 and from AED 14,000 to AED 88,960 in Al Barsha South.
  • Ratings: 3 schools are Outstanding, 6 Very good, 7 Good and 4 Acceptable; one has no rating yet. No school here is rated Weak or Very weak.
  • Two ratings are more recent than the rest: Bloom World Academy (2024–25) and Dhruv Global School (2025–26). Both are recent schools (Bloom opened in 2022, Dhruv in 2023, per KHDA's directory) whose first full inspection came after the 2023–24 cycle.

British, American, IB and other curricula here

The two sides of the neighbourhood teach different systems. In Al Barsha 1–3, 5 of the 8 schools follow the American curriculum. In Al Barsha South, 7 of the 13 follow the British curriculum and 5 teach or offer the IB, 3 of them both.

American

Five American-curriculum schools stand in Al Barsha 1, 2 and 3: Al Mawakeb School Al Barsha, American School of Dubai, Dubai National School – Al Barsha, GEMS Dubai American Academy and Next Generation School. Dubai Schools Al Barsha, in Al Barsha South, is the sixth. The five are listed with map and fees at American curriculum schools in Al Barsha.

British

Seven British-curriculum schools stand in Al Barsha South: Brighton College Dubai, Dubai Heights Academy, GEMS Al Barsha National School, GEMS Founders School – Al Barsha South, Nord Anglia International School, Repton Al Barsha and Safa Community School, listed at British curriculum schools in Al Barsha South. In Al Barsha 1–3 there is one British school, Smart Vision School, in Al Barsha 2.

IB

Five schools teach or offer the IB in Al Barsha South: Bloom World Academy and GEMS World Academy as their main curriculum, and Dubai Heights Academy, Nord Anglia International School and Safa Community School alongside the British curriculum; see IB schools in Al Barsha South. In Al Barsha 1 there is one more IB school, Dubai International Academy Al Barsha.

Indian, French, Australian and Ministry

One school each: Dhruv Global School (Indian CBSE, April school year), Lycée Français Jean Mermoz South (French), Australian International School Dubai (Australian) and Al Arqam Private School (UAE Ministry of Education curriculum). Their pages are linked in the table; the map on the home page filters by any curriculum.

What each system means, which exam it ends with and how a child moves between them: Choosing a curriculum in Dubai.

School buses: what the schools themselves publish

Many of the schools here run buses through a transport company (STS, Arab Falcon, Shanawaz), and routes are set by the school and its operator, so this page repeats only what each school's own website says. Of the 21 schools, 15 say something about transport: 2 publish the areas they serve with prices, Smart Vision School lists its routes, and GEMS World Academy gives only the transport company's contact, so it has no card.

For the other 6 we found no transport page on the school's website on 22 September 2026, nor when we looked again on 10 October 2026. They may still run buses, so ask the school's admissions team:

  • Al Mawakeb School Al Barsha
  • American School of Dubai
  • Bloom World Academy
  • Dubai National School – Al Barsha
  • Dubai Schools Al Barsha
  • Repton Al Barsha

Each card gives the school's own words in summary, with the page it came from. Pages were read on 22 September 2026, two of them on 10 October 2026 (the date is on each card); routes and prices change from year to year, so confirm with the school before you sign a tenancy.

The two schools that publish their zones

  • Next Generation School

    by the school · read 22 September 2026 · school-fees page (opens in a new tab)

    Zone 1
    Al Barsha 1, 2 and 3, The Greens, TECOM: AED 7,400 a year both ways; AED 3,400 morning only; AED 5,440 afternoon only.
    Zone 2
    Al Barsha South, Arjan, Al Khail Road, Al Quoz, Al Sufouh, Dubai Marina, Umm Suqeim, JBR, JLT, JVC, JVT, Dubai Hills: AED 7,920 a year both ways; AED 3,600 morning only; AED 5,760 afternoon only.
    Zones 3 to 6
    Further out (Springs, Motor City, Arabian Ranches, Business Bay, Al Furjan, Silicon Oasis, Mirdif, Dubai South and others): AED 8,140 to AED 9,020 both ways.
    Note
    The school's table carries no year: these are the prices it listed on 22 September 2026; confirm the 2026–27 figure with the school.

  • Dubai Heights Academy

    by the school · read 22 September 2026 · bus-service page (opens in a new tab)

    Zones
    33 named areas, among them Al Barsha 1 and 2, Al Barsha South 1 and 3, Arjan, Barsha Heights (TECOM), Dubai Hills, Dubai Marina, JBR, JLT, JVC, Motor City, Palm Jumeirah, Springs, The Greens, Town Square.
    Fee
    «Additional annual fee of AED 9,500, paid over 3 terms».
    Operator
    STS.
    Times
    Buses leave after the Foundation Stage day at 2:15 pm and after the primary and secondary day at 3:30 pm.

The school that lists its routes

  • Smart Vision School

    by the school · read 10 October 2026 · transport page (opens in a new tab)

    Routes
    Al Barsha 1, 2 and 3, Dubai Hills, The Springs, JVC, Umm Suqeim, Arjan, JLT, Internet City, Dubai Marina, Motor City, JVT, Arabian Ranches, JBR, Sports City, Business Bay, DAMAC Hills, IMPZ, Remraam, Palm Jumeirah, Discovery Gardens, Downtown, DIFC, Bur Dubai, Al Furjan and Karama, listed as current routes; no prices on the page.
    Operator
    «A trusted third-party transport partner», not named; school staff ride as bus assistants.
    Times
    Morning pick-up from 6:30 am, arrival 7:30 to 7:45 am; buses leave at 1:00 pm for FS1 and at 2:30 pm for all other year groups.

Schools that describe their service without listing zones

What this tells a family choosing where to live

Both published zone lists cover Al Barsha 1 and 2, Al Barsha South and Arjan, Barsha Heights (TECOM), Dubai Hills, Dubai Marina, JLT and JVC: a home there is within the stated bus reach of at least two schools, and Smart Vision School's route list names most of the same areas.

Three schools that use STS say plainly that a route is not guaranteed, so ask for written confirmation before you rely on it. Transport prices across Dubai, from the Fees Fact Sheets: Other costs.

Next door: Al Sufouh, Umm Suqeim, Dubai Hills and the rest

A family living on the edge of Al Barsha often has a school in a neighbouring area closer than one on the far side of this one. The areas within 10 km of Al Barsha 1–3, nearest first, by straight-line distance between the two areas' schools:

and 8 more within 10 km, on the Al Barsha page

Four of them matter most to a family comparing addresses: Al Sufouh and Dubai Knowledge Park sit between Al Barsha and the coast; Umm Suqeim is across Sheikh Zayed Road; Dubai Hills is the next large community inland and is home to Kings School Al Barsha. For an address you already have in mind, Schools near where you will live shows the nearest schools from an area or a landmark.

Term dates and applying

Twenty of the 21 schools run the same 2026–27 year on KHDA's published calendars: 31 August 2026 to 2 July 2027, 185 school days. Dhruv Global School, the CBSE school, follows the Indian year: 6 April 2026 to 19 March 2027, 182 days. A child moving between an April-start and a September-start school can land in a different year group: check Which year group is my child in?

The breaks on the schools' KHDA calendars:

  • October: 17 of the schools pause from 12 to 16 October 2026; GEMS Dubai American Academy and Next Generation School from 14 to 16 October; Dhruv Global School and GEMS Al Barsha National School show no such break.
  • Winter: 14 December 2026 to 1 January 2027 at 20 of the schools; Dhruv Global School to 2 January.
  • UAE National Day: 2 and 3 December 2026.

Each school's own calendar is on its page; every school's dates are in Dubai school calendar 2026–27, and the city-wide picture is at Calendar.

The school checks the year group by age, and from Grade 1 / Year 2 by the last school's transfer certificate. Most schools then run their own assessment and keep a waiting list; the steps are in Applying to a Dubai school. Each school's page here gives its fee schedule and inspection reports.

Questions families ask

Is Al Barsha South part of Al Barsha?

For a school search, yes: it is the southern side of the same neighbourhood, about 5 km from the schools of Al Barsha 1. KHDA registers the schools there under Al Barsha Second (7), Al Barsha South First (2), Al Barsha South (2), Al Barsha First (1), Meadows (1), and this site gives them their own page because their buildings stand in Al Barsha South. KHDA area names as in KHDA's open data (November 2025).

How many schools are there in Al Barsha?

This site lists 21 private schools: 8 in Al Barsha 1, 2 and 3 and 13 in Al Barsha South. Kings School Al Barsha is counted under Dubai Hills, where its building is, so the total with it would be 22.

Which curriculum do most Al Barsha schools follow?

British, if you count the whole neighbourhood: 8 of 21 schools, 7 of them in Al Barsha South. Within Al Barsha 1–3 alone, 5 of the 8 schools follow the American curriculum. In the whole neighbourhood, 6 schools teach or offer the IB.

What do schools in Al Barsha cost?

For the first year of primary in 2026–27, between AED 9,049 and AED 88,960 a year, as listed on the schools' KHDA Fees Fact Sheets after any discount the sheet lists. The table gives each school; other year groups are at Fees by year group.

Do Al Barsha schools have buses to Dubai Marina or JLT?

Two schools publish their zones, and both name Dubai Marina, JLT and JVC: Next Generation School (Zone 2) and Dubai Heights Academy. Smart Vision School lists all three among its current routes, without prices. Others say they serve «most areas of Dubai» or «all areas surrounding the school» without naming them. The schools without a card may still run buses; their websites did not describe the service when we read them, so ask admissions.

Sources

Every sentence in quotation marks on this page was checked word for word against its document when it was read: 22 September 2026, and 10 October 2026 for the two pages so dated on their cards.

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