Guides · Special educational needs
Choosing a Dubai school for a child with special educational needs
KHDA requires every Dubai private school to admit students of determination, and every KHDA inspection rates how well a school includes them. This guide gives KHDA's own rules with their pages, how to find schools rated well for inclusion, and the questions to ask before you apply.
Inclusion ratings from KHDA inspection reports and the KHDA directory, checked 24 September 2026.
The word KHDA uses
In Dubai a child with special educational needs or a disability is called a student of determination. Some older reports say SEN or SEND. These are the words to look for in KHDA's reports and in a school's own policies.
What every Dubai private school must do
These are KHDA's own sentences, each with its document and page.
Admission
«Schools must admit students of determination and place them within relevant and appropriately challenging school-based learning opportunities.»
«The function of the entry assessment process for students of determination is to inform the school’s provision planning and enable them to be enrolled in the school. It is not a ‘pass or fail’ process or a ‘hurdle’ that a student must overcome to be admitted to the school.»
«the completion of a medical assessment or a medical diagnosis is not identified as a condition for the student’s participation in the entry assessment process or for enrollment into the school»
«priority admission is provided for a student of determination with a sibling already on roll in the school»
«In all cases, if a school makes the decision not to enrol or re-register a Student of Determination, they must complete a Non-Admission Notification Form. This is then submitted to KHDA for monitoring and regulation purposes.»
Source KHDA Directives for Inclusive Education, p. 8 (opens in a new tab) · KHDA Directives for Inclusive Education, p. 18 (opens in a new tab) · KHDA Directives for Inclusive Education, p. 19 (opens in a new tab) · KHDA guide for parents, p. 12 (opens in a new tab)
Support and fees
«Every school must develop a team of LSAs, dedicated to supporting Students of Determination, at no extra cost to parents.»
«any charging of additional fees, to fund educational provision for students of determination, can only take place through registering an individualised service agreement with KHDA»
«the individualised service agreement , and the associated fee to parents, can only be applied when the required provision is not available through the standard school service for students of determination»
«The associated fees must be no more than the actual cost of the services provided.»
Source KHDA guide for parents, p. 16 (opens in a new tab) · KHDA Directives for Inclusive Education, p. 34 (opens in a new tab) · KHDA Directives for Inclusive Education, p. 35 (opens in a new tab)
These are KHDA's rules for schools; they are not a promise about any one application. KHDA's guide for parents asks families to raise a concern with the school first, and says where to write after that:
«It is important to discuss your concerns with the school, through the class teacher (for example), before considering procedures that are more formal.»
«If you have any question or require support for this, or any other issue related to the inclusion of Students of Determination within Dubai private schools, KHDA is ready to assist. Please send your queries to info@khda.gov.ae.»
Source KHDA guide for parents, p. 19 (opens in a new tab) · KHDA guide for parents, p. 20 (opens in a new tab)
How KHDA rates inclusion
Every inspection judges a school's inclusion on the same six words as the rest of its report, from Outstanding to Very weak (what the words mean).
The inclusion rating the 228 open private schools hold today:
Inclusion rating held today by Dubai's 228 open private schools
| Inclusion | Schools |
|---|---|
| 27 | |
| 57 | |
| 72 | |
| 47 | |
| 2 | |
| Not yet rated | 23 |
«This is the expected level for every school in the UAE»
Source UAE School Inspection Framework, p. 19 (opens in a new tab)
156 of the 205 rated schools are rated Good or better for inclusion.
Find schools rated well for inclusion
The Finder filters on the inclusion rating: Good or better or Very good or better.
Add your area, year group and budget to the same search.
Read the report, not the brochure
Each school's page shows its inclusion rating for every inspection year and what the latest inspection summary says about inclusion, with the report and page. A rating that has fallen over two inspections is worth a question at the visit.
What this site cannot tell you
What additional support costs, how many students of determination a school has, and whether therapists work on site. Only the school can answer these: ask in writing. Tuition by year group is on the fee pages.
Questions to ask the school
Ten questions, several of them built on what KHDA's documents say a school should have.
- Who leads provision for students of determination (Head of Inclusion or SENDCO), and are they on the senior leadership team?
- Who is the governor for inclusive education?
- If my child needs an Individual Education Plan (IEP), will it be in place within six weeks of joining, and will we be at the meeting?
- Which level of support would my child get, and what does it look like in an ordinary lesson?
- Is any support only available under an individualised service agreement? What does it cost? Please put it in writing.
- How many learning support assistants are there, and how are they shared across classes?
- How and how often will you report my child's progress to us?
- The last inspection said this about inclusion: what has changed since? Bring the quote from the school's page.
- Are therapists on site, or by referral?
- How do you plan the move to the next phase of school?
Source KHDA guide for parents (opens in a new tab) · KHDA Directives for Inclusive Education (opens in a new tab)
Sources
- Directives and Guidelines for Inclusive Education (opens in a new tab)KHDA, 2020: what schools must do for students of determination — admission, plans, fees.
- Advocating for Inclusive Education – A guide for parents (opens in a new tab)KHDA, 2021: the same rules explained for families — «Advocating for Inclusive Education».
- UAE School Inspection Framework (opens in a new tab)The six words KHDA's inspections use, and what each means (p. 19).
- Inclusion ratings on this siteCounted from KHDA inspection reports and the KHDA directory, checked 24 September 2026.
Every sentence in quotation marks on this page was checked word for word against its document on 24 September 2026.