GEMS Founders School – Dubai South
Also known as: GFD, GEMS Founders School Dubai South
GEMS Founders School – Dubai South is a private British curriculum school in Dubai South, Dubai, from FS1 to Year 9. KHDA has not inspected it yet. Tuition for 2026–27 is AED 32,760 to AED 42,840 a year, depending on the year group.
Source: KHDA Fees Fact Sheet 2026–27.
- rating
- Not rated yetKHDA has not inspected it yetWhat the ratings mean
- fee
- AED 32,760 – 42,840a year, FS1 to Year 9, 2026–27Fees by year group at every school
- whole
- Which year group?See its fee and the cost to the end of school
- students
- 554 students2024–25, KHDA school directory
The map shows the streets and places around the school. The same places are counted in «Within 1 km» below.
© OpenStreetMap contributors
Fees at this school, 2026–27
AED 32,760 – 42,840a year, FS1 to Year 9, 2026–27
Not included: transport, uniform, books, trips, sibling discounts.
KHDA Fees Fact Sheet 2026–27.
Overview
Admissions
- Places
- KHDA does not publish how many places are free at a school or its waiting list. Ask the school directly, and early.
- Year groups
- FS1 to Year 9Which year group for your child? → September 2027 intake →
- Age on entry
- Counted on 31 December of the year of entry, for a child registering in a UAE school for the first time from 2026–27 (31 August before that).Source UAE Ministry of Education, 17 December 2025
- Apply
- gemsfoundersschool-dubaisouth.comPrincipal_gfd@gemsedu.comTelephone and e-mail as KHDA's school directory lists them, checked 18 September 2026. What its own website says about admissions → How admission works across Dubai →
- Fees on entry
- «New Students — Application Fees : AED 500 (Assessment fees included)»«New Students — Enrolment Fees : Up to 10% of the tuition fees non refundable & deductible from the 1st term fees»Source KHDA Fees Fact Sheet 2026–27, FS1
- Inspections
- KHDA has not inspected this school yet. KHDA’s visits resume in 2026–27. A full inspection brings a new rating; a shorter monitoring visit does not. Ratings and reports →Source KHDA, 3 June 2026
The school
- Curriculum
- British
- Year groups
- FS1–Year 9
- Gender
- Not availableKHDA states the gender of students only in inspection reports, and this school has not been inspected yet.
- Languages of instruction
- Not published in the KHDA open data workbook or the KHDA directory listing we read.
- Founded
- 2024
- Name registered with KHDA
- GEMS Founders School DS DWC-LLC
- Extra-curricular activities
- Football, Basketball, Swimming, Badminton and more, 11 confirmed
- Principal
- Nicholas Soar
- Back to text, source A
KHDA school directory 2024–25
Checked 16 September 2026.
Fees 2026–27
GEMS Founders School – Dubai South tuition for 2026–27 is AED 32,760 (FS1) to AED 42,840 (Year 7 to Year 9) across 11 year groups, as published in the school's KHDA Fees Fact Sheet 2026–27, after the discount the school lists; KHDA's approved tuition is AED 36,400 to AED 47,600.Note 1Source A: Fees Fact Sheet 2026–27
Approved tuition is unchanged from 2025–26 in every year group; the discount on the 2026–27 sheet is smaller than on the 2025–26 sheet, so the fee after the discount is higher in all 11 year groups; the school did not raise its approved fee.
Annual tuition by year group, GEMS Founders School – Dubai South, 2026–27 compared with 2025–26
| Year group | 2026–27Source A: Fees Fact Sheet 2026–27 | 2025–26Source B: Fees Fact Sheet 2025–26 |
|---|---|---|
| Foundation Stage | ||
| FS1 | AED 32,760approved AED 36,400 | AED 30,940 |
| FS2 | AED 35,910approved AED 39,900 | AED 33,915 |
| Primary | ||
| Year 1 | AED 39,060approved AED 43,400 | AED 36,890 |
| Year 2 | AED 39,060approved AED 43,400 | AED 36,890 |
| Year 3 | AED 39,060approved AED 43,400 | AED 36,890 |
| Year 4 | AED 40,320approved AED 44,800 | AED 38,080 |
| Year 5 | AED 40,320approved AED 44,800 | AED 38,080 |
| Year 6 | AED 40,320approved AED 44,800 | AED 38,080 |
| Secondary | ||
| Year 7 | AED 42,840approved AED 47,600 | AED 40,460 |
| Year 8 | AED 42,840approved AED 47,600 | AED 40,460 |
| Year 9 | AED 42,840approved AED 47,600 | AED 40,460 |
Checked 16 September 2026.
- Back to text, note 1
The range names the lowest and highest tuition on one Fees Fact Sheet. Fees are never averaged across year groups.
- Back to text, source A
Fees Fact Sheet 2026–27
Tuition for 11 year groups.
Checked 16 September 2026.
- Back to text, source B
Fees Fact Sheet 2025–26
Tuition for 11 year groups.
Checked 16 September 2026.
- Back to text, note 2
Change compares the same year group in the two fact sheets. Fees are never averaged across year groups.
GEMS Founders School – Dubai South fees 2026–27 by year group Also the 2025–26 figures, fees since 2024–25 and other charges.
Other campuses of GEMS Founders School: Al Barsha South · Al Mizhar · Nad Al Hamar
Tuition as listed on the school's KHDA Fees Fact Sheet, after the discount it lists («Discount on Tuition fees»), with the approved tuition beneath. The sheet is issued for one academic year and lists other discount schemes separately, «as applicable»; confirm the amount with the school.
What a year costs, FS1, 2026–27
Showing FS1. Choose another year group above to see its costs.
- Tuition
- AED 36,400
- Discount on tuitionAs the fact sheet states it: 10.0%
- −AED 3,640
- KHDA's total for the year
- AED 32,760
Required, but not in KHDA's total: uniform, books and the like, bought from the school or elsewhere
- Uniform
- AED 600 to AED 2,000
- Laptop/Digital Device
- AED 515
- School ID Card ReplacementOnly when needed; not paid every year
- AED 20
A year, before optional servicesAED 33,875 to AED 35,275
Joining and re-enrolling
- Re-enrollment fees · Existing Students
- Up to 5% of the tuition fees or AED 500 (whichever is higher), non-refundable and deductible from the 1st term fees
- Application Fees · New Students
- AED 500 (Assessment fees included)
- Enrolment Fees · New Students
- Up to 10% of the tuition fees, non-refundable and deductible from the 1st term fees
Other discounts the school states
- School Employees
- up to 100%
- Scholarship - Academic
- up to 100%
- Humanitarian Financial Aid
- up to 100%
- Privilege Cards
- up to 3%
- Scholarship
- up to 50%
- Sibling 4
- 15%
- Sibling 5
- 25%
The sheet's sibling discounts start at «Sibling 4», as it names them.
The school requested not to increase the tuition fees for the academic year 2026–27. Fees Fact Sheet 2026–27
Ranges are shown as KHDA prints them, never as a single middle figure.
Inspection
KHDA ratings
No Full Inspection Report yet. The school opened in 2024–25.
What the KHDA scale means
KHDA rates schools on six levels. Good is the level KHDA expects of every school; Acceptable is the minimum level it requires.
- «Quality of performance substantially exceeds the expectation of the UAE»23 schools in Dubai hold it now
- «Quality of performance exceeds the expectation of the UAE»47 schools in Dubai hold it now
- «Quality of performance meets the expectation of the UAE»«This is the expected level for every school in the UAE»85 schools in Dubai hold it now
- «Quality of performance meets the minimum level of quality required in the UAE»«This is the minimum level for every school in the UAE»52 schools in Dubai hold it now
- «Quality of performance is below the expectation of the UAE»No school in Dubai holds it now
- «Quality of performance is significantly below the expectation of the UAE»No school in Dubai holds it now
GEMS Founders School – Dubai South has not been inspected yet. «Not yet inspected» is a state, not a rank: it never counts as Weak.
Reports before 2015–16 used four levels, not these six. 21 of Dubai's 228 open schools hold no six-level rating yet. Counted the way Market Statistics counts ratings, for the schools open today.
Source UAE School Inspection Framework 2015–16, p. 19 (KHDA)
History
No rating yet
This school has no published KHDA inspection report yet. Opened in 2024–25.
Findings
No rating yet
This school has no published KHDA inspection report yet.
Leadership
Subjects
No Full Inspection Report yet. The school opened in 2024–25.
Arabic at every school in Dubai: at least 4 lessons a week from Year 2 to Year 10 for a child of non-Arab nationality. Arab children have 4 to 6 lessons to Year 13; Muslim children also study Islamic Education.Source KHDA, Guidelines on National Mandatory Subjects, page 14 (opens in a new tab)
Calendar 2026–27: term dates and holidays
31 Aug 2026 to 2 Jul 2027 · 185 school days
- First midterm break
- 12 Oct 2026 to 16 Oct 20265 days
- National Day
- 2 Dec 2026 to 3 Dec 20262 days
- Winter break includes New year’s day
- 14 Dec 2026 to 1 Jan 202719 days
- Eid al-Fitr
- 8 Mar 2027 to 11 Mar 20274 daysexpected, subject to moon sighting
- Spring break
- 5 Apr 2027 to 9 Apr 20275 days
- Eid al-Adha
- 17 May 2027 to 18 May 20272 daysexpected, subject to moon sighting
Public holidays are tentative and subject to official government announcements (KHDA).
Source Source A: KHDA school directory 2026–27
Fridays: every private school in Dubai finishes by 11:30, since 9 January 2026.Source The National, 19 Dec 2025 (opens in a new tab)
During Ramadan, whose dates follow the moon, KHDA caps the school day at five hours; each school confirms its own times.Source Gulf News (opens in a new tab)
How these dates compare with other Dubai schools: holidays 2026–27, break by break
- Back to text, source A
KHDA school directory 2026–27
Checked 18 September 2026.
Activities
Sports and activities
What the school lists on its own website and what KHDA’s inspectors mention in their reports. An activity missing here may still be offered.
Ball sports
- Football
- Basketball
Water sports
- Swimming · swimming skills
Racket sports
- Badminton
Individual sports
- Yoga & fitness · yoga
Dance
- Dance (other) · dance
Science & technology
- Robotics
- Science & engineering club · Science · Maths
Debate & strategy
- Debate & public speaking · Debate
- Model United Nations · MUN
- Chess
Facilities
- Makerspace
- Art studio
- Music rooms
- Swimming pool
- Playing field
- Sports hall
- Back to text, source A
School website, read 23 September 2026
Checked 23 September 2026.
On the school's website
What the school says about itself on gemsfoundersschool-dubaisouth.com, read on 22 September 2026. The school's own words, not checked by KHDA; a figure here is the school's own count. Bus routes and bus fees can change each year, so confirm with the school. The site's name beside a line opens that page.
Admissions
- «School tours are available Monday through Friday, with either a member of our Leadership Team or Front of House Team.» gemsfoundersschool-dubaisouth.com on the school's website, opens in a new tab
- «Join the Founders brand and enrol today for the academic year 2026 - 2027.» gemsfoundersschool-dubaisouth.com on the school's website, opens in a new tab
School bus and transport
- «Transport for GEMS Founders School - Dubai South is operated by School Transport Services (STS) LLC.» gemsfoundersschool-dubaisouth.com on the school's website, opens in a new tab
- «All registration and payment of transport fees should be made directly with STS and all cheques should be made out to ’School Transport Services LLC’.» gemsfoundersschool-dubaisouth.com on the school's website, opens in a new tab
- «However, please note, STS cannot guarantee all bus routes requested.» gemsfoundersschool-dubaisouth.com on the school's website, opens in a new tab
- Back to text, source A
School website, read 22 September 2026
Checked 22 September 2026.
Students
- Students, 2024–25
- 554 Source A: KHDA school directory 2024–25
- Back to text, source A
KHDA school directory 2024–25
Checked 16 September 2026.
Snapshots by year
Students and staff by academic year, GEMS Founders School – Dubai South
| Year | Students |
|---|---|
| 2024–25 | 554 |
Location
- Address
- Dubai South Hq
- Phone and email
- Principal_gfd@gemsedu.comPrincipal: Nicholas Soar
- As KHDA's directory listed it on 2026-09-18. Source A: KHDA school directory 2026–27
Around the school
Schools nearby
Within 10 km, by straight-line distance, not a route.
- Greenfield International School
4.8 km · 2023–24 · IB
- The International School of Choueifat – Dubai Investments Park
5.9 km · 2023–24 · Other, SABIS (UK/US)
- Bright Riders School
6.9 km · 2023–24 · Indian CBSE
- Al Nibras International Private School
7.1 km · 2023–24 · American
- South View School
7.5 km · 2023–24 · British
The only school in Dubai SouthAll British curriculum schools in Dubai
- Back to text, source A
KHDA school directory 2026–27
Checked 18 September 2026.
Sources
Every document behind this page. Official documents open on the KHDA site in a new tab.
Fees Fact Sheets · web page, English
KHDA school directory · web page, English
KHDA school directory 2026–27 (opens in a new tab)KHDA school directory 2024–25 (opens in a new tab)
School website · web page, English
Is something on this page wrong? Tell us what it should say; we reply within 5 working days. Corrections made so far
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