Dubai National School Al Barsha

Dubai National School is located on First Al Khail Street in Al Barsha 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The campus sits in the Al Barsha area and is accessible via major routes such as Al Khail Road and Sheikh Zayed Road. The surrounding area is residential with amenities nearby, including the Mall of the Emirates corridor.

DNS Al Barsha serves students from Pre-K (PK) through Grade 12, i.e., PK-12. The school reports an enrollment of about 2,500 students across 52 nationalities with a full American curriculum. The English language is the medium of instruction across phases.

The school is an independent private day school. It serves both boys and girls, with classes segregated by gender from Grade 4 onward; there is no boarding facility advertised for any year group.

Inclusion is a formal part of DNS, with inclusive education support services that comply with KHDA policies. The school provides provisions for students with special educational needs and disabilities as part of its care and support framework, including wellbeing and safeguarding provisions.

The school follows the American curriculum based on Massachusetts State Standards, aligning with an American/US educational framework.

DNS does not have a formal religious affiliation; Islamic Studies is included as part of the Arabic language program within the MOE-mandated curriculum.

The school day starts with gates opening at 7:30 am and the first period beginning at 8:00 am. The schedule includes seven classes on Mondays and Tuesdays, six on Wednesdays and Thursdays, and four on Fridays. End times vary by level: Pre-K, KG1 & KG2 finish at 1:00 pm; Grades 1-3 finish at 2:10 pm; Grades 4-12 finish at 2:30 pm; Friday timings are shortened, with earlier dismissals.

DNS Al Barsha operates its own transport service with a fleet that serves many Dubai areas. Morning bus pickup is typically at 7:45 am; afternoon drop-offs vary by student level (PreK-G12 1:00 pm; PreK-KG2 1:00 pm; G1-12 2:30 pm). Bus routes include Al Barsha 1-3, Tecom & The Greens, Dubai Marina, JLT, JVC, Ibn Battuta & Discovery Gardens, Umm Suqeim & Jumeirah, Dubai Hills, Arjan, Arjan/Remraam, and other areas, with fees published for 2025-2026 (e.g., 7,000 AED for most routes, 4,200 AED one-way). Enrollment is coordinated through the Transport Supervisor after registration.

Annual tuition — fees by year group
- Pre‑KG: AED 24,172 per year.
- KG1: AED 24,172 per year.
- KG2: AED 24,172 per year.
- Grade 1: AED 26,420 per year.
- Grade 2: AED 26,420 per year.
- Grade 3: AED 26,420 per year.
- Grade 4: AED 27,936 per year.
- Grade 5: AED 28,650 per year.
- Grade 6: AED 28,650 per year.
- Grade 7: AED 31,929 per year.
- Grade 8: AED 31,929 per year.
- Grade 9: AED 33,038 per year.
- Grade 10: AED 35,119 per year.
- Grade 11: AED 39,665 per year.
- Grade 12: AED 39,665 per year.

Application / registration fees
- Application fees and registration deposits follow the UAE/KHDA framework used by private schools: an application charge may be collected (KHDA guidance caps the pre‑offer application fee) and schools commonly collect a registration/re‑registration deposit (often expressed as a percentage of annual tuition). The KHDA framework limits an application fee before an offer to a modest fixed amount and allows a registration deposit (commonly up to 10% in practice).

Billing schedule and payment terms
- Fees are billed termly; Dubai private‑school frameworks require that annual tuition be collectable in three instalments (term 1, term 2 and term 3) or, alternatively, in 10 equal monthly instalments. The KHDA guidance sets the typical maximum instalment split at up to 40% (first term), 30% (second term) and 30% (third term). The school's published academic calendar shows term start dates that align with standard termly billing points.
- School fees do not include the costs listed below (these are charged separately). Parents should expect the tuition figure to be the annual tuition amount and to be billed according to the school's published payment plan.

Boarding fees
- Dubai National School — Al Barsha operates as a day school; there are no boarding fees.

Other costs and mandatory extras
- Books, resources, uniforms, transport, lunch and external activities are not included in the tuition figures and are charged separately.
- School transport (example ranges published by the school): typical round‑trip bus fees shown by route are in the AED 7,000–7,500 range; one‑way service for many routes is shown around AED 4,200–4,500. Specific route fees vary by pick‑up area.
- Other common additional items (charged separately) include textbooks, examination/assessment charges, school ID cards, diaries, technology/resource charges, special activities or trips, and optional after‑school offerings. The tuition page explicitly excludes these items from the published tuition figures.

Refunds and withdrawal charges
- Refunds and cancellations are administered under the UAE/KHDA/MOE fee frameworks that apply to private schools in Dubai. These frameworks specify how tuition refunds are calculated when a student withdraws during the term (for example, standard guidance sets the amount schools may retain according to how long the student attended: withdrawal within two weeks → charge one month's tuition; between two weeks and one month → charge two months' tuition; beyond one month → charge up to a term's tuition, with monthly values calculated by dividing the annual tuition by 10). Book and uniform charges are typically non‑refundable unless unused. Registration/re‑registration deposits are typically non‑refundable except in specific circumstances provided by regulation.

Fee payment options
- Private schools in Dubai commonly accept multiple payment methods: online payment portals, bank transfer (wire/telegraphic transfer), debit/credit card, cash and cheques. Schools also commonly accept post‑dated cheques (PDCs) or set up monthly instalment plans where permitted under KHDA rules. Expect the school to offer at least bank transfer and card/online payment facilities.

Summary notes for parents (concise)
- The figures above are the published annual tuition amounts by grade.
- Tuition excludes books, uniforms, transport, lunch and many external activities; transport fees are charged separately and vary by route (round trip examples AED 7,000–7,500).
- Fees are billed termly under the standard Dubai practice (three instalments or 10 monthly instalments); the KHDA framework caps the typical term split at 40%/30%/30% where schools use three instalments. Refunds and withdrawal charges follow the UAE/MOE/KHDA refund rules described above.

DNS serves about 2,500 students from 52 nationalities. The school's population is diverse, with Emirati students making up a significant portion of the intake; Emirati backgrounds are reported as the majority in some external profiles of the school.