GEMS Founders School Dubai South

GEMS Founders School – Dubai South is located in Dubai South, alongside Expo Road and near Expo City Dubai. Dubai South is the large master-planned development focused on aviation, logistics and real estate, with surrounding residential communities. The campus is accessible from the Dubai South area and is positioned to serve families relocating to the district.

The school is organised into Early Years (EYFS), Primary and Secondary. It opened with FS1 to Year 8 and is planned to extend to Year 13 by 2029, broadening the upper-key-stage coverage over time. Current secondary provision covers Years 7-8, with expansion anticipated to include higher year groups in the future.

The school is co-educational (gender of entry is mixed). It operates as a British-curriculum, international school within the UAE. No boarding facilities are indicated for the Dubai South campus.

Nationalities represented are broad, with public postings indicating up to 82 nationalities on roll in recent years, and other sources listing around 60 nationalities with Indian as the most common nationality. The local-to-international ratio is not publicly disclosed.

Inclusive Education is a core part of GEMS Founders School – Dubai South. The school welcomes students with a range of learning needs, including students with disabilities, gifted and talented learners, and English Language Learners, with adjustments and targeted strategies to support diverse learners. Parents are asked to share full details of any SEN plans or reports to tailor educational provisions; admission is not conditional solely on a medical diagnosis.

The school follows the National Curriculum for England and is recognised as a British School Overseas (BSO). This reflects a UK-affiliated curriculum and international accreditation rather than a national UAE-only framework.

There is no separate religious denomination affiliation stated for the Dubai South campus. UAE-specific subjects include Islamic Studies as part of the UAE Ministry of Education curriculum where applicable, but the school itself is not described as affiliated with a particular religion.

Foundation Stage timetables start with doors open at 07:10, lessons begin at 07:40, and the day ends at 12:50 (11:20 on Fridays). Primary timetables have doors open around 07:20 with lessons from 07:40 onward and a midday break structure; Fridays show reduced sessions. Secondary timetables begin earlier, with gates open around 07:00 and lessons running from 07:40 through the afternoon, with a shorter Friday day. Ramadan hours may adjust the daily schedule during the holy month.

School Transport Services (STS) LLC operates the bus service for GEMS Founders School – Dubai South. STS is an ISO-accredited provider and handles all transport arrangements and payments directly with families. They offer a large fleet, trained drivers and guardians, and can consider out-of-area requests, though routes are not guaranteed. For inquiries, contact Abishek P at +971-563693171 or [email protected]

GEMS Founders School Dubai South delivers a British curriculum aligned to the National Curriculum for England, integrated with UAE MOE requirements (Arabic and Islamic Education) and inclusive education. Early Years FS1–FS2 follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), with one teacher and one teaching assistant in every class. Primary School Years 1–6 uses a UK curriculum with core subjects (English, Mathematics, Science) and a broad range of foundation subjects—Art & Design, Computing, Design and Technology, Geography, History, Languages, Music, and PE—alongside MOE Arabic and Islamic Education in a cross-curricular, skills-based approach. Secondary School follows the National Curriculum for England, currently focusing on Key Stage 3 (Years 7–8), with plans to expand to Year 13 by 2029 to provide broader GCSE/alternative pathways, alongside wellbeing, leadership development, and real-world connections, including aviation, aerospace, and logistics. The curriculum is complemented by co-curricular activities, inclusive education, literacy initiatives such as Read Like a GEM, and sustainability and industry-aligned projects.

GEMS Founders School – Dubai South prioritises social and emotional learning, with the EYFS emphasising the physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing of every child, and the Principal explicitly placing mental and emotional health at the forefront of practice, while the Strategic Plan lists wellbeing as an outcome to be actively supported.

Inclusive Education at GEMS Founders School – Dubai South states it welcomes Students of determination (special education needs and disabilities), Gifted and talented students, and English Language Learners, with staff making adjustments and employing tailored teaching strategies in a common learning environment; parents are asked to share detailed information such as IEPs and professional reports to tailor support, and admission is not conditional on a medical diagnosis, indicating the school is not a specialist SEN institution.

English Language Learners are listed among the groups supported under Inclusive Education, but specific EAL programmes or staffing details are not disclosed publicly.

Mental wellbeing is a core focus, evidenced by the EYFS emphasis on the physical, emotional, and psychological wellbeing of every child, and by the Principal's statement that mental and emotional health is at the forefront of practice, with the Strategic Plan explicitly listing wellbeing as a key outcome.

Safeguarding is formalised and cross-cutting, with COBIS-aligned safeguarding policies, a Designated Safeguarding Lead and deputy DSLs, staff safeguarding training, the 'I Care, I Listen' ethos, ongoing student wellbeing support via trained school counsellors, and a Digital Security Awareness programme to protect students online.

New students follow four steps: online application, assessment, enrolment and registration deposit. The online application provides an acknowledgement with an online reference number for further communications. For the assessment, the School Registrar invites the child for an assessment or interview by email or phone; observation is used for Foundation Stage 1 and 2 (FS1/FS2), written assessments for Year 1 and Year 2, and CAT4 with a written assessment for Year 3 to Year 8; results are notified by email or phone. Enrolment is offered to successful applicants, subject to seat availability. The registration deposit is 5% of total tuition fees, payable after an offer is accepted; it is non-refundable and deductible from the total tuition fees. The Finance department will email the schedule of tuition fee payments. Required documents include passport copies for the child and both parents, residency visa pages, birth certificate in English or Arabic, recent passport-size photographs, copies of the last two school reports for all children entering Year 1 and Year 2 (in English) or last two reports and CAT4 for children entering Year 3 and above, nursery reports for FS1 and FS2 if available, a six-month validity medical or therapy report if applicable, immunization/vaccination card, Emirates ID cards (front and back) for child and parents, the original Emirates ID if the child is accepted, and a transfer certificate or leaving certificate (original required on the first day if accepted). The transfer certificate must include the student's full name, date of birth, enrolment date and year group, present class, year/grade completed and promoted to, and the school curriculum, plus the principal's signature and stamp. If transferring from a GCC country or another UAE Emirate, the transfer certificate must be attested by the Ministry of Education; if transferring from countries other than USA, Australia, Canada, Western Europe, Japan and New Zealand, the original transfer certificate must be attested by Educational Authorities, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the UAE Embassy. The documents marked with an asterisk are the minimum mandatory requirement to process the application. For existing students, a Re-Registration Deposit of 5% of total tuition is required to guarantee a place for the following academic year. The school follows the National Curriculum for England and prepares students for a UK education in the future.