North London Collegiate School Dubai

NLCS Dubai is located in Nad Al Sheba, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City (Sobha Hartland), Dubai. The campus address is Nad Al Sheba, Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum City, Dubai, UAE (PO Box 242773). It sits about 3 kilometres from the Burj Khalifa in Downtown Dubai, with road access via Al Khail and Ras Al Khor Roads. Travel times to nearby areas include roughly 10 minutes to Business Bay, about 12 minutes to Dubai Mall, around 18 minutes to Al Barsha, and about 20 minutes to Mirdif, depending on traffic.

Junior School comprises Early Years (Pre-KG – KG1), Lower Junior School (KG2 – Grade 2) and Upper Junior School (Grades 3–5), with IB Primary Years Programme delivered in the Junior School. Senior School covers Grades 6–12 (Years 7–13 in the UK system), divided into Middle School (Grades 6–8), Upper School (Grades 9–10) and the Sixth Form (Grades 11–12), culminating in the IB Diploma Programme.

NLCS Dubai is a co-educational, IB World School. It operates as a day school (no boarding) with the IB continuum offered across the primary and secondary sections.

NLCS Dubai serves a multinational student body described as an eclectic mix of many nationalities from around the world. The school notes a diverse international intake but does not publish exact nationality counts, the most common nationality, or local-to-international ratios.

NLCS Dubai provides inclusion and learning-support provisions. The Inclusion policy describes accommodations and adjustments for learners with barriers to learning, supported by a dedicated inclusion leadership team and Learning Support Assistants across Junior and Senior School. English as an Additional Language support is available from qualified specialist teachers.

NLCS Dubai is part of the NLCS International family, which connects with NLCS (UK) as the mother school and includes multiple international campuses.

There is no publicly listed religious affiliation for NLCS Dubai; the school operates within an inclusive, international IB framework.

The day for Pre-KG and KG1 begins with a 07:50 start and runs through structured periods ending around 13:50 for full-day young pupils. Grade 1–Grade 5 follow similar morning schedules with lunch and enrichment periods, ending around 11:15–14:00 depending on year and day. Senior School runs from 07:30–08:00 start times with a full timetable of periods, breaks, and two lunch blocks, finishing around 16:00 (with after-school activities until 17:00); Friday timings are shorter, finishing by 11:30 for the Senior School.

NLCS Dubai offers a school bus service with two zones. Zone 1 covers areas such as Meydan Heights, Downtown, Business Bay, Burj Khalifa area and surrounding districts; Zone 2 includes Dubai Marina, JLT, Palm Jumeirah and other locations. Morning pick-up generally occurs between about 06:20–07:15, with buses arriving at the campus around 07:40–07:50. Afternoon departures for Pre-KG and KG1 include early drop-offs, with other year groups returning routes accordingly; registration is via an online form and the transport team provides route details and timing adjustments.

NLCS Dubai follows the International Baccalaureate framework across its all‑through campus, offering the PYP for ages 3–11, the MYP for grades 6–10, and the DP for grades 11–12. The PYP uses six trans‑disciplinary themes and a broad subject mix including English, mathematics, science, social studies, art, music, ICT, and languages such as French or Arabic. In the MYP, students complete end‑of‑year eAssessments to earn the Middle Years Certificate (up to 56 points) and undertake the Community Project (Grade 8) and Personal Project (Grade 10), with a strong emphasis on Service as Action. The DP comprises six subjects (one from each group) with three at Higher Level and three at Standard Level (with occasional allowance for four HL), plus the Theory of Knowledge, Extended Essay and CAS, for a maximum of 45 points. The language of instruction is English and Arabic.

Class sizes are publicly reported as around 20 students per class. External sources cite teacher–pupil ratios around 1:8 to 1:9; NLCS Dubai does not publish an official ratio on its public pages.

IB Diploma Programme results at NLCS Dubai are consistently strong and place the school among top regional performers. In 2023 the DP average was 37.2 points, with NLCS Dubai described as the top performer in the Middle East for a third consecutive year. In 2021 the average score was 40, with about a third of students scoring 43+ and every DP candidate achieving at least 35; offers were extended by universities including Columbia, UCLA, LSE, UCL, St Andrews and Durham.

Graduates have been admitted to top universities worldwide, with DP results frequently placing NLCS Dubai among the region's leading IB schools. The 2023 DP results (average 37.2) reflect strong performance relative to regional peers, and 2021 data highlighted offers from prestigious UK and US institutions as evidenced by the university destinations cited in school communications. The school emphasises university progression in its DP narrative, noting competitive placements across the UK, USA, Canada, South Korea, UAE and beyond.

NLCS Dubai does not publish a separate Gifted and Talented program page. IB provision in PYP, MYP and DP offers pathways for advanced work, with the DP including Extended Essay and CAS to support high‑achieving students in independent research and service.

NLCS Dubai places wellbeing at the core of its ethos, with a wellbeing-driven pastoral programme that emphasises Positive Education and Character Strengths. The taught pastoral curriculum includes themes on nutrition, exercise, sleep, emotions and healthy relationships, and the form programme features weekly mindfulness and wellbeing activities. The school uses iSAMS to log concerns and a Vulnerability Index to help staff identify students who may need additional support, with data reviewed to inform interventions. Students also have access to Careers Guidance Counsellors for grades 6–12, alongside student leadership and wellbeing structures such as a House system and a Student Wellbeing Committee, plus a student listening service called Sidiq. Senior-school pastoral care is supported by a team including school counsellors, and the Junior School receives pastoral support from class teachers, the school nurse and counsellors.

NLCS Dubai adopts a whole-school Inclusion Policy approach rather than a separate specialist SEN unit. The policy defines SEN as difficulties that require additional provision and outlines KHDA-aligned categories (Cognition and Learning; Communication and Interaction; Social, Emotional and Mental Health; Physical, Sensory and Medical). The Inclusion Department comprises roles such as the Inclusion Champion (Vice Principal for Pastoral), Head of Inclusion (Whole School) and Heads of Inclusion for Junior/Senior School, plus Support Teachers, EAL Teachers, School Counsellors and Learning Support Assistants, all working to remove barriers to learning. The school uses a Graduated Approach (Levels 1–3) with termly IEPs/ILPs and targeted interventions, escalating to outside professionals if needed. Gifted and Talented provision is recognised separately, with policy guidance available for further detail. The school explicitly states it provides inclusive education for all students, rather than describing itself as a specialist SEN institution.

NLCS Dubai operates an English as an Additional Language (EAL) policy stating that English is the language of instruction and that EAL support is provided for students whose first language is not English. EAL teachers are part of the Inclusion Team and lead assessment, monitoring and the creation of English Language Learner (ELL) Profiles, coordinating with parents and other staff to ensure access to the curriculum. The policy describes admissions processes, ELL registers, and phased support, with targeted formats such as in-class literacy support, small-group study sessions, and 1:1 assistance; English language support may temporarily replace some lessons and is reviewed termly. Assessment follows KHDA guidelines (WIDA-based) and progress is tracked with clear exit criteria once students reach expected English proficiency. In Early Years, additional support may include opportunities to maintain home languages alongside English development.

Mental wellbeing is integrated into NLCS Dubai's Wellbeing Policy, which defines wellbeing as the combination of positive emotions and functioning well within the school community. The curriculum emphasises Positive Education and Character Strengths, with a form-time rotation that includes mindfulness, gratitude and wellbeing activities, and service learning throughout the year. The school tracks wellbeing data (PASS data and a Vulnerability Index) to identify at-risk students and tailor interventions, with iSAMS used to log concerns and monitor trends. The Inclusion Team provides targeted support, and Careers Guidance Counsellors work with older students to plan for life after school. Staff and student wellbeing is supported by a dedicated Wellbeing Committee and professional development focused on wellbeing, including certificates and qualifications offered to staff.

NLCS Dubai maintains a formal Safeguarding and Child Protection framework, with a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and Deputy DSLs across Senior and Junior School, and a named Head of Inclusion for safeguarding responsibilities. The Safeguarding Policy outlines safeguarding leads and contacts, procedures for disclosures, and escalation pathways, including reporting to authorities when required and maintaining confidentiality. Staff receive regular safeguarding training, and safeguarding duties are supported by a system (CPOMS) for logging concerns and coordinating responses. The policy lists external agencies and hotlines, and is aligned with UK and UAE best practices, including Wadeema's Law and Keeping Children Safe in Education guidelines. The safeguarding team, led by the Vice Principal (Pastoral Care) and senior safeguarding leads, coordinates ongoing safeguarding across the school and liaises with external agencies as needed.

1. Initiate the application and arrange an assessment with the admissions team. The assessment for younger pupils may cover school readiness, behavioural development, sociability, verbal and non-verbal reasoning, and mathematical skills. For older students, assessments may include verbal and non-verbal reasoning, working memory, processing speed, mathematical ability, and an interview. 2. The school uses an Age Placement Guide to map NLCS Dubai age bands to UK year group equivalents, covering Pre-KG through Grade 12 with corresponding UK-year equivalents. This helps determine the appropriate entry point for each child. 3. NLCS Dubai is an all-through IB World School offering PYP, MYP and IB Diploma and admits students from Pre-KG to Grade 12 for the 2025-2026 academic year and beyond. 4. If an assessment is successful, families are guided on the next steps by the admissions team, with ongoing communication through the contact channels listed above. The school's general enquiries line is +971 (04) 319 0888 and office hours are 8:00–17:00 Sunday–Thursday; 8:00–12:45 on Fridays.