The City School International Dubai

Plot

416-1297, Nad Al Hamar, Dubai, UAE (P.O. Box 5760). The campus is in Nad Al Hamar, a residential district in eastern Dubai, with straightforward access to major roads and local amenities. The school serves both local and international families in the UAE. It is part of City School Holdings International.

Foundation Stage to Sixth Form (A-Levels). The school offers Foundation Stage, Primary, Secondary, and Sixth Form, with admissions forms published for Foundation Stage to Year 11 and a separate Sixth Form application. Timings and curriculum support the full range from early years through to post-16 study.

Co-educational. The Dubai campus operates as a mixed-gender school; no boarding facilities are indicated.

The student body comprises 665 pupils. The most common nationality is Pakistani. Local students make up about 2% of the school population, with approximately 98% international students.

The Inclusion Department provides support for Students of Determination, English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners, and other needs, with an Achievement Center as a dedicated support space and UAE-aligned inclusion practices.

The City School Holdings International originated in Pakistan; the group opened its first international school outside Pakistan in Dubai in 2006 and now operates across multiple countries.

No formal religious affiliation is listed. The curriculum includes Islamic Education and Moral Studies, with non-Muslim students receiving Moral Studies as appropriate.

Foundation Stage timings: 7:45am–12:30pm (Mon–Thu) and 7:45am–11:50am (Fri). Years 1–13 timings: 7:45am–2:05pm (Mon–Thu) and 7:45am–11:50am (Fri). School gates open at 7:15am. A morning break of 15 minutes and a 20-minute lunch break are provided.

The school operates a fleet of buses compliant with Dubai's Road Transport Authority (RTA) regulations. Buses are equipped with video surveillance and GPS for attendance and safety. Routes are assigned after the Transport Registration Form is submitted, with pick-up/drop-off details shared in advance; zone-based fees apply for AY 2025–2026 (two-way and one-way options). The Transport Manager is the primary point of contact for families.

The City School International Dubai offers a UK-aligned curriculum from Early Years through Sixth Form, underpinned by the British National Curriculum and UAE MOE guidelines; Cambridge International Examinations results are used for benchmarking, and Sixth Form details are not listed on the Curriculum page. The EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) focuses on seven areas of learning and includes Arabic and Physical Education as Additional Subjects. Primary (Year 1–2) follows the National Curriculum UK and MOE guidelines, with core subjects English, Mathematics, Science, Arabic and Islamic Education and non-core subjects such as Music, Computing, PE, Art, Moral Education and Moral Studies for Non-Muslims. Year 3–6 continues with the UK National Curriculum and MOE guidelines, with core subjects English, Mathematics, Science, Arabic and Islamic Education, and non-core subjects including History, Geography, Music, Computing, PE, Art, Moral Education and Moral Studies for Non-Muslims; French is taught as a foreign language. Secondary (Years 7–8) maintains the same framework, with core English, Mathematics, Science, Arabic and Islamic Education, and non-core subjects such as History, Geography, Computing, PE and Art, with French as a foreign language. IGCSE is offered for Years 9–11 under the Cambridge International Examinations framework, with compulsory subjects English, Mathematics, Arabic, Islamic Education, Moral Education and PE; tracks in Science/Commerce/Humanities and electives including Biology, Physics, Chemistry, Business Studies, Economics, Accounting, Sociology, Travel & Tourism, ICT and Computer Science.

The City School International Dubai prioritises student wellbeing through a wellbeing curriculum that is integrated across subjects and co‑curricular activities to support social and emotional development. The Inclusion Department serves Students of Determination, English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners, students with social, behavioural and psychological needs, and gifted and talented students, operating the TCSI Achievement Center to facilitate learning and wellbeing. The school uses multiple data sources, including KHDA well-being survey results, PASS data, and CAT4 data, to identify students who may require additional support and involves parents in collaborative planning when needed. KHDA's 2023‑2024 inspection notes that students display positive attitudes and behaviour and that wellbeing provision exists, with recommendations to broaden student involvement in wellbeing initiatives. Overall, wellbeing is a central priority with ongoing work to enhance engagement and opportunities for wellbeing across the school community.

The Inclusion Department explicitly covers Students of Determination, English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners, students with social, behavioural and psychological needs, and gifted and talented students, supported by the TCSI Achievement Center and a formal inclusion policy, plus a separate policy for gifted and talented learners. There is a dedicated space (the Achievement Center) to facilitate learning and wellbeing for these groups. KHDA DSIB 2023‑2024 records 83 students as Students of Determination and notes two guidance counsellors to support learners, with a key recommendation to enhance wellbeing and support for Students of Determination, indicating ongoing development of SEN provision. The school presents its inclusion as part of the mainstream structure rather than as a separate specialist SEN institution.

EAL learners are explicitly included within the Inclusion Department's scope, which lists English as an Additional Language learners as a group requiring support. The department emphasizes ensuring equal access to the curriculum for EAL students. The language of instruction is English. KHDA DSIB 2023‑2024 confirms English as the language of instruction, with English attainment described as Good to Very Good across phases, reflecting both language acquisition and curriculum access within an inclusive framework.

Mental wellbeing is embedded in the school's approach, with the wellbeing curriculum woven into subject teaching and co‑curricular activities. The school uses multiple data sources—KHDA wellbeing survey results, PASS, and CAT4—to identify students who may need extra support and involves parents in collaborative interventions when appropriate. The Wellbeing policy and related resources provide a framework for supporting students' mental health, and KHDA notes that wellbeing is central to the school community, though provision and outcomes are described as Acceptable with ongoing development. The KHDA inspection additionally highlights opportunities to expand wellbeing engagement and student involvement in wellbeing initiatives.

Safeguarding is integrated into the school's safeguarding framework, with health and safety and safeguarding arrangements rated Good across Foundation Stage, Primary, Secondary, and Post‑16 levels in the DSIB 2023‑2024 report. The school operates a proactive protection, care, guidance and support system for students, including an active medical team and safeguarded, secure premises. The Wellbeing and Child Protection page confirms a UAE-aligned safeguarding policy and directs staff to the designated safeguarding lead (email erum.ali@tcsidxb.ae) for safeguarding concerns; it also points to the school's Child Protection and Safeguarding policy documents. Overall, the school adheres to KHDA expectations for safeguarding, with explicit policies and designated safeguarding contacts.

Step 1 – Applying online. TCSI welcomes applications throughout the year, but seat availability is limited. Check the correct year group for your child based on their date of birth, and familiarise yourself with the relevant fees. After completing the online application form, you will receive an email with further instructions, and you must pay a non-refundable registration fee of AED 500 before the admission test or interview.
Step 2 – Finalising the application. After submitting the online application and payment, the date and time of the assessment will be communicated via email or SMS. All required documents can be uploaded in reply to the email. You must pay the AED 500 registration fee before the admission test/interview. The admission test or interview will be scheduled based on space availability.
Step 3 – Securing a Place. If a place is offered, you will receive a formal offer email valid for 1 week from receipt. If no places are available at the time, you will be placed on a waiting list and notified when a space becomes available. To secure the seat, pay the non-refundable admission fee of AED 1,000. Admission is subject to KHDA approval.
Step 4 – Documents and assessments. The required documents include copies of the student and parents' passports, residence visas, Emirates IDs, birth certificate, vaccination card, recent school reports, and transfer certificate. For overseas transfers, the original school leaving certificate should be attested by the relevant authorities; attestation is not required for the UK, US, Canada, Australia, or Europe. Assessments vary by age: FS1/FS2 use informal observations; Years 1-2 use a written assessment; Years 3-10 use a written admission test; Years 11-13 use prior results, an admission test, and an interview.

Admissions depend on vacancies and use a waiting list. Siblings have preference on the waiting list. The child's name is placed on the waiting list upon payment of a non-refundable registration fee of AED 500. If a space becomes available, offers are made based on space and KHDA approval, and the applicant's position on the list.