The English College Dubai

The English College Dubai is located in Al Safa 1, off Sheikh Zayed Road, directly opposite Oasis Mall. The campus sits in a quiet residential area with nearby shops, cafés and essential services. It is easily accessible from across Dubai and is served by the Dubai Metro Red Line with feeder buses such as F20 and F26 for convenient access.

The school provides the Early Years Foundation Stage (FS1 and FS2), Primary School, Secondary School and Sixth Form. The age range spans roughly 3 to 18, growing with students from Early Years through to A‑Levels/BTECs in the Sixth Form.

The English College Dubai is a co-educational day school. It follows a British curriculum and is part of International Schools Partnership (ISP).

The school represents about 84 nationalities. The largest groups are British, Indian and Egyptian, comprising around 17%, 16% and 10% of students respectively.

Inclusion is central to the school's approach. A Learning Support Teacher provides targeted support, and safeguarding/wellbeing are overseen by a dedicated safeguarding team. The campus also features a full-time clinic with a doctor and nurses for health needs.

The English College Dubai is a British international school overseas, delivering a UK‑aligned curriculum.

There is no formal religious affiliation stated; the school operates as a secular international school.

Early Years arrivals typically around 7:45–8:00am, with lessons from about 8:00am. Primary generally runs 8:00am–3:00pm (Friday shorter hours), and Secondary runs from about 7:45am–3:30pm (Friday shorter hours). Timings vary by year group and term.

Bus transport is provided by BusCo, with a focus on safety and punctuality. There are two main pick‑ups: FS at about 1:30pm and Primary/Secondary at about 3:30pm, with a post‑ECA pick‑up planned from 2025/26. Vehicles have seat belts, GPS, CCTV and other safety features, and routes cover multiple areas with contact details available through the school.

The English College Dubai provides a British curriculum for ages 3 to 18, spanning Foundation Stage (EYFS), Primary (5–11), Secondary (11–16) and Sixth Form (16–18). In Early Years, the curriculum covers seven areas of learning—Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Communication and Language; Physical Development; Literacy; Mathematics; Understanding the World; and Expressive Arts and Design—with FS2 offering English-Arabic bilingual learning and strong multilingual development supported by Flash Academy. Primary School uses an enhanced English-language British National Curriculum, integrating core subjects with cross-curricular themes; Arabic and Islamic Studies are taught in line with MOE requirements, STEAM learning, Computing (Years 4–6), Humanities and Art, and Read Write Inc, with opportunities to engage in ILOS competitions. Secondary School offers Years 7–9 (Key Stage 3) and Years 10–11 (Key Stage 4) with a personalised IGCSE/GCSE pathway, core subjects (English, Maths, Science, Arabic, Islamic/Independent Studies, Social Studies) and a range of optional subjects (e.g., Art, Computer Science, Drama, Economics, Design Technology, French, Geography, History, Music, Triple Science). Sixth Form provides a personalised Key Stage 5 pathway with up to four subjects, offering A Levels, BTECs or a blend, plus the EC Diploma to develop leadership, bilingualism and critical thinking, with ongoing university guidance (Unifrog/UCAS) and enrichment through activities such as MUN, Duke of Edinburgh and STEAM. Languages continue to be a feature across the upper years, with English as the language of instruction and continued study of Arabic, French and Spanish in various capacities; multilingual progress is tracked via Flash Academy in several stages. Qualifications are delivered through UK boards: GCSE/A Levels via AQA and IGCSEs/A Levels via Pearson Edexcel, with the school listed as an AQA centre and an Edexcel-registered institution.

The English College Dubai uses a whole‑school approach to wellbeing and social and emotional learning (SEL) through its Inclusion & pastoral care framework. The Inclusion Team provides early intervention, personalised learning plans, in‑class support and collaborates with families to support each student's social and emotional development. The THRIVE Wellbeing Programme is part of Health, Relationships and Wellbeing education, offering age‑appropriate, scientifically grounded health and relationship discussions with opt‑out options for families. Safeguarding policies reinforce SEL by ensuring a safe environment with a Designated Safeguarding Lead, staff training and clear policies on student support, online safety and health and safety. KHDA describes strong personal and social development across year groups as a reflection of these provisions.

The Inclusion & pastoral care framework states tailored strategies to meet the needs of students of determination, English language learners and more able and talented pupils. Identification at admissions begins early, with robust referral processes and ongoing monitoring and progress reviews, and parent collaboration supports timely intervention. The Inclusion Team provides early intervention in Foundation Stage and Primary, with specialist support in Secondary, and works closely with families to ensure smooth transitions. The More Able and Talented (MAT) programme identifies and supports high‑potential students across Foundation Stage to Year 13, led by a MAT Coordinator and Head of Inclusion. The school notes collaboration with external specialists to provide targeted interventions for needs, including therapies and educational psychology.

The Multilingualism page confirms English as the instructional language, with Arabic, French and Spanish offered and EAL programmes supported by native-language guidance and weekly lessons. The Flash Academy language progress‑tracking programme monitors progress in English and other languages with termly assessments. English language learners are reported to make significant progress, with nearly all improving by at least one proficiency level in 2024‑25. EAL provision runs across Early Years to Sixth Form as part of the multilingual framework.

The Inclusion & pastoral care framework describes a whole‑school approach to wellbeing with the Inclusion Team providing early intervention and ongoing progress reviews. The THRIVE Wellbeing Programme includes health and relationship education tailored to age groups and aligned with learning outcomes, with an opt‑out option for families. The school clinic is staffed by a full‑time doctor and nurses and follows Dubai Health Authority guidelines to support health and wellbeing. Safeguarding, online safety and dedicated pastoral care are integral to maintaining mental wellbeing, together with health and safety policies and regular risk assessments. KHDA inspection notes also highlight strong personal and social development across the school.

Safeguarding is a core priority at The English College, with a robust policy and ongoing staff training in safeguarding and child protection. The safeguarding team includes a Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and deputies across the primary and secondary sections, plus a Learning Support Teacher. All staff undergo safeguarding and child protection training, and safeguarding procedures include visitor management, secure premises and clear policies accessible to staff, families and students. The school provides dedicated pastoral care, counselling and wellbeing services to students, with clear channels for reporting concerns. Online safety education, safer recruitment and whistleblowing procedures, along with health and safety practices, underpin safeguarding across the campus.

The English College Dubai uses an online application process. To apply, submit an Admissions Enquiry and complete the Online Application Form for each child; the Admissions Team contacts you within 24 hours. After submitting, provide the documents requested: from Year 1 onwards, the most recent school report and the last end-of-year report are required, and any learning support reports (such as IEPs or external assessments) should be submitted if applicable. Pay the application fee, then sign and return the Offer Letter with a non‑refundable tuition fee deposit of 10% of the annual fees, which is deducted from the first term's tuition. If a year group has no places, the child is placed on a waiting list. An entrance assessment is scheduled after the documents and fee are received: Foundation Stage 1 to Year 2 undertake a 60–90 minute informal observation/assessment, and Year 3 to Year 6 complete a computer-based cognitive ability assessment (CAT4); in some cases additional reports or an interview may be required. Successful applicants receive an offer by email, and acceptance is via returning the signed terms of acceptance. The academic year typically commences in late August. Applications for 2025/26 Academic Year are now open.

ISP Scholarships are available, offering up to 25% off tuition for two years and including personalised mentorship and opportunities to participate in ISP's global programmes. There are two scholarship categories for Years 10 and 12: ISP Academic Excellence and ISP International Learner. Applicants are shortlisted, may have a final round with the Principal, and receive an offer if selected. Mandatory requirements include GCSE grades of 7 or above, a minimum 96% attendance and punctuality, engagement beyond the classroom, alignment with the school's values, and demonstrated measurable impact within the school.

If a year group is full, applications are accepted and placed on a waiting list until a space becomes available. Applications may be submitted for full year groups, but offers are not guaranteed while the waiting list is in place.