Affordable IB Schools in Dubai 2026: Fees & Ratings
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Also known as gems founders dubai
British
25K - 37K AED
Al Barsha
Last updated · Sources: KHDA inspection reports · methodology
GEMS Founders School is a British curriculum school established in 2016 in Al Barsha. The school delivers UK education from Foundation Stage through to Sixth Form, serving students from FS1 to Year 13.
The school has 6,147 students on roll, welcoming boys and girls aged 3 to 18. Classes follow the English National Curriculum framework, with the Early Years Foundation Stage for younger learners progressing through Key Stages to prepare students for secondary qualifications.
Students work towards IGCSE, GCSE, AS Level, and A-Level examinations, with GL assessments also offered. GEMS Founders School holds BSO accreditation and received a "Very Good" rating from KHDA in the 2023-2024 inspection cycle.
Annual tuition fees range from AED 24,749 to AED 37,124. The Al Barsha campus offers convenient access for families residing in Al Barsha First, Al Barsha South, and surrounding communities.
Facts reported by the school on its own channels, summarised by BestSchool.ae with a link to each source.
Students scored 535 in science, 524 in mathematics and 526 in reading in PISA 2025, exceeding both the Dubai and OECD averages across all three assessed areas, which the school attributes to its whole community's commitment to excellence.
Source: InstagramGEMS Founders School marks a decade since GFS opened in Al Barsha South in 2016. The Founders family has since grown with GFM in 2018, GFD and GFA in 2024, and its newest school, GFH, which opened days before this announcement.
Source: YouTubeThe academic year of some recorded fees has not been verified against its source. Confirm current rates with the school before using them.
KHDA rated GEMS Founders School "Very good" in its 2023-2024 inspection, up from "Good" at the previous inspection. The school has been inspected 4 times since 2018-2019.
GEMS Founders School Dubai received a very good overall rating. Inspectors highlighted strong leadership, outstanding inclusion of students of determination, an outstanding partnership with parents, and excellent health and safety practices. Recommendations include adding measurable targets to improvement plans, improving teaching and attainment in Islamic Education and Arabic, and boosting reading literacy and progress for students of determination.
Source: KHDA inspection report 2023-2024 (PDF, pages 1–25), inspected 04 to 08 December 2023. Restated by BestSchool.ae.
Of the 86 performance indicators rated in both reports, 22 improved, 1 declined and 63 kept the same rating.
and 14 more
Of the 3 recommendations made in 2022-2023, 2 can be checked against the 2023-2024 ratings: 2 show an improvement.
Islamic Education — Progress (Secondary): Acceptable → Good · Islamic Education — Progress (Post-16): Acceptable → Good · Arabic as a First Language — Progress (Secondary): Acceptable → Good · Arabic as a First Language — Progress (Post-16): Acceptable → Good
Teaching for effective learning (Secondary): Good → Very good · The effectiveness of leadership: Good → Very good
| Indicator | Phase | 2022-2023 | 2023-2024 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Students' achievement | |||
| Islamic Education — Attainment | Primary | Good | Good |
| Islamic Education — Attainment | Secondary | Acceptable | Acceptable |
| Islamic Education — Attainment | Post-16 | Acceptable | Acceptable |
| Islamic Education — Progress | Primary | Good | Good |
| Islamic Education — Progress | Secondary | Acceptable | Good |
| Islamic Education — Progress | Post-16 | Acceptable | Good |
| Arabic as a First Language — Attainment | Primary | Acceptable | Good |
| Arabic as a First Language — Attainment | Secondary | Acceptable | Acceptable |
| Arabic as a First Language — Attainment | Post-16 | Acceptable | Acceptable |
| Arabic as a First Language — Progress | Primary | Good | Good |
| Arabic as a First Language — Progress | Secondary | Acceptable | Good |
| Arabic as a First Language — Progress | Post-16 | Acceptable | Good |
| Arabic as an Additional Language — Attainment | Primary | Good | Good |
| Arabic as an Additional Language — Attainment | Secondary | Acceptable | Acceptable |
| Arabic as an Additional Language — Progress | Primary | Good | Good |
| Arabic as an Additional Language — Progress | Secondary | Good | Good |
| English — Attainment | Foundation Stage | Good | Good |
| English — Attainment | Primary | Good | Good |
| English — Attainment | Secondary | Good | Good |
| English — Attainment | Post-16 | Very good | Very good |
| English — Progress | Foundation Stage | Very good | Very good |
| English — Progress | Primary | Very good | Very good |
| English — Progress | Secondary | Good | Good |
| English — Progress | Post-16 | Very good | Very good |
| Mathematics — Attainment | Foundation Stage | Good | Good |
| Mathematics — Attainment | Primary | Good | Very good |
| Mathematics — Attainment | Secondary | Good | Very good |
| Mathematics — Attainment | Post-16 | Acceptable | Good |
| Mathematics — Progress | Foundation Stage | Very good | Very good |
| Mathematics — Progress | Primary | Good | Very good |
| Mathematics — Progress | Secondary | Very good | Very good |
| Mathematics — Progress | Post-16 | Very good | Good |
| Science — Attainment | Foundation Stage | Good | Good |
| Science — Attainment | Primary | Good | Very good |
| Science — Attainment | Secondary | Good | Good |
| Science — Attainment | Post-16 | Acceptable | Good |
| Science — Progress | Foundation Stage | Very good | Very good |
| Science — Progress | Primary | Very good | Very good |
| Science — Progress | Secondary | Very good | Very good |
| Science — Progress | Post-16 | Very good | Very good |
| Learning skills | Foundation Stage | Very good | Very good |
| Learning skills | Primary | Very good | Very good |
| Learning skills | Secondary | Good | Very good |
| Learning skills | Post-16 | Very good | Very good |
| Students' personal and social development | |||
| Personal development | Foundation Stage | Very good | Outstanding |
| Personal development | Primary | Outstanding | Outstanding |
| Personal development | Secondary | Very good | Very good |
| Personal development | Post-16 | Very good | Very good |
| Understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures | Foundation Stage | Good | Very good |
| Understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures | Primary | Good | Very good |
| Understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures | Secondary | Good | Good |
| Understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures | Post-16 | Good | Good |
| Social responsibility and innovation skills | Foundation Stage | Very good | Outstanding |
| Social responsibility and innovation skills | Primary | Very good | Outstanding |
| Social responsibility and innovation skills | Secondary | Very good | Very good |
| Social responsibility and innovation skills | Post-16 | Very good | Very good |
| Teaching and assessment | |||
| Teaching for effective learning | Foundation Stage | Very good | Very good |
| Teaching for effective learning | Primary | Very good | Very good |
| Teaching for effective learning | Secondary | Good | Very good |
| Teaching for effective learning | Post-16 | Very good | Very good |
| Assessment | Foundation Stage | Very good | Very good |
| Assessment | Primary | Very good | Very good |
| Assessment | Secondary | Very good | Very good |
| Assessment | Post-16 | Very good | Very good |
| Curriculum | |||
| Curriculum design and implementation | Foundation Stage | Very good | Very good |
| Curriculum design and implementation | Primary | Very good | Very good |
| Curriculum design and implementation | Secondary | Very good | Very good |
| Curriculum design and implementation | Post-16 | Very good | Very good |
| Curriculum adaptation | Foundation Stage | Very good | Very good |
| Curriculum adaptation | Primary | Very good | Very good |
| Curriculum adaptation | Secondary | Very good | Very good |
| Curriculum adaptation | Post-16 | Very good | Very good |
| Protection, care, guidance and support | |||
| Health and safety, including arrangements for child protection/safeguarding | Foundation Stage | Outstanding | Outstanding |
| Health and safety, including arrangements for child protection/safeguarding | Primary | Outstanding | Outstanding |
| Health and safety, including arrangements for child protection/safeguarding | Secondary | Outstanding | Outstanding |
| Health and safety, including arrangements for child protection/safeguarding | Post-16 | Outstanding | Outstanding |
| Care and support | Foundation Stage | Very good | Very good |
| Care and support | Primary | Very good | Very good |
| Care and support | Secondary | Very good | Very good |
| Care and support | Post-16 | Very good | Very good |
| Inclusion | |||
| Provision and outcomes for students of determination | Whole school | Very good | Outstanding |
| Leadership and management | |||
| The effectiveness of leadership | Whole school | Good | Very good |
| School self-evaluation and improvement planning | Whole school | Very good | Very good |
| Parents and the community | Whole school | Very good | Outstanding |
| Governance | Whole school | Good | Very good |
| Management, staffing, facilities and resources | Whole school | Very good | Very good |
Inspectors rated this large UK-curriculum school in Dubai as good overall. Strengths include strong leadership, an inclusive ethos, effective curriculum design, and excellent safeguarding. Recommendations focus on improving Islamic Education and Arabic progress, developing students' independent learning skills, and ensuring more consistent teaching quality across secondary phases.
Source: KHDA inspection report 2022-2023 (PDF, pages 1–20), inspected 06 to 10 February 2023. Restated by BestSchool.ae.
2023-2024 inspection
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As reported for 2023-2024
