Top 10 IB (International Baccalaureate) Primary Schools in Dubai 2026

Dubai International Academy Al Barsha opened in 2018 as the sister campus of the Emirates Hills school, and the Innoventures Education group runs both. It teaches all four IB programmes from pre-KG to Grade 12. KHDA rated it Good in 2021-22 and 2022-23 and Very Good in 2023-24, so its rating rose in the latest round, with wellbeing and inclusion both Very Good. The 2023-24 report records 1,638 pupils, 152 teachers and 47 teaching assistants. Inspectors highlighted students' sense of responsibility and work ethic, the positive impact of students' and parents' views, a coherent and well-structured curriculum, the very positive start made by children in KG and a leadership team driving improvement. In the PYP, personal development is Outstanding, while teaching, assessment and care and support are Very Good. Students' requests have led to new catering arrangements and extended sporting events, and students share concerns anonymously through a suggestions box. KHDA's recommendations were to raise teaching consistency and lift attainment in Islamic Education and Arabic. SchoolsCompared.com gives a parent rating of 78. It praises outstanding leadership, 21 subjects in the Diploma pathway and a deep commitment to scholarships in sport, the performing arts and academics, and it shortlisted the school for Best New School in the UAE in 2018 to 2020. The reviewer's caution is that, as with any new school, processes need time to bed in. Daily hours are not listed publicly, so ask on a tour. Fees in KHDA's 2026-27 directory are AED 53,111 for pre-primary, AED 59,898 for KG1, AED 60,459 for KG2 and AED 68,466 for Grades 1 to 5. That is AED 10,483 more than the Emirates Hills campus charges for Year 6 and about AED 15,000 less than JBS. For families in Al Barsha, it is an IB option with a recent track record of improvement.

North London Collegiate School Dubai opened in 2017 in Meydan City and teaches the IB Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma programmes as a continuum. KHDA rated it Very Good in 2022-23 and 2023-24, up from Good in 2019-20, with wellbeing and inclusion both Very Good. The 2023-24 report records 1,581 pupils, 182 teachers and 40 teaching assistants. Inspectors highlighted pupils' attitudes, behaviour and relationships, a strong work ethic, extensive extra-curricular and enrichment activities and an ethos of care, courtesy and consideration. They singled out the vision and expertise of the inclusion department and the wellbeing provision, noting that staff and parents are involved through events and class representatives. In the PYP, personal development and care and support are Outstanding, while teaching and assessment are Very Good. The report also contains a recommendation that is easy to miss: promote a culture of health and safety across the whole school community. KHDA also asked for stronger Arabic and Islamic Education and for better challenge in lessons. SchoolsCompared.com gives a parent rating of 74 and describes an academically focused school with no vocational offering and ambitious, demanding parents. The school day for Grade 1 is published in detail: drop-off 7.30am to 7.50am, registration at 7.50am, lessons to 3.10pm from Monday to Thursday and an end of day at 11.15am on Fridays, with clubs from 3.10pm to 3.50pm. Grades 1 and 2 on a Monday to Thursday share that 3.10pm finish. Fees are the highest in this guide. The school's own 2026-27 table, which matches KHDA, lists AED 91,735 for Pre-KG, AED 96,157 for KG1, AED 104,999 for KG2 to Grade 3 and AED 108,314 for Grades 4 and 5. New joiners get discounts in their first year, for example 5% off Grade 1, which brings it to AED 99,749. That is almost twice the cost of Dubai International Academy in Emirates Hills for similar KHDA ratings.

Greenfield International School in Dubai Investments Park opened in 2007 and is a Taaleem school on a campus Wikipedia puts at 12 acres. It teaches the IB continuum from Pre-K to Grade 12 and was an early adopter of the IB Career-related Programme in the Emirates, according to SchoolsCompared.com. KHDA rated it Very Good in 2022-23 and 2023-24 after Good from 2013-14 through 2019-20, with Very Good for wellbeing and inclusion. The 2023-24 report records 1,555 pupils, 112 teachers and 43 teaching assistants. The PYP phase scores Outstanding for personal development and for care and support, with Very Good teaching and assessment. Inspectors highlighted excellent personal development and social responsibility, the outstanding health and safety procedures and pastoral care, strong parental involvement and the quality of facilities. The wellbeing section gives a concrete example of listening: when pupils said they wanted a stronger sense of belonging, the school introduced a house system, and it now describes that change as successful. Concerns are collected from surveys, informal conversations and a comment drop-box. KHDA's recommendations were to raise Arabic and Islamic Education, use assessment to challenge every ability group and adapt as demographics change. SchoolsCompared.com gives a parent rating of 71, praises strong, quiet and assured leadership, high transparency and outstanding, genuine inclusiveness, and notes improving Arabic. Its gaps are a lack of sponsorship or bursaries and limited focus on the truly gifted. Daily hours are not listed publicly, so check on a visit. KHDA's 2026-27 directory shows AED 48,434 for KG1 and KG2 and AED 58,124 for Grades 1 to 5, with AED 38,592 for the early childhood class. That is almost the same as the AED 57,983 Dubai International Academy charges for Years 2 to 6, and about AED 10,000 less than Dubai International Academy Al Barsha for Grades 1 to 5. For families around Dubai Investments Park it is a school with a full IB pathway nearby.

Emirates International School in the Meadows is the lowest-priced IB option in this guide and offers the full IB continuum, including the IB Career-related Programme with a hospitality focus, according to SchoolsCompared.com. KHDA's directory dates it from 2006 while Wikipedia gives 2005. KHDA rated it Very Good in 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2023-24, up from Good in 2018-19, with Very Good for wellbeing and inclusion. The 2023-24 report records 1,876 pupils, 149 teachers and 8 teaching assistants, a far thinner assistant ratio than most schools here. The report found highly effective teaching across most of the school, strong care and support, very positive pupil attitudes and strong leadership and governance. In the PYP, teaching and assessment are Very Good and care and support is Outstanding. Wellbeing is where the school is honest about what remains: leaders prioritise pupils' happiness and hold regular meetings with identified groups of students, but acknowledge that training has yet to ensure the wellbeing curriculum is fully embedded. KHDA's recommendations were to share the best teaching more, use assessment data for individuals and focus on reading literacy. SchoolsCompared.com gives a parent rating of 68 and highlights affordable entry to an IB school, but warns that fees stretch from value to premium in later years, and that no scholarships or bursaries exist. It also says the school is still some way from the KHDA scoring needed for an overall Outstanding rating. Wikipedia lists a 25-acre campus. Daily hours are not listed publicly. Fees in KHDA's 2026-27 directory are AED 28,990 for EY1, AED 38,046 for EY2 and Year 1, AED 45,292 for Years 2 and 3 and AED 50,734 for Years 4 to 6. By Year 13 the figure is AED 85,976, so the low entry price rises. Year 6 costs AED 7,249 less than Dubai International Academy in Emirates Hills. It ranks seventh because its ratings and parent score trail those above it, not because of value.

Raffles World Academy in Umm Suqeim 3 opened in 2008 and teaches the IB Primary Years, Middle Years, Diploma and Career-related programmes. It is part of the Innoventures Education group. KHDA's directory lists Very Good for 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2023-24, with Very Good for wellbeing and inclusion, so the school is steady rather than rising. The 2023-24 report records 1,831 pupils, 151 teachers and just 11 teaching assistants. In the PYP, personal development and care and support are rated Outstanding, while teaching and assessment are Very Good. In the KG, teaching and assessment are both Outstanding. Wellbeing is Very Good: the report describes a clear vision and a commitment to improvement, systematic wellbeing data and a developing approach to target setting. The reviewer credits the breadth of facilities and extra-curricular activities, a fabulous location, high-profile governance and the IB Career-related Programme. The parent rating of 68 is shared with Emirates International School Meadows and trails the leading IB schools by 15 to 19 points. SchoolsCompared.com's only improvement suggestion is wider BTEC options within the Career-related Programme, which affects older pupils rather than primary families. Daily hours are not listed publicly, so confirm them on a tour. KHDA's 2026-27 directory lists AED 33,544 for pre-primary and KG1, AED 40,253 for KG2, AED 52,060 for Grades 1 to 3 and AED 62,794 for Grades 4 and 5. That makes it one of the lower-cost IB schools, AED 4,811 above Dubai International Academy in Emirates Hills for the oldest primary year. The school's own 2026-27 schedule for existing students is higher, at AED 64,405 for Grades 4 and 5, and is marked subject to KHDA approval, so ask which figure applies. Raffles is a practical pick for families in Umm Suqeim who want an IB school with big facilities and a steady record.

The Swiss International Scientific School in Dubai, known as SISD, sits in Dubai Healthcare City, Al Jaddaf, and is part of Nord Anglia Education. KHDA's directory dates it from 2015, while Wikipedia gives 2012. It teaches English plus either French or German depending on the pathway, with bilingual PYP beginnings, and is a through-school offering the IB Diploma and Career-related programmes later on. KHDA rated it Acceptable in 2017-18, Good in 2018-19 and 2022-23, and Very Good in 2023-24, with Very Good for wellbeing and inclusion. The report records 2,192 pupils, 225 teachers and 62 teaching assistants. In the PYP, curriculum design is Outstanding and personal development is Outstanding, while teaching, assessment and care and support are Very Good. Inspectors highlighted improved Arabic learning, the bilingual provision, health and safety, improved inclusion and effective leadership. Wellbeing is Very Good, with ambassadors in every phase and a charming detail: Grade 5 pupils run online wellbeing contacts with children in KG. SchoolsCompared.com calls it a benchmark for languages and STEAM with facilities second to none, but says it does not yet challenge for the top IB scores and gives a parent rating of 63. The school day is published for every phase. Primary pupils arrive from 7.30am, the national anthem is at 7.45am, registration at 8.00am and the last session ends at 3.30pm from Monday to Thursday, with a 25-minute break, a 30-minute lunch and a further 30-minute break. On Fridays the primary day ends at 12.05pm. That gives Monday to Thursday about seven and a half hours of school. Fees are high: KHDA's 2026-27 directory shows AED 68,868 for pre-primary, AED 76,903 for KG1 and KG2, AED 91,823 for Grades 1 to 4 and AED 94,693 for Grade 5. That is AED 36,710 more than Dubai International Academy in Emirates Hills charges for Year 6. Choose SISD for the languages and facilities, not for value.

GEMS World Academy in Al Barsha South is the flagship IB school of GEMS Education. It was authorised to teach the PYP in 2010, according to Wikipedia, and delivers all four IB programmes from Pre-KG to Grade 12. KHDA's directory dates it from 2008 and lists Very Good for 2017-18, 2018-19, 2019-20, 2022-23 and 2023-24, with Very Good for wellbeing and inclusion. The 2023-24 report records 2,022 pupils, 188 teachers and 104 teaching assistants, the highest assistant count among the IB schools in this guide. The KG and PYP phases show a gap: teaching and assessment are Outstanding in KG but Very Good in the PYP, while personal development and care and support are Outstanding in both. Inspectors highlighted high achievement in KG, personal and social development, pastoral care, parental involvement and efficient management and resources. The wellbeing section describes an ethos built on CARE principles, meaning Community, Ambition, Respect and Endeavour. KHDA's recommendations were to use assessment more effectively for EAL students and newcomers and to deliver consistently strong teaching in Islamic Education, Arabic and mathematics. SchoolsCompared.com describes a happy, caring school that focuses on the whole child and calls FS and primary provision outstanding, but gives it a parent rating of 41, the lowest on this list, and names high fees as the main room for improvement. The school's tuition page lists KHDA-approved 2025-26 fees of AED 71,113 for Pre-K and KG1, AED 88,960 for KG2 to Grade 4 and AED 102,378 for Grade 5, and KHDA's directory shows the same figures for 2026-27 after the freeze. That puts Grade 5 at AED 44,395 more than Dubai International Academy in Emirates Hills charges for Year 6. SchoolsCompared.com describes beyond-outstanding facilities and heavy yearly investment, which partly explains the price. Daily hours are not listed publicly. For most families, the premium over cheaper Very Good IB schools is hard to justify on ratings alone.