Emirates International School, Meadows

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.