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Dubai English Speaking College

United Arab Emirates, Dubai

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· Reviewed by · B2C Marketing Manager

Independently researched by doris.
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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees AED 84,326 - 90,633
Ages 11 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 1851
Bus Service No
Availability Not shared by this school
Academic offering
Curriculum British Curriculum
Typical class size 11

Al Rowaiyah Second, Academic City, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

dess.sch.ae
Vibes and Culture
The school has not added this information
The Essentials

Dubai English Speaking College has 1,851 pupils, typical class sizes of 11, instruction in English.

Location
DESS operates across three Dubai campuses. DESS Oud Metha hosts the primary school (ages 3–11) on Oud Metha Road. DESS College provides secondary and sixth form (ages 11–18) at Academic City. DESS Primary Academic City opened in September 2025 at Academic City, opposite DESS College. The Oud Metha campus is centrally located near the Oud Metha Metro on the Green Line, while the Academic City campuses sit in Dubai's educational hub.

Stages
DESS Oud Metha serves Foundation Stage to Year 6 (ages ~3–11). DESS College offers secondary and sixth form (Year 7–Year 13, ages 11–18). DESS Primary Academic City is the latest primary campus (opening 2025), joining the two existing primary and college sites to form a continuous path from age 3 to 18.

Type
Co-educational day school; the DESS group operates on a not-for-profit basis. The college and schools are described as mixed/gender-balanced in KHDA references. There are no boarding facilities advertised.

Pupil Nationality Mix
The student body represents 114 nationalities. The most common nationality and the local-to-international ratio are not published by the school.

Additional learning support
DESS provides inclusive education with access to external specialists as needed. If applicable, reports from outside agencies (Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Educational Psychologist, etc.) may be used to inform provision.

Country affiliation
Affiliation to the United Kingdom in practice through use of the English National Curriculum for Year 7–13; the schools are British-curriculum (UK) oriented and part of the Dubai English Speaking Schools family.

Religious affiliation
No formal religious affiliation; the schools are non-denominational and emphasise inclusive, diverse education.

School day structure
School days for the secondary campus start around 07:30 (Academic City) and finish around 15:30; Oud Metha also runs a similar day length (approximately 07:25–15:30). Specific timetables may vary by campus and year group.

Bus service
A school bus service is provided for DESS Academic City by Maverick, a private, specialist provider. The service is door-to-door and available from Foundation Stage 1 upwards, with GPS tracking, seat belts, and a dedicated bus coordinator in time. Routes cover wide areas, including far reaches of Dubai's residential zones.
Diving Deeper
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Fees

Annual tuition at Dubai English Speaking College ranges from AED 84,326 to AED 90,633 for 2026/27.

Application fees

- Application fee: AED 525 (an application-stage payment is requested for applicants; payment details are provided after submission of the application form).

- Acceptance (registration) fees (payable on receipt of the offer; non-refundable and deducted from the first term invoice):
- DESS Oud Metha (FS1 – Year 6): AED 3,500.
- DESS Academic City (FS1 – Year 6): AED 4,000.
- DESS College (Years 7–10): AED 5,000.
- DESS College (Year 12 / Sixth Form): AED 7,500.

Tuition fees — full year and termly breakdown (amounts in AED)

- DESS Oud Metha — Foundation Stage 1:
- Full academic year: AED 43,084.
- Term 1: AED 17,234; Term 2: AED 12,925; Term 3: AED 12,925.

- DESS Oud Metha — Foundation Stage 2 and Years 1–6:
- Full academic year: AED 53,320.
- Term 1: AED 21,328; Term 2: AED 15,996; Term 3: AED 15,996.

- DESS Academic City — Foundation Stage 1 (discount applied where indicated):
- Full academic year: AED 55,250 (includes specified discount where indicated).
- Term 1: AED 22,100; Term 2: AED 16,575; Term 3: AED 16,575.

- DESS Academic City — Foundation Stage 2 and Years 1–6 (discount applied where indicated):
- Full academic year: AED 63,750 (includes specified discount where indicated).
- Term 1: AED 25,500; Term 2: AED 19,125; Term 3: AED 19,125.

- DESS College — Years 7–11:
- Full academic year: AED 84,326.
- Term 1: AED 33,730; Term 2: AED 25,298; Term 3: AED 25,298.

- DESS College — Sixth Form:
- Full academic year: AED 90,633.
- Term 1: AED 36,253; Term 2: AED 27,190; Term 3: AED 27,190.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Standard term payment due dates (term-by-term invoices): 1 September; 5 January; 6 April. Invoices and term-due dates follow the published term schedule.

- Acceptance fees are non-refundable and are deducted from the child's first term invoice. One term's written notice is required when withdrawing a child from the DESS family (notice is to be sent to the admissions contact specified in school correspondence). Sibling discounts for third and subsequent children are calculated and applied in the Term 2 tuition invoice.

- Examination charges (e.g., GCSE/GCE) and external examination charges (e.g., music or dance exams) are not included in published tuition fees and are invoiced separately.

Boarding fees

- Boarding is not applicable. DESS operates as day schools and does not list boarding provision or boarding fees. Transport services (school buses) and day-care/after-school offerings are provided where indicated.

Other costs and fees

- Examination and external assessment fees: Fees for GCSE, GCE and other external assessments are charged in addition to tuition and are invoiced separately.

- Transport (school bus) service: A door-to-door school-bus service is provided; safety features and operating arrangements are specified by the school and its transport partner. Transport fees are handled separately from tuition and are invoiced as a distinct charge. Specific route and pricing information is managed through the school's transport arrangements.

- After-school care / SuperClub: An extended-hours SuperClub is available for Foundation Stage 1 pupils; participation and any associated charges are managed separately.

- Uniform: Uniforms are supplied through the school-managed uniform arrangements in partnership with a uniform supplier; uniform costs are paid separately by parents via the supplier channels indicated by the school.

- Incidental charges: Trips, activities, specialist courses, replacement books, lost items and similar incidental costs may be invoiced separately and are not included in published tuition figures. The bank-transfer instruction fields reference reason-for-payment codes such as tuition, acceptance fees, application fees, trip, bus etc.

Refund information

- Acceptance (registration) fee: non-refundable; it is deducted from the child's first term invoice when a place is accepted.

- Withdrawal: one term's notice in writing is required when leaving; failure to provide the required notice may affect fee liabilities as stated in the school's admissions/fee terms.

Fee payment options and bank details

- Payment methods accepted: credit card payments via the SKIPLY mobile app, bank transfer, or bank cash deposit. Guidance on SKIPLY registration is provided to families for credit-card payments.

- Bank details for bank transfer (reference information must include pupil name or parent account code and reason for payment):
- Account name: Dubai English Speaking Special Branch College.
- Account number: 101-49485189-01.
- IBAN: AE50 0260 0010 1494 8518 901.
- Bank: Emirates NBD.
- SWIFT: EBILAEAD.
- Email a receipt/evidence of transfer to remittances@dess.sch.ae after payment.

Notes for parents

- Sibling discount application: sibling discount for the third and subsequent siblings is calculated and applied in the Term 2 tuition invoice.

- Examination and external charges (e.g., GCSE/GCE, music/dance exams) are additional to the tuition figures listed and are invoiced separately.

(If you need the specific invoice wording, payment reference format, or the school's formal fee policy, those items are reflected in the school's published fee and admissions materials.)
Academics

Dubai English Speaking College teaches British Curriculum for students aged 11 to 18.

Curriculum
DESS College follows the National Curriculum of England and Wales for students aged 11–18, with three key stages: Key Stage 3 (Year 7–9), Key Stage 4 (Year 10–11), and Key Stage 5 Sixth Form (Year 12–13). Key Stage 3 offers Arabic A/B, English, Mathematics, Science, languages (French and Spanish), Art and Design, Design and Technology, Drama, ICT, Physical Education, Geography, History, Moral Education, Social Studies, Islamic Education for Muslim students, and Getting Ready for the Outside World. In Key Stage 4, students study core GCSE subjects—English Language and English Literature, Mathematics, Science (Double Award or Separate Sciences), and Arabic—plus three elective subjects from a broad suite; a Vocational Pathway was introduced for 2026. Key Stage 5 provides AS and A Level qualifications and BTEC diplomas, with a wide range of A Level subjects across sciences, humanities, languages, and the arts. Examinations are delivered through Edexcel, AQA, OCR and Cambridge Assessment International Education, and the school uses Go4Schools for live progress tracking alongside a Box & Bubble marking system, with three annual Progress Reports and dedicated Careers support via Unifrog.
Wellbeing
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Parent Experience
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Facilities
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Extra-Curricular Activities
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Languages
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Reputation
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Admissions

Admissions
1. DESS operates three campuses: DESS Oud Metha (Primary 3–11), DESS Academic City (Primary 3–11), and DESS College (Secondary and Sixth Form, 11–18). The Oud Metha and Academic City Primary campuses sit in Dubai, and DESS College is located at Academic City. Families can book a tour to visit and learn more, and the Admissions Team provides guidance throughout the process.

2. The curriculum for the primary campuses follows the English National Curriculum, with a focus on Mathematics, Literacy, and Science. Early years use Continuous Provision in Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1, and from Year 2 there is a blend of Continuous Provision and Invent, Explore, Inspire (I.E.I.). The 6Cs Developing Character program focuses on collaboration, communication, critical thinking and related skills to prepare for life-long learning. The College follows Cambridge assessment routes (IGCSE and AS/A Levels) for secondary education.

3. Applications are invited for Foundation Stage (FS1), Years 1–6, Years 7–10, and Sixth Form. In 2025, Year 7 and Year 6 applications are closed due to full capacity, and Year 7 2026 applications closed on 5 December 2025. The Admissions Team guides applicants through the process.

4. The Admissions Office is located at DESS College, Academic City (Security Gate 2, Parent Services Reception). Book a Tour or a Virtual Tour to learn more, and the Admissions Team is available to answer questions.

5. Supporting documents include Birth Certificate (in English), Passport Copy, Recent Passport Photo, End of Year and Term/Mid-Year Academic Reports, CAT 4 (within last 12 months, if available), Emirates ID (if available), UAE Visa (if available), and external reports (Speech/Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Educational Psychologist, etc.). For overseas applicants, a reference from the current school may be requested.

6. Fees are published by campus and year group for 2025–26. Example: FS1 fees at Oud Metha are listed with separate term payments; Foundation Stage 2 and Years 1–6 have separate schedules; Academic City has higher base fees with a 15% discount for 2025–26 and 2026–27. Acceptance fees apply when a place is offered, and siblings receive tiered discounts. Payments can be made via the SKIPLY app or by bank transfer; bank details and invoicing guidance are provided by the Finance Team. Tours, match with a place, and other admissions steps are detailed in the Admissions section.

Waitlist
There is a waiting list for some year groups where capacity has been reached. For 2025, Year 7 and Year 6 applications are closed due to full capacity, and Year 7 2026 applications closed on 5 December 2025, indicating ongoing waitlist activity for affected cohorts.
School Events
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