Horizon English School
Outstanding Al Safa, Dubai · British (NCfE)
- KHDA rating
- Outstanding
The highest KHDA rating — consistently excellent teaching and outcomes. Expect waiting lists. Ratings are from the last full inspection cycle (2023–24).
- Annual fees
- AED 43,849 to 58,825 a year
Varies by year group; confirm current fees with the school. 2026–27 fees are frozen by KHDA directive.
- Curriculum
- British (NCfE)
- Established
- Founded 1989
- School transport
- Bus service available
- Location
- Al Safa, near Al Safa Park, Dubai
District-level pin for Al Safa — use the Google Maps link for the exact gate.
Link verified against a live domain, July 2026.
Check travel time from your location
Opens live directions in Google Maps — real traffic from your own address beats any published estimate. School-run traffic peaks roughly 7–8am; test your route at drop-off time.
In context
Its mid-range fee is in line with the median for British (NCfE) schools in this guide (AED 54,632). It is one of 22 schools in this guide currently rated Outstanding.
Worth comparing: The School of Research Science (AED 34,000 to 62,000 a year) — a lower-fee option in the same area; GEMS Jumeira Primary School (AED 44,200 to 55,714 a year) — a lower-fee school with the same Outstanding rating and curriculum.
These comparisons are computed from the verified data in this register, not editorial opinion.
What the inspectors said
Paraphrased from the last full DSIB inspection (2023–24 cycle) and its published record — read the complete report on the official KHDA directory.
Strengths the inspectors named:
- Outstanding again in 2023–24 — held continuously since 2018–19, with not a single measure below Good.
- Outstanding attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science across Foundation Stage and Primary.
- Leadership Outstanding across all five indicators, with the new principal joining an already high-quality team.
- A nurturing, caring ethos with excellent identification procedures ensuring SEND needs are addressed early.
What they asked the school to improve:
- Strengthen presentation and handwriting.
- Give students more scope to explore mathematical concepts independently, and more enquiry-led activities in Years 1–2.
- Make fuller links between learning and the wider world.
Inclusion (students of determination): Outstanding — 99 students of determination in a school of just over 1,100, taught by 78 teachers with 48 teaching assistants, which is unusually generous adult capacity for a primary. Note the practical structure: this is a primary-only school, so the secondary transition needs planning from the outset, and the school runs a no-homework philosophy — a fit question rather than a fault. See the special educational needs guide for the questions to ask on a visit.
Inspector summaries are being added school by school as each report is read — 169 of 169 so far, dated per cycle, never invented. A school without a summary yet is unread, not unjudged.
Visit kit
Questions worth asking on a tour — tuned to this school’s rating and curriculum:
- Who leads inclusion here — and may we meet them before enrolling?
- How much staff turnover did you have last year, and why?
- What are actual class sizes this term — not the maximum?
- How and how often will I hear about my child’s progress?
- How long is the real waiting list for my child’s year group, and how does sibling priority work?
Saved only on this device — never uploaded, never shared.
Special educational needs? Read the inclusion guide before you visit.
Other schools in Al Safa
- The School of Research Science — Good, AED 34,000 to 62,000 a year
- Al Maaref American School — Acceptable, AED 28,000 to 52,000 a year
- Al Ittihad Private School Al Safa — Good, Fees not listed — confirm with the school
Work at this school? Correct or update this record — verified corrections are made promptly and logged publicly.