Russian International School
Good Al Garhoud, Dubai · International / other
- KHDA rating
- Good
Good standards in most areas. The most common rating among Dubai schools. Ratings are from the last full inspection cycle (2023–24).
- Annual fees
- AED 15,722 to 25,180 a year
Varies by year group; confirm current fees with the school. 2026–27 fees are frozen by KHDA directive.
- Curriculum
- International / other
- Established
- Founded 2005
- School transport
- Bus service available
- Location
- Al Garhoud, Dubai
District-level pin for Al Garhoud — 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 International / other schools in this guide (AED 20,451). It is one of 62 schools in this guide currently rated Good.
Worth comparing: Gulf Model School (AED 11,000 to 22,000 a year) — a lower-fee option in the same area.
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:
- Good for a seventh consecutive inspection since 2015–16 — and the single word badly understates the report.
- Russian, the language of instruction, is rated Outstanding for attainment in both Primary and Secondary and Very Good in Middle; mathematics attainment reaches Outstanding in Secondary and Very Good in Primary and Middle; science is Very Good across Primary, Middle and Secondary.
- The only school in Dubai delivering the full Russian curriculum accredited by Volgograd, preparing students for Russian state examinations and universities in Russia, the UAE and Europe — for a Russian-speaking family wanting that pathway, there is no substitute here.
- Fees of roughly AED 15,700–25,200 for specialist provision — exceptional value — with English-medium teaching progressively extended, now to Grade 7.
What they asked the school to improve:
- Islamic Education and Arabic as a second language are largely Acceptable, with a Weak rating in the Secondary phase — the clear counterweight to the strong core subjects.
- Demand from the recent influx of Russian families has pushed the ratio from a historically low 1:9 to about 1:14, with class sizes rising accordingly.
- The school runs to Grade 11: check the pathway for the final year and university application support before you commit.
Inclusion (students of determination): Good — but read the number carefully: only 10 students are identified as students of determination in a school of over 500, one of the lowest identification rates in this register. Provision for those 10 is rated Good under a knowledgeable inclusion manager. The school operates what it describes as a Social Inclusion Model for enrolment, meaning admission is without restriction and open to students of all nationalities and backgrounds. A very low identified cohort can mean genuinely low need, or it can mean needs are not being found — and in a school delivering a foreign national curriculum to a largely single-language community, the identification question is worth putting directly to the inclusion manager. 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?
Saved only on this device — never uploaded, never shared.
Special educational needs? Read the inclusion guide before you visit.
Other schools in Al Garhoud
- North American International School — Acceptable, AED 22,000 to 42,000 a year
- Delhi Private School — Very Good, AED 10,000 to 17,000 a year
- Gulf Model School — Acceptable, AED 11,000 to 22,000 a year
- Dubai International Private School Garhoud — Acceptable, Fees not listed — confirm with the school
Work at this school? Correct or update this record — verified corrections are made promptly and logged publicly.