The English College Dubai
Very Good Al Quoz, Dubai · British (NCfE)
- KHDA rating
- Very Good
High quality across the board with minor areas to improve — often better value than Outstanding. Ratings are from the last full inspection cycle (2023–24).
- Annual fees
- AED 41,000 to 68,265 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 1977
- School transport
- Bus service available
- Location
- Al Quoz, Dubai
District-level pin for Al Quoz — 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 46 schools in this guide currently rated Very Good.
Worth comparing: Lycée Français Jean Mermoz (AED 40,000 to 65,000 a year) — a lower-fee option in the same area; Arcadia British School (AED 38,000 to 68,000 a year) — a lower-fee school with the same Very Good 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:
- Very Good in December 2023, confirming the 2022–23 breakthrough that ended eleven consecutive inspections at Good — one of the register’s genuine transformations.
- Inspectors rated the school Outstanding in 24 individual criteria, with 80% of assessed criteria at Outstanding or Very Good.
- Personal and social development Outstanding in Foundation, Primary, Secondary and Post-16, and care and support Outstanding across the same four phases.
- ‘The premises and learning environment are of the highest quality’ — a remark that would have been unthinkable when earlier facilities were described as not fit for purpose; eight science laboratories, a performing arts centre with recording studios, black box theatre and food technology centre now sit on site.
- Improved progress in Arabic as a first and additional language, excellent and respectful student behaviour, innovative and entrepreneurial skills, and progression in international assessments above expectations.
- Established in Dubai since 1992, charging below the KHDA-approved maximums, and notably less than several neighbouring British competitors.
What they asked the school to improve:
- Raise achievement in Islamic Education and Arabic to match the other core subjects, and raise the profile of Islamic Education across all phases.
- Assessment data must become a more informative driver of improvement, particularly in Foundation Stage and Post-16.
- Phase leaders need sufficient time to monitor teaching and learning more rigorously — middle-leadership capacity is the named constraint.
- Transitions between year groups and phases should involve the parents of students of determination more — a specific ask worth raising if your child has additional needs.
Inclusion (students of determination): Good — just under 90 students of determination on the register, in a non-selective school long known for its inclusive environment. Support is structured from the start: the admissions process identifies needs early so provision is in place from day one, with tailored strategies for students of determination, English language learners and more able pupils, and a More Able and Talented programme identified through CAT scores and teacher referrals, led jointly by a MAT Coordinator and the Head of Inclusion. Two inspector requests worth carrying into a meeting: involve the parents of students of determination more closely in transitions between year groups and phases, and give all phase leaders sufficient time to monitor teaching and progress more rigorously. 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?
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Special educational needs? Read the inclusion guide before you visit.
Other schools in Al Quoz
- GEMS Our Own English High School — Very Good, AED 9,000 to 16,000 a year
- GEMS Our Own Indian School — Very Good, AED 7,000 to 14,000 a year
- Safa British School — Very Good, AED 45,428 to 73,550 a year
- Greenfield International School — Very Good, AED 34,470 to 82,865 a year
Work at this school? Correct or update this record — verified corrections are made promptly and logged publicly.