New Dubai British school to open next year to meet high demand

A new British school for 1,650 pupils is to open in Dubai next year, to help meet demand from the emirate’s growing population.

Leading education provider Taaleem announced yesterday that the Dubai British School – Jumeira will begin lessons in August next year, the start of the 2024-2025 academic year.

The school, which will span 22,227 square metres in Al Wasl, is to be established as demand increases for places at Taaleem’s existing Dubai British Schools, in Emirates Hills and Jumeirah Park, the group said.

It will follow the British curriculum and initially cater to children aged between three and 11, with plans to accommodate older age groups in the future.

“I am delighted to mark the beginning of another chapter in the Dubai British School family’s success,” said Sam Truman, Taaleem’s chief operating officer.

“The investment in this school is testament to our commitment to bring affordable, world-class education to the growing communities of Dubai.”

School fees will range from Dh42,000 ($11,400) to Dh76,000 a year.

“I feel extremely privileged and excited about the community we are building,” said Lee Hole, founding head teacher at Dubai British School – Jumeira.

The school will aim to empower students to “reach for their potential”, he said.

“Every child has the ability to achieve great things when they find the right school environment and are nurtured to achieve their best,” Mr Hole said.

It is one of four new British schools Taaleem plans to open in the next two years.

Alan Williamson, chief executive of the group, told The National in October that another school was due to open in Mira next year.

Two further schools – in Abu Dhabi and Dubai – are scheduled to open their doors in 2025.

Mr Williamson said each of the schools would have capacity for between 1,600 and 2,000 pupils.

Dubai education groups are embarking on teacher recruitment drives and school building programmes to keep pace with the emirate’s population boom.

The emirate’s population passed 3.5 million in April last year and authorities expect it to reach 5.8 million by 2040.

In March, the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, Dubai’s private education regulator, announced the number of pupils at private schools in the emirate passed 300,000 for the first time.

It said enrolment increased by 4.5 per cent since the previous academic year.

The authority said the number of private schools in Dubai had increased to 216.