Skip To Main Content

Close

Admissions Policy

Admissions Policy

Dubai College is a selective entry school which embraces being inclusive. We cater to all nationalities and religions; this is reflected in the values and culture of the whole school community so that learners feel welcome, accepted, safe and valued whatever their background. On entry to the school, we also effectively identify students who have special educational needs and disabilities as well as those who are gifted and talented. Where needed, we modify our curriculum accordingly and measure the impact of any intervention and specific support mechanisms using feedback from monitoring and assessment processes.

Entry for Years 7 to 10

  1. Dubai College is a British curriculum school catering for academically able students from all communities and staffed predominantly by British trained and experienced teachers. The language of instruction is English therefore all students must be fluent in written and spoken English. 
  2. As we are a highly academic school, we operate a selective entry policy whereby all prospective students for Year 7 (and selected students for Year 8-10 as part of the occasional places scheme, if places are available) are asked to sit an adaptive online cognitive ability assessment.  Only students who have shown good levels of ability in all aspects of the assessment will be admitted to the school.
  3. Arabic A will also be assessed for those students who are registered with an Arab nationality (as per the nationality on the Emirates ID card) or who are studying Arabic A voluntarily in their primary school and wish to continue to study Arabic A at secondary school. 
  4. We ask for previous reports, including CAT4, GL Progress Tests or other relevant baseline tests from primary or other schools to help inform our selection process. We will look favourably upon students who, in addition to being academically able, excel in the Creative Arts and Sports. 
  5. It is important to note that we look for potential in all prospective students and consider their suitability to the ethos of our school and its student body.  Therefore, we take into consideration students with an exemplary approach to learning including effort, behaviour and participation.   We also look for involvement in a range of activities including community service and student leadership.
  6. In line with the KHDA-approved vision for inclusion at the school, “Dubai College encourages applications from all students who meet the admission criteria, but who may not be aware of the school’s very effective provision for students of determination”. As such, we actively welcome applications from students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who would be able to cope with the academic rigour of the whole curriculum. SEND students, whose academic profile fits with the selective entrance criteria, will be supported fully if successful. Full access arrangements are facilitated at the entrance examination stage that are already in place for any student within their Primary Schools. Where students have a medical condition admission will not be conditional upon the submission of a medical diagnosis as per Standard 1.1 of the Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework.
  7. We already prioritise admissions for Emirati students to Dubai College as per article 13, point 27 of the school law who meet the entry requirements. We also now invite high performing Emirati students to apply for entry into Year 7 at Dubai College as Emirati scholars. Each year we aim to admit Emirati scholars who can demonstrate a commitment to the academic, sporting and creative traditions of the school as well as the other criteria outlined in our admissions policy.
  8. All students are required to have a valid UAE ID Card in order to attend school and parents need to ensure that the College has up-to-date copies of this ID.
  9. We do not operate a sibling policy. However, as per Standard 2.2 of the Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework (KHDA, 2017) and P19 Point 4 of the Directives and Guidelines for Inclusive Education – A Handbook for Schools (KHDA, 2019), students who experience SEND will receive “sibling priority” for admission. It is important to note that those siblings must be able to cope with the academic rigour of being in a selective entry school.

Entry to the Sixth Form 

External applicants to the Sixth Form will be expected to show significant academic success at GCSE or its equivalent:

•            A minimum of six grades of 7/8/9 would be expected including English and Mathematics. 

•            Grades 7/8/9 would be expected in those subjects to be studied at A Level. 

We would especially welcome applicants who are able to offer a range of additional skills above and beyond academic success (for example strong and sustained talent in one or more of the creative, sporting and philanthropic arenas). All students must be fluent in written and spoken English. We will ask for references and our Head of Sixth Form will invite potential candidates to an interview. 

We, again, actively welcome applications from students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) who would be able to cope with the academic rigour of the whole curriculum. SEND students, whose academic profile fits with the selective entrance criteria, will be supported fully if successful. On entry, and where needs are assessed, full access arrangements for examinations are facilitated by the SENCO to support SEND students.

Dubai College is confident of the integrity of its admission process and would respectfully inform parents that our decisions regarding entry are final.