School Fees 2019-20

Dubai College operates as an independent, non profit making Secondary School run on British principles under an Emiri Decree granted by His Highness the Ruler of Dubai, as published in the Official Gazette 18 of 1982.

Tuition Fee:

Years 7-11: AED 27,494 per term payable in advance.

Years 12-13: AED 31,133 per term payable in advance.

There are three terms in a year.

These are:

Autumn: Sept-Dec Spring: Jan-Mar Summer: Apr-Jul

1. Fees are payable promptly on the due date which will be detailed on the invoice.

2. The Governors reserve the right to refuse admission to any student in the event that fees are not paid.

3. A full term’s notice in writing is required before a student is withdrawn from the school; where such prior notice is not tendered, one term’s fee will be charged in lieu.

A Personal Debenture is required for all new students joining the school to the value of AED 25,000, which will be returned less any outstanding sums owing after the student leaves.

AED 200 for each School Medical, as required by the Dubai Health Authority.

Optional Extras:

Transport: AED 2,100 per term (if required)

Private Music: AED 2,310 per term (if required)

This fee will be for a minimum of 400 minutes of private teaching in ten 40 minute lessons per term. The fee is payable in advance with the tuition and transport charges.

A term’s notice in writing is required if a student is withdrawn from the transport or music lessons; where such notice is not given, one term’s charges will still be due.

Admissions Procedure

Admission to the school is by entrance assessment for Year 7, 8, 9 and 10. The entrance assessment for Year 7 will be held in November 2019 for entry in September 2020. For applicants from schools in the Emirates, the entrance assessment will take place at Dubai College.

For overseas applicants, assessment papers will be sent to their present school, who will administer them on our behalf and return them to us.

The receipt of an application by the College containing the name, address and e-mail of the current school is taken as parental approval for the dispatch of assessment papers.

Age of entry

All applicants should be in the school year group which corresponds to their age unless there are exceptional circumstances.

For entry into Year 7, the applicant should have reached the age of eleven years and should have completed Year 6 by 1st September.

Applicants younger than this, who have their eleventh birthday before the end of the calendar year, will, in exceptional circumstances, be considered. Applications from students younger than this will not be accepted.

For entry into Years 8, 9 and 10 the same conditions apply to the appropriate age group.

Application Requirements

Year 7

1) A completed on-line application including all required identification document copies: UAE Residency visa*, Emirates ID*, passport, birth certificate, passport photograph; plus the application registration fee of AED 525 (non-refundable) and assessment fee of AED 525 (non-refundable). A courier fee is required for overseas candidates. Please contact the Registrar for further details.

2) The candidate’s end of Year 5 school report.

3) Optional/as applicable: extra-curricular achievements, information about SEND or medical conditions.

Years 8 to 10

The initial requirement is a completed on-line application including a copy of the most recent full school report; extra-curricular achievements, information about SEND or medical conditions should be submitted as applicable. If we anticipate that places will become available we will shortlist and invite a small number of candidates for assessment. The application registration fee of AED 525 (non-refundable) and assessment fee of AED 525 (non-refundable) are payable on acceptance of our invitation to assessment.

Year 12

The initial requirements are a completed on-line application including the three/four preferred A Level subjects; extra-curricular achievements, information about SEND or medical conditions should be submitted as applicable. We will contact the applicant’s current school directly to request a reference including predicted GCSE grades. Short-listed applicants will be invited for assessment and interview in January. The application registration fee of AED 525 (non-refundable) and assessment fee of AED 525 (non-refundable) are payable on accepting our invitation to the selection day.

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

• A minimum of 6 subjects at grade 7 (A) would be expected including English and Mathematics. It would be assumed that a number of these grades would be at grade 8 (A*) level, and
• 7/8/9 (A/A*) grades 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.

 

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 through the use of 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 if places are available) are asked to sit an assessment in English and Mathematics plus a cognitive ability test.  Only students who have shown good levels of ability in all 3 aspects of the assessment will be admitted to the school.
3. We ask for previous reports from primary or other schools to help inform our selection process and will look favourably upon students who, in addition to being academically able, excel in the Creative Arts and Sports.
4. 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.
5. 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.
6. 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.
7. We do not operate a sibling policy. However, as per Standard 2.2 of the Dubai Inclusive Education Policy Framework, 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 in order 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.

Year 7 Admissions in September 2020

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What is the format of the entrance assessment?

We are often asked about the format and content of the Year 7 entrance assessment. The test for entry in September 2019 will comprise:

English

This will be a choice of extended writing tasks; applicants must choose one. They will have 45 minutes to write about the task they choose and will be encouraged to produce as much as possible in the time available. They will be rewarded for interesting, well-structured and well-expressed content. Good punctuation, spelling and grammar will be, as always, important. This will be a test of their writing skills and does not require teaching of specific approaches or strategies.

Mathematics

45 minutes: Upper Key Stage 2 Mathematics skills

There is one Mathematics paper. The only equipment required is a pen, pencil and ruler. Calculators are not permitted.

Cognitive Ability Testing

In line with many selective independent schools in the UK, Cognitive Ability Testing forms part of our entrance assessment process. This enables us to assess the students’ reasoning ability in a standardised test. The total duration of the Cognitive Ability Testing is approximately 2 hours 15 minutes including scheduled breaks.

To ensure fairness for all applicants unfortunately we will be unable to respond to individual requests for further information on our admissions assessments.

We would kindly request that staff members are not asked for more details.

2. Do you issue past or sample papers?

We do not issue sample or past papers. Please attend one of our ‘Audience with the Headmaster’ information sessions if you wish to learn more about our entrance assessment.

3. What are the fees to apply?

For entry to Year 7 in September 2019, the application registration fee of AED 525 and the assessment fee of AED 525 are payable in order to complete the application. Payment may be made by cash, cheque or bank transfer. These fees are non-refundable.

4. Tutoring

Dubai College does not endorse tutoring for our entrance assessment.

If you consider that your child requires tutoring to succeed at the entrance assessment, then you may wish to question whether this would be the right school for your child.

5. Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)

Dubai College welcomes applicants from students of determination who would benefit from the academic rigour of our curriculum. Students with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), whose academic profile fits with the selective entrance criteria, will be supported fully if successful.

Please ensure that you tell us about any barriers to learning in your application. Access arrangements for the entrance assessment will be based on a student’s normal way of working in their Primary School, and we are able to accommodate students who need a word processor or extra time if they usually work in this way. Please submit a recent Educational Psychologist report, and IEP or a letter from the SENCO at your child’s school if you would like to be considered for access arrangements. No extra time will be provided for the Cognitive Ability Testing. Please contact Cindy Penney, Head of Student Services and SENCO if you have any questions about SEND at Dubai College.

6. Key Dates

Applications open - Sunday 8th September 2019

Open Week, 6^th to 10^th October – visit us for a school tour. Booking is essential and places can be booked using the following link https://www.dubaicollege.org/join-us/open-week-2019

Meet the Headmaster – join us to hear Mr Lambert speak at An Audience with the Headmaster in the Auditorium followed by refreshments. Booking is essential and places can be booked using the following link https://www.dubaicollege.org/join-us/open-week-2019

• Monday 14^th October 2019 – 6pm until 7pm
• Wednesday 16^th October  2019 – 5pm until 6pm

Closing Date for applications to Year 7 for September 2020

• Thursday 31st October at 12 noon UAE time (GMT +4 hours)

Entrance Assessment (English, Maths and Cognitive Ability Testing) for candidates based in the United Arab Emirates

• Saturday 16^th November 2019

Exact timings will be confirmed to applicants prior to the assessment. Please keep both the morning and afternoon free for the assessment.

Results

• First half of January 2020

The entrance assessment takes place in mid-November, to allow for the release of the results in the first half January.

7. How many applications do you receive for entry to Year 7?

Dubai College is heavily over-subscribed and in recent years we have received around three applications per place.

8. How many places are available in Year 7 at Dubai College?

There will be 160 places available for entry to Year 7 in September 2019; there will be 8 forms with 20 students in each form.

All new students require a Personal Debenture to the value of AED 25,000. For students offered places in Year 7 in September 2020 following our entrance process, a non-refundable deposit will be payable by mid-February 2020 to secure your child’s place.

9.    My child applied for entry to Year 7 but was not successful.  Can I re-apply for entry to Year 7 next year?

No.  Candidates may appear only once for the Year 7 entrance assessment.  Parents are welcome to re-apply for entry to Year 8, 9, 10 or 12 at the appropriate time.

Year 12 Admissions in September 2020

1. What are the requirements to apply to join Dubai College in Year 12?

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

• A minimum of 6 subjects at grade 7/8/9 (A/A*) would be expected including English and Mathematics.
• 7/8/9 (A/A*) grades 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.

2. How do we assess candidates for entry to Year 12?

On receipt of an application for Year 12, we will contact the applicant’s current school to request a reference and predicted GCSE grades (or equivalent). Each applicant’s academic and extra-curricular profile will then be considered and we will short-list applicants for assessment. For entry to Year 12 in September 2019 the assessment will comprise both an interview and also cognitive ability testing. Following the assessment process, we will make conditional offers to our successful candidates, based upon meeting our required GCSE grades.

3. What is Year 12 cognitive ability testing (CAT)?

Cognitive ability testing enables us to assess the students’ reasoning ability in a standardised test. The total duration of the cognitive ability testing is approximately 2 hours including scheduled breaks.

4. Do you issue past or sample papers?

We do not issue sample or past papers.

5. What are the fees to apply?

There are no fees in order to submit an application to Year 12. The application registration fee of AED 525 and the assessment fee of AED 525 are payable for short-listed candidates who wish to accept our invitation to interview and cognitive ability testing. Payment may be made by cash, cheque or bank transfer. These fees are non-refundable.

6. Does my child need to travel to Dubai for the interview and test?

Short-listed candidates based in the United Arab Emirates will be invited to attend Dubai College for the interview and test. Short-listed candidates based overseas will be interviewed by telephone and we will ask the current school to administer the cognitive ability test on our behalf.

7. Key Dates

Applications open

• Sunday 8^th September 2019

Open Afternoon for prospective Sixth Form applicants

• Our Open Afternoon will take place on Tuesday 12th November at 1pm. 

Closing Date for applications to Year 12 for September 2020

• Sunday 24^th November 2019 at 12 noon UAE time (GMT + 4 hours)

Entrance Assessment (for candidates based in the United Arab Emirates who have been short-listed)

• Saturday 18^th January 2020 (please keep both the morning and afternoon free)

Interviews

• By appointment during January

Offers

Our first round of offers will be made in early February. We would also expect to place a limited number of candidates on our waiting list at this stage.

8. How many applications do you receive for entry to Year 12?

Dubai College is heavily over-subscribed and in recent years we have received about four to five applications per place.

All new students require a Personal Debenture to the value of AED 25,000. For students offered places in Year 12 in September 2020 following our entrance process, a non-refundable deposit of AED 10,000 will be payable by mid-February 2020 to secure your child’s place and subject options.

Year 12 Options – Admission in September 2020

• Arabic
• Art & Design
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Computer Science
• Design & Technology
• Drama & Theatre Studies
• Economics
• English Literature
• French
• Further Mathematics (may only be studied in addition to Mathematics A Level, not as an alternative)
• Geography
• History
• Latin
• Mathematics
• Music
• Physical Education
• Physics
• Politics
• Psychology
• Spanish

Please refer to the Curriculum pages of our website for more details on the subject courses.

We reserve the right to withdraw particular subjects if there is insufficient demand