Cities / Dubai / Jebel Ali School (JAS)
Jebel Ali School (JAS)
British-curriculum school in Damac Hills, founded 1977 for the children of Jebel Ali Port workers, relocated to a purpose-built campus in 2016 and acquired by Taaleem in 2022.
In brief
Jebel Ali School was founded in 1977 for the children of Jebel Ali Port workers, moved to a purpose-built campus near Damac Hills in 2016, and was bought by Taaleem in 2022, ending its not-for-profit, parent-led structure. It teaches the British curriculum to around 2,000 pupils from FS1 to A Level. KHDA rates it Very Good, with Outstanding elements including safeguarding and personal development, and British Schools Overseas inspectors judged it Outstanding in late 2023. Annual fees run from AED 49,630 in primary to AED 82,190 in the sixth form, at the lower end of Dubai's premium British schools.
Pastoral care is what parents praise most: attentive class teachers, quick replies and a small-school feel carried over from the old village campus, with staff turnover around 10 per cent. The sixth form only opened in 2021, so its courses are narrower than at older schools, and the location works best for families in the south and south-west of the city.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| FS1 | 3 | AED 49,630 |
| FS2 | 4 | AED 49,630 |
| Year 1 | 5 | AED 49,630 |
| Year 2 | 6 | AED 49,630 |
| Year 3 | 7 | AED 49,630 |
| Year 4 | 8 | AED 49,630 |
| Year 5 | 9 | AED 49,630 |
| Year 6 | 10 | AED 49,630 |
| Year 7 | 11 | AED 76,590 |
| Year 8 | 12 | AED 76,590 |
| Year 9 | 13 | AED 76,590 |
| Year 10 | 14 | AED 76,590 |
| Year 11 | 15 | AED 76,590 |
| Year 12 | 16 | AED 82,190 |
| Year 13 | 17 | AED 82,190 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | AED 525 |
Reviews
One of the oldest British schools in Dubai, founded 1977 and now on the Akoya campus near Damac Hills. Parent sentiment is unusually warm: the community feel, pastoral care, and value pitch all come up consistently, and the school sits at the lower-premium end of the British market in Dubai. KHDA rates it Very Good across the board, with Outstanding elements in safeguarding, facilities and personal development; BSO rated it Outstanding in late 2023. The trade for that warmth is structural: the secondary phase is still maturing, the sixth form is recent, and the Akoya location only works comfortably for families south and west of the city.
Positives
- Community and pastoral care. Pastoral care is the school's loudest signal. Parents describe attentive class teachers, fast email responses, and a small-school atmosphere that has carried over from the original village campus. Bullying concerns sit well below the Dubai norm.
- Leadership and staff retention. Principal Simon Jodrell came across from the Outstanding-rated Dubai British School Emirates Hills and has settled the senior team. Teacher turnover runs at roughly ten percent, well under the Dubai average.
- Academic results. GCSE value-add is strong and 2025 A levels were the school's best ever, with around 30 percent A*-A and 88 percent A*-C across a growing cohort. BTEC results from the first cohort were similarly strong.
- Fees and value. Fees run roughly AED 49,000 in primary, around AED 76,000 in years 7 to 11 and AED 82,000 in sixth form. That sits at the lower-premium end of the British market in Dubai, and parents talk about value more positively than at most comparable schools.
Considerations
- Sixth form maturity. The sixth form only opened in September 2021 and is still consolidating its A level and BTEC pathways. Results are climbing, but the post-16 offer is younger and narrower than at long-established secondary schools in Dubai.
- Location and transport. The Akoya campus suits families in southern and south-western Dubai. From the Marina or JLT the school run is 25 to 40 minutes, and from Deira or Sharjah it is impractical. Bus routes follow the same southern geography.
- Ownership change. Taaleem bought the school in May 2022, ending the not-for-profit model. Capital investment has gone in since, and the transition was handled carefully, but the financial and governance structure is no longer the parent-led one the school grew up under.
Leadership
Simon Jodrell
Simon Jodrell, born and raised in Barry, South Wales, holds a degree in English from Southampton University, a PGCE from Bristol, an MBA from Leicester University, and NPQH from the National College of School Leadership; he is currently pursuing a Master's in Applied Positive Psychology.
Accreditations
- BSO/COBIS 2023 inspection 01
- BSME, Duke of Edinburgh, Alliance of Sustainable Schools 02
Academic results
- Students achieving A* / A at A Level 2024 52%