Cities / Dubai / Mirdif American School
Mirdif American School
American-curriculum primary and middle school in Al Mizhar near Mirdif, founded 1995, following California State Standards for around 700 pupils aged 3 to 15.
In brief
Operating since 1995 in Dubai's Mizhar area near Mirdif, the school follows American curriculum based on California State Standards for students aged 3-15. The school positions itself as delivering American-based education with strong parent communication, having reportedly received Outstanding recognition for this aspect. However, unlike Dubai's prominent American curriculum schools such as Dubai American Academy or American School of Dubai, MAS generates virtually no discussion across typical expatriate forums or educational comparison sites.
The school's extremely low profile in Dubai's competitive education market suggests it serves a very specific community rather than the broader international expatriate population. While some sources mention it among established American curriculum options in Dubai, the lack of detailed parent reviews, fee information, or academic outcome data makes assessment challenging compared to well-documented alternatives in the city's American education sector.
Strengths
- Founded in 1995 with nearly three decades of operation
- American curriculum based on California State Standards
- Serves Pre-K through middle school age range
- Reportedly strong parent communication systems
Considerations
- Extremely limited visibility compared to other Dubai schools
- Minimal parent discussion or reviews available online
- Unclear academic outcomes or university placement data
- Limited information about facilities, fees, or recent performance
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-K | 3 | AED 25,944 |
| KG 1 | 3 | AED 26,020 |
| KG 2 | 4 | AED 27,260 |
| GR 1 | 6 | AED 28,498 |
| GR 2 | 7 | AED 29,739 |
| GR 3 | 8 | AED 30,977 |
| GR 4 | 9 | AED 32,217 |
| GR 5 | 10 | AED 33,454 |
| GR 6 | 11 | AED 34,695 |
| GR 7 | 12 | AED 37,172 |
| GR 8 | 13 | AED 38,410 |
| GR 9 | 14 | AED 45,034 |
| GR 10 | 15 | AED 47,081 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee (non-refundable) | AED 525 |
Reviews
A small American-curriculum school in Al Mizhar with a heavily Emirati intake, around 700 pupils, and a Good KHDA rating from the most recent inspection. Parents talk about a kind, family-feel community, strong safeguarding, and easy access to teachers and leadership. The trade in is academic stretch: reading and challenge for higher achievers come up as the long-running weak spots, and the school still tops out below the final two years of secondary even after the recent Grade 9 and 10 expansion.
Positives
- Small, caring community. Parents describe a school where staff know the children individually and the tone is warm. The small roll, roughly 700 pupils across KG to Grade 10, is part of why this works.
- Parent partnership and communication. Parent-school relationships are a stand-out strength, with KHDA rating Parents and Community Outstanding. Most parents say they hear back when they ask, and use of Schoology for day-to-day updates is consistent.
- Safeguarding and wellbeing. Health, safety, and child protection are rated Outstanding by KHDA across all phases. Parents reflect this in how safe and looked-after they describe their children as feeling.
- Cultural fit for Emirati families. Around three quarters of pupils are Emirati, and the school is visibly tuned to that community. Islamic education and Arabic assemblies sit at the centre of the week, and students' understanding of Islamic values is rated Outstanding.
- Fees and value. Fees run from roughly AED 26,000 in Pre-K to AED 47,000 in Grade 10 for 2025-26, mid-range for a Dubai American school. Most parents rate this as good value for the package.
Considerations
- Reading and academic challenge. Reading attainment and stretch for higher achievers are flagged as priorities in the most recent KHDA report, and parents echo the sense that the academic bar could be higher. Identification of specific learning difficulties is also called out as needing work.
- No final two years of secondary. Grades 9 and 10 have been added for 2025-26, but the school does not yet run Grades 11 and 12. Families committing now still need a transfer plan for the final stretch to graduation.
- Teacher turnover. Annual teacher turnover sits around 23%, in line with Dubai norms rather than above them, but high enough that some year-on-year change in staff is the working expectation.
Leadership
Lisa Marie Brown
Lisa Marie Brown is the Principal of Mirdif American School, having joined as Vice Principal in August 2018 and advancing to Principal in January 2021.
Accreditations
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 01