Cities / Dubai / Nord Anglia International School, Dubai (NAS)
Nord Anglia International School, Dubai (NAS)
Nord Anglia's Al Barsha campus, founded 2011 and KHDA Outstanding, running the British curriculum alongside the IB Diploma with Juilliard and MIT partnerships and around 1,500 pupils.
In brief
Academics
NAS Dubai reports a 99% pass rate across IBDP, A-level, and IGCSE. 2025 results include 40% of A-level students achieving A - A, 15% of IBDP students scoring 40+ points (with a 2021-2023 average of 37 points), and 33% of IGCSE grades at A - A (9 - 8). The school is rated 'Outstanding' by the KHDA.
School life
The school offers an Enrichment Activity Programme (EAP) including clubs for chess, drama, choir, and mindfulness. Sports include competitive teams in DASSA leagues for football, rugby, and swimming, alongside a unique Ski & Snowboard Pathway with Ski Dubai. Performing arts are supported through a collaboration with The Juilliard School, featuring dance, drama, and music (NAS Music Academy).
The campus features two 25-metre competition pools, two 10-metre learner pools, full-sized professional rugby and football pitches, and a weight room. Arts and technology facilities include a 524-seat auditorium, a secondary amphitheatre, music suites with a recording studio, a podcast studio, art rooms, photography labs, an Innovation Hub, and design engineering labs with 3D printers. Other amenities include a bespoke Early Years Learning Centre, a dedicated Sixth Form Centre, and a library.
Student body
The school welcomes students from 90+ nationalities across an age range of 3 to 18 years. The average class size is typically around 22 students, with smaller groups in the Sixth Form. While a current total enrolment figure is not published, the school started with 500 students in 2014 and has grown significantly since.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| FS1 | 3 | AED 69,625 |
| FS2 | 4 | AED 69,625 |
| Year 1 | 5 | AED 81,228 |
| Year 2 | 6 | AED 81,228 |
| Year 3 | 7 | AED 87,030 |
| Year 4 | 8 | AED 87,030 |
| Year 5 | 9 | AED 87,030 |
| Year 6 | 10 | AED 87,030 |
| Year 7 | 11 | AED 92,832 |
| Year 8 | 12 | AED 92,832 |
| Year 9 | 13 | AED 92,832 |
| Year 10 | 14 | AED 99,794 |
| Year 11 | 15 | AED 99,794 |
| Year 12 | 16 | AED 105,288 |
| Year 13 | 17 | AED 105,288 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | AED 525 | |
| Registration Fee | AED 5,000 |
Reviews
Nord Anglia's Dubai flagship sits on Hessa Street in Al Barsha South 3, with an Outstanding KHDA rating held since 2022/23 and an Outstanding judgement in the February 2025 British Schools Overseas inspection. Academics travel well: the IB cohort averaged 36 points in both 2024 and 2025, comfortably above the global benchmark, and post-16 has broadened with A Levels and a BTEC pathway running alongside the Diploma. The school is large and still growing, with roughly 3,000 students across 78 nationalities and a campus that now stretches close to a kilometre after the 2023/24 extension. Communication and value for money come up as the recurring friction points, set against strong facilities, a deep extracurricular menu and the Juilliard, MIT and UNICEF tie-ins that anchor the Nord Anglia identity. Kenny Duncan took over as principal in August 2025, arriving from Nord Anglia Hong Kong, and has signalled steadiness rather than restructuring.
Positives
- Regulatory standing. Outstanding with KHDA across consecutive cycles and Outstanding in the 2025 BSO inspection, with leadership, wellbeing and personal development all singled out.
- Academic outcomes. IB Diploma cohort averaged 36 points in 2024 and 2025, with a 45 in the 2025 cohort and a broadened sixth form running A Levels and BTEC alongside the Diploma.
- Facilities and breadth. Twenty science labs, two 25m pools, dedicated dance and music spaces, a new sixth form centre and STEAM build, and the Juilliard, MIT and UNICEF programmes baked into the timetable.
- Holistic positioning. The new principal has set out a heart-and-head line rather than an exam-factory one, with stability and curriculum review framed as the early priorities.
Considerations
- Value for money. Fees run from around AED 70,000 in early years to AED 105,000 in sixth form, and parents talk about value as the weakest score in the survey pool.
- Communication. Whole-school updates land well; parents describe class-level feedback as patchier, with the app and bulletins doing more of the work than direct teacher contact.
- Scale and growth. Roll sits close to 3,000 across a kilometre-long site. Breadth of provision comes with it; some parents feel individual attention has been stretched as the school has expanded.
- Location and commute. Al Barsha South 3 on Hessa Street, near the Sheikh Mohammed bin Zayed Road junction. Arabian Ranches families dominate the catchment; Deira runs sit close to 70 minutes at peak. Umm Suqeim Street access has eased some of the pinch.
Leadership
Kenny Duncan
Kenny Duncan is an experienced education professional who assumed the role of Principal at Nord Anglia International School Dubai in August 2025, having previously served as Principal at Nord Anglia International School, Hong Kong for five years. With over 30 years of experience in UK and international education, he has a proven track record of whole-school development and leadership. He previously led Kingsbridge Community College in the UK and has worked in various leadership roles within the UK Teaching School and Research School networks. He holds a Master’s Degree in Educational Research from the University of Bath and is passionate about people-centred leadership and holistic student development.
Accreditations
- NEASC-CIE Foundation Standards met April 2025 01
Academic results
- IB Diploma Programme pass rate 94%
- IB Diploma Programme average score 33.1 points
- IGCSE A* to C grades 90.2%
- IGCSE A* or A grades 50%
- Advanced Placement (AP) scores of 4 or 5 54.2%
- A levels A*/B scores 67%
- IB Diploma Programme pass rate 2017/18 94%
- IB Diploma Programme average score 2017/18 33.1 points
- IGCSE A* to C grades 2017/18 90.2%
- IGCSE A* or A grades 2017/18 50%
- AP exams scores 4 or 5 2017/18 54.2%
- A levels A*/B scores 2017/18 67%