Cities / Dubai / PACE Modern British School (PACE MBS)
PACE Modern British School (PACE MBS)
PACE Education group British school in Al Rashidiya, opened 2025, working toward Cambridge IGCSE and A Level pathways for around 950 pupils.
In brief
Operating as part of the broader PACE Education group, PMBS Dubai follows the British National Curriculum with plans to offer Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level pathways. The school appears to serve students across primary and secondary levels, though specific enrollment numbers, fee structures, and academic outcomes remain largely undocumented in public discussions. Social media posts suggest active programming and community events, indicating operational status despite limited market presence.
The school's extremely low profile in Dubai's competitive international education market contrasts sharply with established British curriculum institutions like Dubai College, GEMS Wellington, or JESS that dominate parent conversations and expatriate forums. This minimal visibility suggests PMBS serves a very specialized community rather than competing for the broader international expatriate market that typically drives discussions about Dubai's school options. Without available information about KHDA ratings, examination results, university placements, or detailed parent feedback, families would need to contact the school directly for information about educational delivery and community experience.
Strengths
- Part of established PACE Education group with experience across multiple institutions
- Follows British National Curriculum with Cambridge pathway planning
- Active social media presence showing student activities and community events
- Appears to offer smaller, more intimate learning environment
Considerations
- Extremely limited visibility in Dubai's education market compared to established competitors
- Lack of publicly available information about fees, facilities, or academic outcomes
- Minimal discussion among expatriate families or education forums
- No documented KHDA ratings or examination results available
- Would require direct contact for detailed information about school operations
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| FS1 | 3 | AED 20,267 |
| FS2 | 4 | AED 20,267 |
| Year 1 | 5 | AED 21,737 |
| Year 2 | 6 | AED 21,737 |
| Year 3 | 7 | AED 22,787 |
| Year 4 | 8 | AED 23,208 |
| Year 5 | 9 | AED 24,783 |
| Year 6 | 10 | AED 24,783 |
| Year 7 | 11 | AED 26,043 |
| Year 8 | 12 | AED 27,093 |
| Year 9 | 13 | AED 27,430 |
| Year 10 | 14 | AED 29,784 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Admission Entrance Fee | AED 500 |
Reviews
An affordable British school in Al Rashidiya, near the Sharjah border, that opened in 2021 and has grown to around 1,000 pupils across FS1 to Year 9. The pupil body is overwhelmingly EAL, with a significant Indian majority and a sizeable SEN cohort. KHDA rated the school Acceptable at its first inspection in 2024. The most recent British Schools Overseas inspection in January 2025 found leadership and parent information outstanding, the quality of education good, and the premises only satisfactory, with primary teaching stronger than secondary.
Positives
- Principal and leadership. Graham Howell leads visibly. He and the senior team are at the gate at the start and end of each day, and the BSO inspection rated leadership and management outstanding.
- Parent communication and access. Open-door culture, weekly Principal's Post, end-of-week curriculum slides for core subjects, termly written reports and regular parent consultations. Formal complaints are rare.
- Inclusion and EAL support. Almost all pupils have English as an additional language and 88 are on the SEN register, with 23 on 1:1 support. A dedicated inclusion team, EAL coordinator and individual learning plans run alongside mainstream classes.
- Primary teaching and EYFS. EYFS and primary lessons are consistently good, with Jolly Phonics, Power Maths and a developing Reggio-inspired early years environment. Reading and oracy are pushed through whole-class sessions and a strong library focus.
- Affordable fees in a British school. Annual fees of AED 20,267 to 29,784 sit at the lower end of Dubai's British market, with the standard Emirati and Martyrs' children discounts.
Considerations
- Secondary teaching quality is uneven. Two-thirds of lessons across the school were rated good or above, but secondary had more satisfactory and a few unsatisfactory lessons. Pace can be slowed by teacher-led talk, passive pupils and calling out, and marking and assessment for learning are still being embedded.
- Staff turnover. The school flags high staff turnover as a known issue that makes consistency in teaching and learning harder. Pay packages are being adjusted to improve recruitment.
- Premises and facilities. The site was rated only satisfactory at the 2025 inspection. There is no internal sports hall, the playground doubles as the bus park, library stock and specialist secondary spaces need expanding, and the medical room sits in an external building. A new building, gym and pool are planned.
- KHDA rating and academic track record. KHDA awarded Acceptable at the first inspection in February 2024, with Arabic progress and governance rated Weak. The school is the first PACE campus in Dubai and is still working through its first cohorts; KS3 attainment is variable and the first iGCSE cohort sits in 2025/26.
- Attendance and behaviour for learning. Attendance runs at about 90% and is described as a priority. Pupils are kind and motivated, but inspectors saw calling out, interruption between classrooms and a reliance on hands-up in secondary.
Leadership
Graham Howell
Graham Howell is the founding Principal of PACE Modern British School in Dubai, bringing 23 years of leadership and teaching experience from outstanding schools in the UK and the Middle East.
Accreditations
- KHDA 01
- British Schools Overseas (DfE) 02