Best Higher secondary schools in United Arab Emirates

It’s an average school. It’s okay if you cannot afford a better school.
I joined this school in 2010 and recently graduated. This review is indicative of my own personal experience.

Its facilities are adequate enough for teaching purposes however they are not good quality. The same can be said for its faculty. The teachers are a mixed bag of sorts. There are some excellent teachers however, a good majority are not people who should be teaching. The physics, chemistry and maths subjects are immensely lacking in good teachers. The foundations of these subjects are not properly taught in most cases and the students struggle later on. During the board exams, not many students from my grade felt prepared.

There also isn’t much support for students, academically and emotionally . The school is far too focused on its image in front of the KHDA to pay attention to the needs of its pupils. The school often imposes certain requirements on the teachers which overall decreases the quality of teaching. For example, the over-utilization of PowerPoint presentations, especially in visual classes such as chemistry, prevented us from learning properly. Whenever our teacher tried to use just the board and marker, she was reprimanded from the school’s side. In some classes, the teacher barely did anything and made students prepare and present PowerPoint presentations *only*.

The school doesn’t care too much about the well-being of its students. While I agree that schoolwork is important, I don’t believe in overburdening children since childhood and teenage-hood is the only age where one can enjoy themselves freely with no responsibilities. We were given two hour after-school classes right after class 10th board exams with barely a day’s rest. This, contrary to expectation, prevented us from us learning anything well and only made us struggle through grades 11 and 12.

The holiday homework given nowadays is also too immense given that holidays are a time to relax. There are *too* many time intensive projects that take away from more important things like studying for exams or spending time with family. The school seems to idolize the philosophy that one should only dedicate themselves to working and studying at the cost of their wellbeing.

The boys and girls are treated differently as well. If it’s a day where the boys and girls are attending school but on different floors, and the girl decides to go to boys’ floor for classes, she may get reprimanded however if the boys decide to take a stroll on the girls’ floors, nothing happens to them.

The behaviour of the students is also not the best: there is bullying (both by the students to their peers and by the teachers to their students), the students smoke/vape and a good amount have partners that they are intimate with. This is not good especially for a school that praises Islamic values.

A lot of what the school struggles with (unqualified teachers, low-quality facilities) are a result of the low school fees which enable many students to seek an education, no matter how.. not good the education may be. My suggestion would be for the school to reconsider their teaching practices and conduct themselves with the child’s well-being, and not money and image, in mind.

I want to add a review about the condition of the teachers in this school. One of my very close friends joined this school in March. Initially, they selected her & didn't inform her that she had to pay money for the visa. They paid 1300 dhiram for visa & 100 dhiram for medical also. When she gave her interview, they said we will offer you 2000 dhiram for the first three months. Then they will offer 2500 dhiram from the fourth month. Now it's been the fourth month she has been working here & still getting 2000 dhiram. Moreover, they are not giving salary to the new teachers for vacations though she has paid for a visa, medical & all. Furthermore, she hasn't received her medical insurance yet, for everything she is begging from the admin department. I just want to ask one question from the management, Teaching is one of the most proficient, respectful professions & What you are doing with the teachers here? Do you think in 2000 Dhiram will manage the rent, grocery & all other expenses with kids? I wonder what sort of behavior you people are doing with the teachers. It's the 21st century & people are so advanced with the time. Even nannies are getting more salary around 3000 - 4000 per month. Please be Kind & show some Humanity. Don't treat the teachers as a daily wage worker.

Am writing this review to share my experience regarding a recent request I made to transfer my son's second language from Malayalam to Hindi.
I initially submitted the transfer request on 24/04/2024, seeking clarification on the process and timeline for this change. Despite multiple follow-up attempts via email and phone calls, I have not received any definitive response or acknowledgment from the school administration.
This lack of communication has been disappointing and has impacted our family's planning for my son's education. As a parent, clear and timely communication from the school is crucial in ensuring my child's educational needs are met effectively.
Secondly, my son has an exam scheduled for tomorrow, and due to the unresolved language transfer issue, he is uncertain about which exam he should prepare for. This situation has added unnecessary stress and confusion during a crucial time for his studies.
Thank you for your attention to this matter. I look forward to a swift resolution.

Your child's performance will be extremely subpar when compared to other schools. Teachers are absent for a week at a time and assign everything to parents as homework, several emails are sent at any time of day even at 12 a.m, so if your child is studying in this school means you will have to give up everything else in favor of their schoolwork.
I don't want to discuss all of the complaints... I have about transportation here, but one day the bus arrived at home without my daughter who is just 4 years old studying in KG-1 and the driver said they don't know where she is while they forgot to picked up. When the bus returned to pick her up from school again, she was crying uncontrollably and was afraid.
Regarding this we have sent emails to the class teacher and the headmaster and as well to voice our complaints, so far no one has replied as of today. They just care about their monthly transportation and tuition costs; rather than caring kids.
If your children attend Central School, you will witness this type of educational environment.
I don't want to send my kids to this school next year since I'm not happy with it overall.

Thanks,

I am writing to express my deep concern regarding the treatment of management taken to all the students who are experiencing delays in paying their school fees(particularly today's incident of separating them from the regular class and seating them in the library). While I fully appreciate the significance of timely fee payments in ensuring the smooth functioning of the institution, I firmly believe that it is equally vital to approach these situations with empathy and understanding.
The students facing financial difficulties are being subjected to punitive measures or unnecessary stress rather than receiving the assistance and support they need. This approach not only undermines their well-being but also disregards their potential for success.
Urge the school management to reconsider its current stance and adopt a more compassionate approach towards students.

"School is not just a building; it is an institution where minds are shaped,
Education is not a product; it is a process. It's not about transactions; it's about transformations."

I am a student of this school. I am very happy from this school. It has be since Eight studying in this school from KG 1 till starting of the grade 7. The school provides the best facilities, and there are all teachers are also very kind. I am very satisfied with this school

Amazing school, my 6y son loves going there. They offer extra curriculum free of charge once a week, there is also star club on premises for those who can’t pick up kids before 5pm. Education in general is quite balanced. School area is large and spacious.

I am Sam year 1, the school is super cooL And amazing

This school is the worst! They change the management every year! We have to adjust to new heads, principals, hos and teachers every year.They worry about the students during khda only! They only care about the rating of khda and not the students. It's like they have a whole new face during khda. They don't even give us 1 single day for class party. They don't have proper tables and chairs, the ac and projectors and no proper equipment. They don't let us use the labs. The teaching of the teachers is amazing but the management is the only problem.

As far as the facilities is concern, it is the cleanest, well organized school with indoor gym for sports activities and with auditorium.

My two children go to Horizon Private School. I really recommend this school because of the professional approach of the teachers and administrators. My kids are having wonderful time learning and enjoying their activities at the same time. Administration are open to parents’ concerns and suggestions. Academically they are rated very good by ADEK and it’s reflected in their curriculum and the things my kids learn from school.

Have our daughter since FS1. She loves to go to the school every morning and even gets upset when there’s any vacations. It’s a hard to get feeling and it’s thanks to the great staff and facilities of Horizon International.

We have been with HIS for 1 year and thus far we are extremely happy with the school ethos, open communcation, wonderful inclusion program, the educational team along with admin, security and cleaning staff are all friendly, professional and have the children as the number 1 priority. The facilities are constantly evolving & becoming better suited for students of all ages. As we head into high school at HIS woth our son, we are excited for the next chapter in his growth with this fantastic, well established school.

Amazing school and wonderful Admin Team! Very helpful Registrar Tene and if to be honest, she was extremely flexible with our tour and assessment. Highly recommended! Best school in Dubai, thanks for everything

The School is amazing, I have been in the school from KG-1 and it has been 10 years or so....The teachers over here are really good and they have a helping nature. It Develop the all-rounder in kids and nurture them in a competitive environment. I have witnessed the tremendous growth of the school over these years and I would recommend this to all the parents for the best education

I am really grateful to OSUAE COMMUNITY Dubai for inviting me and my students perform on their Orissa Day” The show was @Horizon International school. The school is excellent in and out. Thank you OSUAE And HORIZON for the warm welcome. See you soon ❤️ Dear Friends posting the show glimpses of the show held at Dubai’s Best school auditorium 👏👏