American School of Dubai

Al Barsha 1, Dubai, United Arab Emirates

Description

The American School of Dubai is an independent, not-for-profit, US curriculum, PreK-12 international school that provides learning experiences designed to promote the maximum potential of its students.ASD is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools.

With an enrollment of approximately 2,000 students, world-class facilities, highly experienced leadership, professional, dedicated, and certified faculty, staff, and counseling teams, a college-preparatory US curriculum and AP program that integrate technology to support student learning, hundreds of extracurricular and student activities in the Arts, Athletics, and Service Learning, and an engaged community of parents, alumni, and friends—an ASD education is intentionally designed to prepare every student to be future ready.

The American School of Dubai has a rich history, one that dates back to the very early years of Dubai. Founded by the Dubai Petroleum Company, the school has grown from merely a handful of students learning together in a small apartment in Deira, to nineteen hundred students learning together at our vibrant, state-of- the-art Al Barsha campus.In 2010, ASD moved to the 23-acre Al Barsha campus, a million square foot, wireless, state-of-the-art facility in a residential area of Dubai. The campus includes 100 classrooms, two libraries, a 630 seat performing arts theater, black box theater, band and choir rooms, art studios, field house, an organic garden, indoor and outdoor running tracks, climbing wall, dance studio, regulation soccer fields, additional playing fields and play areas, fitness center, two 25-meter swimming pools, six tennis courts, broadcast studio, maker spaces, and two cafeterias. The facilities provide for band and choir, offer five art studios and four purpose-built science and computer labs. The ASD campus is known for its inviting and welcoming learning environment.

What curriculum does ASD offer?
ASD is an independent not-for-profit U.S. curriculum that offers what is the best about American education to provide learning experiences designed to promote the maximum potential of its students.

ASD designs PreK-12 curriculum based on established US curriculum standards. These standards describe what students should know, understand and be able to do. ASD uses Standards-Based Grading and Reporting (SBGR) to provide students with feedback on academic achievement in relation to the standards. SBGR also provides feedback on how a student's learning habits (learner development) support achievement.

Graduates earn an American high school diploma. Advanced Placement courses are offered in Grades 10-12. ASD does not offer an International Baccalaureate (IB) diploma.

ASD enjoys the benefit of personalized classroom instruction through small classroom sizes. Grades PreK – 2 have a homeroom teacher plus an instructional assistant for each class. Grades 3-5 share instructional assistants. Middle and High School classes enjoy additional science and art instructional assistants.

The Elementary School maintains a classroom size between 16-22, with six sections for each grade. The Middle School maintains a maximum of 24 students per class and High School a maximum of 24 students per class.Arabic is offered as part of the World Language Program at ASD in the Elementary, Middle, and High Schools.

Service Learning

Service learning is integral to our school's mission and core values. Service outcomes might include direct service, indirect service, advocacy or research. Whether in a Week Without Walls trip or in classrooms across the school, service learning is a teaching and learning methodology that is crucial in the cultivation of a culture of contribution and service in our community. Service learning is also used as a framework for action for our student organizations.

Service learning has, at its core, the development of global contributors. It is an instructional methodology that integrates connections to world issues through the acquisition and development of skills to support solutions to local, community or global problems. Service learning is an experience defined by student agency, inquiry, and collaboration through a process of investigation, planning, action, reflection, and demonstration to address authentic needs.

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Fees

Tuition & Fees

As an independent, not-for-profit school, all tuition and fees fund the cost of education. The not-for-profit status is an important feature of ASD as it supports the ability of the school to focus on the quality of education over satisfying any profit or investment expectations of owners or shareholders.

2024-2025 Tuition & Facility Fees

Grades	Facility Fee	Tuition Fee (AED)*
PreK	-	59,180
K1	-	62,620
K2	12,984	68,355
G1 - 12	12,984	87,268
*For USD, the rate is 3.672

Special Education: For SY 2024-2025 a fee of AED 50,125 applies in addition to the school fees listed above for Students of Determination who require Special Education Services as specified in their Individualized Service Agreement.

Grade	Fees
Pre-KG	59,180
KG1	62,620
KG2	68,355
Grade1	87,268
Grade2	87,268
Grade3	87,268
Grade4	87,268
Grade5	87,268
Grade6	87,268
Grade7	87,268
Grade8	87,268
Grade9	87,268
Grade10	87,268
Grade11	87,268
Grade12	87,268

Applications for the 2024-2025 school year are now closed. Please contact admissionsteam@asdubai.org for questions or complete the inquiry form below for 2025-2026.

Admission Policies

Admissibility

At ASD, we value an education that will prepare all students for a rapidly changing world. As a result, in addition to a history of academic success (grade reports and testing) that indicates the ability to succeed at ASD, we look for the desired skills and dispositions demonstrated through the Character Assessment, Teacher Recommendations, and the Introductory Video. Together, these items help us paint a picture of each applicant that is unique, and one that allows us to determine the admissibility of each prospective student through a comprehensive and mission-driven lens.

Age Requirements

Students applying to PreK, K1, K2, and Grade 1 must be 3 years old, 4 years old, 5 years old, and 6 years old respectively, by August 31, of the year of enrollment per KHDA policy.

For all subsequent years (grades 2-12) students will be placed on a case-by-case basis, taking into consideration, age, the number of years the school records show the student has been in school, the time of year of arrival, and academic and social/emotional needs of the applicant. For grade 9-12 applicants, the number of credits earned is also a factor in determining appropriate grade placement. Thus, all 9-12 applicants are required to submit official transcripts or reports prior to beginning at ASD so credits already earned can be transferred.

School Year and Grade Level

In the vast majority of cases, students coming from schools with vastly different calendars (i.e. Australia, New Zealand, Japan, Korea, India) will continue in the same grade level.

English Requirements and Assessment

Students applying to enroll in PreK-grade 12, who are not yet fluent in English and/or have never previously studied in an English language school, are all required to participate in an English as an Additional Language (EAL) screening at ASD to determine appropriate support/placement. Students applying for grades 1-12 must undergo EAL testing in order to confirm that the student meets or exceeds ASD admissions standards in English before admission can be offered. ASD reserves the right to request any additional testing either at ASD or from a specialist outside of ASD in order to determine admissibility. Examples may include learning support screening, psycho-educational evaluation (cognitive and/or academic).

Full Disclosure

Full disclosure and open communication are critical in ensuring appropriate placement and support. ASD reserves the right to contact previous schools before making an admissions decision. Failure to disclose information related to an applicant’s learning, social/emotional, behavioral, or physical needs, whether in the past or present, may result in the withdrawal of an offer of admission.

Additional Documentation

Parents are required to submit the following at the time of application if they pertain to your child and are in your possession or the possession of your child’s school or their former school(s). Full disclosure is required so these should be volunteered as part of the initial application.

Testing results or documentation used to determine eligibility for gifted and talented programs
Individualized Education or Learning Plan (IEP or ILP) or 504 Plan or equivalent
Any reports or testing results related to:
- Academic/learning support
- Emotional/behavioral support
- Occupational therapy
- Speech and language
Information about any other specialist evaluation or services
Psychological or psycho-educational testing results and reports

If your child is referred for evaluation or assessment or begins to receive academic, social-emotional or behavioral support at any point during the application or admissions process, please inform the admissions office as soon as possible.

Students of Determination

ASD is committed to successfully serving students with learning needs, and providing a clear and transparent application process. Admissions decisions are based on a careful assessment of not only the applicant's needs but also the needs of our currently enrolled students. Decisions are made based on a complete application and provision of all requested information to ensure that we have a complete picture of each student’s needs and what needs to be in place to support their success at school. For more information, please contact the Admissions office.

How to Apply

2024-2025 Admissions Timeline

Priority Admission
Application Deadline for PreK-K2: October 30
Application Deadline for Grade 1-12: November 15
Admission Decision Notifications: December 7

Standard Admission Deadline
Application Deadline for PreK-Grade 12: February 15
Admission Decision Notifications: March 6

After the above dates, rolling admission will be in effect and spaces will be allocated until filled.

Application Document Checklist

The following documents will be required to complete your application for admission to be processed (excluding the Recommendation Forms):

Copy of Student's Passport
Applicant Photo
K1-K2: Nursery/School Report (if available)
Grade 1-12: Last Two End of Year Report Cards and Current School Year Term Report
Grade 10-12: Official High School Transcript (if available)
Recent Standardized Testing (if available):
- CAT IV (Required for UAE transfer)
- MAP
- PSAT, SAT, or SSAT
- State or Local Standardized Test
Teacher Recommendations (online)
Introductory Video (Grades 5-12)
Character Skills Snapshot (Grades 6-12)