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Dubai English Speaking School Oud Metha has 1,017 pupils, typical class sizes of 15, instruction in English.
Location
DESS Oud Metha is located on Oud Metha Road in Dubai, United Arab Emirates. The Oud Metha Primary campus sits in the vibrant Oud Metha community, providing central access for families across Dubai. The area is served by the Oud Metha Metro on the Green Line, with nearby roads and amenities supporting convenient travel.
Stages
DESS Oud Metha operates as a primary school for ages 3-11. DESS College provides secondary and sixth‑form education for students aged 11-18, located in Academic City.
Type
DESS is part of a not-for-profit group of British-curriculum schools. The group follows a British education model and uses UK standards in its delivery. The schools are co-educational (mixed gender).
Pupil Nationality Mix
114 nationalities are represented at DESS Oud Metha. The most common nationality and the local-to-international ratio are not disclosed publicly.
Additional learning support
DESS provides inclusive education through a dedicated Learning Zone, with tailored one-to-one programmes, booster and focus groups, and in-class support, guided by the Wave Model of support. The school follows the Dubai Inclusion Education Policy Framework and has inclusion policies published for primary education.
Country affiliation
Country affiliation: United Kingdom; the curriculum is British UK-based.
Religious affiliation
Religious affiliation: Not specified. Islamic values are integrated as part of personal and social development within the curriculum.
School day structure
The Oud Metha Primary day typically runs from 7:25 am to 3:30 pm Monday to Thursday, with Friday finishing at 12:00 pm. (Schedule published by the school for Oud Metha Primary; some campus pages show similar timings.)
Bus service
Bus service is provided by Maverick with door-to-door routes from Foundation Stage 1 onward. Stops include areas such as The Springs and Wafi; the bus fleet uses safety features like GPS tracking and seat belts. The DESS Oud Metha Bus Coordinator is Ms Wilding (twilding@dess.sch.ae).
Diving Deeper
The school has not added this information
Fees
Annual tuition at Dubai English Speaking School Oud Metha ranges from AED 43,084 to AED 53,320 for 2026/27.
DESS Oud Metha — Fee schedule (Academic year 2025–26)
Fee currency: All fees are shown in AED.
Tuition fees by year group (full year and termly breakdown) - Foundation Stage 1 (FS1): Full academic year fee AED 43,084. Termly payments — Term 1: AED 17,234; Term 2: AED 12,925; Term 3: AED 12,925. Due dates: 1 September 2025, 5 January 2026, 6 April 2026.
- Foundation Stage 2 and Years 1–6: Full academic year fee AED 53,320. Termly payments — Term 1: AED 21,328; Term 2: AED 15,996; Term 3: AED 15,996. Due dates: 1 September 2025, 5 January 2026, 6 April 2026.
Acceptance / application fees - Acceptance Fee (new students) — DESS Oud Metha (FS1 – Year 6): AED 3,500. This fee is non-refundable and will be deducted from the child's first term fees.
Billing schedule and payment terms - Tuition is billed termly with the three term due dates published for the 2025–26 academic year: 1 September 2025 (Term 1), 5 January 2026 (Term 2), and 6 April 2026 (Term 3). Termly amounts are shown above. - The Acceptance Fee is non-refundable and is credited against the first term tuition invoice. One term's notice must be given by email to admissionsmanager@dess.sch.ae if a student will be leaving the DESS family. - The published fee schedule does not include charges for external examinations (e.g., GCSE, GCE) or other external examination fees such as music or dance; these charges are invoiced separately.
Sibling discounts - Discount on tuition for third and subsequent full-fee paying siblings enrolled in DESS Oud Metha, DESS Academic City or DESS College: - Third child (youngest of three): 5% discount for that child for the year. - Fourth child: 10% discount for child number 4 and 5% for the 2nd youngest (as explained on the schedule). - Five or more children: further 10% discount for any child after child number 4 as published. - Sibling discounts for the whole year are calculated and applied in the Term 2 tuition invoice; Term 1 and Term 3 invoices remain as published.
Boarding - Boarding is not applicable. DESS Oud Metha operates as a day primary school; no boarding fees are published.
Other costs and fees - Examination and external assessment fees (e.g., GCSE/GCE, external music/dance exams) are charged separately and will appear as separate invoices. - Uniforms: an onsite uniform shop operates and uniforms are also supplied in partnership with Trutex (Trutex Store, Cityland Mall) and an online pre-order system. Costs for uniform items are not included in the tuition figures and are charged separately at point of purchase. - Transport (school bus): a door-to-door bus service is available for Oud Metha pupils; the service is operated with a named provider and coordinated through the school. Transport fees are invoiced separately and are not included in the tuition figures. Specific route and fee details are provided by the school/transport coordinator. - Trips, optional activities, extra-curricular clubs and other optional services are charged separately and will be invoiced in addition to published tuition where applicable.
Refund information - The Acceptance Fee for a new student is non-refundable and is deducted from the first term's fees. One term's notice must be provided by email to the admissions team when a pupil will be leaving the DESS family; the published schedule notes this requirement. Other refund or cancellation terms (for example, for tuition already paid mid-term or for additional services) are managed under the school's formal policies and invoicing procedures and separate charges (such as exam fees or transport) are billed and refunded according to their own terms.
Fee payment options and bank details - Payment methods accepted: credit card payments via the SKIPLY mobile app, bank transfer, or bank cash deposit. Parents register payments using their child's Student ID as shown on invoices. - Bank account details provided for transfers: - Account name: Dubai English Speaking Special Branch College - Account number: 101-49485189-01 - IBAN: AE50 0260 0010 1494 8518 901 - Bank: Emirates NBD - SWIFT: EBILAEAD - When making bank transfers, the school requests a clear reference (child's full name or parent account code) and a receipt sent to remittances@dess.sch.ae.
Notes relevant to billing - The published tuition schedule excludes external examination charges and other third-party invoices which are charged in addition to the tuition shown. Sibling discounts and promotional discounts for specific campuses (e.g., temporary Academic City discounts published for 2025–27) are applied as described on the fee schedule and appear in the termly invoicing.
(Information above follows the DESS fee schedule and admissions documents published for the 2025–26 academic year.)
Academics
Dubai English Speaking School Oud Metha teaches British Curriculum for students aged 3 to 11.
Curriculum
DESS Oud Metha follows the English National Curriculum for ages 3–11, with FS1–FS2 aligned to the UK EYFS and KS1–KS2 delivering the National Curriculum to prepare pupils for secondary education. The curriculum emphasises holistic development through the Invent, Explore, Inspire (IEI) programme and the '6Cs' of developing character, alongside wellbeing initiatives. DESS College (Academic City) serves ages 11–18 and follows the National Curriculum of England and Wales across KS3 (Year 7–9), KS4 (Year 10–11 GCSEs with a Vocational Pathway from 2026), and KS5 (Year 12–13 AS/A Levels and BTEC qualifications), with GCSE options drawn from a broad suite of courses and examination boards including EdExcel, AQA, OCR and Cambridge International. GCSE structure requires core subjects Maths, English and Science plus three option subjects; from 2026 a Vocational Pathway will be added. KHDA and British Schools Overseas rate DESS Oud Metha as Outstanding (KHDA 2023–2024; BSO 2024), and the Oud Metha campus serves ages 3–11 while Academic City serves ages 11–18.
Wellbeing
The school has not added this information
Parent Experience
The school has not added this information
Facilities
The school has not added this information
Extra-Curricular Activities
The school has not added this information
Languages
The school has not added this information
Reputation
The school has not added this information
Admissions
Admissions
1. DESS operates three campuses: DESS Oud Metha Primary (ages 3-11), DESS Primary Academic City (ages 3-11), and DESS College (ages 11-18). The Oud Metha and Academic City primary campuses follow the English National Curriculum and are English-speaking schools. The campuses are located on Oud Metha Road, Dubai, and in Academic City, Dubai.
2. Application forms are available for Foundation Stage, Year 1 to 6, and Year 7 to 10. For 2025 admissions, Year 7 and Year 6 applications are no longer being accepted due to full capacity and a substantial waiting list. Year 7 2026 applications closed on December 5, 2025. The Admissions Office is located at DESS College, Academic City, Security Gate 2, Parent Services Reception.
3. Supporting documents required: Birth Certificate (in English); Passport Copy; Recent passport-style photograph; Most recent End of Year and Term/Mid-Year reports; A CAT 4 assessment within the last 12 months (if available). CAT 4 results are only required for Primary School applications if available; if not completed within 12 months, local applicants may be required to attend a Taster Session. Emirates Identity Card (if available); UAE Visa (if available); Reports from external agencies (if applicable); If applying from overseas, a reference request may be required from the current school.
4. Book a Tour: Register for a tour to experience the learning environment; a Virtual Tour is also available. The Admissions Office is located at DESS College, Academic City.
5. The Admissions Team will guide you through the process.
Waitlist
Year 7 2025 - we are no longer accepting applications for Year 7 due to full capacity and a substantial waiting list. Year 6 2025 - we are no longer accepting applications for Year 6 due to full capacity and a substantial waiting list. Year 7 2026 - applications closed on December 5, 2025.
School Events
The school has not added events
FAQs
What curriculum does DESS Oud Metha follow?
DESS Oud Metha follows the English National Curriculum as a British primary school in the Oud Metha area of Dubai, part of the DESS family of schools.
Where is the school located?
The school is in Oud Metha, a central area of Dubai, providing convenient access for families across the city.
