Understanding KHDA Ratings

KHDA oversees private-school quality in Dubai. Read each rating alongside its inspection year and report, then consider your child’s needs, curriculum and school-run.

The Six Rating Levels

The inspection scale has six levels: Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Acceptable, Weak and Very Weak. A school with no verified published rating is not equivalent to a low-rated school. Read the report’s subject and provision findings as well as the overall judgement.

What Inspectors Assess

Inspectors evaluate six key areas: student achievement, quality of teaching and learning, quality of the curriculum, personal and social development, leadership and management, and the protection and care of students. Each area is rated separately, and the overall rating reflects the combined picture.

How to Use Ratings

A rating is a snapshot, not a permanent verdict. A Good school with improving trajectory may be a better choice than a Very Good school showing decline. Always read the full inspection report, not just the headline rating. KHDA publishes detailed reports for every school on their website.

When Ratings Change

Inspection dates vary by school. KHDA paused inspections for 2025-26, except for schools in their third year of operation, and quality assurance visits resume in 2026-27. We show the latest sourced inspection year rather than assuming every school receives a new rating annually.

Sources