Dubai School Year Groups Explained
British, American and IB systems name and age their year groups differently. Here's how they line up so you can work out which year your child enters in Dubai.
How placement is decided
Dubai schools generally place children by age as of a cut-off date — commonly 31 July. A summer birthday near the cut-off can affect which year your child enters, so check each school's policy.
British system
Foundation Stage (FS1 and FS2) in the early years, then Year 1 upward. GCSEs are usually sat around Year 11, with A-Levels in Years 12 and 13.
American system
Kindergarten, then Grade 1 upward, with High School covering Grades 9 to 12. Progress is tracked by GPA through high school.
IB system
The Primary Years Programme (early years to roughly Grade 5), the Middle Years Programme (about Grade 6 to 10), then the two-year Diploma Programme in the final years.
Moving between systems
If you transfer between curricula, the receiving school decides placement based on age and prior school records — it won't always be a direct year-for-year match.