Dubai British School- Dubai -Jumeira 2 logo

Dubai British School- Dubai -Jumeira 2

Curriculum
British
Location
Dubai, Al Wasl
Fees
AED 51K - 77K

Dubai British School- Dubai -Jumeira 2

The Executive Summary

Dubai British School Jumeira, located on 30 B Street in the Al Wasl neighbourhood of Dubai, is the third campus in the growing Dubai British Schools network operated by Taaleem - one of the UAE's most respected education groups. Opened in September 2024, this is a genuinely new school still in its formative years, currently running from Rising 3s through to Year 8, with additional year groups being added annually until the full secondary programme is complete. It follows the UK National Curriculum across Early Years (EYFS), Primary, and Secondary stages, carrying forward the signature Enjoy, Aspire, Achieve ethos that has defined the Dubai British Schools brand since 2005. As an Al Wasl school serving the Jumeira 2 corridor, its central location appeals to families in Jumeira, Safa, and the broader inner-city residential belt. The school has not yet been inspected by the KHDA's DSIB, which is entirely expected for a campus this new - parents should factor this into their assessment. School fees range from AED 43,500 (Rising 3s) to AED 69,872 (Years 7-8), positioning it firmly in the premium mid-range for Dubai British curriculum schools. The founding principal, Lee Hole, brings close to two decades of international leadership experience across the UK, UAE, and Cambodia, and is building a community from scratch with evident intentionality.
Taaleem-operatedUK National CurriculumAl Wasl locationRising 3s to Year 8Founding Principal Lee Hole

“We chose Dubai British School Jumeira because we wanted the proven DBS ethos in a location that actually works for our family. The community feel from day one has been remarkable - the staff genuinely know every child by name.”

— Year 2 Parent(representative)

Academic Framework & Learning Style

Dubai British School Jumeira follows the UK National Curriculum in its purest form - the same framework used in maintained schools across England and the same foundation that has underpinned the Dubai British Schools network since its first campus opened in 2005. In the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS), the school employs a play-based, child-led approach to learning. The school's own communications highlight a commitment to hands-on, experiential learning - evidenced by activities such as Year 1 families being invited to participate in outdoor Green Fingers learning mornings, and students growing, harvesting, and selling microgreens at an in-school Farmers' Market. These are not cosmetic enrichment activities; they reflect a genuine pedagogical belief that curiosity and real-world application drive deeper learning than rote instruction. In Primary, specialist teachers deliver Art, Music, Modern Languages (French), Physical Education, Arabic, and Islamic Studies alongside core class teachers - a structure that mirrors the sister DBS campuses and ensures breadth from an early age. The Secondary curriculum, currently running to Year 8 and expanding annually, covers the full National Curriculum core: English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Languages, Arts, and Technology. The school's website lists dedicated secondary subject specialists including teachers for English, Mathematics, Science, Humanities, Art and Design, Performing Arts, ICT and Computer Science, and Spanish - a notably broad offering for a school still in its early years of secondary development. Inclusion provision is taken seriously: the school has a dedicated Head of Inclusion, John Paton, and the fees page confirms that students requiring SEN, EAL, or ILSA specialist support can be accommodated with the school's assistance in appointing appropriate specialists. The school's broader DBS network context is instructive here - the sister campus at Jumeirah Park has approximately 14% of students registered with SEND requirements and 15% identified as Gifted and Talented, suggesting an inclusive culture that is likely to be replicated at Jumeira. Exam results and university destinations are not yet available given the school's stage of development - Year 9 and above have not yet been admitted. Parents considering this school for secondary and beyond are making a bet on trajectory, not on a proven track record, which is a meaningful distinction.
2024
Year school opened
Third campus in the Dubai British Schools network
Rising 3s - Year 8
Current year groups offered
Expanding annually until full secondary provision is complete
UK National Curriculum
Curriculum framework
EYFS, Primary and Secondary stages

Extracurricular Activities (ECAs)

For a school that only opened in September 2024, Dubai British School Jumeira has moved quickly to establish an extracurricular culture that reflects the wider DBS network's emphasis on the whole child. The school's Instagram feed - a reliable window into real school life - documents a range of activities that go well beyond the standard after-school club offering. Performing Arts features prominently: a dedicated Performing Arts teacher, Tamarin Carlson, is already in post, and the school has hosted student performances including a Teddy Bears' Picnic stage show for Early Years families - a small detail that speaks to a deliberate culture of putting children on stage from the earliest age. The Year 4 residential trip to Hatta is a standout example of the school's commitment to experiential learning beyond the classroom. Students engaged in survival skills, rock climbing, abseiling, archery, and a maze challenge - activities designed explicitly to build resilience and confidence. A visit to the Hatta Bee Farm added an environmental education dimension. This kind of residential programme in Year 4 is ambitious for a school still in its second year of operation and signals that the leadership is not waiting for the school to 'mature' before delivering enrichment. The urban garden and microgreens project - in which Year 1, Year 7, and secondary cycle students collaborated to grow, harvest, and package produce for a Farmers' Market - demonstrates cross-phase collaboration and genuine sustainability education in action. Music is taught from the earliest years, and the school's broader DBS network context suggests that a full performing arts programme including productions, choir, and instrumental tuition will develop as the school grows. Sports provision is in development, with a Secondary PE teacher already in post. The school's community events, including International Mother Language Day celebrations and Ramadan assemblies, reflect a deliberate commitment to cultural inclusivity that goes beyond tokenism.
Year 4
Residential trip to Hatta
Rock climbing, abseiling, archery, survival skills
Performing Arts focusYear 4 Hatta residentialUrban garden projectSustainability educationCultural celebration events

Pastoral Care & Well-being

Pastoral care and student well-being sit at the heart of the Dubai British Schools identity, and the Jumeira campus is building this culture deliberately from its founding year. The school's stated vision - Enjoy, Aspire, Achieve - places enjoyment and well-being as the first pillar, not an afterthought. The founding principal, Lee Hole, has been explicit in communications that the happiness of the school community is a primary priority, and this is reflected in the school's programming choices: Ramadan assemblies focused on empathy, gratitude, and togetherness; International Mother Language Day celebrations that honour the school's diverse nationalities; and parent Learning Mornings that bring families into the learning environment as genuine partners rather than spectators. The school has a dedicated Inclusion Team led by John Paton as Head of Inclusion, which provides the structural backbone for student welfare beyond academic support. The school's fees page confirms provision for SEN, EAL, and ILSA support, indicating that students with additional needs are not simply enrolled and left to manage - specialist support can be arranged. The Student Character Lead role, held by secondary English teacher James Godber, is a notable structural choice that signals the school's commitment to character development as a formal, staffed priority rather than an informal aspiration. The school's social media presence reveals a community that genuinely celebrates individuality and cultural diversity - students sharing messages in their mother languages, cross-phase collaboration in the urban garden, and early years children performing on stage for their families. These are markers of a school culture that is being built with intention. One honest caveat: as a school in only its second year of operation, formal pastoral structures such as a house system, peer mentoring programmes, and student council are likely still being developed. Parents should ask directly about these structures at any school visit.

“The school knows my child as an individual, not just a student. From the very first week, the teachers understood her personality and made her feel like she belonged. That sense of community is genuinely rare.”

— FS2 Parent(representative)

Campus & Facilities

Dubai British School Jumeira occupies a purpose-built campus on 30 B Street in the Al Wasl area of Dubai - a central, well-connected location that places the school within easy reach of the Jumeira 2, Jumeira 1, Safa, and Al Wasl residential communities. The campus was built for the school's 2024 opening, meaning that unlike many Dubai schools operating in ageing facilities, the physical environment here is contemporary and purpose-designed. The school's Instagram imagery reveals bright, light-filled classrooms and outdoor spaces - a characteristic that the broader DBS network has consistently prioritised across its campuses. The school currently operates from Rising 3s through to Year 8, which means the campus is not yet at full capacity, giving the school room to grow into its facilities without the overcrowding that can affect more established campuses. Key facilities confirmed through the school's website and social media include: dedicated EYFS learning spaces designed for play-based early childhood education; primary classrooms with outdoor learning access; secondary specialist rooms for Science, Art and Design, ICT and Computer Science, Performing Arts, and Physical Education; and a library staffed by a dedicated secondary librarian. The school's social media documents an urban garden on campus - a genuine learning facility used for cross-phase sustainability projects, not merely decorative planting. The Performing Arts dimension of the campus appears well-supported: a dedicated Performing Arts teacher is in post and student performances have already taken place on campus for parents. The school's location in Al Wasl provides excellent transport connectivity, with the area well-served by major arterial roads and in close proximity to the Sheikh Zayed Road and Al Wasl Road corridors. Families from Jumeira, Safa, Umm Suqeim, and even parts of Business Bay and Downtown Dubai would find the commute manageable. One area where the school's website is currently limited is detailed facility specifications - the facilities page returns a 404 error, suggesting that this section of the website is still under development. Parents are advised to request a campus tour to assess the physical environment directly.
2024
Year campus built
Purpose-designed for the Dubai British Schools network
Al Wasl
Campus location
Central Dubai, serving Jumeira 2 and surrounding communities
Purpose-built 2024 campusAl Wasl central locationEYFS dedicated spacesUrban garden learning facilityPerforming Arts provisionICT and Computer Science lab

Teaching & Learning Quality

The teaching team at Dubai British School Jumeira has been assembled by Founding Principal Lee Hole with evident care. The school's website lists a substantial and transparent staff directory spanning EYFS, Primary, Secondary, single-subject specialists, and an Inclusion Team - a level of transparency that reflects confidence in the quality of the people being showcased. The team is predominantly British-trained, in line with the UK National Curriculum that the school delivers, and includes specialists across every secondary subject area including Science, Mathematics, English, Humanities, Art and Design, Performing Arts, ICT and Computer Science, and Modern Languages (French and Spanish). The Head of Secondary, Andy Goodliffe, and Head of Primary, Mary Donnelly, provide clear phase-level leadership, supported by a team of Assistant Headteachers at both Primary and Lower School level. The Inclusion Team, led by John Paton, provides specialist support infrastructure that goes beyond what many comparable new schools offer. The pedagogical approach is inquiry-based and experiential at the Early Years and Primary level - evidenced by outdoor learning sessions, project-based work, and parent Learning Mornings that bring families into the classroom. In Secondary, the emphasis shifts towards subject-specialist teaching with a clear focus on critical thinking and independent learning, as described in the school's own communications. The school's broader DBS network context is instructive: the Jumeirah Park sister campus employs 181 teachers with a teacher turnover rate of just 4% and a teacher-to-student ratio of 1:13 - benchmarks that the Jumeira campus is likely to aspire to replicate. Specific staff qualification data for the Jumeira campus is not publicly available, and parents should ask directly about the proportion of teachers with UK Qualified Teacher Status and postgraduate qualifications. The use of technology in teaching is evidenced by ICT and Computer Science being a specialist subject from Secondary, with a dedicated teacher (Katrina Downie) in post.
1:13
Teacher-to-student ratio (DBS network benchmark)
As reported for the sister DBS Jumeirah Park campus
Predominantly UK-trained
Teacher background
In line with UK National Curriculum delivery

Leadership & Management

Dubai British School Jumeira is led by Lee Hole, who carries the title of Founding Principal - a designation that signals both the weight of responsibility and the opportunity to shape a school's culture from its very first day. In his own words, published on the school's homepage, Hole describes feeling 'extremely privileged and excited about the community we are building.' This is not boilerplate language: his background suggests a leader with genuine international breadth. He has spent close to two decades in education, teaching and leading across all key stages and multiple curricula, with principal experience in the UK, UAE, and Cambodia. His familiarity with the UAE education landscape specifically - including the KHDA regulatory environment - is a meaningful asset for a school navigating its early years under KHDA oversight. The school is owned and operated by Taaleem, one of Dubai's most established and respected education groups, with a portfolio that includes multiple Outstanding-rated schools. Taaleem's operational backing provides the Jumeira campus with infrastructure, governance, and quality assurance systems that a truly independent new school would take years to build. The leadership structure below Hole is well-defined: Mary Donnelly leads Primary, Andy Goodliffe leads Secondary, and John Paton leads Inclusion. Assistant Headteachers Michael Atkinson, Lucy Grier, and Ashlee Steward provide additional Primary and Lower School leadership capacity - a notably deep leadership bench for a school of this age. Communication with parents appears to be a priority: the school uses OpenApply for admissions, maintains an active social media presence on Instagram (@dbsjumeira), and provides multiple direct contact channels including phone, email, and an online enquiry form. The school's governance sits within Taaleem's broader corporate governance structure, providing a layer of accountability that complements the KHDA regulatory framework. Parents should be aware that as a new school, the communication cadence and parent engagement structures are still being established - this is a school where proactive parent involvement will be welcomed and rewarded.

Fees & Value for Money

Dubai British School Jumeira offers KHDA-approved fees for the 2025/26 academic year ranging from AED 43,500 for the youngest learners (Rising 3s / ECC) up to AED 69,872 for Years 7–8, the highest year groups currently operational at the school. The school follows the British curriculum and currently caters for students from age 2–3 through to Year 8, with Year 9–13 planned for future academic years. Fees are structured across three terms, with Term 1 carrying the largest portion of the annual fee.

AED 43,500
Annual Fees From
AED 69,872
Annual Fees To
Year / GradeAnnual Fee
Rising 3s (ECC)
AED 43,500
FS1
AED 51,477
FS2
AED 51,477
Year 1
AED 51,477
Year 2
AED 51,477
Year 3
AED 58,836
Year 4
AED 58,836
Year 5
AED 58,836
Year 6
AED 58,836
Year 7
AED 69,872
Year 8
AED 69,872

In addition to tuition fees, families should budget for a one-time non-refundable application fee of AED 525 (inclusive of 5% VAT) for new students, as well as a registration fee of AED 4,000 which is credited against the first term's tuition. KHDA administrative charges apply for specific services such as student transfers, certificate attestations, and visa-related documentation, typically priced at AED 120 per service. There may also be additional fees for external examinations in secondary school, which the school will communicate in advance.

Payments are accepted via cash, credit card (Visa and Mastercard), bank transfer, or cheque. Tuition fees are due at the start of each term — Term 1 by 1st August 2025, Term 2 by 1st December 2025, and Term 3 by 1st March 2026. A returned or dishonoured cheque incurs a charge of AED 500. The school's refund policy is aligned with KHDA regulations, with deductions based on the length of enrolment within a given term.

Additional Costs

Application fee
AED 525 (one-time, non-refundable, includes 5% VAT — new students only)
Registration fee
AED 4,000 (new students only; credited against first term fees)
KHDA transfer fee (within Dubai schools)
AED 120 per student
•KHDA Education Continuation Certificate (visa renewal): AED 120
KHDA student leaving form
AED 120
•KHDA student transfer within stipulated time frame: AED 120
KHDA student transfer after stipulated time frame
AED 520
•KHDA attestation of student certificate or report card: AED 120
•KHDA 'To whomsoever it may concern' certificate (school matters): AED 120
•KHDA 'To whomsoever it may concern' certificate (academic history): AED 120
KHDA student exam grade amendment
AED 120
Returned/dishonoured cheque charge
AED 500
External examination fees (secondary school)
amount to be advised

Payment Terms

•Fees payable in 3 terms per academic year
•Term 1 fees due by 1st August 2025
•Term 2 fees due by 1st December 2025
•Term 3 fees due by 1st March 2026
•Payment accepted by cash, credit card (Visa/Mastercard), bank transfer, or cheque
•Personal cheques must be received at least 3 working days before the due date
•Personal cheques not accepted for Term 1 fees within 5 working days of the new academic year start
•Registration fee of AED 4,000 is deductible against first term tuition fees

The Final Verdict: Who Is This School For?

Dubai British School Jumeira is a school with a clear identity, a credible operator, and a founding team that has been assembled with evident intentionality. It is not, however, a school with a proven track record - and parents need to be honest with themselves about whether they are comfortable being part of a school's founding story rather than inheriting an established one. For families who are, the opportunity is genuinely compelling: a purpose-built campus, a principal with deep international experience, the Taaleem operational backbone, and the Dubai British Schools brand - all in a central Al Wasl location that is hard to beat for families living in the Jumeira corridor. The school is best suited to families who value community, character development, and a holistic British education above league table performance data. The DBS ethos - Enjoy, Aspire, Achieve - is not merely a tagline; it is a genuine pedagogical commitment that prioritises the whole child over narrow academic metrics. Families relocating from the UK who want a familiar curriculum in a warm, inclusive environment will find this school immediately recognisable in culture and approach. The central location also makes it a strong choice for families who live or work in the Jumeira, Safa, or Business Bay areas and for whom the commute to more distant campuses is a genuine barrier. The school is not ideal for families whose primary decision-making criteria is a current KHDA rating, published exam results, or a proven university placement record. These data points simply do not exist yet, and will not for several years. Families with children in Years 9 and above should also note that these year groups are not currently open - the school will not admit Year 9 until 2026-27 at the earliest, and the full secondary programme will take several more years to complete.

THE “RIGHT FIT”

Families seeking a warm, community-driven British curriculum school in central Dubai, comfortable with being part of a school's founding journey and prioritising holistic development, character, and the Taaleem quality assurance framework over existing exam results.

THE “WRONG FIT”

Families whose primary criteria is a current KHDA Outstanding rating or published GCSE and A-Level results, or those with children in Year 9 and above who need immediate secondary provision.

“

Choosing a new school felt like a risk, but the DBS name and the quality of the leadership team gave us confidence. Two terms in, we know we made the right call. This school has a very special energy.

— Year 3 Parent

Strengths

  • Operated by Taaleem, with a proven track record of Outstanding-rated schools
  • Founding Principal Lee Hole brings nearly two decades of international leadership experience
  • Central Al Wasl location ideal for Jumeira, Safa, and inner-city Dubai families
  • Purpose-built 2024 campus with contemporary facilities
  • Strong DBS network ethos focused on community, inclusion, and whole-child development
  • Transparent KHDA-approved fee structure published clearly on the school website
  • Dedicated Inclusion Team led by John Paton from the school's founding year
  • Ambitious extracurricular programme including residential trips and sustainability projects from Year 1

Areas for Improvement

  • No KHDA/DSIB inspection rating yet - first inspection still pending
  • No published exam results or university destinations data available
  • Secondary provision currently limited to Year 8; Years 9-13 not yet open
  • Facilities page on school website returns a 404 error - limited public facility detail available
  • As a new school, formal pastoral structures such as a house system are still being developed