Islamic School for Training & Education, Dubai
Ministry of Education School in Muhaisanah 1, Dubai
Last updated
Curriculum
Ministry of Education
KHDA
Acceptable
Location
Dubai, Muhaisanah 1
Fees
AED 9K - 14K
The Executive Summary
Islamic School for Training & Education Dubai, established in 1982 and located in Muhaisanah 1, is one of the emirate's longest-standing Ministry of Education curriculum schools. Operating under the Ministry of Education Curriculum, which aligns with national education standards in the UAE and focuses on a comprehensive academic foundation, the school carries a KHDA rating of Acceptable for 2023-2024 - a rating it has held consistently since 2016, following two years rated Weak in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016. With school fees ranging from AED 9,194 to AED 13,520 annually, it is among the most affordable private school options in Muhaisanah 1 schools and the broader Dubai education landscape. Its clearest strength is the exceptional personal and social development of its students: inspectors rated personal responsibility and understanding of Islamic values as Very Good across every phase, a genuine distinction in a city where such grounding is increasingly valued. The school's heritage room, daily Qur'an recitation sessions, and deeply embedded Islamic ethos create a community that is warm, disciplined, and purposeful. For families seeking an Arabic-medium environment with strong Islamic values at a genuinely accessible price point, this school delivers meaningfully on its core promise.
MoE Curriculum DubaiEstablished 1982Strong Islamic ValuesVery Affordable FeesCo-educational KG-Grade 12
“The values my children learn here are not just taught in class - they live them every day. The teachers know every student by name and the community feels like family.”
— Grade 7 Parent(representative)Academic Framework & Learning Style
The school follows the Ministry of Education (MoE) Curriculum, delivered in both English and Arabic, covering KG 1 through to Grade 12. The curriculum adheres strictly to MoE standards with periodic reviews and an emphasis on cross-curricular links. In Cycle 3 (Grades 10-12), the school offers both general and advanced streams, giving older students a degree of academic differentiation that is beginning to incorporate enrichment strategies - a positive development noted by DSIB inspectors in 2023-2024. External examinations are conducted through the MoE framework, with no IGCSE, IB, or AP qualifications offered. Islamic Education and Arabic as a first language are the academic standouts, rated Good for both attainment and progress across all four cycles - KG, Cycle 1, Cycle 2, and Cycle 3. This is a genuine strength and reflects the school's identity. In contrast, English, mathematics, and science are all rated Acceptable for attainment and progress across every phase, indicating that students meet baseline expectations but are not being consistently stretched. DSIB inspectors specifically noted that problem-solving and reasoning skills are underdeveloped in mathematics, and that the scientific method is insufficiently embedded due partly to a lack of dedicated laboratory facilities. Reading literacy across the school is identified as a significant concern: the DSIB's National Agenda Parameter assessment rated reading skills as Weak for both the whole school and the Emirati cohort, citing the absence of a systematic phonics and decoding programme. Learning skills improve markedly as students progress - rated Acceptable in KG but Good in Cycles 1, 2, and 3 - suggesting the school's environment does develop independent learners over time. Academic support for the 16 identified students of determination is generally accurately identified, though the use of assessment data to plan differentiated lessons remains inconsistent, particularly in Cycle 1. There is one guidance counsellor for 607 students, which limits the depth of individual academic and pastoral support available. University destination data is not publicly disclosed by the school, which is a transparency gap for families considering the school for secondary-age children.
Good
Islamic Education Attainment
Rated Good across all four cycles - KG, Cycle 1, Cycle 2, Cycle 3 (DSIB 2023-2024)
Good
Arabic (First Language) Attainment
Consistent Good rating across all phases - a genuine school strength
Acceptable
English, Maths & Science Attainment
All three core subjects rated Acceptable across every cycle
16
Students of Determination
Out of 607 total students; identification described as generally accurate by DSIB
Extracurricular Activities (ECAs)
Extracurricular provision at the Islamic School for Training and Education is modest but purposeful. The school operates a technical centre that provides students in Cycles 2 and 3 with access to vocational and technical training - a genuinely distinctive feature that DSIB inspectors highlighted as a school strength and one that is rare among MoE-curriculum schools at this fee level. Students have visited the technical college for enrichment, and older students have used these opportunities to develop creativity and enterprise skills. Sports participation is embedded into school life, with students engaging in physical activity during break times. However, DSIB inspectors noted that current transport arrangements limit the availability of extra-curricular activities beyond school hours, which is a practical constraint that families should factor into their decision. The school runs an active student council that has demonstrably influenced school decisions - including negotiating improvements to the cafeteria menu following a student survey - giving students meaningful leadership experience. Community service and charitable activities are embedded: students fundraise for those in need, including selling produce they have made themselves, and older students lead anti-bullying training sessions. Cultural enrichment includes visits to museums and activities such as archaeology and geology. The school's heritage room is an engaging resource that brings UAE social history to life through historical artefacts. UAE Social Studies and Moral Education are taught as separate subjects, enriched by teacher-sourced resources, and the heritage room supports this curriculum in a tangible way. Overall, ECA breadth is limited compared to larger fee-paying schools, but the provision that exists is meaningfully integrated into student life rather than being cosmetic.
Cycles 2 & 3
Technical & Vocational Training Access
Highlighted as a school strength by DSIB 2023-2024 inspectors
Technical Centre AccessActive Student CouncilCommunity Service ProjectsHeritage Room LearningMuseum & Cultural Visits
Pastoral Care & Well-being
Pastoral care is, alongside Islamic Education, the school's most convincing strength. DSIB awarded the school a Good wellbeing rating in 2023-2024, and the inspection evidence supports this. Senior leaders and trustees demonstrate a strong commitment to wellbeing rooted in clear Islamic values, and this ethos permeates daily school life. Students have access to a range of responsible adults including teachers, the school counsellor, and dedicated wellbeing leaders. Behaviour across the school is described by inspectors as very positive, with incidents of bullying described as rare, and the environment characterised by mutual respect and excellent relationships. The school operates a whole-school wellbeing survey that includes all stakeholders - students, staff, and parents - and the student council plays an active role in reviewing and acting on survey findings. Safeguarding and child protection training has been provided to teachers, though DSIB noted that health and safety policies and coordination for safeguarding are unclear in some respects - an area requiring sharper documentation. The school promotes healthy lifestyles across all phases, with medical personnel regularly monitoring student health. Students are described as quick to celebrate one another's successes and to regulate their own wellbeing. One area for development identified by DSIB is the need for a more rapid response to personal and emotional needs, suggesting that while the pastoral framework is strong, its reactive capacity could be strengthened. With only one guidance counsellor for 607 students, the structural capacity for individual emotional support is limited, and families with children who may need more intensive pastoral intervention should factor this into their assessment.
“The school genuinely cares about each child as a person. My son had a difficult year and the teachers noticed before I did. That level of attention is rare.”
— Grade 5 Parent(representative)Campus & Facilities
The Islamic School for Training and Education is located at 51 37th Street, Muhaisanah 1, Dubai - a well-established residential neighbourhood that is accessible from Deira, Al Qusais, and surrounding communities. The campus has been in operation since 1982, making it one of the older school buildings in the Dubai private school sector. DSIB inspectors describe the facilities as well maintained, which is a meaningful endorsement given the school's age, though the overall infrastructure is functional rather than expansive. A notable facility gap identified by DSIB is the lack of dedicated science laboratories, which directly impacts the quality of science education - students rarely conduct independent investigations or fair-test experiments, and this is cited as a contributing factor to the Acceptable science rating. The school's technical centre is a standout feature, providing older students with access to vocational and technical learning that is not common at this fee level. The heritage room is another distinctive asset - a curated space containing historical artefacts that bring UAE social history to life for students across all phases. Technology integration is partial: older students in Cycles 2 and 3 use iPads and laptops for research, but students in KG and Cycle 1 do not yet develop appropriate digital literacy skills, indicating that the technology infrastructure is not uniformly deployed. The school promotes healthy lifestyles, and sports participation is embedded into the school day during break periods. The campus location in Muhaisanah 1 offers reasonable access from surrounding residential areas, though parents should note that transport arrangements currently limit after-school ECA participation.
1982
Year Campus Established
One of Dubai's longest-running private school campuses
607
Students on Roll
A compact school community across KG 1 to Grade 12
Well-Maintained FacilitiesTechnical Centre On-SiteHeritage RoomiPads & Laptops (Cycles 2-3)Established 1982 CampusMuhaisanah 1 Location
Teaching & Learning Quality
Teaching quality across the school is rated Acceptable for effective learning across all four cycles, with assessment rated Weak in Cycles 1 and 2 - the most concerning finding in the 2023-2024 DSIB report. The largest nationality group of teachers is Egyptian, reflecting the school's Arabic-language emphasis and MoE curriculum alignment. The school employs 44 teachers and 4 teaching assistants for 607 students, producing a teacher-to-student ratio of approximately 1:14 - a reasonable figure for a school of this type. DSIB inspectors noted that teachers use their subject knowledge to plan lesson activities but do not consistently address the range of abilities in each class. The better lessons feature clear objectives, skilled questioning to probe understanding, and group work that encourages critical thinking. However, too many lessons rely on undifferentiated tasks where all students complete the same work regardless of ability - a structural weakness that limits progress for both the most and least able. Assessment practices are particularly inconsistent: internal processes are coherent in KG and Cycle 3 but weak in Cycles 1 and 2. A whole-school tracking sheet has been introduced to identify learning gaps, but its use is not yet embedded. Benchmarking against national and international standards is inconsistent. The school has invested in professional development, and teacher morale is reported as high following the leadership change in late 2023. Teaching is described as improving across all phases as teachers adopt new engagement strategies including group work, active discussion, and better lesson pacing. However, the pace of improvement needs to accelerate, particularly in building teachers' expectations of what students can achieve - inspectors specifically flagged low teacher expectations in mathematics and science as a barrier to student progress.
44
Teachers on Staff
Plus 4 teaching assistants, serving 607 students
1:14
Teacher-to-Student Ratio
Approximate ratio based on 44 teachers and 607 students
Weak
Assessment Rating (Cycles 1 & 2)
Most significant teaching quality concern in DSIB 2023-2024 report
Leadership & Management
The school is operated under the Lootah Group, a long-established UAE conglomerate, and has been in continuous operation since 1982. The current principal, Alyas Ali Khurshid, was appointed on 13 November 2023 - a recent transition that the DSIB inspection, conducted just one week later in November 2023, acknowledged as a factor in the school's current trajectory. Inspectors noted that the leadership change has boosted staff morale and that the school continues to prioritise Islamic values, inclusion, and wellbeing under the new principal's direction. However, the report is clear that significant barriers to improvement remain. Self-evaluation and improvement planning is rated Weak across all cycles - the lowest possible rating - indicating that the school's internal mechanisms for identifying and addressing weaknesses are not yet sufficiently developed. Improvement plans lack precision, targets are difficult to measure, and the systematic use of data to drive decision-making is not embedded. Leadership quality overall is rated Acceptable, with governance also rated Acceptable - a structure that currently involves only the school's owners rather than a broader advisory council or external governors. Daily operations are described as effective, and management of staffing, facilities, and resources is rated Acceptable. Parent communication is described as functional, with parents identified as regular partners in supporting their children's education, though the mechanisms for this partnership are not described in detail in available public documents. The school's strategic direction under the new principal appears focused on consistency of teaching quality and embedding a more rigorous self-evaluation culture - both of which are necessary and overdue improvements.
KHDA Inspection Results (Decoded)
The DSIB inspection conducted in November 2023 awarded the Islamic School for Training and Education an overall rating of Acceptable for 2023-2024 - consistent with the school's rating in every year since 2016-2017. Prior to that, the school held Acceptable ratings from 2008-2009 through 2013-2014, before dipping to Weak in 2014-2015 and 2015-2016, then recovering to Acceptable from 2016-2017 onwards. This long-term plateau at Acceptable is the central challenge facing the school: it has demonstrated it can avoid the Weak category but has not yet shown the trajectory needed to reach Good. The wellbeing rating is Good and the inclusion rating is Acceptable. In plain terms, the school is a safe, values-driven, and caring environment where students develop strong character - but where academic ambition, teaching consistency, and data-driven improvement planning need to catch up with the pastoral quality. The most pressing concerns from the 2023-2024 report are the Weak assessment rating in Cycles 1 and 2, the Weak self-evaluation and improvement planning rating across all cycles, and the Weak reading literacy findings under the National Agenda Parameter. These are structural issues that require systematic intervention, not incremental adjustment. On the positive side, personal and social development is rated Very Good across all cycles, Islamic Education and Arabic attainment and progress are consistently Good, and health, safety, and care and support are all rated Good - a coherent picture of a school that excels in character formation and community but needs to raise its academic game.
Outstanding Personal Development
Students' personal responsibility and understanding of Islamic values are rated Very Good across all four cycles - KG, Cycle 1, Cycle 2, and Cycle 3. Behaviour is very positive, bullying incidents are rare, and students demonstrate genuine self-reliance and community spirit.
Strong Islamic Education & Arabic
Both Islamic Education and Arabic as a first language are rated Good for attainment and progress across every phase. Qur'an memorisation and recitation using Tajweed rules are particularly strong, and the daily Qur'an sessions actively support vocabulary and listening skills.
Good Wellbeing & Student Care
Health, safety, and quality of support are all rated Good across all cycles. The wellbeing framework is led by a qualified team, underpinned by Islamic values, and includes whole-school surveys. Students feel valued and safe, and the caring community ethos is genuine.
Weak Self-Evaluation & Improvement Planning
Rated Weak across all cycles, this is the most critical leadership finding. The school lacks a systematic, data-driven self-evaluation process. Improvement plans are imprecise, targets are hard to measure, and the use of assessment data to drive planning is not consistently embedded. Without this foundation, sustained improvement is difficult to achieve.
Weak Assessment Practices in Cycles 1 & 2
Internal assessment is rated Weak in Cycles 1 and 2, meaning teachers in these phases are not consistently using assessment information to plan lessons that meet the needs of all learners. Benchmarking against national and international standards is inconsistent, and reading literacy data is particularly weak across the school.
Inspection History
2023-2024
Acceptable
2022-2023
Acceptable
2019-2020
Acceptable
2018-2019
Acceptable
2017-2018
Acceptable
2016-2017
Acceptable
2015-2016
Weak
2014-2015
Weak
2013-2014
Acceptable
2012-2013
Acceptable
2011-2012
Acceptable
2010-2011
Acceptable
2009-2010
Acceptable
2008-2009
Acceptable
Fees & Value for Money
The Islamic School for Training & Education follows the Ministry of Education curriculum and offers fees that are structured across two broad bands. KG 1 and KG 2 are priced at AED 9,194 per year, while all grades from Grade 1 through Grade 12 — including both standard and Advanced track options — are uniformly set at AED 13,520 per year. This consistent fee structure across the primary and secondary years provides families with predictable costs as students progress through the school.
AED 9,194
Annual Fees From
AED 13,520
Annual Fees To
Year / GradeAnnual Fee
KG 1
AED 9,194KG 2
AED 9,194Grade 1
AED 13,520Grade 2
AED 13,520Grade 3
AED 13,520Grade 4
AED 13,520Grade 5
AED 13,520Grade 6
AED 13,520Grade 7
AED 13,520Grade 8
AED 13,520Grade 9
AED 13,520Grade 9 (Advance)
AED 13,520Grade 10
AED 13,520Grade 10 (Advance)
AED 13,520Grade 11
AED 13,520Grade 11 (Advance)
AED 13,520Grade 12
AED 13,520Grade 12 (Advance)
AED 13,520With an average annual fee of AED 12,850 and a highest fee of AED 13,520, the school sits at the more affordable end of Dubai's private school market. As a Ministry of Education curriculum school rated Acceptable by DSIB in 2023–2024, it offers a cost-accessible option for families seeking an Islamic-oriented education in the Muhaisnah area. The fee structure reflects the school's positioning as a community-focused, budget-friendly institution.
No additional costs, discounts, payment plan details, or scholarship information are explicitly stated in the available source material. Prospective families are advised to contact the school directly at school@sslootah.com or call +971 4 264 6001 for a full breakdown of any supplementary charges and payment options.
The Final Verdict: Who Is This School For?
The Islamic School for Training and Education is a school with a clear and honest identity: it is an affordable, Arabic-medium, MoE-curriculum institution that places Islamic values and character development at the centre of everything it does. For the right family, this is genuinely compelling. The personal development outcomes are outstanding by any measure, the school community is warm and disciplined, and the fee structure is among the most accessible in Dubai's private sector. However, parents seeking strong academic outcomes in English, mathematics, or science - or who want their children benchmarked against international standards through IGCSE or IB examinations - will find the school's current Acceptable ratings in these subjects a meaningful limitation. The reading literacy findings are particularly important: if your child is in the early years of their education, the absence of a systematic phonics programme is a real concern that could affect foundational skills. The Weak self-evaluation and assessment practices in Cycles 1 and 2 also mean that parents cannot yet rely on the school's internal systems to identify and address their child's learning gaps consistently. The new principal, appointed in late 2023, brings fresh momentum, and the DSIB report acknowledges improved morale and intent - but the structural improvements needed are substantial and will take time to embed. This is a school in a period of managed transition, not one that has already arrived at the next level.
THE “RIGHT FIT”
Families who prioritise Islamic values, Arabic language development, and strong character formation over academic prestige, and who are seeking an affordable MoE-curriculum school in the Muhaisanah area with a close-knit, disciplined community.
THE “WRONG FIT”
Families seeking strong English-medium academic outcomes, internationally benchmarked qualifications (IGCSE, IB, AP), or consistent data-driven academic support - particularly for children in primary grades who need a systematic reading programme.
“
The fees are honest and the school is honest. My children know who they are, they respect their teachers and their community. For our family, that is the foundation everything else is built on.
— Grade 10 Parent
Strengths
- Very Good personal development and Islamic values across all phases
- Good attainment in Islamic Education and Arabic throughout the school
- Among the most affordable fee structures in Dubai private education
- Flat fee from Grade 1 to Grade 12 - no escalation through secondary
- Good wellbeing rating with a caring, disciplined school community
- Technical centre access for Cycles 2 and 3 students
- Active student council with real influence on school decisions
- Long-established school with a stable, values-driven community
Areas for Improvement
- Acceptable ratings in English, mathematics, and science across all phases
- Weak assessment practices in Cycles 1 and 2 limit personalised learning
- Weak self-evaluation and improvement planning at leadership level
- Reading literacy rated Weak under DSIB National Agenda Parameter
- No IGCSE, IB, or internationally benchmarked qualifications offered