KHDA (Knowledge and Human Development Authority) inspects and rates every private school in Dubai on a six-level scale from Outstanding to Very Weak. These ratings help parents make informed school choices. Full inspections are currently paused for 2025-2026 (second consecutive year), but existing ratings remain in effect. Here is what each rating means and how it affects your child's education.
KEY FACTS
- Rating scale: Outstanding → Very Good → Good → Acceptable → Weak → Very Weak
- Full inspections: Paused for 2025-2026 (second year)
- Fee increases: Based on ECI (2.35% for 2025-2026), not ratings
- Check ratings: web.khda.gov.ae
What Is KHDA?
KHDA is the government authority responsible for the quality of private education in Dubai. It does not manage public schools (those fall under the Ministry of Education) — its jurisdiction covers the 200+ private schools operating in the emirate of Dubai.
KHDA's primary role for parents is its school inspection programme, which evaluates every private school and publishes a detailed rating. These ratings are publicly available and designed to help parents compare schools and make informed decisions.
The Rating Scale — What Each Level Means
| Rating | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Outstanding | Exceptional education quality. Students achieve significantly above expectations. Teaching is consistently excellent. The school has a clear vision, strong leadership, and a culture of continuous improvement. These are among the best schools in Dubai. |
| Very Good | High-quality education. Students achieve above expectations in most areas. Teaching is effective and well-planned. The school has strong systems and is making consistent progress. A very good choice for most families. |
| Good | Solid education quality. Students achieve at or above expected levels. Teaching is competent and meets curriculum requirements. The school functions well and provides a positive learning environment. |
| Acceptable | Meets minimum standards. Students achieve at expected levels but not above. Teaching is adequate but may lack consistency. The school meets basic requirements but has significant room for improvement. |
| Weak | Below expected standards. Students are underachieving in key areas. Teaching quality is inconsistent. The school requires substantial improvement. KHDA monitors these schools closely. |
| Very Weak | Significantly below standards. Serious concerns about education quality. KHDA may impose restrictions or require urgent improvement plans. Very few schools receive this rating. |
Important context: The rating reflects the school's overall performance. Individual departments or year groups within a school may perform differently. A school rated "Good" overall might have an Outstanding maths department but a weaker English department. Read the full inspection report, not just the headline rating.
How Inspections Work
During a full inspection cycle, KHDA sends a team of trained inspectors to each school. The inspection evaluates six performance standards:
- Student achievement and progress — How well students perform in assessments and whether they're making expected progress
- Personal and social development — Student behaviour, attitudes, values, and wellbeing
- Teaching and assessment — Quality of teaching, lesson planning, and use of assessment to track learning
- Curriculum design and delivery — How well the curriculum meets student needs and prepares them for the future
- Protection, care and support — Safeguarding, health and safety, and support for students with additional needs
- Leadership and management — School governance, leadership quality, self-evaluation, and capacity for improvement
Each standard receives its own rating, and the school receives an overall judgement. The full report is published publicly on the KHDA website.
How Ratings Affect School Fees
Historically, KHDA ratings directly determined how much a school could increase its fees — Outstanding schools could apply larger increases than Acceptable schools. This created a direct financial incentive for schools to improve their ratings.
Current system (2023-2024 onwards): The fee framework has been simplified. Fee increases are now based solely on the Education Cost Index (ECI), which is a measure of inflation in education costs. For the 2025-2026 academic year, the ECI was 2.35%, meaning all schools — regardless of rating — could apply a maximum fee increase of 2.35%.
This change means a school's KHDA rating no longer directly affects its fee increases, but ratings still matter for school reputation, parent confidence, and attracting quality teachers.
Current Inspection Status (2025-2026)
Full KHDA school inspections have been paused for the second consecutive year in 2025-2026. This means:
- No new school ratings will be published for this academic year
- Existing ratings from the last full inspection cycle remain in effect
- Only new schools in their third year of operation receive inspections
- KHDA continues to conduct targeted quality assurance visits (these are not full inspections and don't produce public ratings)
When full inspections resume, KHDA will announce this in advance. Schools will have time to prepare, and new ratings will replace the existing ones.
What Should Parents Do?
- Read the full inspection report, not just the rating. Visit web.khda.gov.ae and search for your school. The detailed report shows performance by category — your child's experience depends on which subjects and year groups are strongest.
- Consider the rating's age. With inspections paused for two years, a school rated "Good" in 2023 may have improved or declined since then. Talk to current parents and attend open days for a more current picture.
- Don't choose a school on rating alone. A "Very Good" school with a curriculum that doesn't suit your child is a worse choice than a "Good" school with the right curriculum, location, and culture. Use our Dubai Schools Hub for broader guidance on school selection.
- Supplement where needed. Even Outstanding schools have students who need extra support in specific subjects. If your child is struggling despite attending a high-rated school, targeted private tutoring addresses the gap that classroom teaching — however good — cannot fill for every individual learner.
SOURCES
- KHDA — School Inspection Ratings (web.khda.gov.ae)
- KHDA — What's New (announcements and policy updates)
Last verified: March 2026. GetYourTutors is not affiliated with KHDA. Information sourced from publicly available publications.