GEMS Modern Academy
About GEMS Modern Academy
GEMS Modern Academy is a co-educational Indian and IB curriculum school in Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, opened in 1986 and operated by GEMS Education. At its KHDA inspection of 2 to 6 October 2023 it was rated Outstanding, its 11th consecutive Outstanding year, with 3,860 students on roll taught by 239 teachers and 74 teaching assistants, supported by three guidance counsellors, and 219 students of determination. The largest national group among both students and teachers is Indian. The school runs a dual pathway on one campus: the IB Primary Years Programme from Kindergarten to Grade 5, then from Grade 6 a choice of the Indian ICSE or the IB Middle Years Programme, which it has been authorised to offer since March 2023, culminating in the Indian ISC or the IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12. Kindergarten spans Pre-KG to KG2 and draws on Reggio Emilia and Montessori principles. The campus carries two 25-metre swimming pools, one with water polo facilities, an 8-lane synthetic athletics track, a cricket pitch with five floodlit nets, four basketball courts, two football fields, a volleyball court, three tennis courts, a S.T.E.M lab and the Budhayana Spark Lab makers space, a Dubai SME certified incubator centre.
Fees read from the school's published 2026-27 fee schedule; KHDA rating from its 2023-24 inspection report. Last checked 30 June 2026. How Talem verifies →
Annual tuition fees
Fees for 2026/2027, per year group. Excludes registration, uniform, and transport.
GEMS Modern Academy runs two pathways and prices them differently only in the final two years. Grades 11 and 12 cost AED 56,706 on the ICSE/ISC route and AED 73,876 on the IB Diploma route; every year group below that is one price for both. The two streams also bill on different calendars, the Indian stream from April to March and the IB stream from September to June. An application fee of AED 525 including VAT applies when registering online, refundable only if the school does not offer a place, and a registration deposit of 10 per cent of tuition is deducted from the year's fees but is not refundable. Mandatory annual charges are a school diary at AED 15.75 and an ID card at AED 10.50, with a Grade 9 board registration fee of AED 55 and a Grade 10 and 12 examination fee of AED 825. Sibling discounts are 15 per cent for a fourth child and 25 per cent for a fifth, with none for a second or third. Fees are not collected in July and August. Transport and uniform are charged separately.
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KHDA Rating
KHDA 2023–2024 inspection
Stages & pathways
Kindergarten (IB PYP)
Pre-KG–KG2English National Curriculum-based Early Years Foundation Stage, preparing children for the IB Primary Years Programme. Play-based learning with a focus on communication, physical development, and personal-social skills.
Primary School (IB PYP)
Grades 1–5IB Primary Years Programme delivering CISCE content through inquiry-based transdisciplinary themes. Students develop the IB Learner Profile attributes while building strong foundations across all core subjects.
Middle School (Indian ICSE)
Grades 6–8CISCE curriculum with optional IB Middle Years Programme pathway. Broad academic programme covering sciences, humanities, and languages with increasing subject specialisation.
Middle School (IB MYP)
Grades 6–8An alternative to the ICSE pathway from Grade 6. The school has been an authorised IB World School for the MYP since March 2023.
Senior School - ICSE (Grades 9–10)
Grades 9–10Indian Certificate of Secondary Education programme. Students study core and elective subjects towards the nationally recognised ICSE qualification. Batch average of 91.9% with 75.4% of students scoring above 90%.
Senior School - ISC (Grades 11–12)
Grades 11–12Indian School Certificate programme offering Science, Commerce, and Humanities streams. Batch average of 88.2% with 52.9% scoring above 90%. Strong university placement record.
IB Diploma Programme (Grades 11–12)
Grades 11–12International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme as an alternative to ISC. 96.55% pass rate with an average of 34.8 points (above global average of 30.24 and UAE average of 31.97). 101 perfect scores of 7 achieved in 2023.
How to apply
Facilities
Five ICT Suites
Five fully equipped ICT suites, supported by four computer trolleys for classroom use.
STEM Lab
Dedicated Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics laboratory.
Budhayana – The Spark Lab
Makers Space Innovation Centre for design, engineering and entrepreneurship projects. A Dubai SME certified incubator centre.
Senior School Library
Research library for middle and senior school students.
Primary Learning Centre
Dedicated library and learning space for primary students.
Discovery Centre
Exploration and hands-on learning space for younger students.
Learning Corridors
Open learning corridors used as flexible teaching and collaboration space.
IB Lounge
Dedicated study and collaboration space for IB Diploma students.
Extra-curricular activities
School leadership
Sydney Michael Atkins
Principal
John Gomes
Vice Principal & Allegations Manager
Malini Murali
Head of Secondary School & Dean of Assessment & Data
Priyadarshini Prakash
Head of Middle School & Teaching and Learning Coach
Hebatallah Gaber
Head of Middle School
Toshiko Malhotra
Head of Primary
Dr Joelle Joseph Filfili
Head Kindergarten & IB PYP Coordinator
Dr. Sunipa Neogi
IBDP Coordinator
Sharada Kenkare
Dean of Curriculum
Ritesh Dhanak
Chief Innovation & Digital Officer
Sreekala Sureshkumar
Director-Student Welfare
Elizabeth John
Supervisor - Teaching and Learning (PYP1 - 3)
Mohammad Inkishaf
Senior Supervisor - Islamic Education
Eman Ibrahim
Supervisor - Arabic
Ayyappan Nair
Manager School Operations
Neeraj Utwani
Finance Manager
Parent & student reviews
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Questions & answers
Where we are
Nad Al Sheba, Dubai, UAE
