GEMS World Academy - Dubai
About GEMS World Academy - Dubai
GEMS World Academy - Dubai (GWA) is a co-educational IB World School in Al Barsha South, founded in 2008 by GEMS Education and authorised to offer all four IB programmes: the Primary Years, Middle Years, Diploma and Career-related Programmes, from Nursery to Grade 12. At its most recent KHDA inspection, of 23 to 27 October 2022, it was rated Very Good overall, with 1,851 students on roll taught by 174 teachers and 82 teaching assistants, supported by six guidance counsellors, and 181 students of determination; the largest national group among students was Indian and among teachers British. The Academy has been rated Very Good since 2015 and now reports over 2,100 students from more than 100 nationalities. A purpose-built Senior School for Grades 9 to 12 has opened minutes from the original Junior School campus. The 42,000-square-metre campus includes 112 classrooms, a 600-plus seat auditorium, a 70-seat 3D planetarium, seven custom-built science laboratories, a 50-metre Olympic-sized swimming pool, a 400-metre rubberised running track and a Language Institute delivering a 14-language mother tongue programme.
Fees read from the school's published 2026-27 fee schedule; KHDA rating from its 2023-24 inspection report. Last checked 8 August 2026. How Talem verifies →
Annual tuition fees
Fees for 2026/2027, per year group. Excludes registration, uniform, and transport.
Figures are the KHDA-approved annual tuition for 2025-26, matching the school's published KHDA fee factsheets and its own fee schedule. The Nursery is outside the KHDA school fee schedule and the Academy does not publish a Nursery fee, so it is shown on request. Fees exclude uniform, books, devices, transport and optional activities.
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KHDA Rating
KHDA 2023–2024 inspection
Stages & pathways
Nursery (Early Years)
NurseryReggio-inspired early years programme with an IB pathway. Learning through play, exploration, and sensory experiences in a nurturing environment designed for the youngest learners.
PYP Early Years
Pre-KG - KG2IB Primary Years Programme Early Years phase. Inquiry-based learning through six transdisciplinary themes, developing foundational literacy, numeracy, and social skills in a structured yet playful environment.
PYP Primary
Grade 1 - Grade 5Full IB Primary Years Programme with six transdisciplinary themes explored through structured units of inquiry. Students develop the IB Learner Profile attributes and culminate in the PYP Exhibition in Grade 5.
Middle Years Programme (MYP)
Grade 6 - Grade 10IB Middle Years Programme with eight subject groups and interdisciplinary learning. Students develop critical thinking, intercultural understanding, and academic rigour. The programme culminates in the MYP Personal Project in Grade 10 and optional eAssessment.
Diploma Programme (DP)
Grade 11 - Grade 12IB Diploma Programme offering a rigorous pre-university qualification. Students study six subjects (three at Higher Level, three at Standard Level) plus the DP Core: Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS).
Career-related Programme (CP)
Grade 11 - Grade 12IB Career-related Programme combining academic IB courses with career-related studies and the CP Core: Personal and Professional Skills, Service Learning, Reflective Project, and Language Development. Designed for students seeking a more applied pathway to university or employment.
How to apply
Facilities
112 Classrooms
112 classrooms across the campus.
Science Laboratories
Seven custom-built science laboratories.
Design Technology & IT Labs
Advanced Design Technology labs, four IT labs, three Mac labs and two language labs, plus specialist early-years computers for KG children.
3D Planetarium
A 70-seat, technologically advanced 3D planetarium.
Library
Library collections supporting research and independent learning.
Art Rooms
Art rooms for visual arts, design and creative work.
Makers Space
A makers space for hands-on design and making.
Music Practice Rooms
Music rooms and practice spaces for individual and ensemble work.
Extra-curricular activities
School leadership
Heath Monk
CEO/Principal
Joined from The British School in the Netherlands. Previously Executive Director of Schools of King Edward VI in Birmingham and former Deputy Schools Commissioner at the UK Department for Education.
Robert Jennings
Secondary Principal
Peter Bonner
Primary Principal
Karen Nyborg
Assistant Principal - Secondary (Curriculum, Progress & Assessment)
Kendra Cantrell
Assistant Principal - Primary (Curriculum, Progress & Assessment)
Robin Montgomery
Assistant Principal - Primary (Personal Development, Welfare & Behaviour)
Gareth Morgan
Assistant Principal - Secondary (Teaching & Learning)
Lee O'Leary
Assistant Principal - Personal Development, Behaviour & Wellbeing (Grades 9-12)
Aoife Sheahan
Assistant Principal - Personal Development, Behaviour & Wellbeing (Grades 6-8)
Siva Prasad
Manager School Operations
Lilian Duncan
HR Manager
Sapana Roy
Finance Manager
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Questions & answers
Where we are
Off Al Khail Road, Al Barsha South, Dubai, UAE
