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Raffles International School is located in the residential area of Jumeirah, Umm Suqeim 3.
RIS has school facilities catering for students from Nursery and above which include STEM labs in primary and secondary, art rooms, music rooms, computer labs, science labs, swimming pool, playing field, school library, cafeteria and a fully equipped medical clinic.
The Council of International Schools (CIS) is a leading body engaged in the accreditation of international schools around the world. Not only does the CIS have links with the International Baccalaureate, but it also works in tandem with the NEASC (New England Association of School and Colleges) providing accreditation status to American secondary schools and universities.
Raffles International School is recognised (accredited by the UK Department for Education) as a school meeting the Standards for British Schools Overseas. This judgement is endorsed by the British Government, quality assured by the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).
Raffles International is accredited by BSME. British Schools in the Middle East (BSME) provides a quality-assured network of schools helping Heads and Teachers share best practice and keep abreast of the latest educational developments.
In primary and secondary school, students study Arabic with either a choice of French,Spanish or Mandarin, starting in Year 3. Native Arabic speakers must study Arabic A (advanced) and non-native speakers will study Arabic B (basic). Islamic Studies is compulsory for all Muslim students.
To complement our language curriculum, RIS offers mother tongue programmes in French, Spanish, Russian and Hindi. The mother tongue programme is offered during school hours, at an extra cost, for native speakers only.
There is a maximum of 25 students per class.
RIS has over 200 qualified staff originating from the UK, the US, Canada, South Africa, India, China, Pakistan, France, Philippines, Greece, Ireland, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Singapore, U.A.E., Bulgaria, Egypt, Malta, Syria, Morocco, Nigeria, Romania, Palestine, Sri Lanka, Switzerland, Tanzania, Tunisia and Ukraine.
English as a Second Language (ESL) is available for those students who have been assessed by the school as requiring additional support.
| Monday to Thursday | 7:30am - 3:00pm |
| Friday | 7:30am - 12:00pm |
RIS provides an extensive co-curricular activity programme which can be found in detail on our CCA page.
10-20 minutes of reading per day
Year 1 to 3: 15-30 minutes per day
Year 4 to 6: 30-45 minutes per day
Year 7 to 12: up to 90 minutes per day
The cafeteria at RIS provides healthy, freshly prepared hot meals, salads, sandwiches and snacks. It is open until until 2:45pm.
Our Transport Provider is Arab Falcon Bus Rental LLC. All our school buses are fitted with seat belts and strict procedures are always followed with regards to collecting and delivering students safely at school, and returning them home at the end of the school day.
Please visit our admissions process to see how to apply online.
All candidates are required to sit through an entrance assessment, for which there is a fee of AED 500, payable on the day of the assessment.
Please keep us updated with any changes to your contact details at [email protected] or by contacting the school admission staff at 04 427 1202/1203/1205
A transfer certificate is a document required by the KHDA (Ministry of Education) stating the current grade that the student has passed and been promoted to. This certificate must be provided to RIS before the student can start. For further details, please contact our Admissions Department.
Yes. The National Curriculum is a framework for learning. The actual taught curriculum content comes from best practice worldwide and is benchmarked against the National Curriculum standards. Students transferring from schools with other curricula may find that some areas of science, history, geography and English literature texts are different, however the RIS's own programmes have been specifically designed to accommodate learning needs for an inherently transient expatriate population.
Year level placements are determined by student age in accordance with UAE education authority regulations and previous school transfer certification. In addition, our own entry assessments will give the admissions team a good indication of which year level would best suit every applicant. Inevitably, this may mean that some students transferring from the Southern Hemisphere may find themselves repeating half a year upon arrival at DIA. This can be discussed in more detail with our admissions team.
The school website contains general information about school events and activities. We also communicate with parents using ISAMS, Edmodo, bulk SMS (where necessary) and email.
The Parents Association of RIS (PARIS) plays an active role in school life. PARIS has an office in school and a core group meets at least twice a week to plan events, arrange fundraising activities, sell pre-used school uniforms and meet with other parents. In addition, most Early Years classes have reading parents who help with the reading programme and every class in the Primary School has a class representative chosen from amongst the parents.
No. Primary and Secondary classrooms are separate, class timing is slightly different and break and lunch times are not the same. Start and end of day routines and meeting points are also different. Only our supervised optional bus service is shared.
All students have two recess times during the school day. Generally, break is 20 minutes early in the day and provides an opportunity for outdoor play, a bathroom break, a drink and a snack. Lunch is 40 minutes, later in the day and is divided into recreation time and eating time. Students from FS to Year 2 are expected to bring snack and lunch from home in an insulated lunch box, Year 3 students upwards may bring snack and lunch from home or elect to buy them from a range of healthy options available from the cafeteria.
Starting a new school can be a daunting experience for a child. The best preparation is to reduce the anxiety that is associated with this big move. Visiting the school beforehand, turning the apprehension into curiosity and sharing your excitement at the new opportunities that will come along is the best possible preparation for any child starting a new school. In addition, no-one likes to stand out on their first day, so making sure your child has the right school uniform, you know which days to have PE kit ready and school supplies are all bought well in advance can give children a sense of reassurance.
Every child is different however the National Curriculum encourages students to be caring, open minded and risk-taking, amongst other attributes. Primary School ‘Friendship Ambassadors’, buddy benches, a house system encouraging student involvement in activities and a supportive, welcoming school environment mean that most children settle in to RIS very quickly. For the very rare occasions students have difficulty adjusting, student counsellors and the school leadership team is available throughout the day to provide guidance, reassurance and support strategies.