GEMS Royal Dubai School (RDS), the well-loved and long-established British curriculum primary school in the Mirdif area of Dubai, has announced the launch of its brand-new secondary provision with the introduction of Year 7 in August 2024, followed by Year 8 in 2025 and the opening of a dedicated secondary campus in 2026 located just a short walk from the existing site.

Subject to the usual approvals from the relevant authorities, GEMS Royal Dubai School’s expansion is a strategic move to meet growing demand from its existing families as well as the wider community in the emirate.

Jan Steel, Principal/CEO of GEMS Royal Dubai School, said: “We are thrilled at the prospect of opening our secondary provision. This will give RDS students a seamless educational journey from age three to 18, offering a variety of pathways within the British curriculum, including GCSEs, iGCSEs, A-levels, BTEC, and vocational routes.

“As a premium GEMS Education school, our experienced UK-trained teachers will continue to deliver high-quality learning opportunities across both primary and secondary as we enhance our links with our local community. With our focus on ‘Family First’ and students being at the heart of our vision, the growth of RDS opens new doors as we continue to deliver the #RoyalStandard – defining excellence in education in the Mirdif area.”

With the year-by-year growth of its new secondary provision, RDS will eventually become an all-through school, serving students from Foundation Stage up to Year 13

Year 7 and 8 students will begin their secondary school journey within the existing school building in August 2024 before moving to the new purpose built facility in 2026.

The school will immediately put in place a significant expansion of facilities on the current campus to meet the demands of the secondary school curriculum. This includes a purpose-built science lab, design and food technology room, and expansion of music, art, drama, and recreational spaces.

The new campus will feature an innovation hub, makerspace, library, inclusion centre, performance hall, dance studio, recording studio, music rooms, and Sixth Form and senior study halls, among many other indoor and outdoor learning spaces. The site will also have its own 25m swimming pool, full-size football pitch, and padel courts.

GEMS Royal Dubai School’s dual-campus model has already been implemented with great success at two other schools in the GEMS network – GEMS Jumeriah Primary School and Jumeirah College, with which RDS enjoys strong ties. RDS will build on all the best features and approaches that have made the GEMS Jumeriah schools successful.

Opened as a primary school in September 2005, GEMS Royal Dubai School offers an exceptional quality of education following the National Curriculum for England. The school is recognised as Outstanding in all categories by BSO (British Schools Overseas).