Same Cambridge results. A fraction of The First Academy fees.

This is the question parents ask most often, and it deserves a direct answer. DIS students socialise through live classes of 4–6 students where they interact in real time with the same cohort every day. Friendships form in the classroom and extend beyond it. Because the school day finishes earlier without a commute, students have more time for in-person sport clubs, community groups, and social activities in their local area. Many DIS families in the UAE deliberately redirect the hours saved on commuting into after-school enrichment — football academies, swimming clubs, drama groups — which provides a richer social life than a long campus day often permits.

Yes, and for many DIS students the after-school window is significantly wider than it was at a campus school. Without a 45-minute commute each way, students finish their school day at home and have the full afternoon for in-person sport, arts, music, and community activities. DIS does not run its own sports teams or school plays, but that is by design: families choose their own clubs, academies, and coaches, giving students access to specialist coaching rather than generalist school-based provision. Many UAE families find this flexibility suits them well.

Yes. Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level qualifications are awarded by Cambridge Assessment International Education and are accepted by universities across the UAE, including the American University of Sharjah, University of Dubai, and Khalifa University, as well as international institutions in the UK, USA, Canada, and Australia. The qualification on the certificate is the same regardless of whether a student was taught at a campus school or an online school. UAE university admissions offices assess Cambridge results on the same basis for all applicants.

DIS students in the UAE sit their Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level exams at the British Council Dubai, which is an approved Cambridge exam centre. The British Council conducts the full Cambridge exam series including written papers and oral components where applicable. DIS supports students through the exam registration process and provides the required predicted-grade documentation. Students should confirm session dates and registration deadlines directly with the British Council Dubai well in advance of their exam year.

DIS runs a Monday-to-Friday live class timetable on Gulf Standard Time, aligned with the UAE school week. Classes follow a structured daily schedule with registration, lesson periods, and breaks. Students log in from home at the same time each day and attend live sessions with their teacher and classmates. The timetable is published in the student dashboard and does not change week to week. For families with children in multiple year groups, all siblings follow the same Gulf Standard Time schedule, which simplifies household coordination considerably.

The First Academy publishes IGCSE-stage fees in the region of AED 60,000–70,000 per year. DIS charges AED 500 per month for the IGCSE programme, which is AED 6,000 per year. All Cambridge subjects are included in that single monthly fee. There are no per-subject charges, no registration premiums, and no annual fund contributions. For a family with one child at IGCSE stage, the annual saving compared to The First Academy is approximately AED 54,000–64,000. Over two IGCSE years and two A-Level years, the cumulative saving typically exceeds AED 180,000.

All DIS teachers are postgraduate-qualified and GCC-based. The teaching team numbers more than 100 instructors, each holding at least a postgraduate qualification in their subject area and experience teaching the Cambridge curriculum. Because DIS live classes have 4–6 students rather than the 24–28 typical of a campus school, teachers spend more of each lesson in direct dialogue with individual students. Parents can message instructors directly through the DIS platform and track their child's assignments and progress in real time via the parent dashboard.

A DIS school day begins with live registration at 08:00 Gulf Standard Time. Students then follow a timetable of lesson periods with morning and afternoon breaks, finishing in the mid-afternoon. Each period is a live online class with a real teacher and the same small cohort of classmates. Students keep their cameras on, ask questions in real time, and submit work through the DIS platform. After the school day ends, students have the full afternoon available. Parents can log into the dashboard at any time to see the schedule, review assignments, and message teachers.

DIS accepts mid-year enrolments. There is no requirement to start in September. The admissions team will confirm the current cohort availability for your child's year group and subject set, and can typically place students within a short lead time. A 20-minute call with the DIS team is the quickest way to establish availability and agree a start date. The curriculum and timetable are structured so that mid-year joiners can integrate into live classes without missing foundational content.

Cambridge IGCSE Science subjects include a written practical paper rather than a live laboratory assessment. This means students demonstrate their understanding of experimental method, data analysis, and scientific reasoning through examination rather than in a physical lab. DIS teachers prepare students thoroughly for the written practical component as part of the regular teaching programme. For families who want additional hands-on science experience, some UAE community centres and university open-day programmes offer supervised lab sessions that complement online study.

Transferring from DIS back to a campus school is straightforward. DIS issues full academic transcripts, predicted-grade documentation, and progress reports that campus schools use as part of their admissions process. Because the Cambridge curriculum is standardised, a student who has been studying Cambridge IGCSE at DIS will have covered the same syllabus content as a student at any other Cambridge school. Most British curriculum campus schools in the UAE are familiar with online Cambridge provision and will assess a DIS student's application on the same basis as any other transfer applicant.

DIS classes are delivered through a browser-based platform, so no specialist software installation is required. A laptop or desktop computer with a stable internet connection is recommended; a tablet can work for attending classes but is less practical for written assignments. A webcam and headset or built-in microphone are required for live classes. A broadband connection of at least 10 Mbps is sufficient for video-based lessons. The DIS technical team can advise on setup during the onboarding call, and the parent dashboard is accessible on any modern browser.