Same Cambridge curriculum. A fraction of the Hartland fee.

Science practicals are the question most parents ask first, and it deserves a full answer. Cambridge IGCSE science subjects include a practical assessment component. At DIS, this is covered through a combination of live teacher-led demonstrations in class, verified practical coursework completed at home using accessible materials, and where required, arrangements through approved exam centres for any assessed practical components. The Cambridge syllabus specifies what the practical assessment must cover, and DIS teachers plan lessons around that specification. Students are not disadvantaged in the final assessment because the marking criteria for the written paper, which carries the majority of the marks, is identical for all candidates regardless of school type.

DIS students in Dubai sit their Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level examinations at the British Council Dubai, which is an approved Cambridge exam centre. DIS is not itself a Cambridge registered centre, so students are registered through the exam centre directly. The DIS team supports families through the exam registration process and provides all the preparation, predicted grades, and coursework that the exam centre requires. The certificate issued at the end of the examination is a standard Cambridge certificate, identical in every respect to one issued after a campus school examination.

Yes. Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level are widely recognised by universities across the UAE, including the American University of Dubai, the University of Sharjah, Khalifa University, and UAE branches of UK universities. Admissions teams at these institutions are familiar with Cambridge qualifications and accept them for undergraduate entry on the same basis as any other accredited secondary qualification. DIS students receive a standard Cambridge certificate issued through their exam centre, which carries the same weight as a certificate from any other school. Families applying to UK universities use UCAS in the normal way, with predicted grades issued by DIS teachers.

DIS charges AED 500 per month for the full Cambridge IGCSE programme, covering all subjects. A-Level is AED 800 per month, again covering all subjects with no per-subject premium. Both fees include live online classes on a fixed timetable, access to the DIS learning platform, the resource library, assignment tracking, direct instructor messaging, and the parent dashboard. There are no registration fees, no uniform costs, and no transport costs. Families can cancel with a month's notice. Compared to Hartland International School's published fees of over AED 80,000 per year at IGCSE level, DIS represents a structurally different cost model for the same Cambridge qualification.

DIS runs a Monday-to-Friday timetable on Gulf Standard Time, which means the school day aligns with the UAE working week and the school hours Dubai families are already used to. Live classes begin in the morning and follow a structured schedule of periods with breaks, mirroring a conventional senior school day. Students log into the DIS platform to access their timetable, join live classes, and message their teachers. Because there is no commute, students in Dubai typically start their school day later and finish earlier than campus peers, reclaiming one to two hours of productive time every day.

DIS employs more than 100 postgraduate-qualified, GCC-based teachers. All are qualified to teach Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level in their subject specialism, and many hold PGCE or equivalent teaching qualifications. GCC-based means they teach on Gulf Standard Time, are familiar with the Dubai and wider GCC school calendar, and are available to message through the DIS platform during school hours. Class sizes of 4-6 students mean each teacher has a clear view of every student's progress, attends to individual questions in every live lesson, and marks assignments with the kind of turnaround that is not always possible in a class of 24 or more.

DIS accepts mid-year enrolments. Families do not need to wait for a September start. The DIS curriculum is structured so that a student joining partway through the academic year can be placed at the correct point in the Cambridge syllabus without losing ground. The admissions team reviews the student's current year group and subjects, confirms the starting point, and arranges onboarding onto the DIS platform ahead of the first live class. This is particularly relevant for expat families in Dubai who face school-year disruption due to job relocations, lease endings, or changes in family circumstances mid-cycle.

DIS live classes are small, interactive, and structured around real relationships. With 4-6 students per class, students speak in every lesson, know their classmates by name, and build genuine academic peer connections across the GCC. What DIS does not replicate is the physical school yard, and it does not pretend to. Most DIS families in Dubai use the time reclaimed from the commute to enrol their child in in-person sport, arts, or community activities outside school hours. The result is often a more deliberate social life than a campus timetable allows, because families choose the activities rather than accepting whatever the school schedule provides.

DIS is a live online school, so reliable internet and a working device are the two essentials. A laptop or desktop computer with a camera and microphone is recommended for live lessons; a tablet can work for younger students but is less practical for extended typing and note-taking at IGCSE and A-Level. A stable broadband connection is sufficient. No specialist software is required beyond a standard web browser and the DIS platform, which is accessed via login. The DIS team runs a short technical check with new families before the first class to confirm the setup works and answer any questions.

Yes, and it happens more often than families expect. DIS students who return to a physical school, whether in Dubai or elsewhere after a family relocation, carry a standard Cambridge academic record. DIS issues progress reports, predicted grades, and subject-level assessments in the same format that campus schools use. Most brick-and-mortar British curriculum schools, both in the UAE and internationally, accept these records for mid-year entry. Families who anticipate a possible return to campus schooling should let the DIS team know so that the academic record is maintained in a format that will be straightforward for the receiving school's admissions team.

Cambridge science subjects at IGCSE and A-Level include both written and practical components. The written papers, which account for the majority of the final grade, are assessed in the same way for all candidates and are sat at the exam centre. The practical component is typically assessed through a paper that tests practical skills and knowledge rather than requiring a physical lab session, depending on the specific Cambridge syllabus and entry option. DIS teachers prepare students thoroughly for both elements within the live lesson programme. For families who want clarity on the exact assessment format for a specific science subject, the DIS team can walk through the syllabus structure on a 20-minute call.

No. DIS is not a Cambridge registered centre. Students sit their Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level examinations through approved Cambridge exam centres such as the British Council Dubai. DIS supports the full preparation process, including live teaching, coursework, predicted grades, and exam registration guidance, but the examination itself is administered by the exam centre. The certificate issued to the student is a standard Cambridge certificate and carries exactly the same standing as one issued following an examination at any other Cambridge-affiliated school.