Same Cambridge curriculum. A fraction of the fees.

Science practicals are one of the most common questions from families moving from a campus school. Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level science subjects include a practical assessment component. DIS prepares students for these assessments through the Cambridge Alternative to Practical paper, which is a written examination that tests practical skills, data analysis, and experimental design rather than requiring physical laboratory work. This format is a fully accepted Cambridge route and is widely used by international schools across the GCC. Students are not disadvantaged in grading because the Alternative to Practical paper assesses the same competencies as a physical lab session, just through applied questions rather than apparatus. DIS teachers cover the practical content in live lessons, using worked examples, data sets, and question practice to prepare students thoroughly.

Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge A-Level are among the most widely recognised pre-university qualifications in the world. In the UK, A-Level results are accepted directly for university entry under the UCAS system, and IGCSE results count towards conditional offers. In India, the Association of Indian Universities recognises Cambridge International qualifications for undergraduate admission, and most leading Indian universities accept A-Level grades as equivalent to Class 12 results. Families in the GCC who are planning a return to India, or who want to keep Indian university options open alongside UK and international pathways, will find Cambridge qualifications serve both routes. Students should confirm specific entry requirements with individual institutions, as admission policies can vary by faculty and year of application.

DIS students sit their Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level examinations at the British Council Dubai and at other approved Cambridge exam centres across the GCC. The British Council operates exam sessions in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, and other major GCC cities, and DIS supports families with the registration process. Students enrol as private candidates at an approved centre, which is a standard and well-established route for Cambridge learners across the region. Exam fees are separate from DIS tuition fees and are paid directly to the exam centre. DIS provides predicted grades, internal assessment records, and any supporting documentation the exam centre requires. Families are advised to check the British Council's published exam timetable for registration deadlines each academic cycle.

Every DIS class is a live, scheduled session on a fixed Monday-to-Friday timetable aligned to Gulf Standard Time. Students log into the DIS platform at the scheduled time, join a video classroom with 4-6 classmates, and are taught by a postgraduate-qualified teacher in real time. Lessons follow the Cambridge syllabus, and teachers use the session to explain concepts, answer questions, set tasks, and check understanding, exactly as a classroom teacher would. Cameras are on. Students speak, ask questions, and participate. After each session, assignments are posted to the platform and submitted through the same system. Parents have their own dashboard to view the timetable, monitor assignment completion, and message teachers directly. This is a structured school day, not a library of pre-recorded videos.

DIS charges AED 500 per month for the Cambridge IGCSE programme and AED 800 per month for Cambridge A-Level. Both fees cover all subjects at that level, so a student studying five IGCSE subjects pays the same monthly rate as a student studying nine. There are no per-subject add-ons, no registration fees beyond the standard enrolment process, and no uniform or transport costs. The monthly fee includes live classes, access to the DIS learning platform, the resource library, assignment tracking, instructor messaging, and the parent dashboard. Exam fees are paid separately to the exam centre and are not included in the monthly tuition. Families can cancel with one month's notice.

All DIS teachers are postgraduate-qualified and GCC-based. The teaching team numbers over 100 instructors, and all hold advanced academic credentials in their subject areas, equivalent to the QTS and PGCE qualifications required in the UK system. Teachers are trained in the Cambridge IGCSE and A-Level syllabuses and are familiar with the exam board's assessment objectives, mark schemes, and grade boundaries. Because DIS classes run at 4-6 students per session, teachers have significantly more contact time with each student than is typical in a campus classroom of 24-28. This means teachers know each student's work closely, can identify gaps early, and can give specific written and verbal feedback on assignments throughout the year.

Yes. DIS accepts mid-year enrolments, and the transition from a CBSE or ICSE curriculum is a common starting point for families. The DIS team will review your child's current year group, subject history, and any completed coursework to determine the most appropriate entry point on the Cambridge syllabus. For students entering at Year 10 who have been following an Indian board curriculum, there is typically a short orientation period to align with Cambridge-style assessment and extended writing requirements. Teachers flag any syllabus gaps in the first few weeks and address them within the normal lesson structure. The sooner in the academic year a student starts, the more time there is to cover the full IGCSE syllabus before the exam session.

DIS runs a Monday-to-Friday timetable on Gulf Standard Time, so lessons are scheduled during standard GCC working hours. The school day typically runs from approximately 8 am to 3 pm GST, mirroring the structure of a physical school day in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, and other GCC countries. This means there is no time-zone adjustment for families based anywhere in the region, and students can maintain a normal daily rhythm without late-night or early-morning sessions. The fixed timetable is shared in advance through the DIS platform so families can plan around it. Parents in different GCC cities, including Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Riyadh, and Doha, all access the same timetable without adjustment.

DIS runs entirely through a standard web browser, so most modern laptops, tablets, or desktop computers will work without any specialist software. A stable broadband or home Wi-Fi connection is sufficient for video lessons. The recommended setup is a laptop or desktop with a webcam, microphone, and headphones, as these give the clearest audio experience in a live class of 4-6 students. A tablet with a keyboard is also a practical alternative. Mobile phones are not recommended as a primary device because the screen size makes it harder to read shared content and take notes simultaneously. DIS provides a technical checklist at enrolment, and the support team is available to help families run a connection test before the first live session.

The transition from CBSE or ICSE to Cambridge is manageable, and many students find they are well prepared in core areas such as mathematics and science. The main adjustments are in assessment style: Cambridge places heavier emphasis on extended analytical writing, source-based questions, and applied problem-solving rather than memory recall. Students who have followed a structured Indian board curriculum typically have strong subject knowledge and adapt to Cambridge assessment methods within a term. DIS teachers are experienced with this transition and incorporate Cambridge exam technique practice into lessons from the start. For students joining at Year 10, the two-year IGCSE course provides sufficient time to cover the full syllabus and develop the writing and analytical skills the exams require.

Socialising in a DIS class happens naturally because the groups are small. With 4-6 students per live session, students interact with their classmates directly, ask and answer questions together, and build familiarity with the same group across multiple subjects throughout the year. Students join from across the GCC, so the peer network is regional rather than neighbourhood-based. Outside school hours, in-person socialising is entirely unchanged. DIS does not replace a child's local community, sports club, or extracurricular activities. Because there is no commute and the school day ends earlier, students often have more time for face-to-face activities with friends and family than they would following a full campus day with a 45-minute drive each way.

Yes. Students who have completed Cambridge IGCSE or started Cambridge A-Level with DIS can transfer to a physical school at any point. Cambridge qualifications are standardised and portable. A student with DIS IGCSE results can apply for A-Level entry at a campus school in the UK, UAE, or anywhere in the GCC using the same results and predicted grades as any other Cambridge student. DIS issues formal transcripts and academic references in the standard format required by school admissions teams. Families who plan a return to India or a relocation within the GCC will find that Cambridge results open the same doors regardless of which school issued them. DIS can also support families through the transition process and provide any documentation a receiving school requires.