FAQs

• How many student does DISD have? The school has over 950 student, including kindergarten (as of 01.03.2024), of which about one third are in kindergarten (12 groups), about one third in Primary School and about one third in Secondary School.

• Do all family members have to have German citizenship for the children to attend DISD? German citizenship is generally not mandatory as long as the children can speak German (from the age of 4). However, we do give German citizens a clear preference for admission, especially in kindergarten. Further information on our admission procedure can be found on our website.

• Do both parents have to be able to speak German? It is not compulsory for both parents to speak German, but it is seen as an advantage that at least one parent can speak German in order to be able to support the children in their school education. Further information about our admission procedure can be found on our website.

• What nationalities are represented at DISD? Most of our families at DISD come from Germany. Furthermore, we have a large number of Arab and mixed families at our school (as of 01.10.2023: 37 nationalities), which gives the school an international flair. Our student are therefore taught a high level of intercultural knowledge.

• How many classes are there at DISD? There are four classes per year group in the Primary School . In the Secondary School (from Year 5 onwards) there are three classes per year group, with two classes in Years 10, 11 and 12.

• Are student from all grades accepted at DISD? Due to the regulations in Germany, student can only be admitted up to the 11th grade. DISD student take the Abitur in the 12th school year and therefore the school is prohibited from accepting student in the final year. However, admission to Year 11 is only possible if the subject combinations match those of DISD. An entrance test does not have to be taken here, but a personal interview with the head of the upper school decides on admission.

• Can I book a school tour? School tours always take place on Monday at 2:15 pm (school) and 2:45 pm (kindergarten) and on Wednesday at 10:00 am (school) and 10:30 am (kindergarten). Please use the main entrance and report to reception.
• Why does it cost anything to send my child to school at DISD? How much are the school fees? DISD, like most international schools in Dubai, is a private school and is financed by school fees. DISD is a non-profit organization and does not make a profit from its income. As a recognized German school abroad, it is also partially supported by the German state. You can find an overview of the school fees here: https://germanschool.ae/anmeldung/schulgebuehren/

• What documents are required for registration? You can find an overview of the documents required for registration on our website under Registration.

• My family does not yet live in Dubai and will only be moving in the next few months, which is why we do not yet have the residence permits (residence visas) and Emirates IDs. Can we still register our child or do we have to wait for these documents first? It is possible to register for school and kindergarten without these documents. However, they must be submitted to the school during the enrollment process and no later than 6 weeks after your child's first day of school and are essential for registration with the KHDA (Dubai Department of Education). Only then is the enrollment process complete. Please take this into account in your planning and communicate this to your employer in good time to avoid delays.

• Is registration only possible in person? No, you can conveniently send your registration documents by e-mail to admissions@germanschool.ae . You can hand them in in person at the office during the following opening hours: Monday to Thursday between 8 am and 2:30 pm and Fridays 8 am to 12 pm. Please note that only complete registration documents can be accepted.

• What happens after the application documents have been submitted in full? When all documents are complete, you will receive an invoice for the registration fee, which must be paid once for each student . This is currently AED 500 plus 5% VAT. This registration fee is only valid for one school year and is non-refundable.

• How can the registration fee be paid? The application fee can be paid during opening hours (Monday to Thursday between 8-14:30) and Friday (8-12) in cash or by check or at any time by bank transfer. Please note that fees may apply if you are from abroad. Please contact your bank for details. Unfortunately, payment by credit or debit card is not possible.

• What happens after the enrollment fee has been paid? Once payment has been received and all the necessary documents, such as the student form (completed by the school previously attended), have been submitted, you will receive confirmation of "conditional admission" by e-mail, as well as an official invitation to the placement test (grades 2 to 10). Please note that the school reserves the right to schedule the tests in larger groups and on specific days, as individual scheduling is not always possible, especially at the end of a school year with the start of school for the following school year. Unfortunately, tests are not possible during our school vacations. The Holiday Calendar can be found on our homepage. No entrance test is generally required for admission to kindergarten. For children from the age of four, a language test may be necessary, to which you will be invited by the kindergarten management. For admission to Year 1, a placement test is required, which forms the basis for admission to Year 1. The test takes place at the school. However, it can also happen that the school has to refuse a school place. The reasons for this will be communicated individually by the school.

• What does "conditional admission" mean? student (from grade 2) receive confirmation of conditional admission after a report has been received from the sending school. This means that the school place is reserved. The placement test is then carried out shortly before the planned start of school. Based on the test result, the final class level and - if necessary - compulsory participation in paid Remedial Teaching will be determined. Placement in the class level and participation in Remedial Teaching are mandatory and school attendance can only take place on this basis.

• Can the registration fee be paid directly on the day of the placement test? Unfortunately, this is not possible due to internal processes and the time required for teachers to prepare for the test. The fee must be paid in advance.

• Do German families who move directly from Germany to Dubai, or whose children were at a German (foreign) school, automatically have a right to a school place? Even if families move directly from Germany to Dubai, the children must take the DISD placement test. This is compulsory for every new student . The test is a computer-based test that checks the student 's level of knowledge in the subjects German and mathematics. It is also used by the teachers to determine any need for support, which is then subject to an additional charge. The details will be communicated to you by the teachers.

• When is the best time to register? Registrations are accepted all year round and the school can also start all year round, but it is recommended to start in the middle of the year or at the beginning of the new school year. Placement tests for the new school year take place from April of the previous year (example: placement tests for the 2023/24 school year take place from April 2023). Registrations for the new school year should therefore be received by then.

• Why can't my child take the placement test for the next school year during our vacation in Dubai in our fall break ? This is because our teachers and the school administration are busy after the start of the school year with the new admissions of student who are transferring to our school for the semester. In addition, it makes educational sense to conduct the test closer to the actual start of the school year so that the student can still absorb the material from the current school year and the test provides a realistic result.

• When and how do we receive the test result? The evaluation of the test can take up to 5 working days. Please take this into account in your schedule and for the change of school. You will then receive an e-mail from our secretary's office informing you of the test result. You will then be contacted by our accounting department about the school fees invoice. Please note that school attendance is only possible after full payment of the invoice. Please take this into account when planning your schedule. If a need for support has been identified in the test or a downgrading is necessary, this will be communicated and explained to you by the teaching staff. Remedial Teaching then becomes compulsory and a prerequisite for school admission and is subject to a fee.

• Once the test results have been communicated, are other documents required for enrollment or does this complete the school admission process? A transfer certificate from the previous school is required for KHDA enrollment (KHDA = Dubai High School Authority). You can obtain the form from our school secretariat and in the download area of our website. Before or shortly after the start of school, the documents for the medical file are required, which are deposited with our school nurse. The form for the medical file is available for this purpose. Copies of vaccination cards are also requested. You can find more information about the school clinic and the forms here.

• Can we buy the school uniform at the school? The basic school uniform can only be purchased from the company "Threads". You can find the telephone number and directions on our website at School uniform. Please note that the uniform is compulsory and student cannot attend classes without it. Therefore, please take care of the purchase or order early to avoid possible delivery bottlenecks (e.g. at the beginning of the school year).

• What does KHDA mean? The KHDA is the Knowledge and Human Development Authority, the local education authority in Dubai, which sets the regulations for all private schools in Dubai.

• Why do I have to present my original Emirates ID at the school so that my family or my child can be registered with KHDA if I have already presented a copy of my ID at the time of registration? Registration with KHDA must take place no later than 6 weeks after the start of school attendance. For this purpose, the original IDs of one parent and the respective student/child must be presented to the Arabic secretariat of the school, as these are read in a card reader. This is used for registration and for signing the parent-school contract.

• What is the parent-school contract? The parent-school contract is a contract between the school and the parents, which is supervised and regulated by the KHDA (Dubai School Authority). It must be signed once by each family for each child.

• How do I sign the parent-school contract and what are the individual steps? You can find instructions on how to sign here. You will receive notification of the individual steps from the school's Arabic secretariat.

• What language is used for teaching? The language of instruction is German. Geography is taught monolingually in English from Year 8 and History is taught bilingually (German/English) from Year 9.

• Which foreign languages are offered at DISD?English and Arabic are taught from Year 1. French is a compulsory subject from Year 6. Arabic native speakers are taught Arabic for 6 hours per week.

• Is Arabic a compulsory subject? Due to the requirements of the local education authority (KHDA), it is compulsory for every student to attend Arabic classes. A distinction is made between Arabic for native speakers and Arabic as a foreign language (Arabic as a native language is taught from pre-school onwards and is compulsory for children with nationalities).

• Which curriculum is taught at DISD and which school types are offered? At DISD, the German curriculum is taught according to the Thuringian curriculum. All school types are offered: Kindergarten, Primary School, Orientierungsstufe (5th grade), Hauptschule, Realschule and Gymnasium.

• How is a distinction made between the three types of school in the Secondary School ? Are there separate classes for each type of school? The student of the three types of school share a classroom and are taught together. The teachers know which student is taught in which type of school and differentiate accordingly. Teaching is based on the comprehensive school concept.

• Where do the teachers who teach at DISD come from? With a few exceptions, our teachers all come from Germany and have therefore completed their teacher training in Germany. Some colleagues also come from Austria or Switzerland and are therefore native speakers of German. Our Arabic teachers all come from the Arab world.

• When does school start and when does it end? School starts every morning at 7:50 am with the UAE national anthem. School ends for everyone at 2:10 pm (Fridays at 12 pm). If there are afternoon classes (usually for the older student) or you take part in the afternoon extracurricular activities, then school ends at 4:10 pm (Mon-Thu), with a snack break from 2:10 pm to 2:40 pm.

• We have two children at DISD. One child finishes school at 14:10 and one at 16:10. Is it possible for the child who finishes school earlier to wait for the sibling so that I can pick up the children together? It is not possible for the sibling to wait. Only pupils in Year 11 and above are permitted to stay in the school building without supervision. Staff with pedagogical training are permitted as supervisors.

• Is there a school canteen where the children can have lunch? There is a school canteen. The student eat lunch together in this canteen. For reasons of space, the lunch break is divided into two parts: first the primary school pupils eat their lunch and then the secondary school pupils. The kindergarten children eat together in their groups in the kindergarten. The canteen food is freshly prepared on site by "SwissCanonica". The food must be ordered and paid for online directly via the provider. Families receive the access data from "SwissCanonica" directly by email. Orders must be placed online up to 7 days in advance. student then collect the food on site using their student ID. Two dishes are offered, which vary daily. There is one vegetarian and one non-vegetarian dish. It is also possible to buy snacks and pastries directly in the canteen without pre-ordering; cash payment is possible here.

• Where can I find a list of materials for the school? An overview of the material lists for the different grades can be found in the school download area. Materials that are difficult to obtain in Dubai can also be purchased in our school store.

• Is it possible to take part in after-school clubs? The school offers after-school clubs in cooperation with the company 'Gulfstarsports'. Parents can register their children for these every six months. For more information about the AG's, please have a look at our website in the CCA area section of our website.

• Are the AG's included in the school fees? As the afternoon activities are an extra-curricular activity and are carried out by an external provider, they are not included in the school fees and, like the canteen meals, are handled and billed separately. However, there are also extra-curricular activities that are included in the school fees and are run directly by the teachers. For these clubs (swimming team, school band, choir), however, the student must fulfill the participation requirements (e.g. playing an instrument) in order to participate.

• How much are the school fees? You can find an overview of the school fees in our fee table for the current school year.

• How can I pay the school fees? The school fees can be paid either in cash, by check or by bank transfer. Payment by debit or credit card is not possible!

• How is the payment of school fees broken down? Do we pay annually? The school fees are paid in 3 installments. The 1st installment 40% of the tuition fee is due on August 15th of each year. The admission fee (10% of the annual tuition fee) and re-enrollment fee (5% of the annual tuition fee) are deducted from this installment. The 2nd installment 30% of the school fee is due on January 01. The 3rd installment 30% of the school fee is due on April 1st. If a child is enrolled in the current school year, the school fees are calculated pro rata. The week of the first school day will be charged in full. In the case of enrollment during the school year, the school fees for the remainder of the school semester are due within two weeks of enrollment

• Will I be refunded the school fees I have already paid if my child unexpectedly has to withdraw from school in the middle of the school year? In the event of deregistration during the school year, the school fees will be charged pro rata. The week of the last day of school will be charged in full. If the child attended school for less than two weeks, the full month will be charged

• How many groups are there in the kindergarten? There are a total of 12 groups in the kindergarten
• How many children are in a group? Each group consists of a maximum of 19 children aged 3 to 6 years.

• What is the childcare ratio in the group? In each group, the children are looked after by a state-approved Teacher and an assistant.
• How is the settling-in period organized? The settling-in period varies individually, so parents and Teacher discuss each day how long the child will stay at the daycare center that day. The optimum settling-in period can be between two weeks and three months.
• Are kindergarten children allowed to ride the school bus? Children are allowed to ride the school bus from the age of three, as long as they have settled in. The Teacher will be happy to advise you on this step. further information on the school bus service
• Can I order school lunch for my kindergarten child? Parents can order lunch from our caterer Swisscanonica for lunch caterer. This is brought to the kindergarten in warm boxes. Breakfast is provided by the parents.
• Is the additional Language Promotion DAF voluntary and free of charge? As the additional Language Promotion is an offer that only some families make use of, the language promotion costs are not included in the general school fees. The additional costs amount to 4800 dirhams per kindergarten year and are paid half in the first and half in the second semester. The pedagogical staff decide on the entry of the Language Promotion on the basis of the language assessment carried out. Participation in the language promotion program is compulsory.
• What does the kindergarten offer? Our work is based on the Thuringian education plan. In addition to the educational principles, this includes seven educational areas. The educational areas are interlinked and complement each other. Furthermore, there are various functional rooms in the kindergarten (sports room, library, Arabic room, listening room), which we use for our activities.
• Does the kindergarten also offer afternoon activities? The kindergarten offers daily afternoon activities from Monday to Thursday until 4 pm for a fee. The offers are varied and ideal for early childhood. In addition to a sports and gymnastics CCA, there is also music, dance and movement. Further information on the CCA offer

• How many classes are there in the Primary School? There are four classes in the Primary School , from Year 1 to Year 4.

• How many student are in a class? On average there are about 20-23 student in a class.

• How many teachers are there in a class? Are there teacher assistants? A class has a class teacher and possibly subject teachers. There are no teaching assistants and lessons are always taught by just one teacher.

• How long does a class keep a class teacher? As a rule, a class keeps a Teacher for two years, after which there is a change of teacher.

• Is a foreign language also taught at Primary School ? English is taught in the Primary School from Year 1. There are also Arabic lessons, which also take place from Year 1. This is divided into Arabic as a foreign language (beginners and advanced) with 4 lessons per week and Arabic as a mother tongue with 6 lessons per week.

• Which school-leaving certificate is offered at DISD? DISD offers three school-leaving qualifications: Hauptschulabschluss, Realschulabschluss, Abitur. The school follows the Thuringian curriculum, as do all German schools abroad in our region.

• What does "orientation level" mean? Year 5 is also known as the orientation stage. This is a grade that is independent of the type of school and at the end of which a recommendation is made for a secondary school career (Hauptschule, Realschule, Gymnasium). From Year 6 onwards, pupils then attend the respective secondary school. A final change to the grammar school track is possible at the end of year 8.

• Which second foreign language is taught at DISD? French is a compulsory subject alongside English from the sixth grade onwards.

• My child is transferring to DISD but did not have French lessons at the previous school. Is school attendance at DISD at risk? It is important to communicate this at an early stage and to indicate this when registering. A French remedial course is offered once a week for student with deficits or who need to catch up. student from Year 7 onwards can be required to attend.

• Which subject combinations are possible at DISD in the Abitur? You can find more information on subject combinations in the upper school in our Guide to the Upper Secondary School (under editing).

• Where can student with the German International Abitur (DIA) study and what exactly is the difference between the DIA and the Abitur obtained in Germany? The DIA is basically the Abitur that you know from Germany. The only difference is the international orientation, which gives the DIA its name. This is reflected in the school subjects geography, which is taught monolingually (English) from Year 8, and history, which is taught bilingually (German/English) from Year 9, as well as in the international environment in which our student find themselves. The DIA, like the German Abitur, is recognized worldwide and therefore student can study anywhere with this qualification.

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