Foundation Stage Application Form

You will require soft copies of the following documents for each child (pdf format), to upload within the application form.

Birth Certificate (in English)
Passport Copy
Recent Passport Style Photograph
Most recent End of Year Academic Report
Most recent Term/Mid-Year Academic Report
Emirates Identity Card (if available)
UAE Visa (if available)
Reports from outside agencies (Speech and Language Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Educational Psychologist, etc., if applicable)

Points to Note

Foundation Stage applications should be submitted as age appropriate in line with the KHDA Student Placement Guidelines.

Applications are assessed in line with the age cut-off guidelines issued by the KHDA.
Applications are open for Foundation Stage 1 & 2 for September 2027.
Once your completed application has been reviewed by the Headteacher and Senior Leadership Team, we will contact you with an update on the outcome of your application.
In line with KHDA guidelines, schools must use the student's nationality, as stated on their Emirates ID, to determine whether they belong to the Arab or non-Arab category.
Placement in Arabic A or Arabic B is determined in accordance with KHDA and MOE regulations.
Arabic A is mandatory for students classified as Arab, based on the nationality recorded on their Emirates ID. Non-Arab students may be placed in Arabic A at the request of their parents, provided they can successfully access the curriculum and demonstrate this through appropriate assessment.
Arabic B is intended for non-Arab students.
Islamic Education is compulsory for Muslim students, and placement is determined in accordance with KHDA and MOE requirements.
Placement decisions are made by the school in line with regulatory requirements and are not based solely on parental preference.

Next Steps for Applying

When there are two parents/guardians, the email address MUST be a different email address for each parent/guardian.
On successful submission of your online Application Form, an automatic reply will be sent to the primary contact, acknowledging receipt of your application. Please ensure you check your spam/junk folders. All further communication will be issued to both parents email addresses.
After review of your Application Form and documentation, a member of the Admissions Team will be in touch with detailed information on how to pay your application fee of AED525 and the next steps for progressing your application to the next stage of our process.
If there are no places available once the application process has been completed and your application has been approved, you will be placed on our Waitlist, which we review on a daily basis.
Should a suitable place be available, successful applicants will receive an offer letter and terms of acceptance by email. To secure the place, we must be in receipt of all required documentation, accompanied by an acceptance fee payment within 7 days of the offer date.
Your acceptance fee (AED3500 for Oud Metha and AED4000 for Academic City) will be deducted from your first term fees.
On submission of an online application, you are declaring that ALL information provided is correct. Failure to disclose important information may result in your application being withdrawn.
Admission is at the discretion of the school.

Please ensure you check your Spam/Junk folders for follow up messages. If you have any issues completing the online form, please contact admissions@dess.sch.ae or telephone +971 (0) 4 360 4866 for assistance.