SPECIALISTS IN RAK REAL ESTATE
SCHOOLS
Schools in Ras Al Khaimah
Ras Al Khaimah has 21 private schools that teach a foreign curriculum: British, IB, American, SABIS, Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi and Filipino. Tuition runs from about AED 3,000 to AED 72,500 a year. The right school depends on your child, so we set out the same facts for every school, side by side, from the regulator and the schools’ own sites.
Karolina Dean, Managing Director & Co-Founder
Updated 13 October 2026
21
schools teaching a foreign curriculum
RAK Department of Knowledge, 13 Oct 2026
8
curricula, from British and IB to Indian and Filipino
RAK Department of Knowledge, 13 Oct 2026
3,000 to 72,500
AED a year in tuition, lowest to highest
The schools' own fee lists, 2024/25 to 2026/27
WHAT TO WEIGH
Five things to weigh
Families choose differently, and each of these can decide it.
Curriculum
Think about where your child has come from and where they may go next. British schools lead to IGCSE and A level, American schools to a US diploma with AP courses, and IB schools to the IB Diploma. Indian schools follow CBSE or the Kerala State Board.
When to apply
British, American, IB and SABIS schools start their year in late August; Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi schools in April. Several take applications all year where places are free. Some keep waiting lists; none publishes one.
Age and year group
Most schools take children from age 3 or 4. Each sets a cut-off date for its age groups: 31 December at most British and American schools, 31 March at most Indian schools. Check the school’s own table.
Fees, and what they include
Tuition is set within limits the RAK Department of Knowledge approves. Books, uniform, the school bus, exams and registration are usually on top; a few schools include books. Bus fees run from about AED 2,500 to AED 6,500 a year.
The school run
Most schools are in and around the city, from Al Dhait in the south to Al Mamourah and Julphar in the north. From the coastal communities, the drive at school time is from about 10 minutes to an hour, and road works on the E11 are adding to it. Every drive time is below.
How schools are rated
The RAK Department of Knowledge (RAKDOK) licenses and inspects private schools. It rates each one outstanding, very good, good, acceptable, weak or very weak, under the UAE School Inspection Framework, and publishes the full report. The ratings here are for 2025/26. Schools teaching the Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi curricula are next evaluated from September to November 2026. A rating is one measure among several.
RAK Department of Knowledge, school list, 13 Oct 2026; RAK Media Office, 27 Feb 2026
Ask other parents
Parents’ views differ, and that is the point: hear several before you choose. These are the largest active Facebook groups for RAK and its communities where parents ask about schools. Facebook groups are online discussion boards that anyone with a Facebook account can join.
FACEBOOK GROUP
WHO CAN SEE POSTS
MEMBERS
Public
51,031 members
Private: ask to join
15,444 members
Public
10,414 members
Private: residents and owners
8,150 members
Public
7,167 members
Member counts as shown on Facebook, 13 Oct 2026
Most schools’ parents also run WhatsApp groups, usually one for each class. They are invite-only: once you have a place, ask the school, or ask in a Facebook group, to be added.
EVERY SCHOOL
Every school, side by side
Sorted by curriculum, then by name. Tuition is a year, as each school publishes it, for the year shown. Each rating links to the regulator’s page and report.
SCHOOL AND CURRICULUM
YEAR GROUPS AND AREA
TUITION A YEAR, AED
RATING 2025/26
AMERICAN
Emirates National School, RAK →
American, with IB (PYP, MYP, Diploma)
Pre-K to Grade 12. From age 3
Al Dhait South
American (Common Core, NGSS, AP courses)
Pre-K to Grade 12
Seih Al Uraibi
The WellSpring Private School →
American (AP courses)
Pre-K to Grade 12. From age 3
Dafan Al Khor
Bloom American Private School →
American
KG1 to Grade 8 in 2026/27. From age 4
Al Dahan
Opened August 2026
BANGLADESHI
Bangladesh English Private School →
Bangladeshi
KG1 to Grade 12
Julphar
3,950 to 6,765
BRITISH
British (National Curriculum for England, IGCSE, A level)
Pre-K to Grade 12. From age 3
Seih Al Uraibi
13,340 to 24,250
British (GCSE, International A level)
KG1 to Grade 12
Al Dhait South
British
Pre-K to Grade 8. From age 3
Al Hamra
18,700 to 72,500
Pre-K to Grade 5 AED 18,700 to 36,300. Grades 6 to 8, the new secondary school, AED 66,000 to 72,500 before its discounts.
Grades 6 to 8 opened August 2026, not yet rated
British
Pre-K to Grade 5. From age 3
Al Rams
British and IB (PYP, A level, BTEC, IB Diploma)
Pre-K to Grade 12. From age 3
Khuzam
18,700 to 46,475
St. Mary Private High School →
British (IGCSE, A level)
FS1 to Year 13. From age 3
RAKEZ Academic Zone
13,600 to 26,000
FILIPINO
New Filipino Private School
Filipino
KG1 to Grade 10
Dahan
Opened 2025
INDIAN
Alpha Private School
Indian (CBSE)
KG1 to Grade 12
Seih Al Uraibi
Indian (CBSE)
Pre-KG to Grade 12
Al Dhait
12,000 to 16,200
Indian (CBSE)
KG1 to Grade 10. From age 4
Al Mamourah
4,245 to 6,640
Indian (CBSE)
KG1 to Grade 12. From age 4
Al Hudeeba
Indian School Ras Al Khaimah →
Indian (CBSE)
KG1 to Grade 12
Al Mamourah
3,000 to 6,500
Indian (Kerala State Board)
KG1 to Grade 12. From age 4
Al Mamourah
5,214 to 10,620
Scholars Indian Private School →
Indian (CBSE)
KG1 to Grade 12. From age 4
Al Hudeeba
4,860 to 8,930
PAKISTANI
Pakistan Higher Secondary School →
Pakistani
KG1 to Grade 12. From age 4
Al Mamourah
360 to 847 a month
SABIS
The International School of Choueifat →
SABIS (IGCSE, A level, AP)
Pre-KG to Grade 12. From age 3
Sheikh Saqr City
Ratings: RAK Department of Knowledge, academic year 2025/26, read 13 Oct 2026. Fees: each school's own fee list, year shown; where a school publishes none, the regulator's range. Fees change every year: check with the school.
Other inspections
British Schools Overseas
RAK Academy (Al Hamra, Al Rams and Khuzam), inspected 3 to 5 February 2025: meets the standards, except those that can’t legally be met in the UAE. No other RAK school is on the UK list.
IB World Schools
RAK Academy, Khuzam: Primary Years and Diploma. Emirates National School, RAK: Primary Years, Middle Years and Diploma.
RAKDOK also lists 15 private schools that teach the UAE Ministry of Education curriculum, mostly in Arabic, and a new branch of Ideal English School in Julphar with no details yet.
HOW ADMISSION WORKS
How admission works
01
Check the age cut-off
Find your child’s year group in the school’s own age table.
02
Apply
Most schools take an online form and a fee of about AED 500, usually not refunded.
03
Assessment
Play-based for the youngest. From about age 6, tests in English and maths, sometimes Arabic or a reasoning test.
04
Offer and deposit
Schools hold a place only once the registration fee or deposit is paid, often within one or two weeks.
05
Documents
Usually: passports, visas and Emirates IDs for the child and parents; the birth certificate, attested if born abroad; the vaccination record; photos; recent school reports; and a transfer certificate, attested if from abroad.
What each school publishes
Emirates National School, RAK
Applications: Registration open for 2026/27; no dates published
Assessment: Written tests in Arabic, English and maths; an interview may follow
Waiting list: Not published
RAK American Academy
Applications: No dates published
Assessment: English admission exam
Waiting list: Kept: a child not placed waits for one school term
The WellSpring Private School
Applications: All year
Assessment: English and maths, or an interview
Waiting list: Kept, not published
Bloom American Private School
Applications: Open for 2026/27
Assessment: Placement assessment and interview
Waiting list: Not published
Bangladesh English Private School
Applications: All year
Assessment: Assessment, with a fee
Waiting list: Not published
GEMS Westminster School
Applications: No dates published
Assessment: Screening, with a placement test where needed
Waiting list: Kept, not published
Harvest Private School
Applications: Not published
Assessment: Not published
Waiting list: Not published
RAK Academy, Al Hamra
Applications: All year
Assessment: Play-based for Pre-K to KG2; CAT4 test from Grade 1
Waiting list: Not published
RAK Academy, Al Rams
Applications: All year
Assessment: Play-based for Pre-K to KG2; CAT4 test from Grade 1
Waiting list: Not published
RAK Academy, Khuzam
Applications: All year
Assessment: Play-based for Pre-K to KG2; CAT4 test from Grade 1
Waiting list: Not published
St. Mary Private High School
Applications: Open for 2026/27
Assessment: English and maths tests from Year 1; an interview for the youngest
Waiting list: Not published
New Filipino Private School
Applications: Not published
Assessment: Not published
Waiting list: Not published
Alpha Private School
Applications: Not published
Assessment: Not published
Waiting list: Not published
Delhi Private School
Applications: Open for 2026/27
Assessment: KG: an interactive session; Grade 1 up: a baseline test
Waiting list: Not published
Ideal English School
Applications: Online; no dates published
Assessment: Not published
Waiting list: Not published
Indian Public High School
Applications: Not published
Assessment: Not published
Waiting list: Not published
Indian School Ras Al Khaimah
Applications: At the school office
Assessment: A test or interaction, by grade
Waiting list: Not published
New Indian School
Applications: From 15 January each year
Assessment: Screening and level assessment
Waiting list: Kept, not published
Scholars Indian Private School
Applications: Online, as places allow
Assessment: Entrance or aptitude test, by grade
Waiting list: Not published
Pakistan Higher Secondary School
Applications: Not published
Assessment: Not published
Waiting list: Not published
The International School of Choueifat
Applications: All year, as places allow
Assessment: Interview up to KG2; diagnostic tests from Grade 1
Waiting list: Not published
Each school's admissions pages, read 13 Oct 2026. "Not published" means we found nothing on the school's site: ask the school.
THE SCHOOL RUN
Which areas suit which schools
Minutes by car, leaving at 7.30am on a school day. Each figure is the range Google Maps gives for that journey, before the road works below.
Road works on the E11
The E11 from Al Hamra Roundabout to the E311 is being widened to four lanes each way, with new bridges and tunnels at Dolphin Junction and Mina Al Arab. Lanes are closed and traffic is diverted while the work goes on, with no end date announced. From Al Hamra Village, Al Marjan Island and Mina Al Arab, the school run can take much longer than these figures show. Google Maps bases them on past traffic, so try the drive at school time before you choose.
RAK Department of Public Services, reported by Khaleej Times, 26 Aug 2025, and The National, 28 Aug 2025
SCHOOL
FROM
FROM
FROM
The city
AMERICAN
Emirates National School, RAK
RAK American Academy
The WellSpring Private School
Bloom American Private School
18 to 24 min
28 to 40 min
22 to 35 min
26 to 40 min
24 to 35 min
35 to 50 min
28 to 40 min
35 to 50 min
16 to 22 min
28 to 40 min
20 to 26 min
24 to 35 min
18 to 24 min
30 to 45 min
24 to 30 min
28 to 35 min
16 to 26 min
12 to 18 min
7 to 12 min
7 to 10 min
BANGLADESHI
Bangladesh English Private School
30 to 45 min
35 to 55 min
30 to 50 min
35 to 55 min
12 to 20 min
BRITISH
GEMS Westminster School
Harvest Private School
RAK Academy, Al Hamra
RAK Academy, Al Rams
RAK Academy, Khuzam
St. Mary Private High School
28 to 45 min
22 to 35 min
7 to 12 min
35 to 50 min
22 to 35 min
16 to 24 min
35 to 50 min
28 to 40 min
18 to 24 min
40 to 60 min
28 to 40 min
22 to 35 min
28 to 40 min
18 to 24 min
12 to 16 min
35 to 60 min
18 to 26 min
14 to 20 min
30 to 45 min
24 to 28 min
14 to 16 min
40 to 55 min
22 to 30 min
18 to 24 min
10 to 18 min
14 to 20 min
24 to 40 min
18 to 30 min
8 to 12 min
16 to 24 min
FILIPINO
New Filipino Private School
24 to 35 min
30 to 45 min
20 to 26 min
24 to 35 min
10 to 16 min
INDIAN
Alpha Private School
Delhi Private School
Ideal English School
Indian Public High School
Indian School Ras Al Khaimah
New Indian School
Scholars Indian Private School
28 to 40 min
18 to 24 min
30 to 50 min
30 to 50 min
30 to 50 min
30 to 50 min
30 to 50 min
35 to 50 min
24 to 35 min
40 to 60 min
35 to 55 min
35 to 55 min
35 to 60 min
35 to 55 min
30 to 40 min
14 to 18 min
28 to 45 min
26 to 40 min
26 to 45 min
28 to 45 min
28 to 40 min
35 to 45 min
18 to 24 min
35 to 50 min
30 to 45 min
30 to 50 min
30 to 50 min
30 to 45 min
10 to 16 min
14 to 24 min
10 to 16 min
7 to 12 min
8 to 16 min
10 to 18 min
10 to 16 min
PAKISTANI
Pakistan Higher Secondary School
35 to 55 min
40 to 60 min
30 to 45 min
35 to 50 min
10 to 16 min
SABIS
The International School of Choueifat
24 to 35 min
30 to 45 min
20 to 26 min
24 to 35 min
10 to 16 min
Google Maps, typical drive times leaving 7.30am on Tuesday 20 October 2026, read 13 Oct 2026. Start points: Al Hamra Mall, Al Marjan Island, Anantara Mina, RAK Central and Manar Mall in the city.
Marjan Beach’s master plan includes a school, with no date yet (Marjan, Oct 2025). Its first homes are years away.
MOVING HERE? VISAS, SETTING UP, WHAT IT COSTS AND BRINGING A PET: MOVING TO RAK →
QUESTIONS PARENTS ASK
Questions parents ask
How much are school fees in Ras Al Khaimah?
Tuition at RAK’s 21 foreign-curriculum schools runs from about AED 3,000 to AED 72,500 a year, as the schools publish it for 2024/25 to 2026/27. Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi schools mostly charge under AED 17,000; British, American, IB and SABIS schools mostly AED 13,000 to 48,000. Books, uniform, the bus and exams are usually extra.
Are there Indian schools in Ras Al Khaimah?
Yes, seven. Six follow CBSE: Alpha Private School, Delhi Private School, Ideal English School, Indian Public High School, Indian School Ras Al Khaimah and Scholars Indian Private School. New Indian School follows the Kerala State Board. Most start their year in April.
When does the school year start in RAK?
British, American, IB and SABIS schools start in late August. Indian, Pakistani and Bangladeshi schools start in April. Many schools take applications all year, as places allow.
Are there British schools in Ras Al Khaimah?
Yes, six: RAK Academy (Al Hamra, Al Rams and Khuzam), GEMS Westminster School, Harvest Private School and St. Mary Private High School. RAK Academy is also inspected under the UK’s British Schools Overseas scheme.
Who inspects schools in Ras Al Khaimah?
The RAK Department of Knowledge licenses and rates RAK’s private schools under the UAE School Inspection Framework, and publishes each school’s rating and report on its website. It is RAK’s own regulator: KHDA covers Dubai only.
What about nurseries?
Nurseries take children from a few months old until they start school. Most of the schools here start at age 3 (Pre-K or FS1) or 4 (KG1). There are nurseries in Al Hamra Village, near Mina Al Arab and across the city. The UAE Ministry of Education licenses nurseries, so ask to see the licence.
Nurseries: Property Finder area pages, Oct 2026; UAE Government portal (u.ae), read 13 Oct 2026
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