classfinder.aeDubai schools & early childhood centres

Right class for my child?

Independent guide to KHDA's published rules for Dubai private schools · Not affiliated with any school or with KHDA · Rules checked 26 Oct 2026 · Sources & privacy

Was this answer clear?

Your child's timeline

Each dot is the first day of a school year and the class your child would join. The shaded bands show where your child can be at each age.

Early childhood centre or school

From FS1 / Pre-KG to KG2 / Year 1, your child can be at either. The age rules and class names are the same.

Early childhood centreSchool

Ages

From 45 days old up to 6

From 3 (FS1 / Pre-KG) through to 17 or 18

Year and hours

Many open longer days and through most holidays

Follows the school calendar, with school-day hours and long holidays

Attendance

Part-week places are common

Usually full days, every school day

Setting

Usually smaller and play-based

Larger, often with specialist teachers and facilities

What comes next

A move to school by age 6 at the latest

Usually continues through the school's later years

School places

You apply to a school later, when some year groups may be full

Many popular schools fill a large share of places at FS1

Questions worth asking

Does the school you'd like have places in FS1, FS2 and Year 1 / KG2 next year?
What are the daily hours, and is there care during school holidays?
What do the fees include, and what costs extra?
What curriculum will your child follow from age 6, and does the early years approach lead into it?

Moving from a KHDA-registered early childhood centre to a school, your child keeps their existing path; they aren't treated as a new registrant.

Birth month and class age

The cut-off date decides who is oldest in each class. Your child's birth month is circled.

Class names

Every class from age 3 to 17. Your child's row is highlighted.

How we work this out

KHDA requires every new student to be enrolled in the class for their age, and this overrides school policies. Parents can't choose a younger or older class. You can wait to start, but your child then joins the class for their age, so a child who waits a year skips FS1 / Pre-KG and joins FS2 / KG1. The exceptions are listed below.
Most Dubai private schools start the school year in August/September and count your child's age on 31 December of the year they join. Schools starting in April count it on 31 March. Your child must be 3 by that date for the first class (FS1, Pre-KG), 4 for the second, 5 for the third, and 6 for Year 2 / Grade 1.
British schools, from 2026–27 onward: a child born between 1 September and 31 December who is not yet 3 when term starts is assessed for FS1 readiness. Enrolment needs written parental agreement and KHDA approval. If the school assesses the child as not ready, they start FS1 the following year; if school and parents disagree, the school's assessment applies, subject to KHDA review. This applies only to first entry into FS1.
August/September schools, 2026–27 only, any curriculum. Born 1 Sept – 31 Dec 2021: a child already at a school or early childhood centre moves up to FS2/KG1, or Year 1/KG2 if the parent asks and the school assesses them as ready; a child never enrolled anywhere joins Year 1/KG2, or FS2/KG1 if the school assesses them as not yet ready. Born 1 Sept – 31 Dec 2022: a child already enrolled moves up to FS1/Pre-KG, or FS2/KG1 if assessed as ready; a child never enrolled joins FS2/KG1, or FS1/Pre-KG if assessed as not yet ready. Any change from the default needs a documented assessment, written parental agreement, a free place and KHDA approval. The option ends after 2026–27.
Children who already hold a KHDA registration, including at an early childhood centre, keep their existing path. The new cut-off applies to children registering for the first time.
Children who have completed a class elsewhere continue from it, using their Transfer Certificate or an official report card. They are not made to repeat it to match their age.
Any other move to a younger or older class needs KHDA's written approval. The school applies with evidence; it is meant for exceptional cases only.
Some schools also hold an assessment, interview or draw for places. Check with the school.
First days for August/September schools come from the published UAE academic calendar (31 Aug 2026, 30 Aug 2027, 28 Aug 2028). Later dates, and April dates, are approximate.

This is a guide only; your school confirms the final class.

About classfinder.ae

An independent guide for families, based on the rules KHDA publishes for private schools in Dubai. It is not an official KHDA tool and is not affiliated with any school, school group or government body. Schools in other emirates follow their own regulators' rules.

Privacy. To improve this guide, we record how it is used: the choices and birth date you enter, the answers shown, and general browser and device details such as browser type, screen size and language. We don't store your IP address, we don't ask for your name or contact details, and we don't try to identify you.

Rules checked: 26 October 2026

Sources

KHDA, Student Placement Guidelines for Dubai Private Schools and Early Childhood Centres, effective September 2026 (age cut-offs, 2026–27 transitional rules, British FS1 readiness, age-grade chart, exceptional placement).
KHDA, Compliance Handbook for Private Schools in Dubai, September 2026, section 8.4 (age cut-off dates).
KHDA, Student registration requirements for educational institutions beginning in August/September, Academic Year 2026–27 (exemptions and British-school FS1 readiness check).
UAE academic calendar for 2026–27, 2027–28 and 2028–29 (first days of school).

KHDA publishes its rules at khda.gov.ae. If a rule changes, the official KHDA rule applies.

Questions, concerns or need help? Email us and we'll get back to you. We also welcome corrections from schools.

hello@classfinder.ae