With students from ages 3-18, DIS is run as a not-for-profit school and is part of the Al Futtaim Education Foundation. Founded in 2005, the school is renowned for providing an outstanding inclusive and holistic education. In our recent inspection, the report recognised the following:

• Staff are overwhelmingly proud of the school and believe that it is well led and provides a safe and inclusive learning environment.
• The quality of teaching, learning and assessment across the school is outstanding.
• Teachers have high expectations of pupils and consistently challenge them in lessons and other activities to do their best.
• Staff enjoy working at the school and believe they are treated fairly, respected and valued.
• At every phase, the curriculum is planned with precision, is well sequenced and systematically builds on pupils prior learning.
• DIS has a strong focus on academic progress and achievement.

The student body has over 80 different nationalities and this diversity is fundamental to the community nature of the school. Exceptional facilities provide wonderful opportunities for a holistic approach to education; sport, performing arts, academic, technological, leadership and creative pathways are all on offer, ensuring our students enjoy enriching and varied school experiences within our classrooms and beyond.
Although non-selective at admission, our students achieve exceptional exam results which compare to top UK schools. Digital literacy development is emphasised as the school prepares its pupils to meet the challenges of a rapidly changing world. This success enables our students to move on to the very top universities worldwide. Our personalised, play-based and continuous provision in the Early Years ensures that students are rigorously assessed against the prime and specific areas of the Early Years Foundation Stage framework. This focuses on developing key learning skills and the foundations for accessing the Primary Curriculum. In primary, students receive an enriching and broad curriculum offer, which includes the delivery of several non-core subjects. Our senior students take the IGCSE examinations in Year 11 and move into the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) or International Baccalaureate Career-Related Programme (IBCP) in Years 12 and 13.
Al Futtaim Education Foundation (AFEF) owns and provides governance to Deira International School. AFEF aims to realise its vision of taking education in the UAE to the next level of future readiness and of preparing students for an increasingly globalised and technologically advanced world. Al Futtaim Education Foundation is an initiative of the Al Futtaim family to support the vision of the Government of Dubai and the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) for the creation of a globally competitive economy while maximising its social contribution to the community through this not-for-profit endeavour.
At Al Futtaim Education Foundation, we are committed to fostering a culture of diversity, equality, and inclusion. We believe that every individual has the right to be respected and valued for who they are, and we strive to create a work environment where all members of our community feel safe, supported, and empowered to reach their full potential. This includes recruiting and retaining a diverse workforce, creating inclusive learning and working environments, and promoting equity in all of our policies and practices. We are dedicated to building a foundation of respect and understanding, and we actively work to eliminate discrimination, bias, and prejudice in all forms.