Cities / Dubai / Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai (RGSGD)
Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai (RGSGD)
Operating under the direct oversight of the prestigious Surrey based Royal Grammar School founded in 1509, RGSGD maintains authentic curriculum alignment and shared teacher training with its UK parent.
In brief
Royal Grammar School Guildford Dubai opened in Tilal Al Ghaf in 2021, run by Cognita in partnership with the UK Royal Grammar School Guildford. The Dubai campus is a new-build co-educational British international school of around 1,200 pupils aged 3–15, sharing the brand and curriculum input rather than the Surrey school's centuries of boys-only history. KHDA rated it Very Good at first inspection in March 2024; BSO inspectors judged it Outstanding in May 2025.
Parents describe engaged, visible teachers and leaders who know children by name, the class-size cap of 20 is held as non-negotiable, and the purpose-built campus carries science labs, performing arts spaces, a pool and sports complex. Fees of AED 78,758–119,713 sit in Dubai's premium bracket, yet the share of parents calling it good value runs well above the city norm.
Leadership is less settled: four principals since 2021, Matthew Pearce arriving in February 2025 after his predecessor's roughly five-month tenure ended without public explanation. Year 10 opened in September 2025, Year 11 follows in September 2026, and there is no exam cohort to judge yet.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| FS1 | 3 | AED 78,758 |
| FS2 | 4 | AED 84,009 |
| Year 1 | 5 | AED 95,560 |
| Year 2 | 6 | AED 95,560 |
| Year 3 | 7 | AED 95,560 |
| Year 4 | 8 | AED 95,560 |
| Year 5 | 9 | AED 101,861 |
| Year 6 | 10 | AED 101,861 |
| Year 7 | 11 | AED 101,861 |
| Year 8 | 12 | AED 101,861 |
| Year 9 | 13 | AED 113,412 |
| Year 10 | 14 | AED 119,713 |
| Year 11 | 15 | AED 119,713 |
| Year 12 | 16 | AED 119,713 |
| Year 13 | 17 | AED 119,713 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Application Fee | AED 525 |
Reviews
A young Tilal Al Ghaf campus that has moved fast on inspection metrics, with KHDA Very Good on its first visit and a BSO Outstanding judgement in May 2025. Parent sentiment runs warm on teaching, pastoral feel, and the small-class promise, and the school is one of a small set in Dubai whose families report fees feeling like value rather than a stretch. The wobble is in the principal's office: four heads in four years, with Matthew Pearce arriving mid-year in February 2025 to settle things. The senior end of the school is also still under construction, with Year 11 only opening in September 2026 and no exam-cohort track record yet.
Positives
- Inspection track record. Very Good from KHDA on the first DSIB inspection in March 2024, with multiple Outstanding sub-judgements. BSO inspectors went further in May 2025, awarding Outstanding overall.
- Teaching and pastoral feel. Families talk about engaged, visible teachers and a leadership team that knows children by name. Recommendation rates and value-for-money scores sit well above the Dubai average.
- Class sizes and facilities. Class size capped at 20 is held out as non-negotiable. The purpose-built Tilal Al Ghaf campus delivers the science labs, performing arts spaces, pool, and sports complex parents expect at the top of the fee band.
- Fee positioning. Annual fees of AED 78,758 to 119,713 sit in Dubai's premium bracket, but the share of parents calling it good value runs notably higher than the city norm.
Considerations
- Leadership turnover. Four principals since the 2021 opening: Craig Lamshed briefly at launch, Clare Turnbull through to summer 2024, Scott Bryan for around five months, then Matthew Pearce from February 2025. The school has not publicly explained the Bryan departure.
- Senior school still maturing. Year 10 opened in September 2025 and Year 11 follows in September 2026, so there is no IGCSE or sixth-form exam cohort to judge yet. Families wanting an established post-16 offer are buying into a promise rather than a record.
- Cognita operator. Run by Cognita under a partnership with the UK Royal Grammar School Guildford. The UK school is centuries-old and boys-only; the Dubai campus is a new-build co-ed franchise sharing the brand and curriculum input, not the history.
Leadership
Mr. Matthew Pearce
Mr. Matthew Pearce brings over two decades of experience in education and leadership.
Accreditations
- KHDA 01
- British Schools Overseas (DfE) 02
Academic results
- KHDA rating in first inspection Very Good
- BSO rating in first inspection Outstanding
- Percentage of students achieving at or above in International Benchmarking tests Above 90%
- Percentage of students achieving a Good Level of Development in Early Years (GLD) 90%