If you live in Al Mankhool, there’s a good chance your child’s first school was a nursery within walking distance. The area is full of them. Small, friendly, close to home.
Then one day the nursery sends home a letter about “next steps,” and you realise you need an actual school. One that goes beyond age four. One that you can get to every morning without losing an hour in traffic.
So you open your phone and type “schools near me.”
The results aren’t much help. Google doesn’t know that a school 6 km away might take 15 minutes or 50, depending on the road. It doesn’t know which ones have seats this year. And it definitely doesn’t know which ones fit your budget.
This guide is about one school that a lot of Mankhool families end up shortlisting: The Apple International Community School (AICS) in Al Karama, right next door. Here’s what it is, what it costs, and how to tell whether it’s the right fit for your child.
How close is “near me,” really?
Al Mankhool and Al Karama sit side by side. Mankhool’s eastern edge is Sheikh Khalifa Bin Zayed Street, the road most people still call Trade Centre Road. Cross it, and you’re in Karama.
AICS is on 29A Street, behind Karama Centre and near Karama Park. For most families in Mankhool, that means one road crossing and a few local streets. No Sheikh Zayed Road. No Al Khail Road. No highway merges at 7am.
That short trip matters more than it sounds. Young children need sleep. A long commute eats into it every single day, for years. And when the school is close, the small things get easier too: dropping off a forgotten lunchbox, getting to a school event after work, or setting up a weekend playdate with a classmate who lives nearby.
If you’re near BurJuman, Kuwait Street or Khalid Bin Al Waleed Road, AICS is still within easy reach.
The big question for nursery families: will my child have to move again?
This is where many parents get caught out.
Some schools only cover the early years. Some start at Year 1. Some stop at Year 6. Every time a school ends, your child has to change schools, make new friends and settle in all over again.
AICS covers FS1 (age 3) all the way to Year 11 (age 16) in one building. So a child who joins from a Mankhool nursery at FS1 or FS2 can, in principle, stay at the same school right through to their IGCSEs.
For a lot of families, that’s the main reason AICS makes the list. One move, not three.
If your child is still in nursery, the usual entry points are:
- FS1 for children turning 3
- FS2 for children turning 4
- Year 1 for children turning 5
The exact cut-off dates are on the school’s age criteria page. It’s worth checking before you apply, because a birthday in the wrong month can change the year group.
What your child actually learns
AICS follows the National Curriculum for England. That’s the same framework used in schools in England, from the first years of play-based learning through to IGCSE exams.
In simple terms, here’s how it builds:
FS1 and FS2. Learning through play. Talking, listening, early reading, counting, sharing, taking turns. For a child coming from nursery, this feels familiar. It’s a gentle step up, not a jump.
Years 1 to 6. Proper reading, writing and maths begin, then deepen. Science, history and geography come in. Children learn to work more on their own.
Years 7 to 9. Secondary school. Different teachers for different subjects. Children start working out which subjects they enjoy most.
Years 10 and 11. The IGCSE years. These are the exams that colleges and universities look at.
Because it’s the real English curriculum, it also travels well. If your family moves to the UK, or to another British school somewhere else, your child should fit in without big gaps.
On top of the core subjects, the school runs activities around leadership, creativity and critical thinking, and robotics is included as part of what the fee covers.
What it costs, in plain numbers
Here are the official AY 2026–27 fees from the school’s website. The first column is the KHDA-approved fee. The second is what parents actually pay after the school’s standard discount.
| Year group | KHDA-approved fee (AED) | You pay (AED) |
|---|---|---|
| FS1 / FS2 | 19,427 | 15,850 |
| Year 1 / Year 2 | 21,002 | 16,980 |
| Year 3 / Year 4 | 21,002 | 17,980 |
| Year 5 / Year 6 | 22,052 | 18,500 |
| Year 7 / Year 8 | 23,102 | 19,130 |
| Year 9 | 24,678 | 19,550 |
| Year 10 | 24,678 | 20,100 |
| Year 11 | 25,728 | 20,955 |
What’s included. Textbooks and workbooks, one set of regular uniform and PE kit, e-learning apps, lab resources, external exam fees, medical resources and robotics. That list matters. At many schools, books and uniform alone can add a few thousand dirhams on top of tuition.
What’s not included. Ministry books, optional books, and a one-time AED 500 (+VAT) application fee for new students. Transport is separate.
If you have more than one child. The second child gets 20% off annual tuition, and the third gets 25% off. On a fee of around AED 17,000, a 20% discount is roughly AED 3,400 a year. Ask the admissions team to confirm exactly how the discount applies to your children’s year groups.
Paying. Fees are split across three terms. There’s also usually a small discount for paying the whole year upfront before the August deadline.
For Mankhool families coming from nursery, it helps to compare the total yearly cost, not just the tuition line. A school with a lower headline fee can end up costing more once books, uniform and exam fees are added.
Facilities: more than most people expect
Parents often assume an affordable school in Karama will be small and basic. AICS isn’t. The school has:
- An indoor swimming pool
- A football field
- Lawn tennis and badminton courts
- A basketball court
- Rooms for music, drama and visual arts
- A library
- Play areas designed for younger children
For a child moving up from nursery, the play areas and arts rooms matter more than anything. For older children, the pool and sports facilities mean PE and after-school sport actually happen, all year round, even in the summer heat.
The KHDA rating
AICS is currently rated Acceptable by KHDA.
We’d rather you hear that from us than discover it later. If you’re comparing with older schools that hold Good or Very Good ratings, it’s a fair thing to weigh up.
Some context: AICS opened in 2021. It’s a young school, and early inspections look closely at systems that take time to build. The school is run by LEAMS Education, which also operates Apple International School in Al Qusais, open since 1994.
The best advice we can give is to read the full KHDA report rather than just the one-word rating, ask the school what it’s improving, and then visit. What you see in the classroom tells you more than any label.
Is AICS right for your child?
AICS tends to suit Mankhool families who:
- Want a British curriculum school close to home
- Want one school from FS1 to Year 11, so there’s no forced move at age 11
- Want a fee that includes books, uniform and exam fees
- Have two or three children and can use the sibling discount
- Value proper sports and arts facilities without paying premium fees
It may not be the right fit if:
- You need A-Levels at the same school, since AICS currently goes up to Year 11
- A Good or higher KHDA rating is a must-have for you right now
- Your child needs very specialised learning support. In that case, ask detailed questions on your visit about what’s available
How to check it out
You don’t need to decide from a website. The easiest next step is a visit.
You can book a tour online, call the school or message the admissions team on WhatsApp. If your child is in nursery now, try to visit before the main admissions rush, so you have time to compare calmly.
When you go, keep an eye on a few simple things:
- Do the younger children look settled and happy?
- How do teachers speak to the children?
- How many children are in the class your child would join?
- What exactly is included in the fee?
- Does your child seem comfortable there?
If you can, drive the route from your home at drop-off time once before you decide. That one trip will tell you more about “near me” than any map.
Frequently asked questions
Is AICS in Al Mankhool? No. AICS is in Al Karama, which borders Al Mankhool to the east. The school is on 29A Street, behind Karama Centre near Karama Park.
What ages does AICS take? From FS1 (age 3) to Year 11 (age 16). Check the school’s age criteria page for exact cut-off dates.
Can my child move straight from a Mankhool nursery to AICS? Yes. Most children join at FS1, FS2 or Year 1, depending on their age. The early years at AICS are play-based, so the step up from nursery is gentle.
What curriculum does AICS follow? The National Curriculum for England (British curriculum), leading to IGCSEs in Years 10 and 11.
How much are the fees? For AY 2026–27, parents pay from AED 15,850 for FS1 up to AED 20,955 for Year 11. The fee includes books, a set of uniform and PE kit, e-learning resources, external exam fees and robotics.
Is there a sibling discount? Yes. 20% off annual tuition for the second child and 25% off for the third.
What is the KHDA rating? AICS is currently rated Acceptable. It opened in 2021 and is part of LEAMS Education.
The bottom line
When you search “schools near me” from Al Mankhool, you want three things: a school that’s genuinely close, one that won’t make your child move again in a few years, and a fee you can plan around.
AICS is a few minutes away in Karama, covers FS1 to Year 11, and includes most of the extras in one clear fee. It’s not the oldest school in this part of Dubai, and it doesn’t claim to be. But for a lot of Mankhool families finishing nursery, it’s the practical next step.
Book a visit, ask your questions, and see how your child feels there. Then decide.
The Apple International Community School 29A Street, Behind Karama Centre, Near Karama Park, Al Karama, Dubai
Book a school tour | AY 2026–27 fees | Age criteria | Call +971 4 379 7732 | WhatsApp +971 54 998 4536
Written by Gatsin, a digital marketing agency in Dubai that works with schools across the UAE. Fees and facilities are taken from the school’s published 2026–27 information.