AGE PLACEMENT
SCHOOL ADMISSION AGES
GEMS World Academy - Dubai places students in age-appropriate grade levels in accordance with the Ministry of Education/KHDA regulations.
The IB programmes allow for a great degree of academic differentiation and therefore we rarely accelerate children into higher grades, nor retain children in a lower year group.
School Age Cut-off Requirements
To support children’s wellbeing and readiness for school, education authorities have introduced age cut-off requirements that ensure children begin their learning journey at the most appropriate developmental stage, while also creating consistency across schools and Early Years providers.
These requirements apply to new student admissions from the 2026–27 academic year.*
*These age eligibility requirements apply to children enrolling in a school or Early Childhood Centre for the first time, in accordance with the approved age cut-off dates. Students who are currently enrolled in schools or ECCs will not be affected by this amendment.
Useful Information:
School Ages by Grade/Year
(New Age Eligibility Requirements)
| UK Curriculum | American/IB | Age - Cut off Date 31st December |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery | Nursery | 2 Years |
| FS1 | Pre-K | 3 Years |
| FS2 | KG1 | 4 Years |
| Year 1 | KG2 | 5 Years |
| Year 2 | Grade 1 | 6 Years |
| Year 3 | Grade 2 | 7 Years |
| Year 4 | Grade 3 | 8 Years |
| Year 5 | Grade 4 | 9 Years |
| Year 6 | Grade 5 | 10 Years |
| Year 7 | Grade 6 | 11 Years |
| Year 8 | Grade 7 | 12 Years |
| Year 9 | Grade 8 | 13 Years |
| Year 10 | Grade 9 | 14 Years |
| Year 11 | Grade 10 | 15 Years |
| Year 12 | Grade 11 | 16 Years |
| Year 13 | Grade 12 | 17 Years |
School Ages by Grade/Year
(Current Age Eligibility Requirements)
The table below shows the current age eligibility requirements, which remain unchanged for all students who are already enrolled. These requirements will continue to apply for the duration of the student’s enrolment
| UK Curriculum | American/IB | Age - Cut Off Date 31st Aug |
|---|---|---|
| Nursery | Nursery | 2 Years |
| FS1 | Pre-K | 3 Years |
| FS2 | KG1 | 4 Years |
| Year 1 | KG2 | 5 Years |
| Year 2 | Grade 1 | 6 Years |
| Year 3 | Grade 2 | 7 Years |
| Year 4 | Grade 3 | 8 Years |
| Year 5 | Grade 4 | 9 Years |
| Year 6 | Grade 5 | 10 Years |
| Year 7 | Grade 6 | 11 Years |
| Year 8 | Grade 7 | 12 Years |
| Year 9 | Grade 8 | 13 Years |
| Year 10 | Grade 9 | 14 Years |
| Year 11 | Grade 10 | 15 Years |
| Year 12 | Grade 11 | 16 Years |
| Year 13 | Grade 12 | 17 Years |
*Applicable for all new Nursery/FS1/Pre-KG – Year 2/Grade 1 students; further information can be found here.
*Year 3/Grade 2 students – Year 13/ Grade 12, Transfer Certificate will be followed.