A Pioneering Heritage
Since 1850, NLCS (UK) has maintained its reputation for providing an outstanding education. Founded by  Victorian pioneers of education, Frances Mary Buss, in her family home in North London, the original vision of the school was to give to girls the quality of education and the aspirations that, at the time, were only afforded to their brothers. The vision of our founder remains true to this day – we are a school which believes  fundamentally in what students ‘can do’, in never placing ceilings on what they can achieve, never ‘labelling’ them, and never writing them off. Strong in tradition yet forward-thinking and outward-looking, North London Collegiate schools provide an ambitious academic education, led by highly qualified, knowledgeable teachers through engaging and inspiring lessons.

True Academic Excellence
The Sutton Trust has described NLCS as the most successful school in the United Kingdom in placing its students into the country’s most competitive universities. Our 2023 average IB Diploma score of 41.3 places NLCS as among the best IB school in the UK for the fifteenth consecutive year, and among the very best IB schools in the world. Students at NLCS Dubai enjoy a quality of teaching and learning that enables them to strive for the highest levels of academic attainment. Our students have confidence in their abilities and are encouraged to believe in themselves, take risks and stretch themselves beyond what they thought possible.

Inspirational Teaching
We recruit some of the best teachers from around the world: they are highly qualified and inspire their students to discover a love of learning that will last a lifetime. Teachers are carefully selected for their love of their subject. They encourage students to explore beyond curriculum boundaries and discover their own passions. The school will feel busy and purposeful, with warm and respectful relationships developed between staff and students and between the students themselves. It is a place where everyone matters.

Our Ethos
We believe that a happy student is a successful student, and that with the right guidance they will be able to flourish academically and socially. Our teachers guide their students to understand academic excellence and recognise that it is attainable. We strive to provide our students with an exceptional platform for life after school, as evidenced by the many Old North Londoners in public positions across film and media, and in leadership roles within the arts, sciences, engineering, law and commerce.

Individual Pastoral Care
Each member of our teaching staff has a specific pastoral responsibility, ensuring that every student receives the individual support that they need in order to flourish. NLCS students exude a grounded self-confidence and a willingness to step outside of their comfort zone to try new things. Our pastoral care is designed to help students overcome any difficulties, whether academic, social or personal; we give up on no-one.

Beyond The Classroom
At NLCS Dubai, we understand that often it’s what students do beyond the curriculum that helps to shape their personalities and differentiate them from the crowd. All students will take part in an extensive range of extra-curricular activities, clubs and societies to pursue their interests and to discover a love of activities that perhaps they’ve never had the opportunity to try before. Whether your son or daughter is a keen musician, performer, artist or sports-person, there is a multitude of activities to cater for everyone. Alongside all that you would expect from a world-class education, we are keen to offer activities in keeping with Dubai’s location and unique heritage, such as equestrian and water sports, as part of our extra-curricular programme.