News

For families researching UAE schools, two names just landed in one of the most prestigious global education conversations of the year. Applied Technology School (ATS) Sharjah and Nord Anglia International School Dubai (NAS Dubai) have both been named in the Top 10 shortlist for the World's Best School Prizes 2026, the fifth annual edition of the awards founded by T4 Education and often referred to as the World Cup for Schools.

The recognition is genuinely meaningful. The prizes celebrate schools that are not just delivering academic results but redefining how education tackles real-world challenges, from student wellbeing to social cohesion. With public voting now open for the Community Choice Award and winners due to be announced in November, the next five months are an opportunity for UAE families, alumni, parents and the wider community to back two schools the world is now watching.

What the prizes actually are

The World's Best School Prizes were founded by T4 Education in 2022, in the wake of Covid, to celebrate schools transforming lives within and beyond the classroom. The prizes are guided by the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals and run across five categories, each tied to a major area of educational impact:

• Community Collaboration: building strong partnerships to create inclusive, vibrant learning communities
• Environmental Action: leading education and initiatives to combat the climate crisis
• Innovation: transforming learning through bold ideas, technology and new approaches
• Overcoming Adversity: showing resilience and determination to overcome significant challenges
• Supporting Healthy Lives: prioritising student and community health and wellbeing

The process is rigorous. Applications submitted globally are first reviewed for eligibility by a Screening Committee, then by an Advisory Board of education experts who narrow them to longlists. Schools on the longlist are interviewed by T4 Education before the Top 10 shortlists are finalised in each category. The five winners are ultimately selected by a Judging Academy of leading global education figures. In parallel, a Community Choice Award goes to whichever of the fifty shortlisted schools (ten per category) wins the public vote.

For the UAE, having two schools in the Top 10 across two different categories is a strong showing in a year when nearly 3,000 schools from over 100 countries were considered.

Applied Technology School Sharjah: Innovating for student health

Applied Technology School (ATS) Sharjah, a public secondary school, has been shortlisted for the World's Best School Prize for Supporting Healthy Lives.

The school has been recognised for pioneering work in student wellbeing, including an Intelligent Healthy Food Dispensing Solution designed by students themselves using emerging technologies. The system is designed to help prevent allergic reactions while improving nutritional choices for students in real time, an unusually concrete combination of student-led STEM innovation and direct daily impact on school life.

The recognition is significant in context. ATS Sharjah is part of the Applied Technology Schools network operated by Abu Dhabi-based Applied Technology Holding, which runs a number of technology-focused secondary schools across the UAE. The shortlisting recognises a public sector school in a category where international entries are typically dominated by well-resourced private institutions, and it underscores a wider pattern: UAE government-run schools are increasingly producing students whose work is being measured against the world's best.

The selection committee highlighted the school's focus on practical, student-led innovation that directly impacts daily school life, a notable contrast to the more typical school-level health programmes built around awareness campaigns and posters. The ATS Sharjah model is, in effect, an example of students using their own engineering and design skills to solve a problem they themselves face.

Nord Anglia International School Dubai: Reimagining community inclusion

Nord Anglia International School Dubai (NAS Dubai) has been shortlisted for the World's Best School Prize for Community Collaboration.

The school follows a British curriculum from Early Years through Sixth Form and has been recognised for reimagining community inclusion in one of the world's most diverse cities, embedding participation, belonging and shared responsibility across school life. The prize organisers highlighted the school's efforts to create a culture where collaboration extends beyond the classroom and into the wider community.

NAS Dubai is one of four UAE schools operated by Nord Anglia Education, a global group with more than 80 international schools and a strong record of academic and pastoral achievement. The Nord Anglia UAE family includes Nord Anglia School Abu Dhabi (which opened in 2023), the British International School Abu Dhabi, and Swiss International Scientific School Dubai (which joined the Nord Anglia family in 2023). Across the group, the focus on social-emotional learning, community engagement, and partnership with institutions including the Juilliard School of Performing Arts and Massachusetts Institute of Technology is a defining brand feature.

For Dubai parents weighing British curriculum options, the recognition adds external validation to what is already a strong institutional reputation, particularly for families who prioritise community feel and global outlook alongside academic outcomes.

What the founder of the prizes said

Speaking on the recognition, Vikas Pota, Founder of T4 Education and the World's Best School Prizes, said the shortlistings showed that the UAE's schools truly stand among the best in the world. He added that each of the shortlisted schools had, in its own unique way, helped prepare young people for a world that has never seemed so uncertain.

Pota also framed the recognition within a broader global picture, saying it is more important than ever that schools grow the leaders the world needs to face challenges from rising conflict and inequality to populism and climate breakdown. In their classrooms, every day, he said, these institutions show what works, and governments and schools across the world should learn from their examples.

For UAE schools and families, that framing matters. Both shortlistings are not just about academic achievement. They are about how a school's design and culture equip students for the real challenges they will face.

The wider UAE record in the prizes

The UAE has been a consistent presence in the World's Best School Prizes since their launch.

In 2022, the inaugural edition saw GEMS Legacy School in Dubai and Shining Star International School in Abu Dhabi shortlisted. Subsequent editions have featured a range of UAE schools across multiple categories, reflecting a country where private school provision is among the most diverse and ambitious in the world, and public sector schools are increasingly being recognised for innovation and impact.

That track record matters because the prizes are competitive and global. Being shortlisted is itself a strong external benchmark for a school's quality. Winning, or finishing high in the Community Choice public vote, is a more substantial recognition still.

How parents can support the two UAE schools now

The public vote is open. The Community Choice Award is decided by the public from among the 50 Top 10 shortlisted schools (10 per category, five categories). For UAE parents, alumni, current students and the wider community, the easiest way to support ATS Sharjah and NAS Dubai is to participate in the public vote, which is open now and runs until winners are announced in November.

For schools themselves, the recognition is a powerful boost in international profile, recruiting, partnerships and morale, regardless of who ultimately wins the category prize. For UAE residents, casting a vote takes a minute and supports two schools the country can rightly be proud of.

What the calendar looks like

The next milestones in the 2026 prize cycle:

• Public Vote is open through to the announcement window. Any of the 50 shortlisted schools can win the Community Choice Award based on the highest number of votes.
• The five category winners will be announced in November, selected by the Judging Academy of leading global education figures.
• All shortlisted schools, alongside the winners, will be invited to the World Schools Summit in London on January 16-17, 2027, where they will present their practices to global education leaders and policymakers.

The summit itself is part of the value. Whether or not ATS Sharjah and NAS Dubai win their categories, they will be present in London among the world's leading schools, contributing to the global conversation about what education should look like for the next generation.

What this signals about UAE education

Step back from the news and the wider pattern is clear. Across the past three years, the UAE has accumulated significant external recognition for the quality of its education sector:

• UAE universities have hit record positions in the QS World University Rankings 2027, with Khalifa University breaking into the global top 150
• The UAE Skills Platform serves over 200,000 students with AI-driven career and skills development infrastructure
• KHDA's renewed inspections framework and the 2026-27 fee freeze reflect a sector being deliberately stabilised and improved
• Now, two UAE schools have made the Top 10 of one of the world's most prestigious school awards, across two different categories

For families weighing schools for the year ahead, the underlying message is that the UAE is no longer a destination where international curricula are simply available. It is a destination where the schools delivering those curricula are increasingly being recognised as among the best in the world.

What parents should do next

Three practical things for UAE families.

First, if you are a parent at either of the two shortlisted schools, share the news with your family and community and cast your public vote. The Community Choice Award is one of the most visible recognitions a school can win, and it is decided by parents and the wider public, not by a judging panel.

Second, if you are researching schools for the 2026-27 academic year or beyond, look at the categories themselves, not just the school names. The fact that the recognition is split across Supporting Healthy Lives (ATS Sharjah) and Community Collaboration (NAS Dubai) tells you something about what each school does well. For families who prioritise student wellbeing and innovative health-driven approaches to school life, ATS Sharjah's recognition is meaningful. For families looking for a strong international community feel and an inclusive school culture, NAS Dubai's recognition speaks to that.

Third, treat global recognition as one signal among several. KHDA ratings, fees, location, curriculum, recent inspection trends and the specifics of a child's interests all matter alongside global rankings and awards. The World's Best School Prizes are a powerful external benchmark, but the right school for a particular child is always more nuanced than a single accolade.

For UAE schools, parents and the wider education community, this is a moment of genuine national pride. The fact that the recognition spans both a Sharjah public sector school and a Dubai private school is itself a reminder that excellence in UAE education is no longer concentrated in one tier or one emirate. It is increasingly visible across the system.

Sources:

Khaleej Times, "Two UAE schools among Top 10 global shortlist for World's Best School Prizes 2026" by Nandini Sircar (June 25, 2026). https://www.khaleejtimes.com/uae/two-uae-schools-among-top-10-global-shortlist-for-worlds-best-school-prizes-2026 

Dubai Standard, "Two UAE schools make global Top 10 shortlist for World's Best School Prizes 2026" (June 25, 2026). https://www.dubaistandard.com/two-uae-schools-make-global-top-10-shortlist-for-worlds-best-school-prizes-2026/ 

T4 Education, "World's Best School Prizes - Finalists and Winners." https://t4.education/worlds-best-school-prizes/finalists-and-winners/ 

T4 Education, "World's Best School Prizes 2026 - Terms & Conditions." https://applications.worldsbestschool.org/wbsp26/terms 

Templeton World Charity Foundation, "Top 10 Shortlists for the World's Best School Prize Announced from T4 Education." https://www.templetonworldcharity.org/blog/top-10-shortlists-worlds-best-school-prize-announced-t4-education