Early bird catches the worm in the Middle East's best schools Moving a family overseas is by no means an easy feat, and finding a good school for their children is undoubtedly high on most emigrants" list of priorities. Luckily, there is plenty of choice in the UAE, Bahrain and Saudi area, with skilled admissions teams to guide parents through the paperwork. As in the UK, there is competition for places at the best schools, in particular those that follow the English curriculum, the popular iGCSE or International Baccalaureate. "The earlier you apply, the more likely you are to get a place," said Claire Gasby, editor of Time Out Dubai. It seems obvious, but even if you're supremely organised, the most popular schools often have a waiting list of two to three years. In Dubai, in particular, there can be a bit of a 'bun fight" for places due to high demand from expat professionals in the area. Telegraph Expat blogger Annabel Kantaria uses the popular Repton School in Dubai, which partners with Repton School in Derbyshire and offers boarding, although the majority of parents commute. "No one wants to commute too far for a school in the UAE given most schools start at 7.40am," said Annabel. "Distances in Dubai alone are big enough as it is - my 'local" school is a 40km round trip." Boarding is a popular choice in areas such as Oman, where schools may be an hour or two from major cities. "Alternatively, a lot of people choose to home-school rather than use schools they're not happy with," said Annabel. Boarding and home-schooling is less common in Abu Dhabi, where the British School Al Khubairat has been educating pupils since 1968. Principal Paul Coakley says that parents are encouraged to find schools with academic and extracurricular milestones that they recognise from back home. "We see a lot of children move back to the UK for university," he said. As such, we have 250 students currently doing the Duke of Edinburgh award, just like British sixth forms. He says extracurricular activities are ideal for helping expat families settle in. "We run new parents coffee mornings to welcome arriving expats," he said. It's a welcoming kind of place where you will find people in similar situations, with similar outlooks. Summer holidays can be a challenge for working parents. If you do not have a family member who can help, many nurseries and schools run summer camps, or you can ask a maid agency to send someone for that period. Visit telegraph.co.uk/internationalschools for help finding the perfect school, and the chance to win a Fortnum & Mason hamper.