Abu Dhabi's 16 Best Schools: 2016 Update

2015 saw the new UAE-wide inspection framework implemented for the first time. Gone are the A-C bands and Grades of previous inspections, instead the new-look reports rank schools from Outstanding through to Very Poor. However, as Abu Dhabi works on a 2 year inspection cycle, it won't be until mid 2017, that we will know exactly how every school in the Emirate ranks in the new categories.

The good news is though, over half the new inspections have now been completed and the third and final cycle of reports published, so WhichSchoolAdvisor.com decided to take an in-depth look at the new reports and profile Abu Dhabi's best schools so far.

The Outstanding Schools

This round of inspections saw the first four schools in the Emirate to secure ADEC's top rating- Outstanding. These were; Aldar Academies’ Al Bateen Secondary-Al Mushrif Private School, Al Muna Primary School, Raha International School and Bloom Academy/Brighton College Al Ain.

Schools Rated Very Good

Twelve schools scored a Very Good rating this year, these were; GEMS American Academy Abu Dhabi, GEMS World Academy, German International School, The Japanese School of Abu Dhabi, Pearl Primary School, Merryland International School, The British International School Abu Dhabi, Al Yasmina School, Repton Foundation School, Sheikh Zayed Academy for Girls, The American International School of Abu Dhabi and Al Ain International Private School.

Three of these experienced the inspection for the first time: Al Ain International Private School, Sheikh Zayed Academy for Girls and Repton Foundation School.

Impressive improvement was seen in this band from; GEMS American Academy Abu Dhabi, which moved from a B5 rating (old system) and The British International School, previously rated B4. Both schools made an impressive leap from lower Satisfactory to Very Good.

Curriculum Breakdowns

This year, saw ADEC inspect 21 British curriculum schools, six IB and combined IB schools, 10 Indian Schools, 28 US and US combined schools and more.

The UK curriculum performed very well with three of the four schools rated Outstanding (Bloom Academy, Al Bateen/Al Mushrif and Al Muna Primary School). In addition five UK curriculum schools were rated Very Good, (Al Ain International Private School, Al Yasmina Private School, Merryland International School, Repton Foundation School and Pearl Primary School.

In total, seven IB and combined IB schools were inspected this year, of these one was Outstanding (Raha International), three Very Good, (GEMS World Academy, The American International School of Abu Dhabi and The British International School of Abu Dhabi).

Of the 12 'pure' US curriculum schools only two (GEMS World Academy and Sheikh Zayed Academy for Girls) were rated Very Good.

Fee Affordability

Once again, Very Good rated Merryland International School remains the most affordable quality education with fees between AED 12,600 and AED 27,800. The Japanese School (also rated Very Good) costs a flat rate of AED 29,580. The remainder of the Outstanding and Very Good schools cost on average between AED 40,000 to AED 60,000+ per year.

Read on for the full Top 16...