Located in Al Manaseer, Al Bateen Academy offers a British and International Baccalaureate based curriculum. The school currently has just over 800 students, girls and boys, from Year 7 to 13, and in September 2019, re-opened its Primary section from FS2 to Year 1 initially and how now, as of 2021, opened through to Year 6.

Al Bateen Academy was awarded a Very Good rating in the 2021-22 ADEK inspection round.  It retains this rating for 2022-23.

The story so far...

There have clearly been some quite significant changes at Al Bateen Academy, part of the Aldar Academies group of schools, in the past three years. 

The first major change, after several years of sharing their premises with Al Mushrif Primary School, was the latter's relocation to form the opening cohort of primary students at Al Mamoura Academy, when it opened in September 2016. At the time, it seemed that Al Bateen Academy would enjoy - and be able to expand student numbers - through access to the entire building once the significant space used by the Primary school had been returned.

The second, and probably more significant, development was the result of the 2017-18 ADEK inspection, where the school lost its coveted Outstanding rating (held since the last inspection in 2015-16), with a reduction by two ratings to Good.  In early 2020, whilst Al Bateen was not yet quite able to re-establish its Outstanding rating, it did move up to Very Good in the 2019-20 inspection round. 

And Al Bateen is expanding - but not through its Secondary section.  Instead, a new Primary section opened with FS2 and Year 1 initially, and with the introduction of years 4, 5 and 6 in August 2021, is now fully open from FS to Year 13. With Al Bateen's sister school, Al Mamoura, offering a Girls-only Secondary section, boys who join the school can now transfer seamlessly to Al Bateen in Year 7.  In addition, female students who would prefer to continue a co-educational setting, are able to do the same. Al Bateen is fully mixed gender throughout.

Principal David Hutson, who had been at Al Bateen since 2011, and was among the longest standing Principals within the Aldar Academies Group, left the school for a new position in Dubai and his role was assumed, in July 2020, by Neal Dilk.  Mr Dilk joined Al Bateen from Nord Anglia International School in Rotterdam, the Netherlands, where he was based for eight years, having latterly been the Director of the school. 

With the impact of Covid 19 in 2020, it is not surprising that Mr. Dilk now feels that 2021 was his first full year in charge, given the implementation of Distance Learning and all the attendant changes caused by the pandemic.

Al Bateen Academy says that its aims are:

'To offer a transformational education focused on the skills and attributes that will empower all learners to succeed and shape our future as global citizens; To develop future leaders who understand that their positive actions can contribute to the improvement of local, national and international communities'; and 'To provide an inclusive learning environment where all learners feel supported, motivated and encouraged to pursue their personal best.'

At the time of the 2020 ADEK inspection, the Academy was home to approximately 810 students from a wide range of 60+ different nationalities.  Emiratis account for the largest single demographic, representing almost 23% of students, with children from Egypt the second largest grouping, accounting for 10% of the student population, and children from Jordan and India each representing a further 9%.

The school is well catered for in terms of staff with 100 teachers, 16 teaching assistants and a teacher to student ratio of approximately 1:11 - very much on the low side to ensure adequate attention to both individual and small groups of students. Class sizes average 17 students with a maximum of 24. Teacher turnover was at 16% which is low by UAE standards. The majority of teaching staff recruited are of British nationality, but the school also has staff members from Australia and Ireland. Teachers of Arabic are hired from Egypt and Syria.

All teachers hold a teaching degree, teaching qualification and have a minimum of two years’ teaching experience according to the school in information released to WhichSchoolAdvisor.com.

What about the curriculum?

Al Bateen Academy is one of a small number of Abu Dhabi schools to have been accredited with the International Baccalaureate (IB) World School Status, and the IB Diploma Programme has been taught since September 2014... meaning the school's first exam results were issued in July 2016 (details of recent results can be found here). 

With the re-introduction of the Primary section, Al Bateen has broken with tradition among the Aldar Academies, by offering the IB Primary Years programme in place of the English National Curriculum which had previously been offered to primary students when Al Mushrif  Academy (the predecessor to Al Mamoura) was co-located at Al Bateen.

This is a first for Aldar Academies. The International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) is designed for students aged 3 to 12. The PYP curriculum complements the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) already available to Al Bateen Academy’s Senior School students (Years 12 and 13).

All students study Arabic, English, Mathematics and Physical Education as the core requirements of the curriculum throughout the school. Depending on year group, the other core elements include Social Studies and Islamic studies. Students in the PYP programme follow the various units of inquiry alongside literacy and numeracy.

Students in the Secondary school follow an internationally adapted English National Curriculum from Year 7 to Year 11. Year 7 – 9 students study 12 subjects in total and have a choice of modern foreign language, either French or Spanish. Years 10 and 11 sit IGCSE and GCSE examinations from the Cambridge and Edexcel Examination Boards at the end of two years of study. I/GCSE students select five option choices which vary according to the cohort preferences. They also study core subjects of IGCSE English language, Literature or English as a Second Language and Mathematics, with some completing Statistics or Further Mathematics.  A total of 22 subjects is currently available. Planned learning takes place both within and outside the classroom. 

Having initially offered the British A Level curriculum, students in years 12 and 13 (Sixth Form) have now been studying for the the highly academic IB Diploma Programme, for the past five years. Students may also opt to take the Diploma Courses programme which is a less demanding version of the full Diploma.  We understand that consideration has been given to the inclusion of the IB Career-related Programme or BTEC (Business and Technical Education Council) courses which generally offer a more vocational route to tertiary education or employment.  However, these latter options are subject to approval from ADEK.

The IB curriculum focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the world outside. It is a framework guided by six trans-disciplinary themes of global significance, explored using knowledge and skills derived from six subject areas, as well as trans-disciplinary skills, with a powerful emphasis on inquiry. The IB Diploma students select six subjects from a list of 24 subjects available. In addition to the requirement to include English, Maths, a Science subject, a Humanities subject, and a language, students can also choose subjects such as Global Politics, Design Technology, Computer Science and Psychology.

We at WhichSchoolAdvisor.com wonder whether the decision to offer both the PYP and IBDP/CP could lead to the possibility of Al Bateen eventually changing its curriculum entirely to the IB programme, with the introduction of the Middle Years Programme for years 7 to 11 in future years.  This would make it one of a very small number of Abu Dhabi schools to offer the full IB continuum which has been such a success for Taaleem's Raha International School which announced the opening of a second IB curriculum school in September 2020.

One of the USPs of the Aldar Academies is their Academy of Excellence programme which is aimed at children with Gifts and Talents; a personalised programme that aims to enrich and challenge students beyond that of the formal curriculum. The Academy of Excellence provides the following benefits to any participating student:

• Recognition of a young person’s exceptional ability or talent;
• An extension to the educational challenges and opportunities both within and beyond the formal curriculum and any gifted and talented activities;
• Development of skills and attributes, like that of critical thinking, so students can achieve at a higher level;
• Development of passion, creativity and commitment in areas of interest;
• An opportunity to enrich, extend and accelerate learning;
  Preparation for University.

The extra-curricular CAS (Creativity/Action/Service) programme (a requirement for IB DP students) is described as "broad and engaging", and includes opportunities such as Model United Nations, World Scholars Cup, Sport, Music, and the Arts. 

What about the facilities?

As a (relatively) new school, built by Aldar, the facilities are - as you would expect - top notch. They include a research laboratory, 850-seat auditorium, art and ceramics rooms, music, dance and drama rooms, a graphic design area, music recording studio, recital hall, multi-purpose hall, 25m indoor swimming pool, full size Astroturf football pitch and basketball courts.

Support for learning comes from a well-equipped library, seminar rooms for small group teaching and video conference suites to facilitate links with other schools or education institutes around the world. During break times, students can use the cafeteria facilities, indoor social spaces, outdoor areas or enjoy the peaceful  atmosphere in the ‘Oasis’, a key feature in the centre of the building.

What about Academic Achievement?

Al Bateen Academy has been one of the few schools in Abu Dhabi to be open to WhichSchoolAdvisor.com about the academic achievements of its students - something we prize greatly, as we believe that parents should have access to this information as a key (but not sole) element of their decision-making process, in terms of the choice of school for their child(ren).

In July 2021, the Academy's IB Diploma results were announced by Aldar Academies centrally. In common with all UAE schools, examinations were cancelled as a result of the Covid 19 pandemic, 

There is not as much information as has been provided in the past (nor as much as we would like to see), but overall, the group revealed its students had achieved an average of 35 points and a 100% pass rate. One fifth of students achieved 40+ points and one student achieved the highest score of 45 points.  Unfortunately, the break down of point scored across the scale of 30+,and 35+ was not provided; nor was the number of students entered for the qualification. 

More information was released about I/GCSE results in August 2021, though no details of student numbers or entries were provided.  Overall, however,  17.1% of entries achieved a Grade 9, whilst 32.8% of awards were at A* (9-8), 49.9% at A*- A (9-7) and 71.2% at A*- B (9-6).  91.2% of entries achieved an Grade 9/A* to C (9-4) pass.

In 2020, the Academy announced that its overall IB Diploma point score was 32 compared with a world average of 29.9. 96% of students achieved the diploma compared with the world average of 77.8%.  No details of student numbers were provided.  

Al Bateen's I/GCSE results in 2020 were based on Centre Assessed Grades with 19.6% achieving Grade 9, 37.5% at A*, 56.9% at A*-A, 73.7% at A*-B and 84.9% at A*-C and 93% of all entries being awarded a Grade 9 to 4 pass.

These compared with UK National Averages for 2020 of 6.3% at Grade 9, 14.4% at A*, 25.9% at A*-A, 40.8% at A*-B and 58.2% at A*-C with 76.0% of entries being awarded at Grade 9 to 4 pass. 

Al Bateen Academy informed us that for the May 2019 exams for the IB Diploma programme, 44 students graduated from the IB Diploma Programme (21 boys; 23 girls; 8 UAE students). The average point score was 32.4 points, compared with world average of 29.63 and their own average of 32.2 a year ago. 92% of students' in the 2019 cohort who entered for the Diploma passed the IBDP programme compared with a world average of 79% and their own figure of 90% in 2018. Two students achieved 40 points or more, placing them in the top 5% of IBDP students worldwide, whilst two-thirds of all students achieved over 30 points.

In 2019, for iGCSE, 93% of 71 students attained passes in 5 or more subjects at 9-4 points (A*-C). 88% attainment in 5 or more iGCSE subjects at 9 – 5, including English and Mathematics (A*-C), and 59% of all iGCSE grades achieved were 9 to 7.  This is a significant improvement over the achievement for 2018. 

The 2018 IB results were published shortly after the school closed for the summer.  We do know that 90% of the 49 students who sat for the IB Diploma exams in May 2018 achieved the qualification - some 44 students - compared with the global average of 79%.  The average point score was 32.2 of 45, again above the global average of 29.78 considerably, and also ahead of the UAE average score of 31.41.

Again, iGCSE results were impressive, with 84% of the cohort of 90 students achieving 5 or more passes at Grades 9-4 (A*-C), with 81% achieving 5 passes including English and Maths at Grades 9-4. 41% of passes were at Grades 9-7 (A*-A).

As a non-selective school, Al Bateen certainly appears to be achieving very good results for its students.  The demands of the IB Diploma programme, in particular, should not be underestimated.  In previous years, the school also offered the option of AS Level for students in Year 12, since this was sufficient for local students to achieve equivalency within the UAE public school system and to move on to university a year earlier. 

As noted in our comments earlier in this review, Al Bateen has confirmed that it is considering offering the IB Career-related programme, together with the BTEC qualification as alternative pathways for students who are perhaps not so academically focused, or who plan to move directly into careers on completing their studies.

Al Bateen Academy also ensures that students receive guidance for university or college entry. As well as more general guidance the school sets up events such as open days, trips to different campuses, guest speakers from universities around the world and Skype meetings with university representatives. The process is designed to give students the clarity they need before making the life-changing decisions of which university, which course and in what country...

Students are also guided in how to approach their personal statements to reflect the true nature of their abilities. A good personal statement is now key to university entrance.

What the inspectors say

Having achieved its Outstanding rating in 2016, Al Bateen Academy had moved up the ratings in every inspection that had taken place - up from A3 (Good) in 2012, and A2 (Very Good) in 2014.  However, in the 2017-18 inspection report, the Inspection team noted that the composition of the school had changed [with no Primary school to influence the overall rating of the school - inspections were previously held jointly] and this appears to have brought sharply into focus areas of performance which were found to be no longer as effective as deemed in the previous inspection.

It will therefore have been a very welcome judgement in the first term of the 2019-20 academic year, that Al Bateen Academy was awarded a Very Good rating by the ADEK inspection team.

The inspectors noted that since the Primary section of the school had only been open for a few weeks, no formal inspection of these classes took place.   This has meant that the inspection has genuinely compared like with like in terms of the Secondary section and improvements are therefore specifically as a result of the focus of the management since the previous inspection.

Despite the inevitable concerns that the downgrade in rating most certainly evoked in 2018 - and, not by one rating to Very Good, but by two - we at WhichSchoolAdvisor.com, stated our belief that Al Bateen Academy had the capacity to re-establish itself among the small number of Abu Dhabi schools to have achieved the top rating. Whilst it has not yet achieved the two steps up that were required to achieve the Outstanding rating, there has clearly been significant progress in the past two years.

Among the six key performance indicators, Students' Achievement, Teaching and Assessment and Leadership and Management have improved from Good to Very Good, and the Curriculum has retained its Very Good rating. The protection, care, guidance and support of students was also deemed to have improved to Outstanding, reflecting the same rating for Students’ personal and social development, and their innovation skills.

Overall, the inspection team found that the strengths of Al Bateen Academy are:

• Students who are independent, ambitious and accomplished learners.
• The broad range and high quality of students' experiences inside and outside the classroom which develop their skills and values.
• High quality, personalised and responsive care, support and guidance.
• Leaders, staff and students collectively and successfully drive improvement.

The inspectors noted specific improvements which had been implemented as part of the response to the previous inspection, commenting that:

• There has been very good progress in addressing almost all the recommendations in the previous inspection report. Examination results have continued to improve since the last inspection.
• The quality of teaching, course content and programmes of study have improved in mathematics and in Arabic-medium subjects. Consequently, in Arabic, students now make good progress in developing their speaking, reading and writing skills and achieving higher standards. In mathematics, students now make very good progress in Middle and good progress in High and their standards [have] improved to good in Middle. However, both subjects are identified by the school as requiring further improvement and remain active priorities on the school’s development plan.
• Since the last inspection, the school has improved self-evaluation processes. Leaders at all levels are making more accurate and rigorous use of national and international benchmarks. This now needs to be rolled out to track students’ progress equally well in all subjects.
• The senior leadership team has been extended and now has a more positive engagement of Arabic-medium subjects in whole-school improvement. Thorough self-evaluation now identifies further aspects of teaching, learning, assessment and curriculum to improve further. With this increased rigour and accountability, the school demonstrates a very good capacity to continue to improve.

In terms of improvements recommended for the coming two years, Al Bateen Academy should:

• Further raise achievement particularly in mathematics and Arabic-medium subjects by:
  - continuing to embed a progressive programme in mathematics and providing regular opportunities for students to apply their skills to solve mathematical problems particularly in the high phase.
  - developing the mathematics curriculum in Middle to prepare students for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme (DP)
  - providing regular opportunities for teachers of Arabic to work with teachers of English to develop a range of effective strategies to improve students’ skills in reading and speaking in Arabic.
• Ensure assessment information takes account of all subjects’ expectations by:
  - developing and sharing with students’ assessment rubrics in Arabic-medium subjects
  - benchmarking students’ achievement against the highest expectations across all subjects.
  
  

 If you would like to read the full ADEK inspection report - and we strongly recommend that you do so - you may find it here.

The Buzz

The WhichSchoolAdvisor.com Parent Opinion Survey for Al Bateen Academy has generally good reviews from a relatively small number of parents who have participated with an overall score of 3.3/5 or a positivity rating of 66%.

Respondents for the most part that their children enjoy going to school quite a bit or even tremendously, and are very satisfied with the quality of education provided at Al Bateen Academy. However, despite this, two thirds of respondents believe that additional tuition outside school is necessary.

Parents are also happy with the feedback and disciplinary policy of the school. Those parents who responded had for the most part not considered moving their child to another school, and in fact would definitely recommend the Academy to other parents. 

If there is a bugbear, it is the always tricky issue of school fees.  Whilst 10% believe that they do represent value for money, the majority take the middle ground of being partially satisfied.  However, a substantial 35% disagreed that the fees represented value for money - significantly higher than the UAE average of 12%.  How much of this response is a reflection of the Distance Learning programme implemented as a result of Covid 19, - particularly as the majority of parents are of Secondary school students - is hard to assess.

Comments from one parent and one student (obviously a small sample, but none-the-less valid) indicate that our surmise in relation to feedback on fees is correct:
Parent comment - "Since the start of covid 19 it has been terrible. Even when ADEK said Year 8 could return back fully, the school didn’t allow them to, only 50%. The online provision has also been terrible."

However, we would reiterate that these comments are small in number and that, overall, there has been very limited feedback to our surveys from the Al Bateen Academy community.

We at WhichSchoolAdvisor.com would very much like prospective parents, staff and students to learn of your opinions and experiences at Al Bateen Academy.  If you are a parent, teacher or student at the school, please share your thoughts by completing our survey here.

Unfortunately, parent opinion surveys collected by ADEK in Abu Dhabi do not generally appear on the TAMM website.  The inspection report notes that "The school seeks and acts on parents’ views and ensures that they are involved in their children’s learning and development." 

Our View

There is no question that in common with all of the Aldar Academies, Al Bateen can be expected to deliver a high quality education providing strong academic results. Parents locally will no doubt also welcome the decision to open a Primary school on the original Al Bateen site, rather than having to travel between it and Al Mamoura to which the original Al Mushrif Primary, which was co-located at Al Bateen, relocated in 2016.

We think the decision to offer the IB programmes at Primary and Sixth Form level are brave, particularly considering the somewhat luke-warm response of ADEK historically to the IB.  However, there seems little doubt that the popularity of the Diploma programme in particular is growing with international parents due to its transferability and the very high regard in which it is held by universities internationally.  The popularity of Raha International School (the only full IB curriculum school rated Outstanding in Abu Dhabi, and one of only a small number of Abu Dhabi schools to offer the curriculum) may perhaps also have influenced Aldar's decision to go in this direction. 

What about fees?

Annual fees range from AED 54,490 in FS2, AED 57,220 for Years 1 -6, AED 58,650 for Years 7 ‐ 8, rising to AED 68,830 for Years 12 and 13, exclusive of books and uniform.  

These fees are premium, but realistically, no surprise. British-curriculum based schools are second only to IB schools in terms of fees due to the costs of staffing, and Al Bateen Academy is both. Introducing the IBDP, and now the PYP, is also a significant process and challenge for any school.

Note:  Priority for places in the school is given in the following order: Siblings of current Al Bateen Academy students, and Year 6 students from Al Muna, Al Mamoura (which is Girls only from Year 7) and The Pearl ( and other Aldar Academies schools) entering Year 7; children of employees of Aldar or Mubadala.

This school is in a Best School by parents ranking

Al Bateen Academy is a Best of school, a ranking determined by parent surveys on the site. It can be found in the following Best of rankings:

• #47 in Best Schools in the UAE
• #6 in Best Schools in Abu Dhabi
• #1 in Best IB Schools in Abu Dhabi

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