International Academic School Dubai is a private K-12 school located in Al Warqa 1, Dubai.

International Academic School has retained the Acceptable rating achieved in 2017-18 in the 2018-19 KHDA inspection process. An abbreviated inspection report can be found under the Inspection report tab. An update to this review will be completed once the full report has been published.

The story so far...

International Academic School Dubai was established on September 2006 as a private school for international students, catering to over 1000 students. Presently one in three students comes from the local Emirati population  - this is a decline from 50% in earlier years. Total student numbers have remained flat. 

The school has been in the process of converting to a full US curriculum and has adopted the Common Core curriculum for English and mathematics. For other subjects, the school uses the California State curriculum. The school’s syllabus is taught through an English medium with Arabic also being taught as a secondary language.

This year saw the school drop to a Weak rating (2015/2016) after maintaining an Acceptable rating for seven years previous. This is due to the fact that attainment and progress has fallen almost across the board, dropping in English, mathemathics, and science in KG and elementary. 

Teaching and assement also fell to Weak in the KG and elementary school, and worryingly, the school is rated as Weak in care and support across all of the school's divisions. 

The KHDA report notes that, "Students [are] rarely given the opportunity to find out things for themselves and to undertake individual research. There [are] many missed opportunities to engage in meaningful and innovative problem-solving situations in mathematics and science, especially in the elementary phase and
kindergarten."

In the current learning environment, SEND students are especially as risk. The report notes that International Academic School "lacks the systems and processes required to support students with SEND through additional interventions or in lessons. Consequently, most students [make] slow progress in their
learning and failed to make progress towards or achieve age-related expectations."

The campus itself offers a variety of facilities to encourage learning and extra-curricular activities including a fully equipped library with the latest material, modern science laboratories, a creative art center (for Art, Music and Drama), computer laboratories, kindergarten inter-skills room, cafeteria, conference room, prayer room, audio visual room and a multi-purpose auditorium. The school also has a number of sporting facilities including a football ground, basketball court and swimming pool.

As of 2014 the school fees, while far from premium, are not value end either. They start at 13,580 AED per year for kindergarten students to 25,464 AED per year for grade 12 students (not including additional fees such as school uniforms and transportation). Revenues should not be an inhibitor to the school's progress and this school has a lot of work to do to bring it back up to an Acceptable level. 

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