International Community School Al Falah Review
The story so far...
International Community School Al Falah will be the fourth school to open under the ICS brand. In common with the other three schools - ICS Mushrif (which opened in 1990), ICS City School (Al Najda) and ICS Khalidiya, the Al Falah school will offer the US curriculum. It will also be the largest school in the Group with a total capacity for 3,500 students.
According to the Group, "The International Community Schools (ICS), Abu Dhabi, have a long and enviable reputation in the region for providing high-quality private education for students from KG to Grade 12, in both the British and American curriculums. Since its foundation as Ibrahimya School in 1990, ICS has developed from a relatively humble “villa school” of 200 students to the prestigious and highly resourced facilities of today, catering for over 3500+ students. ICS Al Falah will be our newest and the largest member of the ICS family, offering 21st-century learning and innovation skills."
The school will initially be open from KG1 to Grade 5, expanding year on year to Grade 12. Classes will be mix-gender from KG to Grade 4 inclusive, and for students in Grades 9 to 12 (once open), who take the school's planned AP College entry program. Grades 5-12 will be single-gender.
Average class sizes will be 26, with a maximum of 30, though clearly, on opening, classes are likely to be considerably smaller. The teacher to student ratio is expected to be 1:14.
Teachers will be recruited predominantly from North America and Ireland; whilst Arabic teachers will be hired from within the UAE. All teachers will have a Bachelors degree from an accredited college or university and will hold the ADEK teaching licence in addition to their specialty degree or home country licence, if applicable.
Also in common with the other schools in the Group, ICS Al Falah is expected to apply for accreditation through Cognia/AdvancED, ensuring that it is recognised for offering a genuine US education and a High School Diploma leaving certificate that will be recognised around the world for university entry.
What about the curriculum?
The new ICS Al Falah will offer an American curriculum using the California Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts and Math, together with Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for Science from KG-8. The Ministry of Education curriculum will be offered for Arabic and Islamic Studies, and Moral Education. ICS Al Falah will also offer Advanced Placement courses for students seeking university entry in Grades 9 to 12 and is expected to follow ICS Mushrif in offering the International Baccalaureate Diploma Program for which the Mushrif campus has been award Candidate Status for 2021.
Core subjects to be taught and required of students at each stage of schooling will include English, math, science, Arabic, and Islamic studies. In addition a range of other subjects including Art and Music, French and elective subjects will be available.
Extra-curricular activities at the current schools include Eco-Club, Student Council, Happiness Committee, Safety Team, Innovation Club, Think Science, Robotics, ICT Club, Book Club, Model United Nations, School band, Choir, Tournament of the Minds, Entrepreneurship, Physics, Math, Arts & Crafts, Heritage Club, Calligraphy, Qur'an Kareem, Arabic Reading & Poetry; Sports: Boys' & Girls' Swimming, teams for Football, Basketball, and Volleyball. It is expected that a similar range of ECA options will be provided for students at Al Falah, dependent on student interest and numbers.
What about the facilities?
Facilities throughout the campus are said to be of the highest international standard and include state–of-the–art interactive teaching technology in every classroom, 4 science labs, 2 computer laboratories and a technology/robotics lab, 2 art rooms, a music room, auditoriums, examination halls, various multi-purpose activity rooms, and junior and senior libraries. The school will have 60 classrooms, each with interactive white boards, and smartboards, with WIFI throughout. The plans for the school also include an innovation lab and a space exploration venue.
Sports facilities include an indoor gymnasium, a swimming pool, an outdoor grassed field, and two playgrounds. There will also be a cafeteria divided by gender with separate food services and seating.
What about the fees?
Fees at ICS Al Falah start from AED 30,300 for KG1 and KG2, rising to AED 36,300 for Grades 1 to 5. Fees for Grades 6 to 12 have been published, although these grades will open progressively after approval from ADEK. Currently they range from AED 39,300 for Grades 6 to 9 and AED 43,923 for Grades 10,11 and 12.
Book fees range from AED 300 in KG1, rising to AED 1,485 in KG2, and varying between AED 2,785 to AED 3,820 dependent on grade. Uniform and bus fees are additional to these fees.
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