Cities / Abu Dhabi / ABC Private School
ABC Private School
An affordable, ADEK-licensed school in Al Shamkha following an English-medium British curriculum, sitting at the budget end of Abu Dhabi's private market.
In brief
An affordable, ADEK-licensed school in Al Shamkha following an English-medium British curriculum, sitting at the budget end of Abu Dhabi's private market.
Fees run roughly AED 18,000 to AED 27,500 from KG to Grade 12, and the school enrols around 2,000 students across pre-K to Year 13. ADEK currently rates performance Acceptable, which is the regulator's middle tier. Families who choose ABC tend to be local residents of Al Shamkha and the South Shamkha communities rather than the embassy-circuit crowd.
Teachers earn warm word-of-mouth from primary parents, who describe staff as attentive and approachable. The most consistent gripe is on the admin side, with reports of brusque service at the registration office. As a low-fee British-stream option in this part of Abu Dhabi, it competes mainly with similar tier schools like Al Yasmina branches and other Shamkha-area academies rather than the Saadiyat or Reem premium set.
Fees
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Re-registration Fee | AED 2,000 |
Reviews
Al Shamkha British school that ADEK has rated Good for two inspection cycles running, with the latest visit in November 2025 confirming a steady picture under new leadership. The mood from families is mostly warm: small but positive parent pool, teachers described as attentive, pastoral side and safeguarding called out as a real strength. The wobble sits on the academic side. Internal grades look healthier than the GL standardized tests in English, maths and science, governance has slipped to Acceptable, and stretch for the strongest pupils is patchy. Mid-range fees for the city, AED 18,800 to 27,500 across the phases.
Positives
- Pastoral care and safeguarding. Wellbeing, behaviour and safeguarding consistently come through as the school's strongest ground. Attendance sits around 95 percent and families describe staff as approachable and responsive.
- Teaching and day-to-day classroom experience. Teaching holds at Good across phases, with clearer explanations and improvements showing in early years and primary. Parents who have left feedback talk about attentive teachers and a supportive feel.
- Cultural and Emirati identity. Strong work on Islamic values and Emirati identity, helped by a largely Arab cohort with a sizeable Emirati group.
- Fees and value. Mid-range for a British school in Abu Dhabi, AED 18,800 in the early years rising to AED 27,500 in Years 12 and 13 for 2025 to 26. Sits below the premium Saadiyat and Khalifa City names on price.
Considerations
- Academic attainment in standardised tests. A gap shows up between the school's own assessments and the GL Progress Tests, with weaker outcomes in English, maths and science in key phases. Extended writing in Arabic and English and scientific inquiry skills are flagged as underdeveloped.
- Stretch for higher attainers and SEND adaptation. Curriculum adaptation for gifted pupils and students of determination sits at Acceptable. Policies exist, but the classroom application is inconsistent, so the experience of the strongest and the most-support-needed pupils varies by teacher.
- Governance and leadership transition. Governance has been downgraded to Acceptable, with thinner accountability and stakeholder representation. A new principal arrived in June 2025 and the school rebranded from ABC Private School to ABC British Academy. ADEK inspectors credited the new leadership with bringing more structure after a period of staffing changes, so the direction is upward but recent.
Leadership
Paul Saich
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 02
- KHDA 03
Academic results
- GCSE Exam Results 2024 85% A*-C
- A Level Results 2024 90% A*-B
Location
1st Street, Sector SH22, Plot 8 - Al Shamkha City - SH22 - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates