Cities / Abu Dhabi / Ajyal International School - Al Falah
Ajyal International School - Al Falah
An American-curriculum school in New Al Falah City, opened in 2016 as the second Ajyal campus and aimed at families settling in the eastern Abu Dhabi suburbs.
In brief
An American-curriculum school in New Al Falah City, opened in 2016 as the second Ajyal campus and aimed at families settling in the eastern Abu Dhabi suburbs.
The school combines US Common Core with the UAE Ministry of Education programme for Arabic, Islamic studies and social studies, and holds NEASC accreditation. ADEK rated it Good in 2023-24, a step down from the previous Very Good cycle.
Parent feedback is consistently warm, with strong scores for teaching, communication and pastoral care. Staff turnover seems lower than at many newer Abu Dhabi schools. The catchment is heavily Emirati and Arab expat, not the diplomatic circuit. Families looking at Al Falah usually weigh Ajyal against the GEMS-run options nearby and the Cranleigh or Aldar Academies further toward Yas and Saadiyat.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| School Bus (Annual) | AED 5,000 |
Reviews
An American-curriculum school in New Al Falah City, opened in 2016 by the Bin Omeir group as the second of their two Ajyal campuses. The student body is overwhelmingly Emirati, and Arabic and Islamic studies sit alongside US Common Core through to Grade 12. Parent voices skew warm: caring teachers, a tight community feel, and an attentive administration. The harder number is the ADEK trajectory, which went from Very Good in 2021-22 to Good in 2023-24, with attainment and progress in English, maths and science flagged as having slipped.
Positives
- Teaching and classroom warmth. Parents talk consistently about caring teachers, individual attention, and children who come home enthused. Named-teacher praise comes up often enough that it reads as a pattern rather than a one-off.
- Community and pastoral feel. The school reads as a settled, family-style environment with strong Emirati identity, mandatory Arabic and Islamic studies woven through, and a culture that parents describe as safe and welcoming.
- Facilities and safeguarding. Inspections single out the campus, staffing and safeguarding as the school's strongest pillars. The site itself is modern and well-resourced.
Considerations
- Academic results have slipped. The 2023-24 ADEK round dropped the school from Very Good to Good. English-medium attainment fell across most phases, with maths and science the weakest spots. Arabic-medium subjects held up.
- Support for additional needs is uneven. Identification and provision for students with additional learning needs is described as inconsistent, and the wider care and support system was flagged as having regressed since the previous inspection.
- Middle leadership and self-evaluation. Governance and senior leadership are well regarded, but middle leaders have been less involved in self-evaluation, and the school missed its own decline before inspectors caught it. A live area to ask about.
Leadership
Dr. Antoinette C. Brown
Dr. Antoinette C. Brown is the Principal Director of Ajyal International School - Al Falah. She emphasizes the importance of education in shaping the future of students and the community, promoting a student-centered environment that values academic excellence and personal growth.
Accreditations
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 01