Cities / Abu Dhabi / Al Shohub Private School
Al Shohub Private School
A small, affordable Khalifa City primary school running a British curriculum, prized by parents who want a family atmosphere over a flashy campus.
In brief
A small, affordable Khalifa City primary school running a British curriculum, prized by parents who want a family atmosphere over a flashy campus.
Founded in 1999 and located behind Khalifa City Police Station, Al Shohub enrols a modest student body with average classes of 25 and a teacher ratio around 1:14. Fees sit roughly AED 28,000 to AED 33,000, which is reasonable for British-stream early years and primary in this catchment. ADEK rated the school Good in June 2024.
The school has BSME accreditation and parents consistently flag staff warmth, an accessible principal, and a smooth early-years transition for younger children. English-language progress for non-native speakers is a recurring positive. Families who choose Al Shohub usually live in Khalifa City A and want a smaller community than the larger primaries nearby.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| FS1 Tuition | 4 | AED 27,840 |
| Year 1 Tuition | 5 | AED 27,840 |
| FS2 Tuition | 5 | AED 27,840 |
| Year 2 Tuition | 6 | AED 33,420 |
| Year 3 Tuition | 7 | AED 33,420 |
| Year 4 Tuition | 8 | AED 33,420 |
| Year 5 Tuition | 9 | AED 33,420 |
| Year 6 Tuition | 10 | AED 33,420 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Fee | AED 2,000 | |
| Re-Registration Fee | AED 2,000 |
Reviews
A small, predominantly Emirati primary in Khalifa City A, now part of Aldar Education and rebuilt around a new principal who arrived in early 2024. The ADEK rating moved up to Good at the June 2024 inspection, with safeguarding singled out as a strength. Parents talk about a close, knows-every-child feel and a noticeable shift in direction since the leadership change. Two structural things to weigh: the school stops at Year 6, so families plan the onward move from the outset, and attainment in Arabic-medium subjects and science still trails the progress scores.
Positives
- Leadership and trajectory. Helen Morris stepped in as principal in early 2024 after running Aldar's charter-schools programme, and the lift in direction is the thing parents flag most. The ADEK rating moved from Acceptable to Good at the June 2024 inspection.
- Small, family-feel community. Roughly 540 pupils, around 25 to a class, with a teacher knowing each child by name. The intake is overwhelmingly Emirati, which gives a different community feel from the mixed-expat British primaries nearby.
- Facilities and safeguarding. Two pools, science labs, library with 13,000-plus volumes, sensory and OT rooms, all on a campus that feels generous for the fee level. Health, safety and safeguarding were rated Very Good at the last inspection.
- Fees relative to peers. Annual fees sit roughly AED 28,000 to 33,000, well below the AED 40,000-plus tier of premium British primaries in Abu Dhabi. The Aldar backing without the Aldar price tag is the main reason families pick it.
Considerations
- Stops at Year 6. The school runs EYFS to Year 6 only. Families need a secondary plan from the start, and the onward transfer is a separate admissions exercise rather than an in-house progression.
- Arabic-medium subjects and science. Attainment in Arabic, Islamic studies, social studies and science still came out Acceptable at the last inspection, even as progress scores improved. Higher-attaining pupils being stretched enough is also flagged.
- Still in transition. Aldar took ownership in 2022 and the secondary phase has since been wound down to focus on primary. The improvement story is real but recent, and the systems around it are still bedding in.
Leadership
Helen Morris
Accreditations
- British Schools in the Middle East accreditation 01
Location
Khalifa City A, Behind Police Station - Khalifa City - SE44 - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates