Amity International School Abu Dhabi, Abu Dhabi

British-curriculum school in Al Bahya, opened 2015 by the Indian Amity Education group, growing fast and pitched at the mid-premium tier.

Around 1,200 students, FS1 to Year 13, English National Curriculum into IGCSEs and A Levels. CIS and BSME accredited. Outstanding in the 2023 BSO inspection. Fees in the AED 47,000 to 66,000 range.

Distinctive feature is the Royal Yachting Association watersports academy on site, with sailing, kayaking, and paddle-boarding programmed into the school week. Olympic-size pool and dance and Pilates studios that parents can use as well. Parent feedback emphasises a warm community feel, accessible leadership, and steady academic progress for younger children.

Useful option for families in the northern suburbs who want a credible British school without Brighton or Cranleigh fees, and who value sport and outdoor activity in the offer.

Year level	Age	Fee
FS1	3	AED 47,000
FS2	4	AED 48,360
Year 1	5	AED 51,270
Year 2	6	AED 51,270
Year 3	7	AED 55,280
Year 4	8	AED 55,280
Year 5	9	AED 55,280
Year 6	10	AED 55,280
Year 7	11	AED 59,860
Year 8	12	AED 59,860
Year 9	13	AED 59,860
Year 10	14	AED 66,220
Year 11	15	AED 66,220
Year 12	16	AED 66,220
Year 13	17	AED 66,220

Year level

Age

Fee

FS1

AED 47,000

FS2

AED 48,360

Year 1

AED 51,270

Year 2

AED 51,270

Year 3

AED 55,280

Year 4

AED 55,280

Year 5

AED 55,280

Year 6

AED 55,280

Year 7

AED 59,860

Year 8

AED 59,860

Year 9

AED 59,860

Year 10

AED 66,220

Year 11

AED 66,220

Year 12

AED 66,220

Year 13

AED 66,220

A coastal Al Bahya campus with the trappings of a full-service British school: 50-metre pool, boathouse, sailing programme, 200-plus co-curriculars, and an arts and performing-arts offer that runs deeper than most peers. Inspectors hold the school at Very Good, with leadership and pastoral care marked Outstanding under Dr Sarah Wade, who took over in 2023. Primary years are where the school is strongest. Sixth Form is the soft spot, with English, maths, and science attainment slipping in upper secondary and the school still choosing not to publish full results or destinations. Fees sit in the premium band, and not every parent finds the value compelling.

Considerations

Sixth Form and upper-secondary academics. Inspectors flagged a regression in Phase 4. Science attainment slipped from Good to Acceptable; English and maths fell from Very Good to Good. 2025 A-Level: 25.6 percent A*/A, 48 percent A*-B, across 125 entries. The school does not publish full results, destinations, or cohort sizes, which makes the Sixth Form harder to compare against other British schools in the city.
Fees and value. Annual fees of AED 47,000 to 66,220 sit in the premium band. About half of parents fully agree the fees represent good value; the rest are more measured. Bus and any learning-support assistant cost extra.
Arabic provision. Arabic attainment as a first and second language is rated Weak across phases by inspectors. A structural soft spot in a school where roughly a quarter of pupils are Emirati.
Communication volume. Parents describe school communication as wide-ranging but sometimes overwhelming. Open access to leadership is a plus; the volume of channels and messages is the trade some parents flag.
Ownership and group context. Part of Amity Education Group, a not-for-profit foundation headquartered in India, with sister schools in Dubai, Sharjah, Singapore, London, and Amstelveen. The not-for-profit structure is part of why fees, while premium, are framed by the school as reinvested. The wider group brand carries no transferable academic guarantee.

Pastoral care and school culture. Warm, inclusive, parent-facing culture comes up repeatedly. Inspectors rate care, safeguarding, and inclusion Outstanding. Most children are happy at school, behaviour is calm, and relationships with staff are a strength.

Facilities and co-curricular breadth. Olympic-standard 50-metre pool, RYA-accredited boathouse, extensive pitches, and arts and music provision that runs above the local average. Over 200 clubs and activities. Parents can use the pool, dance studio, and watersports kit at set times.

Leadership under Dr Sarah Wade. Joined in 2023 from the Amstelveen sister school, with prior years at Qatar Foundation. Leadership rated Outstanding by inspectors. Vision around student-centred learning is clearly set and visible in day-to-day school life.

Primary phase. Lower years are where the school is most consistent. Achievement in English, maths, and science is Very Good across Kindergarten, Cycle 1, and Cycle 2.

Dr. Sarah Wade