Cities / Abu Dhabi / Bright Riders School
Bright Riders School
Large CBSE school in Mohammed Bin Zayed City serving close to 4,000 students at the affordable end of the Indian-curriculum market.
In brief
Large CBSE school in Mohammed Bin Zayed City serving close to 4,000 students at the affordable end of the Indian-curriculum market.
Indian curriculum (CBSE) through Grade 12, with Science and Commerce streams in the senior phase. ADEK rating Very Good. Fees AED 10,500 to 21,900, well below British and American curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi.
Parent feedback splits in two directions. A clear group reports good teaching, accessible leadership, and value for money. A second strand, surfaced in parent surveys, raises concerns about academic standards relative to home-country expectations, fee increases, and bullying. Around six in ten survey respondents have considered moving their child elsewhere, which is a real signal in a school of this size.
Reasonable fit for Indian families prioritising CBSE continuity and a budget that lands well under the British schools. Pastoral systems and bullying response should be probed in any school visit.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Book Fees (KG1-KG2) | 4 | AED 400 |
| KG1 & KG2 | 4 | AED 10,550 |
| Book Fees (Grade 1-2) | 6 | AED 450 |
| Grade 1-2 | 6 | AED 13,630 |
| Book Fees (Grade 3-4) | 8 | AED 500 |
| Grade 3-4 | 8 | AED 13,730 |
| Book Fees (Grade 5-6) | 10 | AED 550 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | AED 15,220 |
| Grade 6 | 11 | AED 16,720 |
| Book Fees (Grade 7-8) | 12 | AED 600 |
| Grade 7 | 12 | AED 18,200 |
| Grade 8-9 | 13 | AED 19,810 |
| Book Fees (Grade 9-10) | 14 | AED 650 |
| Grade 10 | 15 | AED 20,400 |
| Book Fees (Grade 11-12) | 16 | AED 700 |
| Grade 11 | 16 | AED 21,190 |
| Grade 12 | 17 | AED 21,890 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| CBSE Registration/Exam (Grade 9) | 14 | AED 200 |
| CBSE Registration/Exam (Grade 10) | 15 | AED 650 |
| CBSE Registration/Exam (Grade 11) | 16 | AED 200 |
| CBSE Registration/Exam (Grade 12) | 17 | AED 650 |
Reviews
A large CBSE school in Mohammed bin Zayed City with a predominantly Indian-expat cohort and a Very Good ADEK rating in the 2024-25 round. Board results are a clear strength: Grade 10 and 12 toppers in the high 90s every year, and a regional first place in 2024 at 99.8 percent. The campus is substantial, fees sit at the affordable end for Abu Dhabi, and Ms Rachna Prakash is described as approachable. Parent sentiment is more split than the inspection grade suggests, with recurring themes around communication, value, and how the school treats families outside the topper bracket.
Positives
- Board results and academic track record. Consistent high performers at Grade 10 and 12. Multiple students in the 97 to 99 percent band in 2024 and 2025, and a 99.8 percent topper shared first place across Abu Dhabi in 2024.
- ADEK inspection. Rated Very Good in the 2024-25 ADEK round, a level only a handful of Abu Dhabi schools reached.
- Campus and facilities. A 36,000 sqm site with a 2,200 sqm auditorium, 25-metre indoor pool, science labs and a large library. Sport and activity provision is broad for a CBSE school at this fee level.
- Fees and accessibility. Annual fees sit in the AED 10,000 to 21,000 range, well below the Western-curriculum schools families often compare against.
- Leadership tone. Principal Rachna Prakash and her senior team come across as approachable in parent accounts, and long-tenured families speak well of the guidance their children received from Grade 1 through Grade 12.
Considerations
- Parent communication. A persistent complaint is that staff keep parents at arm's length and route queries to the school app rather than a person. Families looking for real conversations about their child describe this as a sticking point.
- Focus on top performers. The school publicises its toppers heavily and parents notice. Less is shared about cohort averages or how students in the middle and lower bands are progressing, which feeds a sense that attention follows the marks.
- Bullying and belonging. Bullying comes up often enough in parent feedback to register as a pattern rather than a one-off, and parents link it to how settled their children feel at school.
- Value for money. Fees are low for the city, yet around a third of survey respondents felt the offering did not justify them, and some flagged that activities once included now sit as paid add-ons. Around half felt academic standards did not match what they were used to in their home country.
Leadership
Rachna Prakash
As Principal, my commitment is to create a school where students feel encouraged to explore, supported to grow, and inspired to aim high—not just in academics, but in every part of who they are. We are laying the foundation for learners who are thoughtful, capable, and ready to shape the world around them with confidence and kindness.
Accreditations
- IN_CBSE 01
- ADEK 02
Academic results
- Grade 10 CBSE 2024-25 average 97.8%
- Grade 12 CBSE 2024-25 average 97.8%
Location
8GVR+QF4 - Mohamed Bin Zayed City - Z17 01 - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates