Cities / Abu Dhabi / GEMS Cambridge International School Abu Dhabi
GEMS Cambridge International School Abu Dhabi
A mid-fee GEMS British school in East Baniyas offering education through to Year 13, rated Very Good by ADEK in 2023-24.
In brief
A mid-fee GEMS British school in East Baniyas, all the way through to Year 13, rated Very Good by ADEK in 2023-24.
Sits in Bawabat Al Sharq, Baniyas City, well off the island, which keeps the price point lower than the central British schools and pulls in around 3,500 students across 80-plus nationalities. Opened 2013, graduated its first Year 13 cohort in 2019-20.
The signal on teachers is mixed. Most families describe warm, attentive classroom culture and strong pastoral care. The recurring caveat is year-on-year inconsistency, where one cohort lands a strong teacher and the next does not. Visit the actual year group your child would join rather than relying on a generic tour.
Facilities are solid for the fee tier, with a 25m pool, science labs, art and music spaces. Sensible option for families based in Baniyas, Khalifa City or Mohammed Bin Zayed who want a UK pathway without paying island prices.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-KG (FS 1) | 3 | AED 23,060 |
| KG 1 (FS 2) | 4 | AED 23,730 |
| KG 2 (Year 1) | 5 | AED 28,430 |
| Grade 1 (Year 2) | 6 | AED 28,430 |
| Grade 2 (Year 3) | 7 | AED 30,950 |
| Grade 3 (Year 4) | 8 | AED 30,950 |
| Grade 4 (Year 5) | 9 | AED 33,240 |
| Grade 5 (Year 6) | 10 | AED 33,240 |
| Grade 6 (Year 7) | 11 | AED 35,640 |
| Grade 7 (Year 8) | 12 | AED 35,640 |
| Grade 8 (Year 9) | 13 | AED 37,940 |
| Grade 9 (Year 10) | 14 | AED 37,940 |
| Grade 10 (Year 11) | 15 | AED 39,200 |
| Grade 11 (Year 12) | 16 | AED 40,340 |
| Grade 12 (Year 13) | 17 | AED 40,340 |
Reviews
A mid-tier British school in Baniyas, GEMS-operated and Cambridge through to A Level. ADEK Very Good since 2022 and held there in the most recent cycle. The headline pitch is a UK curriculum at fees that sit well below the island's premium British names, and that trade-off shapes most of what parents say about it. Long-tenured families talk warmly about teachers and the breadth on offer. The aggregate survey pool is more polarised, with value for money and communication the recurring soft spots.
Positives
- Academic standing. Very Good with ADEK across consecutive cycles, with post-16 attainment in English, maths and science rated outstanding at the most recent full inspection. Cambridge IGCSE and A Level cohorts sit comfortably above UK national averages.
- Teaching and pastoral feel. The recurring note from long-tenured families is warmth and care, particularly in foundation and lower primary. Alumni who spent the full run describe staff as engaged and the day-to-day environment as steady.
- Value for money. Fees of roughly AED 23,000 to 40,000 put a fully kitted UK-curriculum campus, with 25m pool, science labs and sports pitches, at a fraction of what comparable schools on the island charge. For families south of the bridges, the maths is the headline.
Considerations
- Scale and capacity. Around 3,500 pupils across all year groups, with families from 88 nationalities and Pakistani, Indian and Egyptian intake the largest blocks. The school typically runs near full and operates a waitlist for most year groups, with secondary the more reliable entry point.
- Parent satisfaction pool. Independent parent surveys come in noticeably more polarised than the long-form reviews. A meaningful share say they would not recommend, with value for money and clarity on academic progress the most cited soft spots. Long-tenured families and shorter-tenure parents read the school quite differently.
- Communication. Parents flag school-to-home communication as patchy. The pattern is more about consistency than tone, with information about progress and day-to-day operations the areas families ask about most.
- Brand positioning within GEMS. Owned by GEMS Education and part of its value-tier Cambridge sub-brand, distinct from the premium GEMS World Academy. The campus, sports footprint and curriculum breadth read as serious; the price point and class sizes reflect the volume model.
Leadership
Hazel Govender
I have over 20 years of Headship experience across Northern Ireland, England, and Ireland. Appointed in 2004 as Northern Ireland’s youngest principal, I founded Phoenix Integrated Primary School, a cross-community initiative recognised for its contribution to peace and inclusion. I later served as Headmaster of St Edward’s Prep, Cheltenham, where the school advanced from “good” to “excellent” for three successive inspections. My most recent Headship was with Castle Park Dublin, a Prep School where I led the school to its first ever Excellent level inspection, expanded its age range provision, and increased student numbers. For several years I have served as an inspector with the UK Independent Schools Inspectorate and as National Chair of Inspections for the Independent Schools Association. I bring to CIA a deep commitment to the school family, an aspiration for excellence, creativity, innovation and the development of every learner’s potential.
Location
6th St, Baniyas East, Near - Mall - Bani Yas - Bawabat Al Sharq - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates