Cities / Abu Dhabi / Liwa International School Al Mushrif
Liwa International School Al Mushrif
A newer American curriculum school in Mushrif under the Liwa Education brand, opened in 2019, ADEK rated Good.
In brief
A newer American curriculum school in Mushrif under the Liwa Education brand, opened in 2019, ADEK rated Good.
Common Core and NGSS programme through to Grade 12, with moral education and tolerance threaded through. Younger phases run particularly strongly, with Very Good levels recorded in English, maths and science. Andrew Smyllie leads the school.
Fees run roughly two-thirds and half those of American International School and American Community School respectively. Early cohorts give consistent feedback on responsive leadership, friendly families and a small community feel as the school continues to scale up year groups.
Sits in central Abu Dhabi with an easy commute from most island neighbourhoods. Sensible for families who want US-track academics without committing to ACS or AIS fees, and who are comfortable with a still-young senior school.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| KG1 | 4 | AED 27,030 |
| KG2 | 5 | AED 27,030 |
| Grade 1 | 6 | AED 28,120 |
| Grade 2 | 7 | AED 28,120 |
| Grade 3 | 8 | AED 29,290 |
| Grade 4 | 9 | AED 29,290 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | AED 29,290 |
| Grade 6 | 11 | AED 30,370 |
| Grade 7 | 12 | AED 30,370 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | AED 31,460 |
| Grade 9 | 14 | AED 31,460 |
| Grade 10 | 15 | AED 32,440 |
| Grade 11 | 16 | AED 32,440 |
| Grade 12 | 17 | AED 32,440 |
Reviews
The newer Mushrif campus under the Liwa Education umbrella, opened 2019, on an American Common Core and NGSS programme alongside the MoE Arabic and Islamic studies stream. ADEK has held the school at Good through successive inspections, with Outstanding governance, Very Good leadership, and the strongest classroom outcomes concentrated in the KG and primary phase. Fees sit notably below the established US-curriculum schools on Abu Dhabi Island, which is much of the appeal. Areas the inspection flags as Acceptable, including mathematics deeper into secondary, Arabic as a second language, and innovation and enterprise skills, are the honest counterweight.
Positives
- Inspection track record. Rated Good overall by ADEK since the first inspection in 2022 and held at Good again in 2024 to 2025. Governance is Outstanding and leadership and management Very Good, with safeguarding and care for students described in similar terms.
- Early years and primary strength. English, mathematics and science attainment reach Very Good in Phase 1. Teaching in KG is rated Very Good in the inspection and the early-grade experience is where parent praise lands most consistently.
- Fees positioning. Annual tuition runs roughly AED 26,340 to 32,440 across KG to Grade 12, meaningfully below the American International School and American Community School on the island. The fee gap is the main reason the school comes up in conversations about US-curriculum options in Abu Dhabi.
- Community and tone. Parent voices describe a warm, mixed-nationality community and accessible staff. The pastoral side, including how the school folds care and kindness into the day, comes through in family feedback.
Considerations
- Secondary attainment patchier. Outcomes thin out higher up the school. Mathematics drops to Acceptable in the upper phase, extended writing in English and Arabic needs lifting, and Arabic as a second language sits at Acceptable across secondary. The strength of the primary phase does not yet carry all the way through.
- Innovation and higher-order skills. Innovation, enterprise and critical-thinking skills are rated Acceptable. The inspection also flags differentiation and use of assessment data as inconsistent in places, and attendance and punctuality as needing tighter handling.
- Newer Abu Dhabi campus. Opened in 2019 as the third school in the Liwa Education family, with the established sister schools in Al Ain. The Mushrif campus is still building its reputation in the capital and infrastructure is scaling with the roll.
- Staff-side feedback. Teacher reviews of the wider Liwa Education group are split. Some staff describe a demanding workload and tight management style; others point to professional development and a supportive principal. The volume is modest and not all of it is Mushrif-specific.
Leadership
Mr Andrew Smyllie
Mr Smyllie has dedicated over 32 years to education and spent 8 years as a school leader in the UAE. He emphasises creating a safe and stimulating learning environment where students are treated with personal care. His approach combines California State Standards with UAE National Agenda requirements, focusing on child-centred education that supports individual strengths while challenging all learners through a broad, balanced, cross-curricular curriculum.
Academic results
- ADEK inspection 2025-26 Good (Band A)
Location
C9WQ+79C Um Amar School - Um Salamah St - Al Mushrif - W24 01 - Abu Dhabi - United Arab Emirates