Cities / Abu Dhabi / Rawafed Private School
Rawafed Private School
A K-12 American-curriculum school in Khalifa City A with around 1,700 students, pitched at Emirati and Arab-resident families who want a US Common Core route alongside strong Arabic and Islamic provision.
In brief
A K-12 American-curriculum school in Khalifa City A with around 1,700 students, pitched at Emirati and Arab-resident families who want a US Common Core route alongside strong Arabic and Islamic provision.
The school is Cognia accredited and currently holds a Good ADEK rating. Fees sit in the affordable tier for Abu Dhabi, roughly AED 19,000 to AED 43,000 across the grade range, which is a meaningful gap below the British-circuit schools.
Parent voice is consistently positive on pastoral care, Arabic and Islamic teaching, and approachable administration. The English-stream academics are a rung below the city's top American-curriculum schools such as ACS or American Community School, and that tradeoff is the main reason to look elsewhere if a competitive US university pathway is the goal. For families prioritising Arabic-medium strength alongside an English curriculum, the school is a credible local choice.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Pre-KG | 3 | AED 19,120 |
| KG 1 | 4 | AED 19,120 |
| KG 2 | 5 | AED 20,250 |
| Grade 1 | 6 | AED 25,190 |
| Grade 2 | 7 | AED 26,420 |
| Grade 3 | 8 | AED 27,740 |
| Grade 4 | 9 | AED 28,770 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | AED 30,100 |
| Grade 6 | 11 | AED 30,100 |
| Grade 7 | 12 | AED 32,470 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | AED 32,470 |
| Grade 9 | 14 | AED 35,040 |
| Grade 10 | 15 | AED 37,530 |
| Grade 11 | 16 | AED 40,200 |
| Grade 12 | 17 | AED 42,970 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Books KG 1 | 4 | AED 750 |
| Books KG 2 | 5 | AED 900 |
Reviews
An American-curriculum K-12 school in Khalifa City A, running since 1993 under principal Fadia Jibreel. ADEK has rated it Good across four consecutive inspection cycles, with English and pastoral care standing out as the strongest pillars. Fees sit at the lower end of the American-curriculum bracket in Abu Dhabi, and the school is Cognia-accredited with AP options in the upper grades. Warmth, Arabic and Islamic provision, and a hands-on principal come up regularly in parent commentary. The recurring caveats are a plateau at Good rather than upward movement in inspection outcomes, and weaker mathematics results in the upper phases.
Positives
- Pastoral environment. Parents describe a warm, safe school where staff know children by name and the principal is visible day to day. Health, safety and support sit at the top of the inspection ratings.
- English and early years. English attainment and progress are rated Very Good across all phases, and KG provision is one of the school's stronger sections.
- Arabic and Islamic studies. Arabic-speaking families single out the depth of Arabic and Islamic education and the school's responsiveness on questions about both.
- Affordability for an American school. Fees run roughly AED 19,000 to 43,000 across the grades, which sits at the lower end of American-curriculum schools in the city, and textbooks plus most activities are bundled in.
Considerations
- Inspection trajectory. ADEK has held the school at Good for four cycles in a row. Consistent rather than improving, and no Very Good or Outstanding overall result has followed the long run at this rating.
- Upper-school mathematics. Maths outcomes flatten to Good in the upper phases while English and pockets of science rate higher. The STEM ceiling sits below the English ceiling.