Cities / Amman / The Little Academy
The Little Academy
An early-years specialist in Amman, opened in 2002 and authorised as an IB Primary Years school. Goes only to Grade 5, so it is a starter school, not a destination.
In brief
An early-years specialist in Amman, opened in 2002 and authorised as an IB Primary Years school. Goes only to Grade 5, so it is a starter school, not a destination.
Reggio Emilia inspired in the early years, then PYP through to Grade 5. English is the working language, with French and Arabic taught alongside. The intake leans heavily expat and diplomatic, and the school is one of the names that comes up first when families ask other parents about preschool and lower primary in Amman.
The campus is small. Some families feel their child has outgrown the place by Grade 4 or 5 and shift to one of the larger PYP-through-DP schools before secondary. Fees sit at the affordable end for a top-tier Amman school, around 3,800 to 4,900 JOD. Families will need to plan a school move at the end of primary, not question the quality of the early years.
Reviews
A small Reggio-inspired school on Al Iftikhar Street that has been running since 2002, popular with expat families looking for a gentle early-years and lower-primary setting. The day-to-day reads as warm and nurturing. The trade-off is scale: the campus is compact, the school stops at Grade 5, and families who want a longer runway will have to move on before secondary.
Positives
- Nurturing early-years feel. Parents describe a cozy, gentle environment with attentive teachers. Reggio Emilia influence shows up in child-led, hands-on learning rather than as a marketing line.
- Strong fit for expat families in early years. A steady presence on the shortlist for foreign families settling into Amman with young children. English is the working language; French and Arabic also taught.
- Affordable for an international option. Fees in 2025-26 run from JOD 3,830 in the early years to roughly JOD 4,200 to 4,940 in the upper primary grades, sitting at the lower end of the Amman international bracket.
Considerations
- IB PYP candidate, not yet authorised. Pursuing IB World School authorisation for the Primary Years Programme. Candidate status is a commitment, not a guarantee, and timelines for full authorisation can move.
- Stops at Grade 5. The school only runs to Grade 5. Families planning a long stay will face a secondary-school move, and the small campus means some children outgrow it earlier than that.