Cities / Abu Dhabi / Muna British Academy
Muna British Academy
Aldar Education British school on Saadiyat Lagoons, FS1-Y7 (expanding to Y13 by 2031-32), ADEK Outstanding consecutive since 2015-16; Estidama Pearl 5 campus, the first school in Abu Dhabi to hold this sustainability rating.
In brief
An Aldar Education primary that opened on Hamdan Street in 2009 and relocated to a new AED 300 million campus in Saadiyat Lagoons for August 2025, expanding from primary into a through-school to Year 13.
Muna held an Outstanding ADEK rating across multiple inspection cycles and was the first standalone primary in Abu Dhabi to do so. The English National Curriculum is delivered with strong arts, sport, and enrichment provision, and SEND inclusion is a recognised strength rather than a marketing line.
The Saadiyat move is the structural change to read carefully. Families who chose Muna as a small, central, primary-only school are now part of a much larger through-school, and the early-year cohorts on the new site are still settling. Parent voice from the Hamdan years was unusually warm on pastoral care and teacher continuity, and the early Saadiyat reviews suggest that culture has carried across. Sits naturally on a shortlist with Cranleigh, Brighton College Abu Dhabi, and Bloom World Academy.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| FS1 | 3 | AED 50,936 |
| FS2 - Year 6 | 4 | AED 50,936 |
| Year 7 - Year 8 | 12 | AED 56,538 |
| Year 9 | 13 | AED 60,496 |
| Year 10 - Year 13 | 14 | AED 66,546 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Registration Fee (5% of annual tuition - new students) | AED 2,547 | |
| Re-registration Fee (5% of annual tuition) | AED 2,547 |
Reviews
A small, well-loved British primary that has just stepped into a much larger life. The school moved from its original Khalidiya site to a brand-new Lagoons campus on Saadiyat Island in August 2025, and is in the middle of becoming all-through, with Year 7 in place and further year groups added each year until Year 13. ADEK has kept it at Outstanding through the transition. Parents who were drawn by the happy primary culture are watching to see whether that culture survives the scale-up and the move into secondary.
Positives
- Reputation under Aldar. Part of Aldar Education, alongside The Pearl Academy. Both sit in the next tier behind BSAK, Cranleigh and Brighton in how families talk about the Abu Dhabi British market, with a solid reputation for primary years.
- Happy primary culture. Children speak warmly about their time here, with trips and pastoral care coming up repeatedly. Wellbeing and student happiness are the things parents consistently put first when they recommend the school.
- ADEK Outstanding. Held Outstanding at the October 2025 ADEK Irtiqa inspection, and has carried the top rating through previous cycles. Leadership rated Outstanding across all six management indicators.
- New Saadiyat campus. Purpose-built Lagoons campus opened August 2025, with auditorium, science labs, and swimming pools, and an Estidama Pearl 5 sustainability rating. Capacity scales to around 2,600 from a starting roll of roughly 750.
Considerations
- Secondary phase is brand new. Secondary launched at Year 7 only in 2025-26, adding one year group at a time up to Year 13. Families joining for older children are buying into a section with no track record yet, and no GCSE or A-level results to point at.
- Fees stepped up with the move. Primary fees rose noticeably on the move to Saadiyat, sitting around AED 51,000 for FS1 to Year 6 and around AED 57,000 for Year 7. The jump from the old Khalidiya pricing has been a talking point for returning families.
- Arabic provision. Inspectors have pointed to Arabic-medium subjects as the area to improve, with reading fluency and writing coherence singled out. English-medium attainment is the school's strong suit.
- Identity in flux. The school's appeal was built on a small, primary-focused, family feel under longstanding leadership. Stretching to FS1 to Year 13, on a new island, with a bigger roll, is a different proposition, and the question of whether the original character carries across is the live one for current parents.
Leadership
Graeme Kinkead
I spent my formative years growing up in a beautiful coastal village in Northern Ireland before moving to England to study and graduate from Sheffield Hallam University. Prior to working at Muna, I have been privileged to hold teaching and leadership roles in schools in England, Kuwait and The UAE. Since arriving at Muna in September 2020, I have overseen the development of our pastoral care programme and have ensured that high quality teaching is taking place throughout the school. Throughout my time here, I have always been passionate about ensuring that school is a safe and welcoming place where children enjoy coming. It was a great honour to be appointed principal of this wonderful school in January 2024 and I look forward to leading us into our next chapter on Saadiyat Island. The opening of our first ever Year 7 cohort is a an opportunity I am relishing. No longer having to say goodbye to our students as they finish Year 6 means we can continue to shape our student’s lives through challenging teenage years. Combining a dedicated team of primary and secondary teachers will ensure that Muna’s reputation of delivering outstanding education lasts long into the future. Outside of school, I spend my free time with my wife and three children. At the weekend I enjoy watching my favourite football team play and when time permits it, playing squash and hockey. Over the coming months and years, I look forward to developing positive relations and getting to know all of the students, their families and the wider Muna British Academy community.
Accreditations
- ADEK 01
Academic results
- TIMSS 2023 Maths score 615
- TIMSS 2023 Science score 603
- ADEK Rating Outstanding (2025-26)