ABA Oman International School

In Brief

ABA is Muscat's strongest IB option and the right choice if you want full continuum from early years through the Diploma. The newer Al Irfan campus and not-for-profit structure make it particularly competitive for families comparing it with BSM.

ABA was the first school in the region to offer all three IB levels - PYP, MYP, and Diploma - and it has been doing so since 1987. The school moved to a purpose-built campus in Al Irfan (Airport Heights) which gives it facilities that are notably more modern than some of its competitors. With around 940 students from 65-plus nationalities and class sizes capped at around 20, it has a community feel that larger schools in Muscat cannot replicate. The not-for-profit governance mirrors BSM's model.

IB Diploma results have included two perfect 45-point scores in recent years, and the school's academic standing among Muscat families is strong. The after-school programme is broad, and the PTA is active. Families who have been at both ABA and BSM tend to describe ABA as slightly more progressive in its pedagogy, with the IB inquiry model sitting at the centre of daily life rather than being bolted on.

Al Irfan is well-placed for families in the Airport Heights and Bausher areas, but it is further from the traditional expatriate areas of Madinat Al Sultan Qaboos and Qurum. The enrolment fee of OMR 3,500 is a notable one-time commitment on entry. Fees at IB Diploma level - OMR 9,910 per year - are the highest of any programme at ABA and worth checking against your budget at the point of planning a Year 10 transition.