Abu Dhabi International School (AIS) is a private, coeducational K-12 day school licensed by the United Arab Emirates Ministry of Education. The school was founded in 1992 by Mrs. Jihan Nasr, dedicated to her educational mission. It has an international body of students and staff from over 70 nationalities. As of August 2011, the enrollment at AIS is approximately 3500 students, and the school reserves 5% of its student body to special needs students with learning difficulties. Over the years, AIS has gained a reputation for successfully dealing with a variety of learning difficulties and disabilities through a well-structured Special Education department.
In addition to its rigorous academic program, AIS is well known for its approach that fosters a "family atmosphere", making parents and students feel welcome. Since its beginnings in 1992, parents, students, and staff have felt a strong commitment to the school and community. The school was celebrating its 23rd anniversary in 2015-2016.
AIS provides its students the opportunity to graduate with an American program, the British (IGCSE and A-Levels) program or the International Baccalaureate Programme and join top tier institutions worldwide, such as Harvard, Stanford, Cambridge and the Sorbonne of France, as well as, regional universities in Lebanon, Egypt, and the UAE. The school also successfully prepares high school students to pass external examinations and assessments, which include ACT, AP, A-levels, IGCSE, TOEFL, and SAT & SAT Subjects Tests, IB Diploma Programme, and other achievement tests.
At AIS, we believe in supporting each child in becoming a lifelong learner. The AIS educational system includes academic and co-curricular programs designed to promote academic excellence and physical well-being, through which students discover and develop their interests and talents. The school also maintains a culture that promotes good habits of character and emphasizes active citizenship through community service and global awareness.
Education is an opportunity… an opportunity for a brighter future… an opportunity for the pursuit of happiness… an opportunity to express one's talent… an opportunity to change the world. This is my mission at AIS, a school that leads educational institutions to excellence. It is a school where children are accepted, nurtured, and provided with their needs and grow to become unique individuals. Our students at AIS grow with the idea that they are powerful beings who create their destinies through the regular exercise of good choices. Sincerely believing that actions speak louder than words, we, at AIS, seek to model this lesson throughout our school. We offer apologies, but yet we never accept excuses. This is what makes AIS a unique place and a different experience. This is what makes students of AIS pioneers in whichever field they wish to pursue.
Summary of ADEK Inspection
The overall quality of the school's performance is excellent. Teachers have positive attitudes towards improving their teaching and sharing best practices with others. Achievement is broadly useful, with some variability between subjects and grades. Personal development has remained steady, with excellent relationships and attitudes to learning. Teaching has improved in the majority of areas and is good overall. This has all been achieved through good leadership and management, where the whole school is considered an inclusive and caring learning community. Leaders have a clear understanding that more needs to be done to ensure all students achieve their potential, that the accommodation and resources need to be improved and that a few teachers need more substantial support.
School's strengths
- Progress made in spoken English allows students to use technical language in other subjects
- Attainment of students in a range of subjects by the time they leave in Grade 12
- Relationships within the school, attitudes to learning and students' contribution to the community
- Teachers' positive attitudes towards improving their teaching and sharing best practice with others
- The school is a safe and secure learning environment.
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