ABC Private School – Al Shamkha

📍 Al Shamkha, Abu Dhabi | 🏫 Established: 2014
💰 Fees: AED 17,900–26,190/year | 🎓 Grades: FS to Year 13
🏷️ Type: Private | 🧑‍🤝‍🧑 Co-educational | 🥉 Rated: Acceptable

🌍 Overview

ABC Private School is a UK curriculum school located in Al Shamkha, Abu Dhabi. Opened in 2014, the school serves a large and growing student body, now said to be over 2,000 students, from predominantly Arab nationalities. It currently holds an “Acceptable” rating from ADEK, based on the last available inspection from 2019.

The school is led by Mr. Ismat Ezzat Daou, supported by a senior leadership team with diverse international backgrounds including Lebanon and Canada. Instruction is primarily delivered by UK-qualified teachers, with Arabic and Islamic Studies taught by well-qualified regional staff.

📚 Curriculum

ABC Private School follows the National Curriculum for England, offering students a path from EYFS through to IGCSEs, AS, and A Levels.

📘 Curriculum Overview:

• 🧮 EYFS & Cambridge Primary

• 📘 Cambridge Secondary & IGCSE

• 🎓 A-Level and AS-Level courses (first offered in 2019–2020)

• 🗣️ Instruction in core and foundation subjects by native English speakers

• 🕌 Arabic, Islamic, and UAE Social Studies by qualified native teachers

The school claims a 99% pass rate in IGCSE and A-Levels but does not publish data to support these results.

🛑 Note: No clear details are currently available on extracurricular activities, despite mention of offerings on the school’s website.

🏫 Campus & Facilities

ABC Private School operates in a modern, two-storey campus equipped with:

🏗️ Key Features:

• 💻 IT Labs

• 📡 Digital learning resources in classrooms

• 🏀 Outdoor sports/play areas

• ⚗️ Science labs and subject-specific learning spaces

While the building is relatively new, it’s not yet known how well the facilities compare with higher-tier schools in the city.

🧑‍🏫 Teachers & Staff

• 👨‍🏫 Teachers: 100+ (mainly from the UK)

• 🧑‍🏫 Teaching Assistants: 5

• 🔁 Turnover: 40% (well above UAE average)

High staff turnover has historically been a concern at ABC, though the school claims to now employ more than 100 experienced educators.

👦 Student Body

• 🎯 Total Students: 2,000+

• 🌍 Demographics: Primarily Arab students:

  • 🇪🇬 Egyptian – 35%

  • 🇦🇪 Emirati – 28%

  • 🇯🇴 Jordanian – 13%

  • 🇸🇾 Syrian – 8%

ABC fosters a diverse yet predominantly Arab school community, which may appeal to families seeking a culturally familiar environment with UK academic structure.

🧪 Inspections & Performance

📋 Last Inspection: January 2019 (ADEK)
📊 Rating: Acceptable

🔎 Key Observations:

• Ongoing development of the Secondary phase (first cohorts sat A Levels in 2019–2020)

• High turnover affected consistency

• Lack of public academic performance data

• No current follow-up inspection published

The school’s Acceptable rating suggests that improvement is needed in teaching quality, academic transparency, and student outcomes.

💸 Fees & Value

• KG to Year 13: AED 17,900 – AED 26,190

• 💡 Positioned in the mid-range tuition bracket

• 📉 Compared to top-tier UK curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi, fees are relatively low

🏆 Rankings

ABC Private School is a Best of school, based on parent feedback:
⭐ #156 Best Schools in the UAE
⭐ #34 Best Schools in Abu Dhabi
⭐ #11 Best A-Level Schools in Abu Dhabi

✅ Ideal for: Families seeking a low to mid-fee British curriculum school with a large student population and a familiar Arab cultural setting.
🚫 Not ideal for: Parents looking for proven academic results, high teacher retention, or detailed extracurricular offerings.