American Community School Abu Dhabi

About American Community School Abu Dhabi

American Community School Abu Dhabi Review

American Community School Abu Dhabi is one of the older international schools in Abu Dhabi and was established in 1972 on land donated by Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan. The school was founded with the aim of serving the American community, as well as students of other nationalities, within Abu Dhabi.

Overview

School class: International

School grade: All through

Review rating: Very good

Curricula oriented: IB, US HS Diploma, IB DP, Common Core

Yearly price average: AED 73,500

Yearly costs: AED 47,200–85,500

Price band help: Premium

Status: Open

Gender: Co-educational

Opening year: 1972

School year: Aug to Jun

Headliner: Monique Flickinger

District: Khalidiya, Abu Dhabi

Main teacher nationality: United States of America

About

ACS Abu Dhabi is a K-12, US/IB co-educational school located in Al Bateen, and hosts approximately 1,200 students. Over 60 nationalities are represented in total, but those with North American origins dominate, accounting for over 70% of the student body, made up of 64% American and 7% Canadians, followed by Indians with 2%. Arab origin students are very much in a minority accounting for approximately 4%. 

Its mission is to provide "a balanced learning program to foster excellence in academics, the arts, and athletics. In partnership with parents, we empower all students to define and shape their futures. Our dynamic and challenging educational program prepares a culturally-diverse student body for learning, service, and global citizenship".

The school was rated Very Good during its last inspection by the Abu Dhabi education regulator, ADEK, a jump of one place from its last inspection. 

ACS recruits relatively experienced teachers, but there is a good mix: the minimum requirement is a Bachelor’s degree with two years of teaching experience.   The school currently employs approximately 120 teachers in total with a further 35 teaching assistants.  This means that there is a very low staff:student ratio of 1:7 in KG and 1:8 through the rest of the school - ensuring plentiful individual attention for each child.  Staff come from 20 different countries and appear to very satisfied with their employer - on average they stay at the school for around 5 years.  This statistic is supported by a turnover of 11% at the time of the 2017 ADEK inspection, which compares well with the UAE average of 22%.  In 2015, the number was only 2%.  As a parent this means one thing - stability for your child.  If there is a negative, and that's only if you want to find one, a low turnover means that there are fewer new staff to bring a freshness and new ideas. 

The school is a member of NESA (Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools), and the school says it provides professional learning and collaboration opportunities for its staff. Not for profit schools in the UAE tend to offer more opportunities for staff to continue to develop professional expertise, and ACS seems to be no exception.  This again often motivates staff to remain at schools for a longer period.

Curriculum

The school offers a PK-12 American-style curriculum, but academic students in grades 11 and 12 are offered the opportunity to participate in the IB Diploma Program. Says the school: "Our school mission of cultivating well-rounded and responsible thinkers and leaders with a global perspective is evident in our many-faceted curricular offerings across the school, including a commitment to service learning at all divisions."

The US High School Diploma programme is based on Common Core State Standards [CCCS] and accredited by the Philadelphia, Pennsylvania based Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools [MSA].  The school also offers the range of standardized tests including SAT and will be offering Advance Placement programs from 2018-19.

The curriculum is described by Abu Dhabi's education regulator as "broad and balanced" with optional subjects available in the middle and high school, including art, drama, music, ICT, Spanish and French. There is also the opportunity to "enrich the experience" through extra and co‐curricular activities like sports and subject linked clubs. The school aims to develop independent, articulate thinkers and learners.

The Arts are viewed as a central element to the school, and this is felt in the voices of the Elementary school singers right alongside the exciting artworks of IB Visual Art students. In the Elementary school the focus is on Drama, Dance, Music and Visual Arts offered through individual classes in these subject areas. In Middle and High School, the Arts are split even further in their specific disciplines with students being offered an array of Arts courses to choose from. 

Sports are also a key area of focus for ACS and students participate regularly in competitions involving other Gulf-based American schools, including EMAC (Eastern Mediterranean Activities Conference) and ADSAC (Abu Dhabi Schools Athletics Conference), and now as founding members of EAC (Emirates Athletic Conference) and MESAC (Middle East South Asia Conference).  Sports include Volleyball, Soccer, Basketball, Tennis, Cross Country, Softball, Baseball, Badminton, Track and Field and Swimming.

Facilities

Facilities at the school are very good . It is also well resourced, in particular in terms of technology. However, facilities would probably no longer be described as best in class. This is a school where you pay for a record of success, its history, and ultimately its investment in its teachers rather than in the buildings.  Having said that, however, the range of facilities is none-the-less impressive for an inner city location.

The Main Elementary building offers KG1 - Grade 3 classrooms, Arabic language classrooms, an Art Room, Dance and Drama Studio, Media center and a Music room. The central, light-filled atrium acts as the entrance and is a pleasant gathering spot for parents at pick-up. Corridors and classrooms are visually vibrant, displaying the academic and artistic work of students.  A separate Grade 4 and 5 building provides at basement level, a multi-purpose space, Grade 4 and 5 classrooms, Grade-level gathering spaces and a Roof-top space for play and other activities. Elementary outdoor spaces include two shaded playgrounds: one for KG1 and KG2, the other for Grades 1-5.

Middle School (Grades 6 - 8) classrooms are built around a central outdoor courtyard. The tree-filled courtyard is a social space and the location of frequent academic activities: poetry readings, filming, recitation, etc. Additional facilities include an Art room, Choir Room, Drama Room and Science Laboratory.

The High School Building (Grades 9 - 12) contains most classrooms with a specialist Art room, Cardio and Weight Rooms, Choir room, Courtyard for break and lunch, Digital Photography and Robotics Space, and TV Production Studio. Middle and High School students share a Band Room, Fab Lab, Media Center, and Music Practice Spaces. Whole- school shared facilities include an Auditorium, Black Box Theater, Shaded (heated and chilled) swimming pool, two gymnasiums, two large playing fields, and a number of multi-purpose spaces.

Costs

Fees are premium - and could be considered Premium Plus considering this is Abu Dhabi where schools are usually commercially more conservative. They range from AED 45,400 in KG1, AED 68,600 from KG2 to Grade 5,  and AED 83,000 in Grades 9 -12. The school also changes a non‐refundable application fee of AED 300, an annual reservation fee of AED 3,000 to secure the place for the following academic year, and a one‐time non-refundable Capital fee of AED 18,700 which may be paid in full or in two annual payments on entry to the school.

Ranking

American Community School Abu Dhabi is a Best of school, a ranking determined by parent surveys on the site. It can be found in the following Best of rankings:

#161 in Best Schools in the UAE

#37 in Best Schools in Abu Dhabi

#9 in Best American Schools in Abu Dhabi

#9 in Best IB Schools in Abu Dhabi

American Community School Abu Dhabi Information

• Type		Private
  Language(s)		English
  Grades		K-12

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How do I contact American Community School Abu Dhabi

• Website: : www.acs.sch.ae

• Email: : [email protected]

• Phone: +97126815115