Al Rabeeh School

Established in 2002, Al Rabeeh School (ARS) is a British curriculum school in Muroor, Abu Dhabi. It offers classes from Foundation Stage to Year 7.

Al Rabeeh expanded its offerings in 2020 to accommodate Year 7. Presently, the school is coeducational, with around 1,000 students currently attending the classes.

Al Rabeeh School is located on Muroor Road in the Hadbat Al Zaafran community. Family-friendly communities surrounding the school, include:

• Madinat Zayed
• Al Mushrif
• Al Sa’adah
• Al Manah

Hadbat Al Zaafran, or Al Zafranah, is a prominent mixed-used area in Abu Dhabi. The community features various rental villas and apartments. Parents looking to move closer to the school can consider:

• Apartments for rent near Al Rabeeh School

Al Rabeeh School has a modest campus in Al Zafaranah, Abu Dhabi. Besides well-facilitated classrooms, it has sports facilities, science labs and computer suites.

The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) students enjoy a scenic outdoor garden where they plant seeds and grow plants and flowers. Al Rabeeh School maintains a secure and hygienic environment where students feel free to learn, grow and explore.

Al Rabeeh School is located in Hadbat Al Zaafran, along Muroor Road. It is close to Al Ittihad Private School and The Philippine Global School.

Al Rabeeh School (ARS) was founded in Al Zafranah in 2002. It is one of the oldest schools in Abu Dhabi delivering the British National Curriculum.

ARS is a well established UK curriculum school that employs highly qualified teachers to impart the best learning experiences. The curriculum focuses on the holistic development of the child. For this purpose, Al Rabeeh has an exciting range of extra-curricular activities so that students can develop and pursue their passion.

ARS has been rated Good by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge. According to Al Rabeeh School ADEC report, the school has multiple positive features. Al Rabeeh School reviews by both students and parents have been promising. ARS’ bridging programme has resulted in a large majority of students being taught one year ahead of their chronological age. The teaching standards are good and effective, with students performing higher than their age expectations.

Al Rabeeh School LLC has a very effective self-evaluation process that helps them self-correct and improve their performance continuously. ARS has a Special Education Needs (SEN) policy to provide all students with the necessary learning equipment and resources. The school actively works to ensure that the Students of Determination attending ARS receive the required educational support, such as Individual Education Plans (IEPs), SEN Teachers and more. School counsellor supports students with their social, emotional and behavioural needs.

Al Rabeeh School offers classes from the Foundation Stage until Year 7.

Al Rabeeh School follows the National Curriculum for England and conducts classes from Foundation Stage 1 to Year 7. The curriculum is best adapted to suit the needs of the students of each grade level.

The Early Years Foundation Stage comprises Foundation Stages 1 and 2. Prime areas of learning in the curriculum are:

• Personal, social and emotional development
• Communication and language
• Physical development

The curriculum at this level also focuses on these specific areas of learning and development:

• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the World
• Expressive Arts and Design
• Reading, Writing (Phonics)

From Year 1 onwards, students are introduced to Arabic, Islamic Studies and UAE Social Studies subjects.

Year 1 students study:

• Literacy
• Maths
• Science
• Geography/History
• Computing
• Physical Development
• Phonics
• Expressive Arts & Design

During Years 2 to 6, students learn:

• English
• Maths
• Science
• UAE Social Studies
• Arabic
• Islamic
• Geography/History
• Computing
• Physical Education
• Art & DT (for Year 2 and Year 4)
• Music

Year 3 to 6 students undertake Cognitive Ability Tests (CAT4) at the beginning of each academic year. Students also complete summative assessments in core subjects of English, Mathematics, Science and Arabic throughout the school year.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) carries out periodic evaluations and rates all schools based on six basic criteria as listed below:

1. Quality of students’ achievement.
2. Quality of personal and social development as well as innovation skills of the students.
3. Quality of teaching and assessment.
4. Quality of curriculum.
5. Quality of student safety and well-being and the guidance and support provided to them.
6. Quality of school leadership and management.

International evaluators use a scale comprising six quality levels, as shown below:

Al Rabeeh School was rated Good by ADEK. Key areas of strength exhibited by the school are:

• The achievement of children and students in English, Science and Mathematics and the progress children make in English in the FS
• Students’ attitudes towards learning, their positive behaviour and their appreciation of UAE heritage and culture
• Teachers’ promotion of knowledge and understanding in the English medium subjects
• The relationships between students and their teachers
• The effective leadership of changes to the curriculum and staff structure

The school could receive a better rating by improving:

• Students’ achievement in Islamic education and Arabic language to make it consistently good
• Students’ skills in being independent and responsible learners
• The curriculum and lesson planning

Al Rabeeh School Calendar is approved by ADEK. An academic year at Al Rabeeh runs from September to July. Term Dates for the same are as follows:

• The first term starts in the last week of August and ends in the second week of December when children go on a 3-week winter break.
• The second term begins in the first week of January and ends in the last week of March, followed by a 2-week spring break.
• The third term begins in the second week of April and ends in the first week of July. The school closes for a 2-month summer vacation.

Al Rabeeh School is one of the established UK curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi. Prospective applicants can learn more about the school by contacting admissions@alrabeeh.sch.ae.

Here’s a breakdown of the Al Rabeeh School admission process:

• Fill out and submit the Application Form available on the school website.
• The school will initiate contact to request further information and arrange an assessment.
• Once an appointment is fixed, parents can visit the school by scheduling a school tour.
• Upon successful assessment, the school will reach out to the family with an official letter. Once this is signed, the parents will submit the necessary documents.

Before enrolment, parents must ensure that their child meets the age requirements and guidelines mentioned here:

This is based on the age of the students on 31st August (for schools beginning in September). Source: Al Rabeeh School

Al Rabeeh School fees are to be paid in three instalments over the academic year. The school did not increase fees for the academic year 2020 – 2021. The fee structure for each grade level is as follows:

Fees can be paid by cash, card, cheque or bank transfer. For more information, view the fee payment instructions. The sibling discount at Al Rabeeh School is as follows:

• 10% discount for the 3rd child
• 20% discount for the 4th child
• 30% discount for the 5th child onwards

Al Rabeeh does not offer catering facilities but encourages parents to provide a lunch box for their child with lunch, snacks and a drink. ARS has prohibited sweets, chocolates, fizzy drinks and nuts.

Bright Bus Transport (BBT) is a third-party provider of safe and reliable transportation services. The bus drivers adhere to the rules and regulations laid down by the UAE Highway Code and ensure that all passengers wear seatbelts.

BBT buses have CCTV and bus monitors. They are also fully interactive and keep the parents informed about their child’s whereabouts. Transportation facilities incur the following fees:

• One-way/Two-way service:
  • First instalment: AED 1,370
  • Second instalment: AED 1,370
  • Third instalment: AED 1,360
  • Annual fee: AED 4,100

At ARS, students are encouraged to pursue health and fitness. The school organises many sports-related activities and events to promote physical fitness and activities, such as fun and fitness week, cycling lessons, Yoga club and more. Al Rabeeh School is home to several sports facilities that students can benefit from.

Al Rabeeh offers an extensive range of extracurricular activities (ECAs). Students from the Foundation Stage to Year 7 can sign up for activities conducted by in-house teachers and specialist providers. Through ECAs, students develop their skills and talents in academic, sporting, arts and crafts clubs.

ARS also organises events and celebrations throughout the school year so that students can have fun. Some notable events scheduled in the past include:

Learning is essential for the development and growth of students beyond the classroom. Al Rabeeh School regularly organises educational trips and excursions for each grade. Year 4 students took a trip to the Louvre Abu Dhabi on one such occasion. Students have also visited Masdar City, Mushrif Park and Ferrari World.

Some clubs and activities occur after regular school timings, from 02:15 pm to 03:15 pm.

ARS sends out a list of the afternoon clubs and activities at the beginning of each term. These run for eight weeks. Parents receive the list and related dates through Class Dojo.

ARS has a clinic managed by the school nurse and follows the Health Authority of Abu Dhabi (HAAD) directives. To contact the school nurse, call +971-2-448-2866.

Parental engagement is vital to the smooth functioning of any educational institution. ARS maintains an active relationship with the parents of the school.

Friends of Al Rabeeh is a group of dedicated parents that meets regularly to discuss school development and organise special events such as daily parent reading, National Day celebrations and Book Week. To become a part of the group, contact maryam.alomari@alrabeeh.sch.ae.

ARS also has its application called the School Communicator. This app can be downloaded on computers, tablets or smartphones and provides parents with all the necessary information regarding the school.

Parents can read the school’s newsletters and gallery for more insight. Al Rabeeh also uses traditional methods of communication such as questionnaires, workshops, email and phone calls. The school is active on popular parent-teacher communication portals such as Class Dojo and D6 Communicator.

• Telephone: +971-2-448-2856
• Email Address:
  • General Enquiry: admins@alrabeeh.sch.ae
  • Admissions: admissions@alrabeeh.sch.ae
• Al Rabeeh School Abu Dhabi Website
• Al Rabeeh School Abu Dhabi Facebook
• Al Rabeeh School Abu Dhabi Instagram

Note that the cover image belongs to Al Rabeeh School