International Community School (ICS) Al Mushrif

International Community School (ICS) AL Mushrif is a private K12 school located at the centre of the Abu Dhabi Island in Al Mushrif region. Established in 1990, it is the oldest branch of ICS with the City Centre campus in Al Najda and Khalidiyah Campus in Al Khalidiya. International Community School Al Mushrif follows the US curriculum from Kindergarten to Grade 12.

It is a co-educational school where boys and girls study together from kindergarten to Grade 4. Students opting for the AP Programme in Grade 9 to Grade 12 also study in a mixed-gender setting. Currently, the school has over 1,400 students from 40 nationalities, predominantly local Emiratis. Teachers belong from 19 different nationalities with a majority of them from North America and Ireland. The teaching staff has 99 full-time teachers and 13 teaching assistants. The teacher to student ratio throughout the campus is 1:14, ensuring adequate attention and care. All the teachers at this school have a bachelors’ degree in their respective fields and the ADEK teaching licence.

The educational programme is based on the California State Core Standards and the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS). Students also have the option of pursuing Advanced Placement (AP) courses in the high school stage. The school is accredited by AdvancED – a non-profit and non-governmental organisation that accredits schools throughout the world. The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) rated the performance of the school as ‘good’. The facilities available at the main campus are satisfactory and fully support the educational and non-educational activities. Most extra-curricular activities at this school are offered as the after-school care programme that ensures all-round development of students. Read this guide by Bayut to learn more about the International Community School Al Mushrif.

The school is located right at the centre of the Al Mushrif community in Abu Dhabi. Al Mushrif is considered as one of the prime localities due to its proximity to Al Khaleej Al Arabi Street and Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street. Largely consisting of affordable villas and apartments, this community is popular among individuals and families alike. The following nearby residential communities exist around the International Community School (ICS) Al Mushrif:

• Hadbat Al Zaafran
• Al Nahyan
• Capital Centre
• Al Bateen

Hadbat Al Zaafran, a mixed-used suburb in Abu Dhabi, is nearest to ICS Al Mushrif. It offers incredible residential options for all, including large private villas for larger families and small but luxurious apartments for smaller families. Moreover, it consists of various commercial and multipurpose projects including government offices, healthcare institutes, schools, shopping malls, restaurants and much more.

• Apartments for rent near International Community School Al Mushrif
• Villas for rent near International Community School Al Mushrif
• Villas for sale near International Community School Al Mushrif

ICS Al Mushrif houses several high-end school facilities for its students. Classrooms of Al Mushrif Campus are bright and spacious. They are equipped with comfortable furniture and technology, such as interactive whiteboards. To support science-based subjects, the school has separate science laboratories for junior and senior students. Furthermore, the campus has music and art rooms where students practise their artistic and music-related skills. Other noteworthy facilities at the ICS Al Mushrif are examination halls and school clinic.

The school has separate sports-related facilities for junior and senior students. The sports-related facilities available to students are the indoor hall with ping pong setup, full-sized indoor basketball court, artificial grass-based football field with markings and a large outdoor area covered by a canopy. There also exists a kindergarten play area with slides and other playing equipment.

International Community School Al Mushrif is located near the intersection of Al ‘Abeer Street and Makkah Street, next to the Mohammed Bin Butti Mosque in Al Mushrif, Abu Dhabi. It is at a 2-min drive from Abdulla Bin Otaiba Centre in Al Mushrif. Residents in nearby communities can easily access the school through the Salama Bint Butti Street and the Sheikh Rashid Bin Saeed Street.

International Community School has an experience of 30 years offering a stimulating and intellectually challenging environment to students. This allows the students to expand their skills and perform beyond expectations. The academically rigorous school’s syllabus along with the experienced teaching staff results in the development of creative thinking and problem-solving skills. Students of ICS Al Mushrif are enthusiastic and lifelong learners.

The educational programme of this school revolves around the renowned California Common Core State Standards (CCSS). It is a standard education model providing a consistent quality of education throughout schools. The school’s syllabus is holistic and ensures all-round development of students. Additionally, the school is accredited by AdvancED. Top colleges and universities accept students completing their education from schools following the US Curriculum.

A key strength of this school is its experienced and heavily qualified teaching staff. All the teachers at this school have at least a bachelors’ degree. Furthermore, teachers must have the ADEK teaching licence to be a part of ICS Al Mushrif’s teaching force. Currently, the school has teachers from 19 nationalities that are highly qualified in mathematics, science, arts and other fields of study.

It is an inclusive school that offers opportunities for families from different ethnic backgrounds to be a part of this school. Despite a majority of local Emirati students, the school has students from 40 nationalities, including Egyptians, Jordanians and Syrians. Additionally, the school supports the special educational needs of students of determinations and non-native English speakers through special education programmes. Thus, the school ensures that no student is left behind.

International Community School Al Mushrif is a K-12 school that educates students aged 3 to 18 years old. It splits the educational system into the following stages of education:

• Kindergarten is the first stage of education that consists of Kindergarten 1 (KG1) and Kindergarten 2 (KG2). It typically enrols children aged 3 to 5 years old.
• The elementary stage starts from Grade 1 and ends in Grade 5 with students aged 6 to 11 years old.
• Middle school starts from Grade 6 and ends in Grade 8 and has learners aged 11 to 14 years old.
• The higher secondary is the last stage of education at ICS Al Mushrif. It starts from Grade 9 and ends in Grade 12 with a high school diploma.

Kindergarten Curriculum

In the kindergarten stage, the school follows an interactive, inquisitive and student-initiated educational programme based on US Curriculum. It follows the California framework for the Kindergarten Common Core State Standard (CCSS) for Mathematics and English. For science, the school follows the Next Generation Science Standard (NGSS) modified to meet the pre-K standards. Furthermore, they are taught Arabic and Islamic studies based on the Ministry of Education (MOE) guidelines.

The curriculum for the kindergarten stage revolves around building foundational skills among students. They focus on developing listening, speaking, reading and writing skills that help students in learning core subjects. Through mathematics, the school inculcates understanding and operation of whole numbers, shapes and space. Whereas, the science curriculum is used to develop a basic understanding of innovation, engineering and a sense of real-world around them.

Teachers use the ‘learn and play’ strategy to help children understand the concepts. Moreover, they are engaged in extracurricular activities such as sports, celebrating theme days, music and dance, etc. to help them express themselves.

Primary to High School Curriculum

From the primary stage, the school follows a more formal teaching strategy based on the US curriculum. The school continues to adopt the California CCSS and NGSS framework for core subjects. It also follows the Ministry of Education guidelines for the following subjects:

• Islamic Studies
• Moral Education
• Arabic
• Social Studies

The educational programme for the primary and middle school focuses on building higher-level thinking skills, numeracy, literacy, self-management, strong ethics, creativity and positive attitude. Additionally, the school builds the understanding of Islamic values and the UAE culture through social studies, Arabic and Islamic Education. Students clearing the middle school phase from this school have exceptional analysis, problem-solving, critical thinking, communication and innovation skills.

Students entering the high school phase have a broad range of options. However, they continue to study science with some subjects until Grade 10. In Grade 11 and Grade 12, students also have to study elective courses. For more information, read the curriculum offered at the International Community School (ICS).

Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is a governmental education reform body developed in 2006. ADEK aims to improve and sustain the quality of education offered by educational institutes in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain. For this purpose, it inspects schools’ performance every 18 to 24 months and issues a detailed report. The report includes overall rating, rating on specific performance standards, key strengths of schools, recommendations and much more. The performance standards used by ADEK to inspect the performance of schools are listed below:

• Curriculum
• Assessment and Teaching
• Students’ Achievement
• Students’ Social and Personal Development and Innovation Skills
• Leadership and Management
• Protection, support, care given to students

The rating scale used by ADEK is a 6-point rating scale that varies from outstanding to very weak. The brief explanation of each rating is depicted below:

International Community School Al Mushrif was last inspected by the ADEK for the academic year 2019-20. In that inspection, ADEK rated the overall performance of the school as good. ADEK observed improvements in students’ achievements, assessment and teaching, curriculum and protection, care and support provided to students. Whereas, the performance of ICS Al Mushrif in students personal and social development and innovation, and leadership and management remained the same.

The strengths of this educational institute observed by the ADEK are as follows:

• Students in high school displayed ‘good’ achievement in Islamic Education, Mathematics, English, Arabic as a First Language (AFL) and Science.
• Students show a positive attitude towards learning that resulted in excellent attendance
• Students demonstrate a great understanding of UAE culture and Islamic values

Nevertheless, ADEK recommended ICS School Al Mushrif:

• To improve students’ progress and attainment in subjects. This requires teachers to design lessons with interesting activities to keep students engaged. Furthermore, they need to develop the English reading skills of students by offering them the reading resources appropriate for their ages. Also, they should ensure that students are given clear expectations before they attempt any writing task or assessment.
• ICS Mushrif should effectively use the assessment data to understand and meet the educational needs of all age groups, especially gifted and talented students. For this purpose, they should ensure that all teachers are confident using the Measure of Academic Performance (MAP). By doing so, they can identify the areas where students’ progress is relatively slow. Identify most-able students in the school and design extension activities for them to build independent learning skills. They should also monitor the progress of students on regular intervals and intervene when their progress is slow.
• ADEK also recommended the school to monitor the teaching and its impact on students. Therefore, the school should ensure subject coordinators set apparent targets to help in improving the teaching practices. They should also identify good teaching practices and set up peer observation for sharing best practices. Furthermore, ICS Mushrif should raise teachers and leaders expectations to raise the attainment of students in kindergarten.

Like most international schools in the UAE, the academic year of ICS Al Mushrif for students starts in September and ends in July. This educational institute splits the academic activities into the following three terms:

First Term

The first term at this school starts in the first week of September and ends with the first term examinations in the second week of December. A parent-teacher conference (without students) is expected in the last week of October. The end of the first term marks the start of the 3-week winter holiday that ends in the first week of January.

Second Term

The classes resume for the second term in the second week of January and end with the term-based examinations in the last week of March. This is followed by a 2-week spring holiday that ends in the second week of April.

Third Term

The third (final) term starts in the third week of April and ends with the final examinations in the last week of June or the first week of July.

For more information, view the academic calendar of International Community School Al Mushrif

ICS Mushrif is an inclusive school accepting the admission applications from all. Enrolling children in a new school is a daunting task for many parents. ICS Mushrif understands their concerns and assists them throughout the admission process. The admission process starts with a general enquiry followed by a school tour. The school emphasises parents to visit the school once to see the school facilities and the environment before their eyes. To book a school tour, fill the online contact form.

Once satisfied with the school environment, parents can fill the online application form with the required information.

The documents required for admission in Kindergarten and Grade 1 are as followed:

• A copy of student’s and Parents’ Emirates ID card (original card will be required later)
• 3 recent passport-size photographs
• A copy of student’s and parents’ passport and visa (original card will be required later)
• Electricity bill
• A copy of the birth certificate (attested by the UAE Embassy)
• Medical Form
• Consent to administer non-prescribed medication
• Student photo consent
• Student medical history

Those applying from other schools should submit the following document:

• A copy of student’s and parents’ Emirates ID card (original card will be required later)
• A copy of student’s and parents’ passports and visas
• The latest report card issued by the previous school
• A copy of the birth certificate
• Electricity Bill
• 3 recent passport-size photographs
• Transfer certificate
• A copy of vaccination record
• Medical consent form
• Consent to administer non-prescribed medication
• Student photo consent
• Student medical history

Those applying from other schools in Abu Dhabi should submit the transfer certificate attested by the ADEK. Whereas, those applying from outside the UAE need to submit the transfer certificate attested by the UAE Embassy and the Ministry of Education in that country. The birth certificate should be attested by the UAE Embassy if born outside the UAE.

Once submitted, the school contacts parents to bring their child for an assessment. For admission in Grade 1 to Grade 12, the school conducts an entrance test that gauges students’ skills in mathematics and English. It does not conduct any entrance test or other assessments for those applying for KG1, KG2 and Grade 1.

Parents of the successful candidate need to submit the required deposit at the time of admission. The school sends further instructions to parents to secure the admission at ICS Mushrif. For more information, read the admission process of International Community School Mushrif. The following age-grade guideline would come in handy when applying for admission:

This is based on the age of the students on 31st July (for schools beginning in April) and 31st December (for schools beginning in September). Source: KHDA

* This is to cater to students transferring from systems that admit students of a younger age)

The International Community School Mushrif fees are given below:

KG1

• Annual tuition fee – AED 21,890
• Books – AED 300
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 22,610

KG2

• Annual tuition fee – AED 23,330
• Books – AED 1,485
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 25,235

Grade 1

• Annual tuition fee – AED 26,810
• Books – AED 2,930
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 30,160

Grade 2

• Annual tuition fee – AED 27,620
• Books – AED 2,420
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 30,460

Grade 3

• Annual tuition fee – AED 28,440
• Books – AED 2,735
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 31,595

Grade 4

• Annual tuition fee – AED 29,260
• Books – AED 2,665
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 32,345

Grade 5

• Annual tuition fee – AED 30,080
• Books – AED 2,760
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 33,260

Grade 6

• Annual tuition fee – AED 30,900
• Books – AED 2,810
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 34,130

Grade 7

• Annual tuition fee – AED 32,840
• Books – AED 3,285
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 36,545

Grade 8

• Annual tuition fee – AED 34,170
• Books – AED 3,260
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 37,850

Grade 9

• Annual tuition fee – AED 35,600
• Books – AED 3,320
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 39,340

Grade 10

• Annual tuition fee – AED 39,700
• Books – AED 2,820
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 42,940

Grade 11

• Annual tuition fee – AED 43,170
• Books – AED 3,985
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 47,575

Grade 12

• Annual tuition fee – AED 47,880
• Books – AED 4,385
• Uniform – AED 420
• Total fee for the academic year – AED 52,685

The school offers three payment solutions to parents: full payment upfront, two instalments and three instalments.

The deadlines for two instalments are:

• First instalment – 30th August
• Second instalment – 3rd January

The deadlines for three instalment plan are:

• First instalment – 30th August
• Second instalment – 1st December
• Third instalment – 4th April

The payment options available to parents are:

• Cash settlement
• Cheques in favour of “International Community School”
• Bank deposits/bank transfers

The following bank information is for parents opting for bank transfers:

• Bank Name: Abu Dhabi Islamic Bank
• Account Title: International Community School – LLC
• Account Number: 10585735
• IBAN Number: AE940500000000010585735

Once deposited, parents need to send the transaction details to the accounts department. They can visit the accounts department of the school or send an email to br1accountant@icschool-uae.com.

For more information, view the fees structure of International Community School Mushrif.

Currently, there are no scholarship programmes at ICS Mushrif.

There is a school canteen where students can buy hot and cold food items at affordable prices. The school has contacted an outside catering service that prepares food in a hygienic environment. Besides, students can bring home-packed lunch items. The school encourages parents to give healthy food items in children’s lunch boxes.

ICS Mushrif offers a safe, reliable and efficient transport service to its students. They own a fleet of well-maintained school buses that have modern safety and security measures. All the school buses comply with the regulations said by ADEK and DMAT. Students are required to behave with the school bus faculty, including the driver and bus conductor. To register for school transport service, submit the school transport form.

International Community School Mushrif charges AED 4,630 for all grades. For more information, read the school transport policy offered by ICS Mushrif.

ISC Mushrif is a day-only school and does not offer boarding or hostel related facilities to its students. However, those living far from the school can use the school transport service to reach school on time. Moreover, families can move to nearby residential communities. For more information, read the nearby residential communities section within this guide.

The school considers holiday as an opportunity for students to enjoy and learn exciting new skills. To keep students entertained, ICS Mushrif offers holiday camps every summer holiday. These camps run in two sessions. The first session starts from June 30 and ends on 25th July while the second session starts from 28th July and ends on 22nd August between 8:30 am to 1:30 pm. The camp is ideal for students aged 6 to 14 years old. The activities offered in the summer holiday camp are:

• Aerobatics
• Swimming
• Karate
• Basketball
• Football
• Music
• Educational lectures
• Awareness lectures
• Quran
• Trips
• Arts and crafts

Additionally, parents can book the transportation service for their child. The charges of the holiday camps arranged by ICS Mushrif are:

• 1st month (with transport service) – AED 2,000
• 1st month (without transport service) – AED 1,800
• 2nd month (with transport) – AED 1,600
• 2nd month (without transport) – AED 1,400
• Weekly fees (without transport) – AED 700
• Full camp fee (with transport) – AED 3,300
• Full camp fee (without transport) – AED 3,000

Please note that these camps have limited seats. For more information, contact the school’s administration.

Several sports facilities are available for students including:

• Indoor sports hall
• Ping pong table with complete accessories
• Full-sized indoor basketball court
• Outdoor artificial grass pitch for football lovers
• Covered playground
• kindergarten play area with slides

In the modern-day world where schools emphasise strongly on the development of all-round skills, extra-curricular activities play an important role in discovering hidden talents. They provide opportunities for students to express and find interest in other non-educational fields. International Community School Mushrif has a comprehensive extra-curricular programme that promotes artistic, social and sporting activities during the after-school hours.

The extra-curricular activities and the clubs offered at ICS Mushrif are age-appropriate and led by schoolteachers. The activities offered to students are:

• Basketball
• International Day Celebrations
• Choir
• Field trip
• Football
• Drama
• Dancing
• ICT
• LEGO
• Art
• Choir
• Book club

Field trips are an important part of the extra-curricular programme at this school. Most field trips arranged by ICS Mushrif are educational trips that help students in linking classroom lectures with the real-life environment. The school also arranges recreational trips for fun and entertainment. The popular field trips arranged by the school are:

• Lockheed Martin Lab
• Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre (ADNEC) for ADIPEC Abu Dhabi
• Al Najah Exhibition
• Al Nasr Meta Industrial Corporation
• Sharjah Science Museum
• Mohammed Bin Rashid Space Centre
• Wahat Al Karama

The after-school care programme at the Al Mushrif campus of International Community School is comprehensive and based on the extra-curricular activities. Some noteworthy after-school activities at this school are:

The AFA programme at ICS Al Mushrif is available for students in Grade 1 to Grade 8. Students in different age groups are split into the following groups:

• Active football players – Grade 1 and Grade 2 – 9 students
• Highly competitive Football ICS Stars – Grade 3 to Grade 8 – 21 students

The main coaches are Ms Naglaa and Mr Usama from the PE departments. The cost of AFA ICS Mushrif is AED 395 for 10 sessions. The activities are conducted from 2:45 to 3:45 pm.

The after-school swimming programme at the ICS Mushrif is available for students in Grade 1 to Grade 8. There are nine highly active little swimmers in Grade 1 and Grade 2 and nine highly competitive swimmers from Grade 3 to Grade 7. The school charges AED 395 for 10 sessions that are conducted from 2:45 pm to 3:45 pm.

There is a well-equipped school clinic that caters to medical emergencies.

There are several modes of communication available for parents and teachers to interact with one another. Parent-teacher conferences are one of the predominant modes of communication that allows parents and teachers to discuss the progress made by children.

The ICS Mushrif Parent Teacher Association (PTA) is a parent body within the organisation that bridges the gap between parents and senior leadership. Additionally, the school website is well updated with current information that helps parents of current students and prospective candidates.

Other sources of communications are the social media pages and school designated WhatsApp groups.

Address: 24th Street, near the intersection of Makkah and Al ‘Abeer Street, Mushrif, Abu Dhabi, UAE

Telephone Number

• For general enquiry: +971 2 6330444

Email Address

• For general information: info@icschool-uae.com

Official Website and Social Media

• Official Website
• Facebook
• Instagram

Note that the cover image belongs to International Community School Al Mushrif