Japanese School Abu Dhabi

Japanese School Abu Dhabi (JSAD), also known as Abu Dhabi Japanese School, is a private, co-educational and K-9 school in Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi. As the name suggests, it follows the Japanese curriculum which is recognised by the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture, Sports and Technology of Japan (MEXT). The school was established in April 1978 to meet the educational needs of Japanese expatriates in the capital city. Today, the school also has Emirati students studying the same curriculum as Japanese students. Japanese School is under the management of the Japanese Embassy.

The school has around 100 students: 55 students in the elementary stage, 8 students in junior high school and 34 students in the kindergarten stage. They are taught by a teaching force of 12 full-time teachers and 14 teaching assistants with advanced qualifications. The teacher to student ratio at JSAD is 1:8 which ensures plentiful attention and care. The school was last inspected by ADEK as very good for the academic year 2017-2018.

Students have various academic and non-academic activities at JSAD. Read this guide by Bayut to learn more about this school.

Japanese School Abu Dhabi is located at Al Bateen – one of the key residential areas in Abu Dhabi Island. Residents can find ample living amenities, including schools, restaurants, supermarkets and malls. The nearby residential communities surrounding the school are:

• Al Manhal
• Al Nahyan
• Al Danah
• Al Mushrif

Al Manhal is the nearest residential community from the school. Here, one can find both residential apartments and villas. Also, its proximity to the Corniche makes it an incredible option for those seeking residential spaces near the beach. Other options include Al Nahyan, Al Danah and Al Mushrif – all located at the centre of the emirate.

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The school relocated to the current campus in Al Bateen in 2012. Japanese School Abu Dhabi set up their campus in the vacant building of Habibah School. In terms of facilities, the school has 14 classrooms and specialised rooms for science, arts and sports.

The school is located at King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street in Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi. Those visiting the school can access it via the aforementioned street and Al Bateen Street connecting it with the nearby residential communities. The school is at a 7-minute drive from Al Bateen Palace – one of the popular landmarks in Abu Dhabi.

It is one of the few schools in Abu Dhabi that caters to the educational needs of Japanese expatriates. It follows the Japanese national curriculum approved by the Japanese Ministry of Education. Students completing Grade 9 education usually return to Japan to continue higher education.

A standout feature of Japanese School Abu Dhabi is its agreement with the Abu Dhabi government. As a result of this agreement, the school has up to 25% of Emirati students studying in different phases of this school. The school provides an excellent opportunity for Emirati families to enrol their children in a different cultural setting to develop cross-cultural skills. Consequently, students completing their education at this school have excellent cross-cultural skills that help them in the future.

The teacher-to-student ratio at this school is lower than many international schools in the capital city. The low teacher-to-student ratio allows the school to focus on the individual needs of students. Teachers can execute individualised plans to ensure no child is left behind. JSAD offers a stimulating and nurturing environment where children thrive to the best of their potential.

JSAD is a K9 school catering to the educational needs of students aged 3 to 14 years old. The phases of education at this school are:

The school follows the Japanese national curriculum i.e. Monbukagakusho – approved by the Ministry of Education of Japan. Most of the subjects taught at Japanese School Abu Dhabi are in Japanese and Arabic (for native speakers). Islamic Studies is also taught to Emirati students.

The core subjects taught to students are:

• Mathematics
• Japanese
• Music
• Social Studies
• Art and Craft
• Sports
• Technology
• Gardening
• Moral Studies

Additionally, it focuses on establishing a strong sense of community among students. It achieves so by encouraging students to participate in cleaning classrooms and hallways. The school also offers a range of extracurricular activities and excursions for all-round development of students.

Students are expected to return to Japan for their high school education.

Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is a governmental body that regulates the education sector of Abu Dhabi, Al Ain and al Dhafra. It was established in 2005 by Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan. Through its Irtiqaa Programme, ADEK inspects the performance of educational institutes every two years and issues a report based on their performance. ADEK uses the following six performance standards to measure the progress made by schools:

• Students’ Achievements
• Students’ Personal and Social Development and Innovation Skills
• Teaching and Assessment
• Curriculum
• Protection, Care, Guidance and Support of Students
• Leadership and Management

The ADEK’s 6-point scale varies from outstanding to very weak. The brief explanation of each rating on the scale is given below:

ADEK last inspected the performance of Japanese Private School Abu Dhabi for the academic year 2017-2018. The performance was rated as very good. The rating for each performance standard is as follows:

• Students’ Achievement – Very Good
• Students’ Personal and Social Development and Innovation Skills – Very Good
• Teaching and Assessment – Very Good
• Curriculum – Very Good
• Protection, Care, Guidance and Support of Students – Outstanding
• Leadership and Management – Very Good

The strengths of the school observed in the last inspection reports are:

• Teaching and achievement of students in English, Japanese, science and mathematics
• Students enthusiasm towards learning and their behaviour and relationship
• The caring attitude of students because of moral education provisions by the school
• Provisions for support, care and guidance of students, especially the Emirati students
• Effective management of day-to-day operations at the school
• Partnership with parents and the community for students’ learning and well being

ADEK also published a set of recommendations for Japanese School Abu Dhabi to improve its performance. The recommendations are:

• Japanese American School Abu Dhabi needs to improve students’ achievement in Arabic as a first language. For this purpose, it can offer challenging activities to students, use assessment information to identify weaknesses, devise an action plan to overcome weaknesses and monitor the quality of lessons.
• Japanese School Abu Dhabi also needs to work on the speaking and presentation skills of students in English, Arabic and Japanese. It can improve these skills by reviewing the curricular plan for improvements and offering research and mini-presentation opportunities for students.
• JSAD can also work on the students’ awareness of Culture of UAE and other countries. For this purpose, the school needs to offer planned opportunities to develop an in-depth knowledge of UAE’s present and past. It can also provide opportunities for students to learn about international culture.

Japanese School Abu Dhabi starts its academic activities in April and ends these in March. The first term starts in April and ends in July. The second term starts in September and ends in December. The third term starts in January and ends in March.

The admission process at the Japanese School Abu Dhabi is straightforward. The application and home environment survey form are available from the school. Fill out the form and submit it to the admission department to proceed with the admission process.

Once submitted, the school contacts the parents to bring their child for an assessment. After the assessment, the school requests parents to submit the required deposits and documents to secure a seat for their child.

For more information, read the transfer information on admission by Japanese School Abu Dhabi.

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

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

The Fee structure of the japanese School Abu Dhabi is as follows:

Currently, the school does not offer any scholarship programme to students.

The school has a transportation service that offers a safe and reliable commute option for students. The school buses are equipped with top-notch safety and security features. The school bus picks students from designated pick-up points and drops them on the same point. The school charges AED 4,980 per student in any grade. The transportation fee is split into three terms.

For more information, contact the transportation department of the Japanese School Abu Dhabi.

Japanese Private School Abu Dhabi is a day-only school. It does not offer any boarding or hostelling facilities to students. Students are allowed to remain at the campus if participating in after-school activities. Students finding it hard to reach school on time on their own can opt for the school transport service. If parents are interested in relocating to areas near the school, read the residential communities near Japanese School Abu Dhabi section at the beginning of the guide.

The school does not arrange any holiday camp for its students. Parents can enrol their children in holiday camps arranged by external camp providers.

The school has limited sports facilities available for students. The campus has a grass-based football field that is used for football and other outdoor activities. JSAD arranges sports day every year on the football field. Students are distributed into two teams: team white and team red. Students take part in games, such as tug of war and relay races.

The school may allow students to access the sports facilities based on a staggered timetable.

Extra-curricular programmes have become an important part of modern-day schooling. These activities help schools in developing all-round students with sound non-academic skills. Considering the benefits of enrichment activities, the school has designed its extra-curricular programme that caters to the non-educational needs of students.

Japanese School Abu Dhabi offers several extra-curricular opportunities to students, including summer festivals, the celebration of national and international days and festivals, sports day, field trips and other outdoor opportunities.

The school arranges several field trips throughout the year as a part of its enrichment programme to expose children to the outdoor environment. Most field trips arranged by the school are for recreational purposes. One of the popular field trips arranged by this educational institute every year is the desert camp. Students are taken on a camping expedition where they stay in camps for a night and enjoy their stay setting up camps, playing games and warming themselves with a bonfire. Students in Grade 5 to Grade 9 are usually taken for this trip. The school also arranges trips to parks, malls and other indoor and outdoor spaces in the city.

Currently, the only after-school care offered to students at JSAD is in the form of extra-curricular activities.

The school has an official website where parents and the wider community can access general information. Japanese School Abu Dhabi also arranges parent-teacher meetings throughout the academic year. These meetings serve as an opportunity for parents and teachers to discuss the progress made by students. They also share strategies to help students become a better learner. The educational institute has a Facebook page where they share photographs and videos of recent events and keep parents informed on the latest developments. It also has WhatsApp groups for different grades. A WhatsApp group has teachers and parents of students studying in the same classroom.

• Address: Abu Dhabi Japanese School, King Abdullah Bin Abdulaziz Al Saud Street, Al Bateen, Abu Dhabi, UAE
• Telephone Number: +971 2 4446104
• Official Website
• Facebook

Note that the cover image belongs to Japanese School Abu Dhabi