The Pearl Academy, Abu Dhabi

Located in Al Dhafrah, The Pearl Academy, previously known as Aldar Island Academy, is a highly rated primary school in the capital city. It is a private and co-educational institute that was launched in 2007.

The school is managed by Aldar Academies — a part of Aldar properties, that runs seven other institutions in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, including the:

The school is managed by Aldar Academies, which runs seven other institutions in Abu Dhabi and Al Ain, including:

• Al Ain Academy
• Al Bateen Academy
• Al Mamoura Academy
• Al Muna Academy
• Al Yasmina Academy
• West Yas Academy
• Al Forsan Nursery

The Pearl Academy Al Dhafrah is a private primary school offering the National Curriculum of England from Foundation Stage until Year 6. The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) rated the school performance as Outstanding – the highest rating by the authority.

Currently, the school has 645 students, of which 60 have Special Educational Needs (SEN). The student body is served by 49 teachers and 32 teaching assistants, making the teacher to student ratio 1:11.

Students have access to premium facilities, extracurricular programmes and after-school activities. The Pearl Academy reviews by parents and students are positive. Continue reading this comprehensive guide by Bayut to learn more about the school.

• Location: Abu Dhabi Island
• School fees: AED 41,700 to AED 43,150
• Curriculum: UK Curriculum
• Co-ed or segregate: Co-education
• KHDA/ADEK rating: Outstanding
• Years offered: FS1 to Year 6

Located centrally on Abu Dhabi Island, The Pearl Academy in Al Dhafrah is in proximity to a large number of residential districts, such as:

• Al Nahyan
• Al Danah
• Al Manhal
• Al Tibbiya
• Al Khalidiya

The nearest community to the school is Al Nahyan, the community named after the ruling family of the UAE. It has become a central part of Abu Dhabi’s rental real estate landscape. Al Nahyan is on the edge of the famous Mangrove reserve. However, the area is still convenient for people from the city centre.

Families looking for accommodation near the school can consider:

• Apartments for rent near The Pearl Academy
• Villas for rent near The Pearl Academy

The Pearl Academy campus is a two-storey building designed around a central courtyard. Despite the old and traditional setting, premium facilities are available at the school. All FS and Key Stage 1 classes are located on the ground floor.

Classrooms in The Pearl Academy are well-equipped with state-of-the-art 3D technology, including 3D projectors, green screens, mobile and tablet devices and latest software.

Facilities like IT suites, science labs, a well-stocked library and an internal shared learning area further assist in developing students’ interest in learning outside the classroom and independent learning. Besides, you will find a music room with various classical instruments, world percussion and keyboards. The school also has specialist rooms and intervention rooms, including counselling and speech therapy rooms.

Sports facilities at The Pearl Academy include a multi-purpose sports hall, a swimming pool, netball court, astroturf and fully equipped play areas. One can also find a garden, greenhouse, cafeteria and medical clinic onsite.

The Pearl Academy uniforms are made using breathable and light-weight cotton. Uniforms are available exclusively at Magrudy’s in Al Wahda Mall.

The Pearl Academy’s location on Muyoul Street attracts a great deal of attention. The campus is in the bustling district of Al Dhafrah and is close to several lifestyle amenities.

You can find both residential and commercial spaces near the school. Some landmarks near the school are the Embassy of Nepal, Islamia English School and the Embassy of Spain.

Being a part of Aldar Academies, there are numerous reasons why The Pearl Academy is an ideal primary school.

The school offers high-quality British education while boasting state-of-the-art facilities and an outstanding extracurricular programme. Excellence, creativity, passion, respect and collaboration are at the heart of The Pearl Academy’s values.

A strong leadership team and an amazing parent partnership programme helped the school build positive and healthy relationships with stakeholders. Students’ needs are placed at the forefront of each school policy.

To ensure that students receive the best education, teachers frequently attend high-quality weekly professional development training to update and improve teaching techniques.

The school is rated ‘Outstanding’ by ADEK. You can also look at other top schools in Abu Dhabi and the best British schools in Abu Dhabi when choosing the right school for your child.

The Pearl Academy of Abu Dhabi Island is a primary school offering education until Year 6. Since the school follows the National Curriculum of England and Wales, the years offered are divided into the following three stages.

Foundation Stage

The Foundation Stage follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) curriculum. The EYFS framework is based on thematic and play-based activities that allow children to build confidence and problem-solving skills.

Teachers use assessments and class observation to gauge how much and how well is the child incorporating his or her daily lesson into activities. Seven different themes and skills set are taught at this level, including:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

Getting a grip on these seven key areas of learning enables students to transition smoothly to the primary years or Key Stage 1.

Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2

From Year 1 onwards, the school follows the formal practices of the British curriculum. Here, students are taught slightly challenging lessons at a predetermined pace. Learning can take place individually or in groups. Nevertheless, the teaching is designed to meet the needs of each student, including children of determination.

Furthermore, campus facilities and extracurricular activities ensure the well-rounded development of students. The school helps students achieve set targets through formal assessments. These assessments happen several times a year and include benchmark or external tests in Reading, Writing, Mathematics and Arabic.

A typical selection of subjects taught under the British curriculum include:

• Art and Design
• Computing
• Design and Technology
• English
• Geography
• History
• Mathematics
• Modern Foreign Language(s)
• Science
• Music
• Physical Education
• Swimming and Water Safety

Subjects like Arabic Studies, Islamic Studies (for Muslim students only) and Social Studies follow the MOE curriculum.

The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is a regulatory agency for education. It was formed in 2005 by His Highness Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan, President of the UAE and Ruler of Abu Dhabi. ADEK is responsible for regulating both private and public schools in Abu Dhabi.

It collaborates with various educational institutions to assist students in understanding the academic challenges of the 21st century. The body runs the Irtiqaa Programme, under which schools are inspected and rated annually.

The six evaluation parameters include:

• Students’ achievement
• Students’ personal and social development, and their innovation skills
• Teaching and assessment
• Curriculum
• Protection, care, guidance and support of students
• Leadership and management

The Pearl Academy ADEK rating is currently outstanding — a step up from the previous year’s very good rating. The Irtiqaa report highlights how The Pearl Academy achieved the desired rating.

The Pearl Academy Abu Dhabi has worked on building relationships between students, teachers, parents and the management, resulting in happy and exemplary behaviour from the students. Innovative teaching strategies complement the modified curriculum within classrooms. This initiative can be seen in students achieving outstanding performance in most subjects.

Similarly, The Pearl Academy curriculum includes innovative aspects that cater to the needs of students with different abilities. The curriculum assists tutees in engaging their creative side to a larger extent. Likewise, the school takes exceptional care of students of determination who require extra efforts from the school and the teachers to remain on the same page as other children. More opportunities are given to students with SEN requirements to help them in their academic endeavours.

Moreover, the senior management and the principal have successful cultivated a culture of continuous improvement. Teachers and students work together to achieve the ultimate mission and vision of The Pearl Academy on Abu Dhabi Island.

Since the school has achieved an outstanding rating, there’s not much left for the school to work on except maintaining its newfound strengths and forte. Nevertheless, The Pearl Academy must ensure that the staff and teachers are well-aware of the advanced technological resources used at the school. Second, the school must extend its full support to Emirati students to help them reach their full potential.

Like other British schools in Abu Dhabi, The Pearl Academy academic calendar starts in September and ends in June. The calendar is 10-months long and divided into three terms.

• The first term starts in the last week of August and ends in the second week of December, followed by a three-week winter vacation.
• After the winter break, the second term begins in the first week of January and ends in the last week of March, followed by a two-week spring break.
• The third term begins in the second week of April and ends in the last week of June.

The Pearl Academy school timings are as follows:

• Foundation Stage students: 07:50 am to 02:00 pm
• Primary students (Year 1 to Year 6): 07:50 am to 02:20 pm
• Optional after-school activities: 02:20 pm to 03:20 pm

The Pearl Academy of Aldar Academies is an inclusive school that awards admission on a first-come-first-serve basis. However, the school assesses children before offering admissions to best match their educational needs. You can tour the campus to become familiar with the school’s facilities, location and, more importantly, their quality of education.

The Pearl Academy’s admission process starts with registering your child online by filling out the application form. Once the registration is complete, you will receive an auto-reply as confirmation. Soon, your child will be called for an age-appropriate entrance exam.

If the assessment is successfully cleared, you will receive an email with the following:

• Acceptance letter
• Registration fee invoice
• Parent information pack
• Essential documents and forms pack

The signed offer letter, mandatory documents and forms, and proof of payment of the registration fee must be returned to The Pearl Academy within 10 days to secure the admission seat.

Please note that the registration deposit is non-refundable, but it will be adjusted against your child’s first term tuition fees.

For Year 7, students will have a place reserved at Al Bateen Academy. However, parents should apply online to guarantee their child’s place.

Also, please refer to the following age requirements before initiating the admissions process.

This is based on the age of the students on 31st August (for the school beginning in September). Source: The Pearl Academy

Approved by ADEK, The Pearl Academy tuition fees is reviewed every two years.

You can pay The Pearl Academy fees via cash, cheque, bank transfer or debit/credit card.

The Pearl Academy in Abu Dhabi takes care of the nutritious value of its students by offering healthy and nutritious lunch items on campus. The school offers parents the option of ordering pre-selected hot and cold meals, or they can choose to send homemade packed lunches.

Students of The Pearl Private Academy can use the transport facilities offered by Aldar Academies. The school buses pick and drop students at predetermined locations. Children can be picked up from and dropped off at homes, depending on your area.

Since the safety of Pearl Academy students is of prime concern, all drivers go through an extensive training programme. Additionally, there is a supervisor for each bus who will look after children on their way to and back from school.

Parents can visit the campus to discuss their requests with the transportation department.

The Pearl British Academy has designed activities and built facilities that allow children to engage in a healthy lifestyle when at school.

Sports facilities consist of a multi-purpose sports hall, swimming pool with diving blocks, netball court, astroturf and play areas.

If interested, your child can be a part of numerous sporting activities held around the year at The Pearl Academy, such as aerobics, yoga, swimming competitions, Under 9 and 11 Girls’ Football competitions and others.

The Pearl Primary Academy runs an extensive Extracurricular Activities (ECA) programme. Students can engage in a wide range of activities, including arts and crafts, sports, performing arts, creativity and more.

A typical selection includes:

There is a Music school as well where extensive training is provided to children who show interest and talent in music. The school thinks that music plays a vital role in an individual’s life. It helps in build self-confidence, concentration and memory while enhancing communication, language and reasoning skills.

The school offers a wide range of music classes, including:

Field trips are essentially small outings and an instructional exercise for students. For instance, visits to amusement parks, beaches and tourist attractions ensure that students enjoy a good time with their pals. However, school trips to museums or culturally rich sites are for educational purposes.

Most extracurricular activities are scheduled after school hours from 02:20 pm to 03:20 pm.

There is a medical facility at The Pearl Academy Al Dhafrah Abu Dhabi. The clinic is managed by a full-time nurse who is registered with the Health Authority Abu Dhabi (HAAD). The nurse is responsible for conducting weight, height and vision screening, coordinating the vaccination programme and providing cover for sporting fixtures and school events held outside of school hours.

The well-stocked clinic provides first aid, administers medicine, and refers students to medical practitioners or emergency services.

Being a primary school, The Pearl British Primary Academy is mindful of the importance of parents’ involvement in students’ life.

You have the option to volunteer at school events, organise events or become part of the fundraising activities. Parent-teacher conferences are another form of engaging parents. Here, teachers discuss your ward’s current performance and what additional activities can be implemented to maintain or improve their performance.

You can also create an account on The Pearl Academy Parent Portal. You can gain access to numerous features, such as academic calendar, student’s school report and attendance, account history, schedule and details of school events and exam dates.

You can always visit the school or access The Pearl Academy contact details provided below for more information.

• Telephone: +971-2-641-8887
• Emails
  • General Enquiries: PRE@thepearlacademy.sch.ae
  • Admission Enquiries: admissions@thepearlacademy.sch.ae
• The Pearl Academy Website
• The Pearl Academy Facebook

Note that the cover image belongs to The Pearl Academy

What are the timings of The Pearl Academy?

The Pearl Academy by Aldar Academy timings for the foundation stage students is from 07;50 am to 02:00 pm. The primary school starts at the same time but ends at 02:20 pm.

Does the school conduct after school activities?

Yes, the school offers after-school activities from 02:20 pm to 03:20 pm. 

How many grades are currently taught in The Pearl Academy?

The Pearl Academy Abu Dhabi currently teaches students in FS1 to Year 6.

Does the school follow a co-education mode?

Yes, the school follows a co-ed model.

How many students are studying at this school?

Currently, the school has 645 students.

What is the academic calendar followed at The Pearl Academy?

The Pearl Academy by Aldar Academy starts in August and ends in June. For more information, check out the academic calendar section in the Bayut's guide.

What is the tuition fee charged by The Pearl Academy?

The Pearls Academy tuition fee ranges between AED 41,700 to AED 43,150.

How does The Pearl Academy communicate with parents?

There are many ways through which The Pearl Academy keeps parents in loop. Parent-teacher meetings, parent portal, social media networks, notice boards and official website are some popular means of communication for this school.

Does The Pearl Academy have a cafeteria or a canteen?

Yes, the school has a canteen where students can buy nutritious food items and snacks.

How many teachers are currently teaching at The Pearl Academy?

The school currently has around 49 teachers and 32 teaching assistants.