Al Muna Primary School - Abu Dhabi

Muna British Academy delivers the UK National Curriculum from EYFS (FS1–FS2) through Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2, and Key Stage 3 (Years 7–9), with a planned expansion to GCSE/IGCSE and A-Levels as the school grows year-on-year to a full FS1–Year 13 all-through provision by 2031–32. The curriculum is taught in English, supplemented by Arabic, Islamic Studies, and Social Studies in line with UAE Ministry of Education requirements. No bilingual track, vocational pathway, or IB programme is offered at this stage, though the school's long-term roadmap will eventually encompass Sixth Form options.

Academic performance is the school's most compelling story. In the TIMSS 2023 international assessments, Year 5 students achieved a mathematics score of 615 — against an international average of 503 — and a science score of 603, against an international average of 494, placing students in the Advanced International Benchmark in both subjects. In PIRLS 2021, Year 5 students scored 611, placing them in the High International Benchmark range for reading literacy. In standardised assessments for AY2024/25, the school recorded Outstanding attainment in English, mathematics, and science via the GL Progress Tests, Outstanding attainment in Arabic as First and Second Language via the Arabic Benchmark Test, and Outstanding attainment in Social Studies via the Social Studies Benchmark Test. GCSE and A-Level results are not yet available, as the school has only recently introduced secondary-phase provision. Among British curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi, only 18 of 105 British schools hold an Outstanding ADEK rating, making MBA's sustained performance a meaningful distinction.

The school has earned three consecutive Outstanding ADEK ratings — in 2015–16, 2022–23, and 2025–26 — and was notably the first school in Abu Dhabi to receive an A1 (Outstanding) rating in 2015–16. The 2025–26 inspection judged teaching and assessment as Outstanding across both phases, citing skilled instructional coaching, accurate use of data, and strong subject expertise. Curriculum design and implementation were also rated Outstanding, with curriculum adaptation rated Very Good. Distinctive academic features include a whole-school reading strategy anchored by the Song of Sounds phonics programme (to Year 3), the Accelerated Reader platform, the Big Cat reading scheme, and a library that functions as a genuine learning hub, open before and after school and during breaks. Provision for Gifted and Talented students and a Students of Determination inclusion programme are both in place, with 36 students of determination enrolled at the time of the most recent inspection.

Inspectors identified several areas requiring attention. Achievement in Arabic-medium subjects — including Arabic as a First Language, Arabic as a Second Language, Islamic Education, and Social Studies — is currently rated Good rather than Outstanding across both phases, representing a clear gap relative to the school's English-medium performance. Specific weaknesses include limited reading fluency with correct Arabic vowels, underdeveloped extended writing in both Arabic and English, and insufficient deployment of Arabic-speaking support staff in Arabic lessons. Inspectors also flagged that lesson time is not always used to its full potential for student-led inquiry and independent application, and that monitoring and coaching of Arabic-medium teaching requires greater rigour. These findings are consistent across the inspection report and represent the primary gap between MBA's current profile and a fully Outstanding academic offer across all subjects. University placement data is not yet available given the school's early secondary stage.