The Cambridge High School

The Cambridge High School follows the National Curriculum for England from FS2 through to Year 13, culminating in IGCSE examinations in Years 10 and 11, and AS and A-Level qualifications in Years 12 and 13. The curriculum is structured across four phases: Foundation Stage (FS2), Primary (Years 1-6), Key Stage 3 (Years 7-9), and Sixth Form (Years 12-13). In the Foundation Stage, learning is child-centred and play-based, with a structured Twinkl phonics programme and graded reading scheme embedded from the earliest years. Primary school builds core literacy and numeracy with the addition of History, Geography, Arabic, and Islamic Studies for Muslim students. In Years 7-9, students sit the Cambridge Checkpoint examinations in Year 9 as an internal benchmarking exercise aligned to UK national standards. At IGCSE, students select eight subjects including compulsory English Language and Mathematics. Options span Physics, Chemistry, Biology, English Literature, History, Geography, Art and Design, Computer Studies, Business Studies, Media Studies, Arabic, Accounting, and Travel and Tourism - a reasonable breadth for a mid-range school, though not the widest palette available in Abu Dhabi. At A-Level, the subject range narrows to Literature in English, Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics, Biology, Computer Studies, Business Studies, Geography, History, Accounting, and Travel and Tourism. Creative subjects and broader humanities are notably absent at Sixth Form level, which will constrain students with those interests. The school's academic performance data, as reported in the ADEK 2024 Irtiqa inspection, tells a nuanced story. At the senior secondary level (Phase 4, broadly Years 10-13), attainment in English, Mathematics, and Science is rated Outstanding - the highest available ADEK grade - with progress equally Outstanding. This is a genuine strength. In Phase 3 (Years 7-9), attainment and progress in English, Mathematics, and Science are rated Very Good, and learning skills improved from Good to Very Good in this cycle. Phase 2 (Years 3-6) presents a more mixed picture: Mathematics attainment is Good, Science is Good, and English is Very Good, but progress in Science declined from Very Good to Good, indicating inconsistency in outcomes for younger secondary students. The school participates in GL Assessment standardised benchmarking from Years 4 to 10. In English, Years 9 and 10 demonstrate Very Good attainment against international norms. In Mathematics, Year 9 achieves Outstanding attainment and progress. Science attainment is above curriculum standards across most year groups. The school's PISA 2022 results are a headline achievement: a reading score of 532, a mathematics score of 531, and a science score of 566 - all above international averages and all meeting or exceeding the school's own targets. The science score of 566 is particularly notable, well above the school's target of 529. In PIRLS 2021, Grade 4 students scored 568.57, comfortably above the international centre point of 500. TIMSS 2023 results were more variable, with Grade 4 and Grade 8 scores in Mathematics and Science falling slightly below school targets while remaining within international benchmark ranges. In terms of pedagogy, the ADEK report notes that teachers in Phases 1, 3, and 4 use assessment data effectively to personalise learning and set appropriate challenge. Assessment is rated Very Good across all phases, supported by robust internal and external data systems, peer and self-assessment, and learner profiles. The school has embedded PIRLS- and TIMSS-style questions into day-to-day teaching to build analytical reasoning. Phase 2 teaching, however, is identified as less consistent, with limited differentiation and insufficient use of lesson time for meaningful feedback - an area the school must address. The curriculum is rated Very Good for both design and adaptation, with cross-curricular links increasingly embedded, though challenge for gifted and talented students in Arabic-medium subjects remains underdeveloped. For academic support, the school operates an Achievement Centre providing additional support for students with mild to moderate learning difficulties, including those on the autism spectrum. Gifted and Talented provision and English as an Additional Language (EAL) support are also available. Students of determination are identified and supported through structured individual plans with specialist staff involvement, though the ADEK report notes that expanding inclusion capacity would enhance in-class support further. University destinations are not publicly disclosed by the school, but the ADEK report confirms that the vast majority of Sixth Form students progress to university, both locally and internationally.