Al Najah Private School, Abu Dhabi
British School in Mohamed Bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi
Last updated
Curriculum
British / International Baccalaureate
ADEK
Good
Location
Abu Dhabi, Mohamed Bin Zayed City
Fees
AED 15K - 26K
The Executive Summary
Al Najah Private School Abu Dhabi is one of the emirate's most established private institutions, founded in 1987 and now serving over 2,176 students from KG1 through Grade 12 on Nakhi Street in Mohamed Bin Zayed City. Holding an ADEK rating Good from its 2024 Irtiqa inspection, ANPS offers a genuinely distinctive proposition: a triple-pathway senior school combining IGCSE, International A-Level, and the International Baccalaureate curriculum Abu Dhabi families increasingly seek, all at school fees Abu Dhabi parents will find among the most accessible for a school of this scope - ranging from AED 15,060 to AED 32,300 annually. For budget-conscious families who want IB or A-Level credentials without the premium price tags of Abu Dhabi's flagship international schools, ANPS occupies a rare and genuinely useful niche among Mohamed Bin Zayed City schools. The school's PISA 2022 IB-stream scores - 591 in reading, 579 in mathematics, 558 in science - all exceeded international averages, and TIMSS 2023 results placed Grade 4 mathematics and science above both school targets and international benchmarks.
Triple Pathway: IGCSE, A-Level, IBFounded 1987ADEK Good 2024Affordable IB Option2,176 Students
“Nothing better than seeing your kids enjoying their learning experience, improving their skills and living in a healthy, caring environment. You are making an educated, confident generation for a bright future - keep it up ANPS!”
— Primary School ParentAcademic Framework & Learning Style
Al Najah Private School operates a British curriculum framework from KG through to Grade 10, culminating in IGCSE examinations. At the senior level - Grades 11 and 12 - students choose between two distinct pathways: the International A-Level (IAL) and the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP). This dual-pathway model is relatively uncommon among mid-range Abu Dhabi private schools and gives families genuine flexibility when their child reaches the critical pre-university stage. The school's stated mission - to educate students capable of initiative and critical thinking who will serve as role models in a global society - reflects an aspiration toward inquiry-based and student-centred learning, though the 2024 ADEK Irtiqa report notes that implementation of higher-order thinking across all phases remains inconsistent.
In terms of measurable academic outcomes, the picture is genuinely encouraging at the senior level. PISA 2022 IB-stream results placed students at 591 in reading literacy, 579 in mathematical literacy, and 558 in scientific literacy - all comfortably above international averages of 476, 472, and 485 respectively. The British-stream PISA scores, while above international averages, fell short of school targets. TIMSS 2023 results showed Grade 4 students achieving 512 in mathematics (above the international average of 503) and 510 in science (above the international average of 494). Grade 8 mathematics reached 555, exceeding the international average of 478. PIRLS 2021 placed Grade 4 students at 554.84, the high international benchmark. Standardised GLPT assessments for Grades 3-9 in English, mathematics, and science returned Weak results in Phases 2 and 3 - a finding that the Irtiqa report links directly to low teacher expectations and insufficient differentiation for higher attainers. Arabic-medium subjects including Islamic Education and UAE Social Studies are rated Acceptable across multiple phases, representing the school's most persistent academic challenge. The school has a dedicated Learning Support Department (LSD) and published policies covering learning support, student protection, and career and university guidance, though ADEK inspectors noted that the inclusion team has unfilled vacancies that are limiting provision for students of determination and gifted and talented learners.
591
PISA 2022 Reading (IB Stream)
Above international average of 476
579
PISA 2022 Maths (IB Stream)
Above international average of 472
554.84
PIRLS 2021 Grade 4 Reading Score
High international benchmark
512
TIMSS 2023 Grade 4 Maths
Above school target of 507 and international average of 503
Extracurricular Activities (ECAs)
Al Najah Private School describes its after-school activities programme as interactive and wide-ranging, though the school's website does not publish a comprehensive ECA list with specific club counts. The school's campus infrastructure - which includes two Astroturf football fields, two basketball courts, and multiple covered and open playground areas - supports a meaningful competitive sports offering. Football and basketball appear to be the primary competitive sports, with facilities to support inter-school competition. The school celebrates an International Day as a notable annual event, reflecting the genuinely multinational character of its student body, with the largest nationality groups being Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian. The school also participates in the Sheikh Mohammed Arabic Reading Challenge, integrating reading enrichment with cultural engagement.
In terms of academic enrichment, the school runs webinars and initiative programmes documented on its blog, and the senior school's dual pathway structure inherently provides enrichment through the IB Diploma's CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service) component, which requires students to engage in community service, creative pursuits, and physical activity. The school's career and university guidance policy and its partnership history - including a noted relationship with Paris Sorbonne University - indicate some structured support for university preparation. Performing arts provision is not prominently documented on the school's public website. Parents should enquire directly about the current breadth of the ECA timetable, as detailed programme information is not publicly available for the 2025-26 academic year.
2
Astroturf Football Fields on Campus
Plus two basketball courts and multiple play areas
Two Astroturf Football FieldsInternational Day CelebrationArabic Reading ChallengeIB CAS ProgrammeUniversity Guidance Policy
Pastoral Care & Well-being
The 2024 ADEK Irtiqa inspection rated health and safety, including child protection, as Very Good - the highest rating in the school's performance profile and a genuine differentiator. The school maintains a rigorous safeguarding and child protection procedure, and ADEK inspectors confirmed that the school environment is safe, secure, and orderly, conducive to learning. This is not a trivial finding: for parents of younger children in particular, ANPS's safeguarding record provides meaningful reassurance.
The school publishes a comprehensive suite of pastoral policies on its website, including a Student Protection and Safeguarding Policy, an Anti-Bullying Policy, a School Wellbeing Policy, a Student Behaviour Policy, and an Attendance and Punctuality Policy. Students across all phases demonstrate positive attitudes, responsible behaviour, and willingness to help others, according to Irtiqa findings. Personal development is rated Good across all phases. Students show a clear understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture and heritage, rated Good across all cycles. The weaker area is social responsibility and innovation skills, rated Acceptable across all phases - inspectors noted that enterprise and innovation skills are inconsistent. The school uses the iSAMS management system for student records and provides a dedicated parent portal, supporting communication between home and school. Care and support is rated Good overall, though ADEK noted that the identification and support systems for students of determination and gifted and talented learners lack the rigour needed to fully meet their needs - a concern for families with children who require specialist inclusion support.
“We love ANPS! We have both of our kids enrolled and couldn't be more pleased with the love and care and attention they get from the amazing staff. It feels more like a good family and I would highly recommend it to anyone without hesitation!”
— Primary School ParentCampus & Facilities
Al Najah Private School is located at 5 Nakhi Street, Mohamed Bin Zayed City, Abu Dhabi - a well-connected residential and commercial district that serves a large Arab expatriate community and is accessible from Mussafah and central Abu Dhabi. The school relocated to this area in 1995 and has been a fixture of the community for three decades. The campus is fully air-conditioned and equipped with wireless internet infrastructure for staff, students, and administration.
Documented facilities include 90 classrooms, dedicated Physics, Chemistry, and Biology laboratories, a library (holding approximately 9,000 English books and 400 Arabic books), three playground areas, two covered areas, two Astroturf football fields, two basketball courts, a canteen, two computer and language labs, and a school clinic. The school has recently invested in a STEM Lab to support student ingenuity and creativity - a positive signal of capital reinvestment. The library, however, is flagged by ADEK as a concern: with approximately 9,000 English books and only 400 Arabic books for a student body of over 2,000, the collection is insufficient in both size and Arabic-language breadth. Seating is limited, with no designated areas for small-group collaboration or independent research. This is a material weakness for a school that aspires to develop independent learners. Technology infrastructure includes Google Classroom for e-learning and iSAMS for student management. The school's facilities page was not accessible at the time of review, and the campus statistics counter on the school's own website displays zeroes - suggesting the website is not fully maintained, which is itself a transparency concern for prospective parents.
90
Classrooms on Campus
Including science labs and specialist rooms
9,000
English Books in Library
Only 400 Arabic books - flagged by ADEK as insufficient
90 ClassroomsPhysics, Chemistry & Biology LabsSTEM Lab InvestmentTwo Astroturf PitchesAir-Conditioned CampusWireless Internet Throughout
Teaching & Learning Quality
The 2024 ADEK Irtiqa report rates teaching for effective learning as Good across all four cycles (KG, Cycle 1, Cycle 2, Cycle 3) - a stable if unspectacular finding that reflects a school performing at a consistent but not exceptional level. The school employs 126 teachers and 16 teaching assistants, serving 2,176 students - yielding an overall teacher-to-student ratio of approximately 1:17. Teacher nationalities include Irish, South African, and Lebanese staff, with the school's website noting that most instructors are of British origin, promoting diversity within its teaching community.
ADEK inspectors found that teachers demonstrate secure subject knowledge but do not consistently engage students in discussions or hands-on activities to deepen learning and develop higher-order skills. The reliance on worksheets rather than interactive, inquiry-based methods is specifically cited as a concern. Assessment is rated Good across all cycles, though it declined from Very Good in Phases 2, 3, and 4 since the previous inspection. Teachers have received training on using assessment data to plan effective learning, but implementation varies. A key systemic weakness is that teacher expectations are not consistently high enough, particularly for gifted and talented students and higher attainers - a finding repeated across multiple sections of the Irtiqa report. On the positive side, the school maintains minimal staff turnover and positive staff morale, which provides continuity of relationships for students and families. The school has recently made new middle management appointments and is building a more distributive leadership model. A dedicated CPD (Continuing Professional Development) programme is in place, though ADEK recommends it be more practically aligned with school-specific needs, particularly around inclusion and challenge for higher attainers.
126
Qualified Teachers on Staff
Plus 16 teaching assistants
1:17
Overall Teacher-to-Student Ratio
Based on 2,176 students and 126 teachers
Good
ADEK Teaching Quality Rating (All Cycles)
Stable across KG, Cycle 1, Cycle 2, Cycle 3
Leadership & Management
Al Najah Private School is led by School Director Ahd Ziad Aboughazal (also referenced on the school website as Ahd Abu Ghazal), whose message to the school community frames growth as something that is simultaneously messy, challenging, and enjoyable - an honest and refreshingly grounded leadership philosophy for a school navigating genuine improvement challenges. The school's governance structure includes a Governing Board that ADEK inspectors describe as demonstrating secure knowledge of UAE national priorities, with innovative ideas underpinning longer-term strategic planning. The board's commitment to UAE priorities is reflected in the school's active alignment with TIMSS, PISA, and PIRLS benchmark targets.
The 2024 Irtiqa report rates leadership effectiveness as Good and parent and community partnerships as Good, but flags self-evaluation and improvement planning as Acceptable - a meaningful downgrade from Good in the previous cycle. The specific concern is that self-evaluation is not consistently aligned with the UAE School Inspection Framework and does not use internal and external assessment data with sufficient rigour. Monitoring of teaching and learning is described as insufficiently focused on student outcomes. The school has recently made new middle management appointments and is investing in training to build a more effective distributive leadership model, which is the right strategic direction. Management, staffing, facilities and resources also declined to Acceptable - partly driven by unfilled vacancies in the inclusion team and resource gaps in certain subject areas. Communication with parents is a genuine strength: the school operates an open-door policy, uses the iSAMS parent portal, and Google Classroom for e-learning connectivity. The school's admissions process involves an online application, availability check, interview and entrance exam conducted by the Head of School, and fee payment upon successful entry.
ADEK Inspection Results (Irtiqa - Decoded)
The most recent ADEK Irtiqa inspection of Al Najah Private School was conducted between 26 and 29 May 2025 for the academic year 2024/25, with an overall rating of Good - consistent with the school's rating in its previous 2022 inspection. The school has held a Good rating across consecutive cycles, indicating a stable but not accelerating performance trajectory. The headline finding is a school that does many things adequately but has not yet broken through to Very Good in any of its six performance standards.
The most significant strength in the inspection data is health and safety and child protection, rated Very Good across all four cycles - the only area where the school exceeds its overall Good rating. Senior school students in the IAL and IB programmes achieve high attainment in science and mathematics, and IB-stream PISA scores comfortably exceeded international averages. The school's commitment to UAE national priorities and its TIMSS performance are recognised as leadership strengths.
The most important weaknesses identified by ADEK are: declining performance in Arabic-medium subjects (Islamic Education, Arabic as a second language, and UAE Social Studies are rated Acceptable in multiple phases); inconsistent teaching quality with over-reliance on worksheets and insufficient differentiation for higher attainers; self-evaluation and improvement planning rated Acceptable; and resource gaps including an under-stocked library and unfilled inclusion team vacancies. The ADEK 2026 inspection cycle will be a critical test of whether the school's new middle management appointments and improvement planning translate into measurable gains.
Exemplary Safeguarding
Health and safety, including child protection, is rated Very Good across all four cycles - the school's standout performance area and a genuine strength for families with younger children.
Strong IB & A-Level Senior Results
Students in the IAL and IB programmes consistently achieve high attainment in science and mathematics. IB-stream PISA 2022 scores exceeded international averages in reading (591), mathematics (579), and science (558).
UAE National Priorities Commitment
The senior leadership team and governing board demonstrate strong commitment to UAE national priorities, with measurable results in TIMSS 2023 - Grade 4 mathematics and science both exceeded school targets and international benchmarks.
Arabic-Medium Subject Achievement
Islamic Education, Arabic as a second language, and UAE Social Studies are rated Acceptable across multiple phases. Overall Arabic-medium achievement declined from Good to Acceptable since the previous inspection - the school's most persistent and systemic academic gap.
Differentiation and Inclusion Provision
ADEK identified low teacher expectations, insufficient challenge for gifted and talented students, and unfilled vacancies in the inclusion team as material weaknesses. Self-evaluation and improvement planning, and management, staffing, facilities and resources both declined to Acceptable.
Inspection History
2024/25
Good
2021/22
Good
Fees & Value for Money
Al Najah Private School (ANPS) offers a broad curriculum spanning Kindergarten through Grade 12, including both A-Level (AS) and International Baccalaureate (IB) pathways at the senior level. For the 2025–2026 academic year, tuition fees start at AED 15,060 for KG1 and KG2, rising progressively to AED 32,300 for Grade 12 students enrolled in either the AS or IB programme. This structured, grade-by-grade fee model reflects the increasing resources, specialist teaching, and curriculum complexity at each stage of a student's education.
AED 15,060
Annual Fees From
AED 32,300
Annual Fees To
Year / GradeAnnual Fee
KG1
AED 15,060KG2
AED 15,060Grade 1
AED 16,580Grade 2
AED 16,580Grade 3
AED 17,860Grade 4
AED 18,850Grade 5
AED 19,720Grade 6
AED 20,150Grade 7
AED 21,800Grade 8
AED 23,430Grade 9
AED 24,850Grade 10
AED 26,300Grade 11 AS
AED 30,110Grade 11 IB
AED 30,110Grade 12 AS
AED 32,300Grade 12 IB
AED 32,300In addition to tuition, families should budget for transport (AED 4,550 per year), a uniform fee of AED 300, and books ranging from AED 500 to AED 2,300 depending on the year group. These costs are clearly published and consistent across grades, making financial planning straightforward for families. Students sitting external examinations — such as IGCSE, AS, A-Level, or IB assessments — will incur additional examination fees, which vary by subject and board; families are advised to contact the school's Examination Officer directly for specific figures.
Positioned as a school offering high-end learning for a reasonable fee, ANPS provides strong value relative to other international-curriculum schools in the UAE. The transparent, all-in fee structure — covering academic tuition, transport, uniform, and books — allows families to understand the full cost of education from the outset, with no hidden charges beyond external examination fees.
Additional Costs
Transport (Bus)4,550(annual)
Uniform300(annual)
Books – KG1500(annual)
Books – KG2700(annual)
Books – Grade 11,400(annual)
Books – Grade 21,600(annual)
Books – Grade 32,100(annual)
Books – Grade 42,000(annual)
Books – Grade 51,900(annual)
Books – Grade 62,100(annual)
Books – Grade 72,200(annual)
Books – Grade 82,300(annual)
Books – Grade 92,200(annual)
Books – Grade 102,200(annual)
Books – Grade 11 (AS/IB)2,100(annual)
Books – Grade 12 (AS/IB)2,100(annual)
External Examination Fees(per-exam)
The Final Verdict: Who Is This School For?
Al Najah Private School is a school with a clear and defensible identity: a long-established, community-rooted institution in Mohamed Bin Zayed City that delivers a British curriculum from KG through to Grade 10, then offers genuine choice between IB Diploma and International A-Level at the senior stage - all at fees that are among the lowest available for this combination in Abu Dhabi. The school's Very Good safeguarding record, stable staff, open-door leadership culture, and strong IB-stream PISA and TIMSS results make it a credible choice for families who prioritise value, community, and university-preparatory credentials. The school's 38-year track record and a student body of over 2,000 suggest it has earned sustained trust from the Arab expatriate community it primarily serves.
The honest counterpoint is that ANPS is not a school for families seeking cutting-edge pedagogy, outstanding inclusion provision, or premium facilities. Arabic-medium subject achievement is rated Acceptable across multiple phases, and ADEK's finding that teacher expectations are not consistently high enough - particularly for gifted and talented students - is a concern for academically ambitious families. The library is under-resourced for the school's size, the inclusion team has unfilled vacancies, and the school's self-evaluation processes need strengthening. If your child needs specialist SEN support, or if you are seeking an Outstanding-rated school with a documented track record of top-tier university placements, ANPS is not the right fit. But if you are a family in Mohamed Bin Zayed City seeking an accessible, community-oriented school with genuine IB or A-Level credentials at a price point that makes the decision far less financially stressful, ANPS deserves serious consideration.
THE “RIGHT FIT”
Families in Mohamed Bin Zayed City and surrounding areas seeking an affordable British/IB curriculum school with a warm, community atmosphere, strong senior-level academic pathways, and a proven safeguarding record - particularly Arab expatriate families from Egyptian, Jordanian, or Syrian backgrounds who value cultural familiarity alongside international credentials.
THE “WRONG FIT”
Families requiring specialist SEN or gifted-and-talented provision, those seeking an Outstanding ADEK-rated school with premium facilities and documented top-tier university destinations, or parents who place high importance on Arabic-medium subject quality across all phases.
“
A school worthy of respect and appreciation for its ravishing method of teaching and delivery to our children in modern ways. Proud of the presence of qualified educational cadres that contribute to the development of students significantly.
— Senior School Parent
Strengths
- Exceptional value: IB Diploma and A-Level at AED 30,110-32,300 - among Abu Dhabi's lowest
- Very Good ADEK safeguarding and child protection rating across all cycles
- Triple senior pathway: IGCSE, International A-Level, and IB Diploma
- IB-stream PISA 2022 scores exceed international averages in all three subjects
- TIMSS 2023 Grade 4 results above school targets and international benchmarks
- Minimal staff turnover and positive staff morale provide continuity
- Strong open-door parental communication culture
- 38 years of established community presence in Abu Dhabi
Areas for Improvement
- Arabic-medium subjects (Islamic Education, Arabic as second language, UAE Social Studies) rated Acceptable across multiple phases
- Library under-resourced: only 9,000 English and 400 Arabic books for 2,176 students
- Inclusion team has unfilled vacancies; gifted and talented provision lacks rigour
- Self-evaluation and improvement planning declined to Acceptable in 2024 Irtiqa
- GLPT standardised test results Weak in English, maths, and science for Phases 2 and 3