FIPS follows an adapted version of the National Curriculum for England, delivered through the Cambridge International Primary and Secondary programmes, and capped at the upper end by Cambridge IGCSE, AS Level, and A Level qualifications. This is a coherent, well-sequenced British pathway - not a hybrid or patchwork arrangement. The Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) governs FS1 and FS2, covering seven areas of learning from communication and language through to creative development. From Year 1, students enter the Cambridge Primary framework, with English, Mathematics, Science, and Computing as the core academic spine. French or Urdu are offered as additional languages alongside PE, Art, and Music. Mandatory UAE Ministry of Education subjects - Arabic, Social Studies, Moral Education, and Islamic Studies for Muslim students - are integrated throughout, as required by all private schools in the UAE.
At Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11), students sit Cambridge IGCSE examinations. Mandatory subjects are English as a Second Language, ICT, and Mathematics, with students selecting three additional subjects from sciences (Biology, Chemistry, Physics), commerce (Accounting, Business, Economics), or languages (Arabic, French, Urdu). No new admissions are accepted in Year 11, as the IGCSE is a two-year continuous programme - a policy that protects academic continuity but limits mid-cycle transfers. Key Stage 5 (Years 12 and 13) delivers Cambridge AS and A Level qualifications, with subject choices spanning Mathematics, Accounting, Business, Economics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Computer Science, and Arabic. The school is transparent that some A Level subjects may be self-study based on demand - a limitation worth noting for families with specific subject requirements.
On academic outcomes, the school shared its 2024 summer examination results: 71% of A Level entries achieved A*-B grades and 70% achieved A*-C, while at IGCSE, 71% of entries were awarded A*-B and an impressive 87% achieved A*-C. These are creditable results for a school at this fee level and in this market. The school also uses GL CAT4 and Progress Test series for internal benchmarking, providing teachers with standardised data to track individual student trajectories. The MoE inspection noted that students in Phases 1 and 2 (Foundation and Primary) make better than expected progress relative to their starting points - a meaningful finding given that many students arrive with limited prior English exposure. The inspection also noted that research, inquiry, and critical thinking skills are less well developed across the school, particularly in secondary phases - an honest limitation that parents of academically ambitious students should weigh carefully. University destination data is not publicly available, as the school's first A Level cohort only graduated in 2024, but the trajectory is positive. Admissions criteria are structured by stage: EYFS uses observation-based assessment; Years 3-9 use an online assessment covering Verbal, Non-Verbal, Quantitative, and Spatial Reasoning alongside English and Mathematics attainment; and A Level entry requires a minimum of 5 IGCSE grades at A*-C and grade B or above in the chosen A Level subject. SEN provision exists - a full-time qualified teacher supports the eight registered SEND students - but the programme is still maturing, with the primary focus to date on English language acquisition for new arrivals.
87%
IGCSE entries achieving A*-C
2024 Cambridge IGCSE summer examinations
71%
IGCSE entries achieving A*-B
2024 Cambridge IGCSE summer examinations
71%
A Level entries achieving A*-B
2024 Cambridge AS/A Level summer examinations
FS1 - Year 13
Full British curriculum pathway
Ages 3 to 18, complete provision