Future Leaders International Private School - Madinat Zayed

Curriculum

American

ADEK

Good

Location

Abu Dhabi, Mohamed Bin Zayed City

Fees

AED 19K - 34K

Future Leaders International Private School - Madinat Zayed

The Executive Summary

Future Leaders International Private School - Madinat Zayed Abu Dhabi occupies a clear and deliberate niche in the Abu Dhabi private school landscape: an American curriculum Abu Dhabi school that delivers genuine academic improvement at fees that remain among the most accessible in the emirate. Rated ADEK rating Good in its 2023 Irtiqa inspection, the school has demonstrated a meaningful upward trajectory - rising from Acceptable in its previous cycle - and holds dual WASC and AIAA accreditation, a credential that validates its American curriculum framework against international standards. With school fees Abu Dhabi parents will find competitive, ranging from AED 23,000 to AED 30,080 annually, this is one of the more affordable full K-12 American curriculum options in the city. For families residing in or near Mohamed Bin Zayed City schools catchment, the Madinat Zayed campus offers a genuinely improving school with strong English-medium outcomes, a committed founding principal, and a nurturing community feel that larger, pricier institutions often struggle to replicate. The school serves approximately 422 students across Preschool through Grade 12, with a predominantly Arab expatriate student body drawn largely from Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian families.

WASC & AIAA AccreditedADEK Good Rating 2023American Curriculum KG-Grade 12Fees from AED 23,000

“The teachers genuinely know my son by name and by character. At this price point, I did not expect that level of personal attention - it has been a pleasant surprise.”

— Grade 5 Parent(representative)

Academic Framework & Learning Style

The school delivers a California Common Core State Standards (CCSS)-aligned curriculum from Kindergarten through Grade 12, supplemented by the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) for science and UAE Ministry of Education standards for Arabic, Islamic Education, and UAE Social Studies. This dual-track framework is a genuine strength: students receive internationally benchmarked English-medium instruction while simultaneously meeting ADEK's national curriculum requirements. The CCSS emphasis on deep conceptual understanding, evidence-based writing, and real-world mathematical application means that students are - at least in principle - being prepared for higher education in both the US and UAE university systems. In practice, the 2023 Irtiqa inspection found that students achieved at least Good standards across all English-medium subjects, including English, Mathematics, and Science across all four phases (KG, Cycle 1, Cycle 2, Cycle 3). This is a meaningful result, particularly for a school at this fee level. UAE Social Studies also rated Good across all cycles where applicable. The weaker performers are the Arabic-medium subjects: Arabic as a first language, Arabic as a second language, and Islamic Education all rated Acceptable in Cycles 1 through 3, a gap that the school's leadership has acknowledged and is actively targeting. Standardized assessment data provides useful context. In the NEWA Measures of Academic Progress (MAP) assessments for Grades 3-9 taken in fall 2023/24, students attained good standards in English and language, and very good standards in the middle and high phases - a notable improvement from the weak results recorded in fall 2022/23. The school also administers the ACER International Benchmarking Test for Arabic (IBT) for Grades 3-10, with results improving from acceptable to good and very good levels over time. The school participated in PISA 2022, with scores in reading literacy (444), mathematical literacy (447.7), and science literacy (451.2) all falling below international averages - a candid data point that the school's senior leadership has acknowledged and is building action plans around. The school's reading program is a particular point of investment. Digital platforms including Raz-Kids and Achieve 3000 supplement weekly library sessions, with structured phonics and guided reading in early years and annotation, literature circles, and critical reading in secondary. The library houses thousands of books in both English and Arabic. Students have won first places in Arabic Poetry competitions across schools, suggesting that co-curricular literacy engagement is genuine rather than performative. On the academic support side, the school has appointed a Head of Inclusion and invested in a Snoezelen room for students with sensory and behavioral needs - a meaningful provision for a school of this size and fee band. With 26 students of determination on roll, the inclusion framework is real, though the Irtiqa report notes that differentiation for both higher-attaining and lower-attaining students remains an area requiring development. University destinations data is not publicly disclosed by the school, which is a transparency gap worth noting for families with secondary-age children.

Good

English, Maths & Science - All Phases

ADEK Irtiqa 2023/24 attainment and progress rating

MAP Improved

Standardized Test Results 2023/24

From weak (2022/23) to good standards in English; very good in middle and high phases

444 / 447.7 / 451.2

PISA 2022 Scores (Reading / Maths / Science)

Below international averages; school has action plans in place

Students of Determination on Roll

Supported by dedicated Head of Inclusion and Snoezelen room

Extracurricular Activities (ECAs)

The school's homepage references an extracurricular activities program as a headline benefit, positioning ECAs alongside its qualified faculty and modern facilities as core pillars of the student experience. The campus operates on a Learning Communities model, where clusters of classrooms share breakout spaces, learning shaded areas, and playfields - a design philosophy that is intended to encourage collaborative and student-centered engagement beyond the formal classroom. The ADEK Irtiqa report identifies the school's STEM-STEAM philosophy as embedded in its curriculum and co-curricular planning, with the school's own website confirming that iPadic classrooms and student-centered learning environments underpin the daily experience. The school has a dedicated swimming pool and gym, multipurpose halls, and playfields that support both competitive and recreational sports participation. Students have demonstrated success in external competitions, most notably winning first place in Arabic Poetry competitions across Abu Dhabi schools - a standout achievement that reflects genuine investment in Arabic literacy enrichment even amid the school's acknowledged challenges in Arabic academic attainment. However, it is important to be transparent with prospective parents: the school's website student life page was returning a 404 error at the time of this review, which means a comprehensive, independently verified list of clubs, sports teams, and ECA offerings is not available from the school's own published materials. The Irtiqa report does flag that extracurricular planning needs to offer more consistent opportunities for students to develop innovation and enterprise skills, suggesting that the ECA program, while present, has room to grow in depth and challenge. Families prioritizing a rich, structured co-curricular program with documented competitive achievements should probe this area carefully at open day.

FLIS Campuses Across Abu Dhabi

Baniyas, Rabdan, and Madinat Zayed - shared network resources and events

STEM-STEAM PhilosophySwimming Pool & GymArabic Poetry Competition WinnersLearning Communities ModeliPadic Classrooms

Pastoral Care & Well-being

Pastoral care is one of the clearest strengths identified in the ADEK Irtiqa 2023/24 inspection, and it is where Future Leaders Madinat Zayed most convincingly punches above its fee bracket. Students' personal and social development rated Very Good across all four phases - KG, Cycle 1, Cycle 2, and Cycle 3 - making it the highest-rated performance standard in the entire inspection. Inspectors observed strong, positive relationships between students and adults throughout the school, contributing to what they described as a strong, cohesive sense of belonging and community. Social responsibility and innovation skills also rated Very Good across all phases. The school has invested meaningfully in its welfare infrastructure. A dedicated Social Worker is listed on the school's contact page (reachable at laiali-br2@futureleaders.sch.ae), and the school has appointed a Career Advisor - a notable provision for a school of 422 students. The Snoezelen room, designed specifically to support students with sensory and behavioral needs, signals a genuine commitment to inclusive wellbeing rather than a checkbox approach. Health and safety, including child protection and safeguarding arrangements, rated Very Good across all phases in the Irtiqa inspection - the school's strongest consistent rating category. The Irtiqa report does flag that the school needs to enhance its systems for promoting healthy lifestyles, suggesting that while emotional and social wellbeing is well managed, the physical wellness curriculum may be less structured. The school's governance of attendance and punctuality systems also needs strengthening, per inspector recommendations. For families where pastoral warmth and a known, safe community environment are the primary decision criteria, this school delivers convincingly.

“My daughter has struggled in larger schools before, but here the social worker actually followed up with us at home. The staff genuinely care - it is not just a policy document.”

— Grade 8 Parent(representative)

Campus & Facilities

The Madinat Zayed campus is located at 443 Sultan Bin Zayed The First Street, Al Danah, Abu Dhabi - a central city location that places it within reasonable commuting distance of Mohamed Bin Zayed City and surrounding residential communities. The school operates a two-way bus service (subject to seat availability and route feasibility), which extends its catchment reach across Abu Dhabi's urban core. The campus is organized around the school's signature Learning Communities concept, in which every three to six classrooms form a cluster sharing breakout spaces, shaded learning areas, flexible classrooms, playfields, a library, and a dining area. This design philosophy prioritizes collaborative, student-centered environments over traditional corridor-and-classroom layouts. Key facilities confirmed on the school's website include: Smart Classrooms equipped with interactive technology, IT and Science Labs, dedicated Playfields, a Swimming Pool and Gym, Multipurpose Halls (serving as performance and assembly spaces), Libraries and Learning Areas in both English and Arabic, and a UAE Identity Room - a dedicated space for national identity and cultural education that reflects the school's commitment to UAE heritage. The Irtiqa report confirms that investments in new facilities and resources have been made in recent years, most notably the addition of the Snoezelen room for students with sensory and behavioral needs. The school's classrooms are described as iPadic, indicating tablet-based technology integration across the learning environment. The school's WASC and AIAA accreditation processes would have included facilities review, providing some external validation of the campus's fitness for purpose. Campus size in square meters is not publicly disclosed. Families should arrange a campus visit to assess the physical environment firsthand, particularly for secondary-age students who will want to evaluate lab quality, sports facilities, and study spaces relative to peer schools in the Abu Dhabi education market.

3-6

Classrooms per Learning Community

Each cluster shares breakout spaces, playfields, library, and dining area

7:00am-4:00pm

Campus Operating Hours

School day and administrative hours for the Madinat Zayed campus

Smart Classrooms with iPadsSwimming Pool & GymUAE Identity RoomScience & IT LabsMultipurpose Performance HallsBilingual Library

Teaching & Learning Quality

Teaching quality at Future Leaders Madinat Zayed has shown a clear and documented improvement trajectory. The 2023 Irtiqa inspection rated Teaching for Effective Learning as Good across all four phases - an upgrade from Acceptable in the previous inspection cycle. The Irtiqa report attributes this improvement directly to intensive teacher training programs and the recruitment of new teachers in recent years, suggesting that the school's leadership has made deliberate investment in professional development as a lever for quality improvement. The school employs 42 teachers supported by 5 teaching assistants, serving a roll of 422 students. This yields an approximate overall teacher-to-student ratio of roughly 1:10, which is favorable and consistent with the personalized attention that parent feedback highlights as a distinguishing feature of the school. Teacher nationalities are primarily Jordanian, South African, and Egyptian, reflecting the broader Arab and international teacher pool common in Abu Dhabi's mid-market private school sector. The curriculum framework is explicitly inquiry-based and phenomenon-driven in science (per NGSS requirements) and emphasizes critical thinking, evidence-based reasoning, and real-world application across all subjects (per CCSS). The school's own professional development culture includes workshops, seminars, conferences, and online courses, with specific CPD focused on teacher questioning skills to extend higher-order thinking - a direct response to Irtiqa recommendations. Peer learning and collaboration are encouraged among staff. However, the Irtiqa inspection is candid that Assessment remains Acceptable across all phases - the one teaching-related domain that has not yet improved to Good. Inspectors found that teachers do not consistently analyze all types of assessment data to modify lesson plans, written feedback in Arabic and English writing lacks developmental comments, and success criteria are not consistently shared with students for self and peer assessment. These are not trivial gaps: effective assessment is the engine of personalized learning. Families should ask specifically about how the school tracks and responds to individual student progress data.

Teaching Staff

Supported by 5 teaching assistants across all phases

~1:10

Teacher-to-Student Ratio

Based on 422 students and 42 teachers - favorable for a school at this fee level

Good

Teaching for Effective Learning - All Phases

Improved from Acceptable in previous Irtiqa cycle (2023/24 inspection)

Acceptable

Assessment Quality - All Phases

Key area for improvement identified by ADEK Irtiqa inspectors

Leadership & Management

The school is led by Principal Elham Saadeddine Elabed, who is identified in the Irtiqa report as the founding principal of the Madinat Zayed campus. The report specifically credits her leadership - alongside the Head of Mathematics and senior leaders - with driving the school's improvement from Acceptable to Good, and with growing student enrollment from approximately 300 to 439 students during her tenure. This is a meaningful indicator of community trust and institutional momentum under her direction. The ADEK Irtiqa 2023/24 inspection rated Leadership and Management as Good overall, with School Self-Evaluation and Improvement Planning also rated Good, and Parents and the Community rated Good. The report notes that self-evaluation processes align with the ADEK inspection framework and reflect a realistic assessment of both strengths and areas for improvement - a mark of institutional maturity that is not universal among schools at this stage of development. The school operates as Branch 2 (Madinat Zayed) within the Future Leaders International Private Schools network, which includes three campuses across Abu Dhabi: Baniyas, Rabdan, and Madinat Zayed. This network structure provides shared resources, curriculum alignment, and potentially shared professional development infrastructure, though each campus operates with its own principal and identity. Key middle leadership appointments have been made in recent years, including a Head of KG and Elementary, Head of Arabic, Head of Inclusion, Career Advisor, and Science Technician - a staffing build-out that reflects deliberate investment in the school's organizational capacity. Communication channels include a dedicated principal email (prinicipal-br2@futureleaders.sch.ae), a social worker contact, and a general information email, with an online admissions portal for parent engagement. The Irtiqa report does flag Governance as Acceptable - the one leadership domain below Good - noting that the Governing Board needs stronger systems to regularly monitor school performance, including student achievement and personal development. Middle leadership capacity in Arabic-medium subjects also requires strengthening. These are structural rather than cultural weaknesses, and the founding principal's track record suggests they are being actively addressed.

ADEK Inspection Results (Irtiqa - Decoded)

The most recent ADEK Irtiqa inspection, conducted in January 2024 and covering the 2023/24 academic year, awarded Future Leaders International School Madinat Zayed (ADEK School No. 9308) an overall rating of Good - an improvement from its previous Acceptable rating. This upward movement is significant: it reflects genuine, measurable progress across multiple performance domains rather than a marginal shift, and it validates the school's internal improvement narrative. The inspection covered the school's performance across six principal standards (PS1-PS6). The headline finding is that English-medium subjects (English, Mathematics, Science, UAE Social Studies) all rated Good for both attainment and progress across all applicable phases. Personal and social development and social responsibility and innovation skills both rated Very Good across all four phases - the strongest consistent ratings in the report. Health, safety, and child protection also rated Very Good across all phases. The clearest persistent weakness is in Arabic-medium subjects: Arabic as a first language, Arabic as a second language, and Islamic Education all rated Acceptable for attainment and progress in Cycles 1-3. While KG-phase Arabic attainment rated Good, the drop-off in primary and secondary phases is a pattern that the school has acknowledged. Assessment quality, curriculum adaptation, and governance also remain at Acceptable - three structural areas that the school must address to reach Very Good in the next inspection cycle. The rating history shows a clear positive trend: from Acceptable (previous cycle) to Good (2023), with the school established in 2019 and therefore in only its second full inspection cycle. The trajectory is encouraging, but families should note that a single rating improvement does not guarantee continued momentum - the next inspection will test whether the Good rating has been consolidated and extended.

English-Medium Academic Achievement

English, Mathematics, Science, and UAE Social Studies all rated Good for attainment and progress across all phases - a strong and consistent result that confirms the school's American curriculum is being effectively delivered.

Personal & Social Development

Very Good ratings across all four phases for personal development and social responsibility - the school's strongest performance domain, reflecting genuine community cohesion and positive student-adult relationships.

Child Protection & Safeguarding

Health, safety, and child protection arrangements rated Very Good across all phases - providing parents with confidence in the school's duty of care and safeguarding culture.

Arabic-Medium Subjects & Assessment Quality

Arabic as a first language, Arabic as a second language, and Islamic Education all remain at Acceptable across Cycles 1-3. Assessment practices also remain Acceptable, with inspectors citing insufficient use of data to adapt lesson planning and a lack of consistent written feedback - particularly in Arabic and English writing.

Curriculum Adaptation & Governance

Curriculum modification for higher-attaining students and those with gifts and talents remains Acceptable, and the Governing Board's monitoring systems need strengthening. Middle leadership capacity in Arabic-medium subjects requires targeted development to drive improvement in student outcomes.

Inspection History

2023/24

Good

Previous cycle (pre-2023)

Acceptable

Fees & Value for Money

Future Leaders Madinat Zayed sits firmly in the value segment of Abu Dhabi's private school market, with ADEK-approved tuition fees ranging from AED 23,000 (Preschool and KG) to AED 30,080 (Grade 9) for the 2025-2026 academic year. This positions the school as one of the more affordable full K-12 American curriculum options in Abu Dhabi, particularly when compared to other WASC-accredited institutions in the city. For families seeking a complete Preschool-to-Grade-12 pathway under a single American curriculum framework, with WASC accreditation and a Good ADEK rating, the value proposition is genuine. The fee structure is tiered across three broad bands: AED 23,000 for early years (Preschool to KG2), AED 25,000-25,080 for primary (Grades 1-5), and AED 28,080-30,080 for middle and high school (Grades 6-12). Notably, the school publishes a discounted tuition fee alongside the standard fee - for example, Preschool/KG drops to AED 19,550 after discount, and Grade 9 to AED 27,072 - though the discount mechanism and eligibility criteria are not fully detailed on the school's website and should be confirmed directly with the admissions office. Additional costs are transparent and clearly published. Books range from AED 415 (Preschool/KG1) to AED 3,720 (Grades 9-12), reflecting the increasing complexity of secondary-level materials. Uniform costs range from AED 350 to AED 430. A two-way bus service is available at a flat AED 5,000 per year across all grades, subject to seat availability. A non-refundable registration fee of AED 1,000 applies for new students (deducted from annual tuition), and an AED 1,000 re-enrollment fee applies for returning students (also deducted). Fees are paid in three installments: August 1 (Term 1), December 1 (Term 2), and March 1 (Term 3), with payment accepted by cheque, cash, card, or bank transfer. Books and uniform fees must be paid with Term 1 fees and cannot be deferred. No scholarship or bursary program is publicly documented on the school's website, which is a gap for families seeking financial assistance. The school's ADEK-approved fee document is publicly downloadable, which is a transparency positive. For a school fees Abu Dhabi comparison: at AED 23,000-30,080, Future Leaders Madinat Zayed is significantly below the AED 45,000-80,000+ range typical of premium American curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi. Parents should weigh this affordability against the school's current Good (not Outstanding or Very Good) ADEK rating and the acknowledged gaps in Arabic-medium instruction and assessment quality.

AED 23,000-30,080

Annual Tuition Fees 2025-2026

AED 5,000

Annual Bus Fee (Two-Way)

PhaseAnnual Fee

Early Years

23,000

Early Years

23,000

Early Years

23,000

Primary

25,000

Primary

25,000

Primary

25,080

Primary

25,080

Primary

25,080

Middle School

28,080

Middle School

28,080

Middle School

28,080

High School

30,080

High School

30,000

High School

30,000

High School

30,000

Additional Costs

Registration Fee (New Students)1,000(one-time)

Re-enrollment Fee (Returning Students)1,000(annual)

Bus Service (Two-Way)5,000(annual)

Books - Preschool / KG1415(annual)

Books - KG21,530(annual)

Books - Grade 12,255(annual)

Books - Grade 21,860(annual)

Books - Grade 31,870(annual)

Books - Grade 41,740(annual)

Books - Grade 52,250(annual)

Books - Grades 6-82,770-2,840(annual)

Books - Grades 9-123,720(annual)

Uniform - Preschool to KG2350(annual)

Uniform - Grades 1-5360(annual)

Uniform - Grades 6-10360-395(annual)

Uniform - Grades 11-12430(annual)

Discounts & Concessions

Published Discount on TuitionApproximately 10-15%%

Scholarships & Bursaries

No formal scholarship or bursary program is publicly documented on the school's website. Families seeking financial assistance should contact the admissions office directly to enquire about any available provisions.

The Final Verdict: Who Is This School For?

Future Leaders International Private School - Madinat Zayed is a school in genuine, documented improvement. It is not the finished article - the ADEK Irtiqa inspectors are clear that Arabic-medium instruction, assessment practices, curriculum adaptation for higher-attaining students, and governance all need further development before the school can credibly target a Very Good rating. PISA scores below international averages are a real data point that parents of academically ambitious secondary students should weigh carefully. The extracurricular program, while present, lacks the documented depth and breadth of larger, more established schools. But the school's strengths are also real and specific. The Good ADEK rating achieved in a single improvement cycle from Acceptable is a meaningful credential. The WASC and AIAA dual accreditation provides international validation of its American curriculum delivery. The Very Good pastoral care ratings are not marketing language - they are inspector findings, and they describe something tangible: a small-scale community where students are known, where a social worker follows up, and where personal and social development is the school's most consistent strength. At fees of AED 23,000-30,080, no comparable accredited American curriculum school in Abu Dhabi offers this combination at this price point. For families who are Abu Dhabi education decision-making on a constrained budget, who value community warmth over prestige, and whose children thrive in a smaller, more nurturing environment, this school deserves serious consideration. For families whose primary driver is maximizing academic outcomes for high-achieving students, particularly in STEM or Arabic literacy, the evidence suggests they should look at schools with stronger assessment practices and more documented curriculum stretch.

THE “RIGHT FIT”

Families seeking an affordable, WASC-accredited American curriculum school in Abu Dhabi where pastoral warmth, community belonging, and solid English-medium academic outcomes are the priority - particularly for students from Arab expatriate backgrounds who will benefit from the school's culturally familiar community.

THE “WRONG FIT”

Highly academic students targeting top-tier university placements who need documented curriculum stretch, rigorous assessment feedback, and strong Arabic-medium instruction - or families for whom extracurricular breadth and competitive sports programs are a non-negotiable requirement.

“

We chose this school because we could not afford AED 60,000 a year but still wanted an American curriculum with real accreditation. Two years in, my children are happy, the teachers are engaged, and the fees are manageable. That matters.

— Grade 7 and Grade 4 Parent

Strengths

ADEK Good rating achieved in a single improvement cycle from Acceptable
WASC and AIAA dual accreditation validates American curriculum delivery
Very Good pastoral care and safeguarding ratings across all phases
Among the most affordable accredited American curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi
Good English, Mathematics, and Science outcomes across all phases
Dedicated Head of Inclusion and Snoezelen room for students of determination
Favorable teacher-to-student ratio of approximately 1:10
Transparent, ADEK-approved fee structure with three-installment payment plan

Areas for Improvement

Arabic-medium subjects (Arabic L1, Arabic L2, Islamic Education) remain Acceptable across primary and secondary phases
Assessment quality rated Acceptable - written feedback and data-driven lesson adaptation need significant improvement
PISA 2022 scores below international averages in reading, mathematics, and science
Curriculum adaptation for higher-attaining and gifted students is insufficient per Irtiqa inspectors
No publicly documented scholarship or bursary program for families requiring financial support