International Indian SchoolCBSE Curriculum, Subjects & Qualifications

International Indian School offers a distinctive multi-framework academic pathway that spans the full age range from 3 to 18. Early years education in Pre-KG and KG blends the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) with the Montessori Method, providing a play-based, child-centred foundation before students transition into the International Curriculum for Primary and Middle years. From Grade 9 onwards, the school follows the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) framework through to Grade 12, with board examination fees for Grades 10 and 12 included in the annual tuition. Languages of instruction are English, with Arabic and Hindi offered as additional languages across phases.

The school's academic performance data presents a genuinely encouraging picture, particularly in the early and primary years. The most significant external benchmark is the PIRLS 2021 Grade 4 overall score of 570, placing students in the high international benchmark for reading literacy — a meaningful result for a school at this fee level. In standardised testing, Ei-ASSET 2023/24 results show Phase 2 students attaining outstanding across English, mathematics, and science. Phase 3 students achieved outstanding in science and very good in English. For CBSE Grade 10, results indicate outstanding attainment in English, very good in mathematics, and acceptable in science — the last of these representing a gap the school will need to address as cohorts mature. In Arabic, ACER IBT AY2023/24 results show most students in Phases 2, 3, and 4 attaining outstanding results, a notable achievement given that Arabic-medium subjects improved from Acceptable to Good across all phases since the previous inspection.

Among Indian curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi, IIS Abu Dhabi sits within a cohort of 34 Indian curriculum schools citywide, of which 14 are rated Good, 10 Very Good, and only 1 Outstanding. The school's Good rating — maintained across both the 2021–22 and 2024–25 ADEK inspection cycles — places it in the solid majority of its curriculum peer group, though it has not yet broken into the Very Good tier that roughly 29% of Indian curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi have achieved. The 2024–25 ADEK inspection rated teaching in Phases 1 and 2 as Very Good, a genuine strength, while teaching in Phases 3 and 4 remained at Good. Assessment was rated Good across all phases.

What distinguishes IIS Abu Dhabi academically is the breadth of enrichment layered onto a value-priced curriculum. The school runs the Duke of Edinburgh Award, the STEP program, and the DEAR (Drop Everything and Read) initiative alongside a structured Phonics program in early years. A Gifted and Talented program is in place, and 28 students of determination are enrolled. Technology integration is embedded across subjects, with digital platforms including MS-Teams, Readworks, Epic, Twinkl, and Kutubee supporting both in-school and home learning. The school also houses an AI and Robotics Lab, signalling an ambition to extend STEM provision beyond the standard CBSE offering.

Inspectors and the ADEK report identified several areas requiring attention. Curriculum design and adaptation were rated Acceptable across all phases — the weakest domain in the inspection framework — indicating that the curriculum is not yet being sufficiently tailored to build on students' prior knowledge or differentiate for varied learners. Critical thinking skills were flagged as underdeveloped across phases, and opportunities for extended writing in both English and Arabic remain limited. The school currently has no in-school support services (ISSS) for students with additional learning needs, a significant gap given the 28 enrolled students of determination. Data tracking was also cited as insufficiently aligned to licensed curriculum standards. Compared to higher-performing Indian curriculum peers in Abu Dhabi, IIS Abu Dhabi would need to demonstrate measurable improvement in curriculum adaptation, student agency, and SEN provision to move into the Very Good inspection tier.