International School Of Choueifat - MushrifSABIS Curriculum, Subjects & QualificationsLast Updated: April 7, 2026
Curriculum & Academics
The International School of Choueifat - Mushrif operates the proprietary SABIS International curriculum across a full age range of 4 to 18, serving over 3,600 students on a 35,000 m² campus in Al Mushrif. The academic framework is built around the SABIS system's signature emphasis on mastery learning and exam readiness, supplemented at senior levels by globally recognised qualifications: IGCSE, AS-Level, and A-Level for students targeting UK and European universities, and AP and SAT for those pursuing US university entry. TOEFL preparation is also offered — a practical provision given that the majority of students enter the school with limited English proficiency. This dual-pathway model is a genuine differentiator among Abu Dhabi international schools and gives families meaningful flexibility in university destination planning.
In ADEK's 2024–25 inspection round, ISC Mushrif was rated Very Good — the second-highest rating in the Abu Dhabi framework. This places the school in a strong position relative to the broader Abu Dhabi private school landscape, where only a minority of schools achieve this tier. The full inspection report for the Mushrif campus is not yet publicly available, so granular subject-level findings cannot be confirmed at this time. Insight from the parallel SABIS International School – Ruwais inspection (rated Good in 2024–25) offers some contextual reference for the SABIS network: across SABIS schools, English, mathematics, and science achievement at upper phases tends to reach Very Good, while Arabic as a second language and UAE Social Studies typically sit at Acceptable — a pattern common to many international-track schools in Abu Dhabi.
The school's most distinctive academic feature is its structured dual university pathway. Few schools in Abu Dhabi offer both A-Level and AP tracks within a single institution, and the addition of SAT and TOEFL preparation gives students applying to North American institutions a more complete preparation package. The SABIS system's structured, sequenced approach to curriculum delivery — with regular internal testing and a focus on cumulative knowledge — is well-suited to exam-focused families. The school has been operating since 1978, making it one of the longest-established international schools in Abu Dhabi, and its network connection to SABIS schools across the UAE and internationally provides institutional stability.
Areas of concern noted across the SABIS network include provision for students with additional learning needs, where identification and support processes have been flagged as requiring strengthening. Gifted and talented provision has also been identified as inconsistent. Teacher turnover — reported at 27% in WSA data — is on the higher end for Abu Dhabi, which can affect continuity of teaching relationships. The student-to-teacher ratio in upper phases has been noted as high at approximately 1:24, compared to an Abu Dhabi city average of 13.6 students per teacher. Specific IGCSE, A-Level, or AP results are [MISSING: published exam outcome data for ISC Mushrif], making direct benchmarking against peer schools difficult. Parents considering the school should request this data directly. The WSA parent satisfaction score of 2.3 out of 5 (based on 15 reviews) is notably low and warrants attention, though the sample size is limited.