Our Own English High SchoolBritish Curriculum, Subjects & Qualifications

Our Own English High School offers one of the most structurally distinctive academic programmes in Al Ain: a genuine dual-curriculum pathway that gives secondary students a meaningful choice between two internationally recognised frameworks. From KG to Grade 4, all students follow an internationally anchored syllabus rooted in the Indian CBSE curriculum. From Grade 5 onwards, families choose between the CBSE pathway — leading to the AISSE (Grade 10) and AISSCE (Grade 12) in Science and Commerce streams — and the Cambridge International (CAIE) pathway, leading to IGCSE at Grade 10/11 and GCE AS and A Levels at Grade 12. Unusually, these two pathways operate on separate academic calendars: CBSE runs April to March, while CAIE runs September to June. Languages of instruction are English throughout, with Arabic compulsory for all students and optional languages including Hindi, French, and Malayalam offered from Primary through to Grade 8.

Academic results are a genuine strength of OOL's programme. The school has maintained a 100% pass rate in CBSE Grades 10 and 12 consistently, with AY2023/24 results showing outstanding attainment in English and Grade 12 Biology, and very good attainment in Mathematics, Grade 10 Science, and Grade 12 Physics. Grade 12 MOE examinations in Arabic and Islamic Education also returned outstanding attainment. On the international stage, the school exceeded all its targets in the PISA 2022 assessments, recording a reading literacy score of 550.7, a mathematical literacy score of 511.7, and a scientific literacy score of 515.6 — all above international standards. The Ei-SSET AY2023/24 results showed outstanding English attainment in Phase 3 and very good Science attainment across Phases 2 to 4. The school's 2024–2025 ADEK Irtiqa inspection rated overall performance as Good — consistent with its 2023–2024 rating — placing it among the majority of Indian-curriculum schools in the UAE, where the Good band is the most common rating for this curriculum type.

What distinguishes OOL's academic programme beyond results is the breadth of enrichment layered onto its core curriculum. The school operates a STEAM Education programme, a structured Student Leadership programme, a Gifted and Talented track, and a comprehensive reading programme drawing on platforms including RAZ KIDS, Read Works, Kutubee, and Asafeer. Mindfulness sessions are embedded in the school's wellbeing approach, and the school holds the Optimus Wellbeing Award for Schools, developed by the National Children's Bureau and Optimus Education. The library supports literacy across languages with 7,949 physical books and approximately 17,000 e-books in Arabic, English, Hindi, French, and Malayalam. Inspectors rated the school's self-evaluation and improvement planning as Very Good — an improvement from the previous cycle — and noted that Phase 4 English achievement rose from very good to outstanding, with Mathematics progress in Phase 4 also improving to outstanding.

However, parents should weigh several areas flagged for improvement. The 2024–2025 inspection identified that the school does not currently provide in-school support services (ISSS) for students of determination, and inspectors specifically recommended appointing a full-time qualified SENCO and additional teaching assistants. Advanced Learning Plans (ALPs) for gifted and talented students have not yet been finalised and implemented. Inspectors also noted that differentiated lesson planning is inconsistent across phases, and that students' speaking and presentation skills in Standard Arabic — particularly in Phases 1 and 2 — and extended writing skills across all phases require targeted development. Opportunities for enterprise, innovation, and hands-on practical learning are described as insufficient. With a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:20, OOL sits notably above the city average of 13.6 students per teacher among Dubai-area private schools, which is a structural constraint on the personalised support the school can offer — particularly relevant given the inclusion gaps identified by inspectors. University destination data is [MISSING: university placement statistics not provided].