
Rosary Private School Branch Abu Dhabi Al Nahyan
Ministry of Education School in Al Nahyan, Abu Dhabi
Last updated
The Executive Summary
“The school keeps our culture and language alive for our children. The Arabic and Islamic education is genuinely strong, and the teachers care about the students as individuals.”
— Grade 7 Parent(representative)Academic Framework & Learning Style
Extracurricular Activities (ECAs)
Pastoral Care & Well-being
“The school feels safe and the values they teach - respect, working together - are things we see our children bringing home. The community here is tight-knit and the teachers know the children well.”
— Grade 4 Parent(representative)Campus & Facilities
Teaching & Learning Quality
Leadership & Management
ADEK Inspection Results (Irtiqa - Decoded)
Care and Support has regressed to Good across all cycles due to insufficient staffing for students with additional learning needs. Students of determination make Weak progress in KG in Arabic. IEP quality needs improvement, and attendance management systems require strengthening.
PISA, TIMSS, and IBT results fall below international averages and school targets across most subjects and cycles. Curriculum adaptation is only rated Good, and inspectors recommend reducing teacher-led instruction, improving questioning techniques, and ensuring tasks challenge all learner profiles.
Inspection History
Fees & Value for Money
Rosary Private School (Branch Abu Dhabi Al Nahyan) follows the approved fee schedule set by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) for the academic year 2025–2026. The fees listed represent the maximum permissible levels that the school may charge and cannot be increased without prior written approval from ADEK. This schedule is valid for future academic years unless replaced by a later ADEK-approved schedule.
Tuition fees range from AED 8,480 for KG1 up to AED 18,670 for Grade 12, reflecting a structured, tiered pricing model that increases progressively through the academic journey. In addition to tuition, families should budget for transportation (bus), books, uniform, and additional books fees. A standardised assessment fee is included within the tuition fees for Grades 3 to 9.
The school offers both Advanced and General stream options from Grade 9 onwards, with slightly differentiated book costs. French and English additional textbook fees apply as noted. All fees are applicable only to the grades approved in the school's official ADEK licence.
Additional Costs
The Final Verdict: Who Is This School For?
THE “RIGHT FIT”
Arab expatriate families - particularly of Jordanian, Syrian, or Egyptian background - who prioritise Arabic-medium MoE education, the Tawjihi pathway, strong Islamic and cultural values, and genuinely affordable school fees in a central Abu Dhabi location.
THE “WRONG FIT”
Families seeking internationally benchmarked curricula (IB, British, American), English-medium instruction, elite university placement support, or a richly documented extracurricular programme; also not suited to students with significant additional learning needs given the current inclusion staffing limitations.
For our family, this school was exactly what we needed - the right curriculum, the right language, the right values, and fees we can actually afford. It is not perfect, but it is honest and it cares.
Strengths
- ADEK Very Good rating maintained across two consecutive inspections
- Among the most affordable private school fees in Abu Dhabi (AED 8,480-18,570)
- Very Good attainment in Arabic, Islamic Education, and UAE Social Studies across all cycles
- Strong safeguarding and health and safety rated Very Good throughout
- Very Good teaching quality across KG and all three cycles
- Central Al Nahyan location with bus transport available
- Clear Tawjihi pathway with science and arts stream options
- Very Good leadership across all six assessed dimensions
Areas for Improvement
- PISA, TIMSS, and IBT scores fall below international averages across most subjects
- Care and Support regressed to Good; inclusion staffing is insufficient for students of determination
- Staff turnover is a live concern flagged explicitly by ADEK inspectors
- Limited online transparency - facilities and student life pages not accessible
- Curriculum adaptation rated only Good; differentiation for diverse learners needs development