The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy for Girls, Abu Dhabi

SZPAG delivers a bilingual Pre-K to Grade 12 programme built on the American Common Core standards aligned to the state of Massachusetts, integrated with UAE Ministry of Education requirements for Arabic, Islamic Education, and UAE Social Studies. The result is a genuinely dual-track curriculum: students graduate with a US High School Diploma recognised internationally through the school's NEASC accreditation, while simultaneously meeting UAE national curriculum benchmarks. Advanced Placement (AP) courses are available at senior level, and students increasingly sit SATs in preparation for US college entry - a pathway that has become more structured in recent years according to the school's own published materials. Academically, the picture is nuanced. Internal assessment data for 2023-24 shows that most students across phases 1, 2, and 4 attain above curriculum standards in English, mathematics, science, and Arabic subjects. In Islamic Education, Grade 12 Ministry of Education national examination results are rated outstanding. Arabic as a first language Grade 12 MoE results have improved dramatically - from very weak in 2021-22 to consistently outstanding over the following two years. These are genuine achievements. However, the ADEK 2024 Irtiqa report introduces an important caveat: external standardised MAP Growth test results (administered in Spring 2023-24 for Grades 3-11) indicate weak attainment across phases 2, 3, and 4 in English reading, English language use, mathematics, and science. ACER IBT Arabic results similarly show weak attainment across Grades 3-10, with the exception of Grade 4 (outstanding). PISA 2022 scores - reading literacy 459, mathematical literacy 430, science literacy 439 - are all below international standards and below the school's own set targets. PIRLS Grade 4 results sit at the Intermediate International Benchmark level. TIMSS 2019 Grade 4 scores of 464 in mathematics and 443 in science, and Grade 8 scores of 423 in mathematics and 414 in science, fall within the low international benchmark range. The curriculum spans a broad subject range. In Kindergarten, core subjects include Mathematics, Reading, Science, Social Studies, Writing, ICT, Art, PE, and Arabic. Elementary students (Grades 1-5) add Islamic Studies, Arabic Social Studies, and Music. Middle School (Grades 6-8) introduces French, Geography, History, and Drama. High School students access further electives including Business, Psychology, and Health, alongside Career Guidance support. The school's library and Knowledge Centre hold more than 20,000 physical and digital resources, approximately 20% in Arabic, with reading integrated across every subject. Reading initiatives include author visits, classroom reading challenges, and a Library Ambassador programme for students. For students of determination, the ADEK report rates the Inclusion Team's collaborative approach as highly effective, with most students of determination across phases making better-than-expected progress. Gifted and talented provision is also noted positively, though ADEK recommends ensuring appropriate levels of challenge are more consistently applied across all phases. EAL provision exists within the bilingual structure, though the school's overwhelmingly Emirati demographic (92% of students) means this is not a primary driver of provision. The key ADEK recommendation on academics is clear: close the gap between strong internal results and weaker external standardised test performance - a challenge the school acknowledges in its development planning.