Shining star international schoolCBSE Curriculum, Subjects & Qualifications

Shining Star International School delivers the Indian CBSE curriculum from KG1 through Grade 12, following NCERT textbooks across all phases in an April-to-March academic year. The school is one of only two CBSE-accredited schools in Abu Dhabi, distinguishing it from the broader Indian curriculum segment, which comprises 34 schools citywide. Instruction is conducted in English, with five languages taught across the school: English, Arabic, Hindi, Malayalam, and Urdu — a breadth of language provision uncommon at this fee level. CBSE board examinations are administered for Grades 9 through 12, providing an externally validated endpoint for secondary students.

The school's most recent ADEK inspection, conducted in October 2024, awarded SSIS an overall rating of Good — a meaningful step up from its previous Acceptable rating in 2023–24, and a significant distance from the Weak rating it received in 2015–16. The inspection found that students in all phases demonstrate at least good progress, with English attainment in Cycle 3 (senior secondary) reaching Very Good. Among Abu Dhabi's Indian curriculum schools, this trajectory places SSIS in a competitive position: city data shows that of 34 Indian curriculum schools rated, 14 hold Good and 10 hold Very Good, meaning SSIS sits in the majority-good tier but has not yet broken into the upper band.

On international benchmarks, results are mixed but directionally positive. The school's PIRLS 2021 Grade 4 reading score of 540 significantly surpasses the international benchmark, representing a genuine standout result. In PISA 2022, 15-year-old students achieved a reading literacy score of 412.4, exceeding the school's own target of 401.8, though remaining below the OECD international average. TIMSS 2019 results for both Grade 4 and Grade 8 placed students within the low international benchmark range in mathematics and science — an area the school acknowledges and is working to address. CBSE Grade 12 results for AY2023/24 showed outstanding attainment in English and very good attainment in biology, though physics attainment was rated only acceptable. The ACER IBT standardised assessments for Grades 3–9 indicated weak attainment in English and science across most grade levels, a finding that sits in tension with the more positive CBSE board outcomes and warrants parental attention.

SSIS's academic program is enriched by a range of co-curricular and global initiatives that are distinctive for a school at this price point. These include the Duke of Edinburgh Program, the UN Impact Model, Global Classroom Projects with partner schools in Africa and the United States, Toastmaster and Gavel Clubs, and a Students of Determination support program. A dedicated Gifted and Talented program is also in place, though inspectors noted that higher-attaining and gifted students do not consistently make the progress of which they are capable — a gap that leadership has been directed to close. The school's digital infrastructure, including the ETH Digital Campus platform, Level Up reading app, and Achieve 3000 literacy platform, supports differentiated learning, though inspectors flagged that technology use for investigations and research needs to improve.

Inspectors identified several areas requiring development. Assessment practices remain at an acceptable level across all phases — unchanged from the previous inspection — meaning teachers are not yet using assessment data with sufficient precision to tailor instruction. Extended writing in English and accurate writing in Arabic as a second language were both flagged for improvement, as were students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills. The inclusion team's capacity to accurately monitor attainment for students with additional learning needs requires strengthening, and physical accessibility for students with mobility needs remains an outstanding concern. University destination data is not publicly disclosed, which limits parents' ability to evaluate post-18 outcomes. [MISSING: university placement statistics and Russell Group or equivalent destination data]