International School of Choueifat - Khalifa, Abu Dhabi

ISC-Khalifa City operates the proprietary SABIS curriculum, a globally consistent, sequentially structured programme that draws from the best of American, British, and Emirati educational frameworks. The school is non-selective and co-educational, delivering instruction entirely in English (with Arabic, French, and UAE-mandated subjects taught in their respective languages). The SABIS Point System underpins every lesson: teachers teach one concept at a time, alternating between oral work, individual work, and group work to maintain student focus. Lessons are closely mapped to the SABIS online curriculum platform, and the SABIS AMS (Academic Monitoring System) continuously tracks each student's mastery of learning objectives, flagging gaps as soon as they emerge so that targeted re-teaching can occur. At the secondary level, students prepare for a range of internationally recognised qualifications. In Grade 10, students sit IGCSE examinations; in Grade 12, they can choose between AS and A Level examinations (British pathway) or Advanced Placement (AP) and SAT examinations (American pathway), giving families genuine flexibility for university applications globally. According to the school's website, graduates gain entry to highly competitive universities in the UK, USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, and the Middle East each year. The school also participates in the UAE MoE national examinations for Grade 12 Arabic, where internal data indicates outstanding attainment trends over recent years. The 2024 ADEK Irtiqa report provides the most granular view of academic performance. In mathematics, attainment reached outstanding in Cycle 3 (high school) - the highest rating available - and was very good across all other phases. In English, attainment is very good in KG and Cycle 3, with good ratings in Cycles 1 and 2, though progress is very good across Cycles 1 and 2. In science, attainment is very good in Cycles 2 and 3, with good in KG and Cycle 1. On standardised GL Progress Tests (grades 3-9), students in grades 7-9 achieved outstanding mathematics results, while English attainment across grades 3-9 was rated weak - a significant gap that the school must address. PISA 2022 results (15-year-olds) showed scores of 502.9 in reading, 518.9 in mathematics, and 528.9 in science - all above international averages but below the school's own targets. PIRLS 2021 Grade 4 students scored 555, placing them in the high international benchmark range. The school's Student Support Services provide ongoing academic assistance, and the SABIS platform enables class teachers and middle leaders to monitor individual student progress continuously. However, ADEK inspectors noted that curriculum adaptation - the tailoring of lessons to individual learner needs, particularly for gifted and talented students and new joiners - remains at Good across all phases, meaning that the highest-attaining students are not always extended to their full potential within lessons. The school does not currently identify any students of determination, which ADEK flagged as a significant gap in its inclusion provision. EAL support for new joiners, many of whom are additional language learners, also requires greater systematic attention according to the Irtiqa report.