American International School, Abu Dhabi


American International School, Abu Dhabi is an international school offering an American curriculum. The IB Diploma Program is offered in grades 11 and 12 and the IB Primary Years Program is offered from KG to Grade 5. The school is coeducational in elementary and gender-segregated in secondary.

Campus details

The school is located in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The school has two libraries, a prayer mosque, a drama room, an art room, a music room, a swimming pool, six science laboratories, 2 AstroTurf pitches, two gymnasiums, two outdoor basketball courts, and a sports field used for soccer tournaments and major outdoor events.
The campus accommodates three levels of schooling. The elementary level consists of 700 students, the middle school level consists of 395 students, and the high school level consists of 650 students. The school is coeducational in elementary and gender-segregated in secondary. The total number of students is approximately 1380 students and the students come from around 75 countries.
The American International School, Abu Dhabi's campus is located in proximity to the .

International and national accreditations

AISA is accredited by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, the , and the UAE Ministry of Education. It is authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer the Primary Years Programme and the IB Diploma Programs. AISA is a full member of both the as well as the European Council of International Schools.

Curriculum

The school in offers an American high school diploma program and the International Baccalaureate program. Students in Kindergarten to grade 5 follow the U.S. Curriculum within the IB Primary Years Program. In grades 6-9, students continue to follow the American curriculum. High school students can choose between the U.S. High School Diploma, or the IB Diploma Program. In secondary, student work is graded using Standard Based Grading.
Arabic and Islamic subjects are maintained by the UAE Ministry of Education, and secondary science subjects follow the .

Admissions Process

In order for admission at AISA, students may be asked to present past academic documents and report cards to the Admissions Office. For application to elementary school, students must meet the age requirements set by AISA. Secondary applicants do not have age requirements but must have completed all course prerequisites and requirements. Students coming from schools outside Abu Dhabi or schools not following the same curriculum as AISA may be asked to do an admissions test. Students transferring from Abu Dhabi schools following AISA's curriculum may also be asked to do an admissions test along with a Measures of Academic Progress Test.

Activities

AISA is a member of two leagues, the local UAE league that is composed of international schools in the country, called Emirates Athletics Conference, and the international league that is participated by the schools from all over the MENA region which is the OASIS Activities Conference. Among the sports offered at AISA are basketball, volleyball, badminton, soccer, swimming, track and field. Other sports such as softball and handball are only played during P.E. but not after school or in a league.

ADEK Inspection Report

The ADEK Inspection Report has labelled the American International School of Abu Dhabi as a "very good" school. Strengths in academics were outlined; however, the report further published shortcomings of the Arabic language curriculum.

Arts and Theatre

On an annual basis, musicals and plays are performed by both elementary and secondary students. Throughout elementary, the art syllabus covers music, visual arts, drama, and art analysis. In middle school, grade 6 students take music classes, grade 7 students take theatre arts classes, and grade 8 students take visual art. In high school, art subjects are available as electives.

History of AISA

The American International School of Abu Dhabi was founded in 1995 by ESOL Education. It was officially founded to serve American and other expatriate communities residing in Abu Dhabi.