Most Improved Schools in Abu Dhabi 2026: 14 Years of Irtiqaa Ratings
106 Abu Dhabi schools have raised their Irtiqaa rating across the inspection cycles since 2008. Ranked by how many bands they've climbed.
A school's current Irtiqaa rating tells you where it stands now. Its trajectory tells you whether the leadership knows how to fix problems. 106 of Abu Dhabi's 207 Irtiqaa-rated schools have moved up at least one rating band since their first inspection (data goes back to 2008). The ones that climbed two or more bands — without quietly cycling back — are some of the most well-managed schools in Abu Dhabi. The top 60 are listed below.
| # | School | First rating | Latest rating | Bands moved | Window | Curriculum | Avg Fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Al Tharawat National Private School | +3 | 2015 – 2025 | MOE | AED 10,866 | ||
| 2 | Pakistani Islamic Private School | +3 | 2015 – 2025 | Other | AED 4,559 | ||
| 3 | Ain Al Khaleej Private School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | MOE | AED 10,361 | ||
| 4 | Al Ain English Speaking School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | UK | AED 37,077 | ||
| 5 | Al Eman Private School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | MOE | AED 7,443 | ||
| 6 | Al Rabeeh School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | UK | AED 32,781 | ||
| 7 | Al Saad Indian School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | Indian | AED 12,245 | ||
| 8 | Baraem Al Ain Private Schools - Muwaiji | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | MOE | AED 8,031 | ||
| 9 | Belvedere British School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | UK | AED 29,239 | ||
| 10 | Canadian International School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | Other | AED 44,759 | ||
| 11 | Emirates Falcon International Private School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | US | AED 23,727 | ||
| 12 | Emirates Future International Academy | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | Indian | AED 12,488 | ||
| 13 | Emirates National Schools - Al Nahyan | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | US | AED 42,313 | ||
| 14 | International Community Schools - Mushrif | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | US | AED 35,945 | ||
| 15 | Pakistan Community Welfare School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | Other | AED 4,660 | ||
| 16 | Sharjah American International School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | US | AED 35,923 | ||
| 17 | Summit International School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | US | AED 33,418 | ||
| 18 | Tawam Private Model School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | MOE | AED 8,097 | ||
| 19 | The Sheikh Zayed Private Academy For Boys | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | US | AED 67,617 | ||
| 20 | Wales International School | +2 | 2015 – 2025 | UK | AED 30,127 | ||
| 21 | International Community Schools - Khalifa | +1 | 2023 – 2024 | US | AED 29,667 | ||
| 22 | International School Of Choueifat - Mushrif | +1 | 2023 – 2024 | Other | AED 28,912 | ||
| 23 | Abu Dhabi Indian School - Wathba | +1 | 2023 – 2025 | Indian | AED 14,183 | ||
| 24 | Ajyal International School - Mbz | +1 | 2023 – 2025 | UK | AED 44,898 | ||
| 25 | Al Dhafra Private Schools - Muwaiji | +1 | 2023 – 2025 | UK | AED 19,619 | ||
| 26 | Al Manara Private School - Mbz | +1 | 2023 – 2025 | MOE | AED 14,873 | ||
| 27 | Asian International Private School - Madinat Zayed | +1 | 2023 – 2025 | Indian | AED 5,671 | ||
| 28 | Emirates National Schools - Manhal | +1 | 2023 – 2025 | US | AED 28,736 | ||
| 29 | Excel International School | +1 | 2023 – 2025 | UK | AED 23,954 | ||
| 30 | Horizon Private School (Moe) - Khalifa | +1 | 2023 – 2025 | MOE | AED 11,923 | ||
| 31 | International School Of Choueifat - Muwaiji | +1 | 2023 – 2025 | Other | AED 29,361 | ||
| 32 | Islamiya English School | +1 | 2023 – 2025 | UK | AED 10,046 | ||
| 33 | American Community School | +1 | 2022 – 2025 | US | AED 75,992 | ||
| 34 | American National School | +1 | 2022 – 2025 | US | AED 22,085 | ||
| 35 | Baraem Al Ain Private School | +1 | 2022 – 2025 | MOE | AED 13,500 | ||
| 36 | Al Rabeeh Academy | +1 | 2020 – 2025 | UK | AED 43,727 | ||
| 37 | Ashabal Al Quds Secondary Private School | +1 | 2020 – 2025 | MOE | AED 11,755 | ||
| 38 | Bateen World Academy | +1 | 2020 – 2025 | UK | AED 72,433 | ||
| 39 | Gems Winchester School | +1 | 2020 – 2025 | UK | AED 23,640 | ||
| 40 | Grace Valley Indian School | +1 | 2020 – 2025 | Indian | AED 10,701 | ||
| 41 | Mamoura British Academy | +1 | 2020 – 2025 | UK | AED 64,819 | ||
| 42 | Maplewood Canadian International School | +1 | 2020 – 2025 | Other | AED 41,143 | ||
| 43 | Royal American School | +1 | 2020 – 2025 | US | AED 16,331 | ||
| 44 | The British International Ad | +1 | 2020 – 2025 | UK | AED 68,607 | ||
| 45 | Abc Private School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | UK | AED 22,422 | ||
| 46 | Abdulla Bin Al Zubair Private School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | UK | AED 35,350 | ||
| 47 | Abu Dhabi Grammar School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | Other | AED 33,814 | ||
| 48 | Abu Dhabi International Private School - Mbz | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | US | AED 39,656 | ||
| 49 | Abu Dhabi Island International Private School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | US | AED 23,033 | ||
| 50 | Adnoc Schools - Ghayathi | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | US | AED 32,907 | ||
| 51 | Adnoc Schools - Madinat Zayed | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | US | AED 34,660 | ||
| 52 | Al Adhwa Private School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | US | AED 15,702 | ||
| 53 | Al Ain Juniors School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | Indian | AED 9,509 | ||
| 54 | Al Andalus Private Academy | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | MOE | AED 10,328 | ||
| 55 | Al Awael Private School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | MOE | AED 8,076 | ||
| 56 | Al Bashair Private School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | MOE | AED 21,133 | ||
| 57 | Al Basma British School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | UK | AED 34,041 | ||
| 58 | Al Dar Private School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | MOE | AED 8,004 | ||
| 59 | Al Hamdaniya Grand Private School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | MOE | AED 6,467 | ||
| 60 | Al Israa Private School | +1 | 2015 – 2025 | MOE | AED 5,966 |
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does rating improvement matter when I'm choosing a school?
A school that has climbed from Acceptable to Very Good has demonstrated, through three or four independent Irtiqaa inspection cycles, that its leadership can identify weaknesses and fix them. That's a much stronger quality signal than a school that has been Outstanding for one cycle. Improvement is harder to fake than a single good rating.
How are bands counted?
ADEK's Irtiqaa bands run Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Acceptable, Weak, Very Weak. A school that went Acceptable → Very Good moved +2 bands. We exclude inspection cycles where ADEK marked the school as a "first inspection" — those aren't real ratings, just placeholders.
Can a school's rating go down again?
Yes, and it does — ADEK inspects regularly and isn't shy about lowering ratings. The schools listed here showed a positive net change between their first real rating and their most recent. Some moved up then sideways; some had a single big jump. The school's full year-by-year history is on its individual page.
How recent is this data?
The most recent Irtiqaa inspection cycle covered in this dataset is 2024-25. Irtiqaa inspections resume in the 2026-27 academic year, and newer cycles will be incorporated as ADEK publishes them.