Al Ain American School

• Al Ain American School location
• Years offered
• Al Ain American School curriculum
• ADEK rating
• How to apply?
• Fee Structure
• Al Ain American School transportation
• PTA and contact information

Al Ain American School, also known as Al Ain American Private School, was established in 2006. It follows the American Common Core curriculum aligned with the California State Standards from KG 1 to Grade 9. It is expected that the school will accommodate classes until Grade 12 in a co-educational setup.

Presently, 862 students are enrolled at AAAS. The teaching faculty consists of 58 teachers supported by 22 teaching assistants. The teacher to student ratio is 1:15 that shows each student gets individual attention from the teacher. 4% of students are identified to have additional learning needs. AAAS aims to create a generation of educated and inspired learners determined to make valuable contributions to a global society.

The school is easily accessible from other popular residential communities in Al Ain. Families settled in any of the following areas can consider Al Ain American School for their children:

• Al Jimi
• Al Mutawah
• Al Yahar
• Al Qattara

Al Jimi is best known for its lush green outdoors and urban amenities. The family-friendly neighbourhood offers a few detached villas and apartments for rent. Al Mutawah located in the heart of the city houses luxurious villas and apartments.

Those interested in living near the school can choose from the following options:

• Villas for sale near Al Ain American School
• Villas for rent near Al Ain American School
• Apartments for rent near Al Ain American School

Al Ain American School building is a modern campus with all the necessary facilities for effective learning.

Well-equipped Science laboratories, art rooms, music rooms and specialist SEN rooms are part of the campus. Reading habits are instilled in students through well-stocked libraries. Those interested in sports activities can find a big cricket pitch, a well-equipped gymnasium and a swimming pool. AAAS campus also has a dedicated art room, music room, auditorium, drama room and a talent room.

The school is based in Asharej on 43rd Street. The nearest landmark is Leaders Kids Club Al Ain and the popular Al Ain Equestrian Shooting and Golf Club. Abu Dhabi – Al Ain Road is a short drive from the campus making it easily accessible from other parts of the city.

According to the mission statement**,** American School Al Ain is committed to providing quality education to all students and transforming them into responsible global society ambassadors. AAAS is an affordable American curriculum school in Al Ain. The ultimate goal is the well-rounded development of each child through academic methods and creative and innovative teaching.

The learning program at AAAS is based on 21st-Century skills, including critical thinking, creativity, communication, and collaboration. Special attention is given to developing strong communication skills across a range of disciplines.

SANITISATION OF SCHOOL

Al Ain American School management ensures that the campus is thoroughly disinfected. The sanitisation process is carried out three times a day. Plus, safety equipment, reminder signs for social distancing and off-limit areas are placed throughout the school. Frequently touched areas such as doorknobs, light switches and staircase are also sanitised regularly. Toilets are also disinfected after every use.

PERSONAL HYGIENE

All students must provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test report before joining the school. There are sanitisation stations at multiple locations across the campus. The school also encourages students to wash their hands frequently to prevent spreading germs.

Wipes and sanitisers are also available in every classroom. Wearing a mask is also mandatory except for students of KG1 and KG2. If a student is unable to wear a mask, he/she is allowed to use a face shield. Temperature check is mandatory before entering the school building.

SOCIAL DISTANCING

Students are requested to maintain a 1.5-metre distance inside the school, especially in classrooms. It can be challenging for younger students to maintain social distancing. Therefore, KG students are placed in a group called bubbles. Only 10 to 14 students are allowed per group to avoid large gatherings.

For safety purposes, parents and guardians are not allowed to enter the school building. Only authorised people, such as students and school staff, can enter the school premises.

Al-Ain American School has four designated entry and exit points to avoid crowding and group gathering. Playground, swings and slides are also temporarily closed. Students must bring home-packed lunch as the school canteen is also closed. Students are asked to bring drinking water from home as the water dispenser is currently not in use.

TRANSPORT SAFETY MEASURES

The school bus is operating at a 50% capacity to avoid crowding. All vehicles are sanitised regularly after pick up and drop off. Temperature checking is mandatory before entering the school bus. Students are asked to maintain a 1.5-metre distance inside the vehicle. Food and drinks are prohibited inside the bus. Plus, kids are not allowed to move around during the journey.

AAAS presently offers classes from KG-1 to Grade 9. All classes are divided into Kindergarten, Elementary School, Middle School and High School sections.

High School level in AAAS, presently, only includes Grade 9. However, there are plans to extend the High School section and include classes until Grade 12.

AAAS follows the American Common Core Curriculum aligned to the California State Standards (CCSS) and the Ministry of Education Curriculum for Arabic subjects.

Subjects taught in English include:

• English Language
• Mathematics
• Science
• Physical Education and Health
• Visual and Performing Arts

MOE Curriculum is followed for:

• Arabic Language
• Islamic Studies
• Arabic Social Studies

AAAS Curriculum across all grades focuses on:

• Reading Literacy
• Subject integration
• Inquiry-based learning for science
• Hands-on Math approaches
• Problem-solving and 21st-Century learning skills
• DIY Projects
• STEAM Activities
• Cross-content teaching

To ensure that all students’ learning needs are met successfully, both school and international assessment results are used to modify curriculum-related decisions. Al Ain American Private School also offers Arabic as a Second Language (ASL) for students whose first language is not Arabic.

Students’ social, language, physical and academic skills are developed in Kindergarten years.

AAAS Elementary School, as stated earlier, involves Grade 1 to 5. Subjects taught at this level include:

• English Language Arts
• Mathematics
• Science
• Arabic

The AAAS Middle School curriculum is designed to ensure a seamless transition to High School. It is challenging, integrative and exploratory and involves a variety of teaching and learning approaches.

AAAS is committed to Arts education as an important part of its curriculum. Based on the California Common Core Standards, the Visual and Performing Arts syllabus is divided into Visual Arts and Theatre. Each group is further divided into Five Standards.

Physical Education and Health is also an integral part of the Al Ain American School curriculum. Physical education classes in Elementary school are designed to build motor skills in students. Similarly, PE in the Middle School and High School involves a variety of sporting opportunities. The school also conducts specific health lessons to elaborate concepts like nutrition and healthy habits.

• Al-Ain American School offers a blended learning approach – classes will be conducted on-site, and on given days, students will opt for distance learning.
• School is following a half-day model. Students are placed in different half-day models with two half-day shifts where they can attend morning or afternoon classes.
• Kindergarten students are exempted from the distance learning program.
• Attendance is mandatory in all learning models. If a student is unable to attend class, he/she is marked as absent.
• Cultural activities are temporarily suspended.

ADEK inspected the Al Ain American School in February 2018 and rated it as ‘Very Good.’ This was a huge step up as the school only managed to secure a ‘Weak’ rating during the first two inspections.

As per the Al Ain American ADEK reports, students’ achievement is very good while their personal, social and innovation skills are outstanding. Teaching and Assessment are rated very good by ADEK, and the curriculum is also very good. Students get outstanding protection, care, guidance and support at the school. The school leadership and management is outstanding.

The overall performance of the Al Ain American School was found to be very good. Staffing and leadership are said to be stable since the previous inspection. The leadership and staff are now focused on raising the achievement of all students.

Students’ achievement and attainment is very good in English, Mathematics, Science and Islamic Education. Their achievement is good in Social Studies and Arabic as a first and second language. Students have a positive attitude toward learning.

The quality of teaching and assessment is very good throughout the school. Teachers consistently apply their very good subject knowledge and help students learn. They plan lessons effectively and provide activities enabling students to become successful learners. Though teachers use assessment effectively to ensure that all groups are making very good progress, information and communication technology (ICT) is not a consistently strong teaching and learning feature.

The curriculum quality is very good. The school ensures the curriculum meets all students’ learning needs, including those with special educational needs (SEN) and those who are gifted and talented (G&T). The wide range of extra-curricular activities helps improve students’ talents and abilities.

ADEK report for Al Ain American Private School also revealed that the school’s leadership is outstanding. AAAS principal is inspirational and ensures rigorous professional development and improved teaching resulted in dramatic improvements in students’ progress, particularly in the KG and primary phases. There is an improvement in middle school students’ achievement in most core subjects.

AAAS’s key areas of strength are:

• School’s highly effective leadership that includes principal and senior leaders have resulted in visible improvements in all areas since the last inspection
• Students’ positive attitudes, behaviour and self-reliance during lessons
• Students’ understanding of Islamic values, culture and heritage of the UAE.
• School teacher’s commitment to professional development provided by Al Ain American School and its impact towards raising the teaching quality and overall progress of students
• Secure environment of the school and its caring ethos
• The way students’ enjoy learning and show enthusiasm for school that is reflected in their very high levels of attendance
• School’s highly effective and accurate self-evaluation (SEF) and improvement planning
• The day-to-day management

According to the ADEK report, these areas need improvement:

• Continuing the successful drive to improve achievement in all subjects by
  • Continuing the good work of using assessment for identifying and closing progress gaps and students’ learning
  • Improving students’ achievement and progress in the Arabic language

• The school should further develop ICT to support learning by:
  • Working towards creating more opportunities for students who are lower achievers while using ICT as an interactive learning resource
  • Using ICT frequently for stimulating students who prefer visual style for learning especially with students who have SEN
  • Continuing the very good work for controlling technology and robotics by creating further opportunities in innovation and problem-solving skills

The Al Ain American Private School calendar is divided into three terms and runs for 10 months. You can view the detailed AAAS academic calendar on the official website.

30th August is the first day of school for all students and marks the start of the first term. Mid-Term holidays are scheduled from 19th to 22nd October. Students go on a winter break from December 13th until 31st.

Term 2 starts on January 3rd. Mid-Term holidays are scheduled from 16th to 20th February. T2 ends with a spring break from 28th March until 8th April.

The third and final term, Term 3, starts on 11th April. 30th June is the last day of the academic year.

Parents interested in knowing more about Al Ain American School admission can contact the school directly using the contact information provided at the end of this guide.

Here’s the breakdown of the Al Ain American School fee structure.

• Please note that the annual fee can be paid three instalments (August, November and February).
• All new students must pay a non-refundable ‘New Registration’ fee of AED 500.
• Books charges are not included in the tuition fee.
• Transportation charges for the entire academic year are AED 2,500.

AAAS provides transportation services to facilitate students. Those interested in using the school bus service need to pay AED 2,500 as the entire year charges. You can contact the school directly to know more about the bus routes and registration process.

American School Al Ain has a Cricket Pitch, a fully equipped gymnasium and a swimming pool. Students can also use the outdoor play area for sports activities.

Extracurricular activities at Al Ain American School are planned term wise. Students can participate in exciting activities hosted by various school clubs. Some of the popular choices are:

Please note that KG1 and KG2 children cannot participate in extracurricular activities (ECAs) as the school day is already considered long enough for them.

The school has dedicated facilities for ECAs including an art room, music room, auditorium, drama room, talent room. All students can choose a minimum of two activities during the term.

Parents need to pick kids up from school after ECAs at 3:30 pm sharp as the school buses would depart at the regular timings, i.e. 02:00 pm. Failure to do so will result in the student’s registration cancellation from ECA’s.

The school takes students on field trips to enhance their learning experience.

After-school activities are offered to enable children to explore and develop their skills beyond the classroom.

The school has a well-maintained clinic.

AAAS has designed a Parents’ Portal that has all the updates regarding the school and student’s academic progress.

• Telephone: +971-3-767-5030 | +971-3-767-7000
• Mobile: +971-56-485-6553
• Email: alainamerican.pvt@adec.ac.ae
• Al Ain American Private School Website
• Al Ain American Private School Facebook

Please note that the cover image belongs to Al Ain American School