Aspen Heights British School

Aspen Heights British School, founded in September 2017 in Al Bahia, Abu Dhabi, follows the National Curriculum for England from Nursery to Year 13, with standout programmes such as the Oasis provision for children with additional needs.

Abu Dhabi Aspen Heights British School is part of the International Schools Partnership (ISP) – a global group of 56 schools across 16 countries.

Licensed by ADEK, Aspen Heights benefits from international learning opportunities and a collaborative ethos, with a strong emphasis on personalised learning, environmental responsibility, and student well-being.

• Location: Al Bahia, Abu Dhabi
• School fee: AED 37,100 - AED 63,620
• Curriculum: British and IB Diploma Programme
• Co-ed or segregate: Co-education
• ADEK rating: Good
• Years offered: FS1 to Year 13

Aspen Heights British School is based on Abu Dhabi’s outskirts – in Al Bahia. It is easily accessible from family-friendly neighbourhoods, such as:

• Al Shahama
• Yas Island
• Al Rahba

Al Shahama is close to Dubai, ideal for people who regularly commute between Abu Dhabi and Dubai. This community is divided into Shahama Old and Shahama New.

Yas Island is a well-known tourist centre and offers luxurious villas for rent and sale.

Al Rahba based on Abu Dhabi outskirts is widely known for apartments for sale and rent. It is a family-friendly neighbourhood away from the city centre.

Parents looking to move closer to AHBS can consider:

• Apartments for rent in Aspen Heights British School
• Villas for rent near Aspen Heights British School

Aspen School campus offers high-end amenities in an eco-friendly environment. Aspen Heights British School conducts unique environmental initiatives for students, including:

• Hydroponics Garden
• Caring for Animals

Students cultivate fruits and vegetables and develop healthy eating habits through the hydroponics garden. Students also learn to care for animals such as the school’s tortoises, fish and chicken.

Other amenities the school has to offer are:

Aspen Heights integrates Information and Communications Technology (ICT) within the curriculum and classrooms to enhance the teaching and learning experience. Students and teachers have access to Chromebooks, Tablets and Interactive Smartboards. They are introduced to Augmented Reality (AR), tablet technology and control technology. Aspen Heights British School is one of the few Google for Education schools in Abu Dhabi.

Aspen Heights British School is based on 15 Street in the Al Bahia community near Emirates Park Zoo and Resort.

Aspen Heights British School, Abu Dhabi is a co-educational British school in Abu Dhabi following the National Curriculum of England and Wales from Nursery to Year 11 and IB Diploma Programme from Year 12 to Year 13.

The school’s robust curriculum ensures students thrive academically, socially, culturally and physically. It is achieved through mentoring, enrichment and personalised study as and when required. Students attending Aspen Heights British School become well-rounded individuals who contribute to society.

The school offers a high-quality British education with an inquiry-based learning approach. Students learn to apply subjects such as Mathematics and English in a real-world context. AHBS benefits from the International School Partnership (ISP) management, a global family of schools throughout the world.

Aspen Heights fosters an inclusive and stimulating environment where they embrace the individuality of each child and ensure all their needs are met. Teachers are dedicated to improving the well-being of students. It focuses on providing an exceptional education at every grade level. Besides classroom learning, the school also offers many enrichment programs, such as dance, drama, swimming, painting, gardening and football training.

AHBS is from FS1 to Year 13.

The school day at AHBS begins at 07:30 am. Classes end at 02:00 pm for FS1 and FS2 students and end at 02:20 pm for students of higher grades.

The school delivers the National Curriculum for England. The curriculum at AHBS is enforced through inquiry-based learning and collaborative group problem-solving. The curriculum is highly personalised and integrated into the school’s environment.

The school utilises proven strategies to support children’s speaking, listening and writing using Talk 4 Writing by Pie Corbett and Read Write Perform. The curriculum also incorporates public speaking and debating to build confidence.

AHBS teaches students Arabic from the Nursery. Additionally, the school offers French language lessons from Year 3 onwards. The Arabic syllabus is based on the framework laid down by the UAE Ministry of Education (MOE).

Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum

Aspen follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Curriculum for England and Wales at the Nursery level. This curriculum specifies the following seven key areas of learning:

• Communication and language
• Physical development
• Personal, social and emotional development
• Literacy
• Mathematics
• Understanding the world
• Expressive arts and design

Students take Arabic lessons four times a week. They take additional classes in Music, ICT and Physical Education (PE). For FS2 students, specialist teachers take up one swimming lesson and one PR lesson every week.

Primary School Curriculum

Learning extends beyond the classroom at the primary school. Students partake in outdoor lessons, educational visits and community service projects– all aimed at broadening their knowledge. Arabic, Islamic and Social Studies are taught as mandated by the Ministry of Education.

The four core subjects taught at this level are:

Foundation stage subjects include:

French becomes part of the curriculum from Year 3 onwards.

Secondary School Curriculum

The curriculum is designed on the foundation laid at the primary school level from Year 7 onwards. The Ministry of Education subjects are part of the curriculum.

Core subjects at this level include:

Foundation subjects are as follows:

Aspen Heights British School offers the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP) for students typically in Years 12 and 13, which corresponds to ages 16 to 19. This programme prepares students for university and global citizenship through a rigorous and holistic curriculum.

ADEK is a government entity responsible for licensing and monitoring school. They carry out periodic evaluations of all schools based on the following six criteria:

• Quality of students’ achievement
• Quality of personal and social development as well as innovation skills of the students
• Quality of teaching and assessment
• Quality of curriculum
• Quality of student safety and well-being, as well as the guidance and support provided to them
• Quality of school leadership and management

International evaluators use a scale comprising six quality levels, as shown below:

The current ADEK rating for Aspen Heights British School, Al Bahya is Good.

An academic year at Aspen Heights Abu Dhabi is split into three terms.

For more details, view the school calendar.

The school welcomes students of all abilities and backgrounds. But they must meet the age guidelines stipulated by the Department of Education and Knowledge.

The admission process to enrol at Aspen Heights British School is as follows:

• Submit your application: Parents have to submit an online application. Once this is completed, the school will send an automated confirmation email. The school will then initiate contact and request the following documents:
  • End of year school report
  • Emirates ID
• Assessment: The school conducts assessments and playdates depending on the year group. Currently, weekly assessments are carried out for primary and secondary students on Mondays and EYFS students on Wednesdays.
• **Securing your child’s place:** The school will send a formal offer letter to selected students upon completing the assessments or playdate. Parents will then have ten days to accept, sign and return the acceptance offer. Once the offer has been accepted, parents receive a registration fee invoice. It amounts to 5% of the annual fee or the full term fee (depending on the time of year the offer is made.) The registration fee is deductible from the first term’s school fees.

The age-grade guideline followed by AHBS is given below:

This is based on the age of the students on 31st August (for schools beginning in September). Source: AHBS

* This is to cater to students transferring from systems that admit students of a younger age)

The offer letter stipulates a list of essential documents required within ten days of acceptance. These documents are used to register the student with the Department of Knowledge and Education (ADEK). Parents can refer to the school’s website for more information regarding the availability at Aspen British Heights School.

Parents can pay the Aspen Heights British School fees in three instalments for the academic year. Instalment should be paid before the commencement of each term. The fee for the current academic year is as follows:

Payments can be made by cash, cheque, credit card and online banking. Contact the finance office at +971-2-564-2229 ext for more information regarding payment methods.

The school provides discounts, such as sibling discounts, discounts for Etihad employees, Fazaa, Esaad and Homat Al Watan cardholders.

AHBS promotes healthy eating from a young age. The school suggests parents pack healthy food for Foundation Stage and Primary Years’ students’ breakfast and lunch.

From Key Stage 2 onwards, students have access to the canteen’s pre-ordered lunch. The school has outsourced its catering to a reputable company that supplies lunches to classrooms.

Shanawaz School Bus, a reputable transport provider in Abu Dhabi, is responsible to manage the school’s transportation service. Bus drivers and conductors are highly trained professionals that ensure the safety of students. Routes covered by the transportation facility are as follows:

Bus fees are charged at AED 5,000 per annum. For more information, email at bus@ahbs.ae.

Physical fitness and well-being are an integral part of the students’ development at ABHS. Sports-related amenities available on campus include:

In addition to the rich curriculum, the faculty regularly conducts extra-curricular activities that cater to the talents and interests of students. Both students and staff follow the existing house system, with each person assigned to one of the four houses:

• Earth
• Air
• Fire
• Water

The house system encourages students for healthy competition and teamwork. It is also used as a forum where students can take responsibilities outside of academics.

Extra-curricular activities include a range of clubs and training in hobbies, sports, languages and more. The school has contracted Next Step to provide swimming lessons for students after school and during the weekends.

Other extra-curricular activities are:

Educational trips are integrated into the curriculum at AHBS. Students visit spots of educational and cultural importance around the UAE to gain more exposure. Year 6 students visited the Louvre Abu Dhabi, whereas Year 3 and 4 students visited the Arabic Theatre. Year 5 students also received the unique opportunity to experience Formula 1.

Most extra-curricular activities take place after school hours. Students can choose the clubs they want to sign up for before the start of the term.

A full-time qualified school nurse manages Aspen British School Abu Dhabi clinic. The nurse is responsible for ensuring the health and safety of students. The clinic is equipped to deal with medical emergencies and has been licensed by HAAD.

Aspen Heights British School believes in keeping the parents updated regarding the students’ progress. ABHS has adopted some of the best practices, including a parent portal, to constantly track and evaluate student progress. The school regularly shares progress reports with the parents during parent-teacher conferences and sends out a report twice every year.

At ABHS, parents are viewed as an integral part of the students’ journey and success. Parents and faculty work in partnership to bring out the best in each child. The school keeps parents informed about the latest happenings through the news section on its website. Parents also receive a weekly school newsletter with details of events and learning across each year group.

The school also conducts family consultations (parent-teacher conferences) thrice in an academic year, where students’ learning targets and progress are discussed. Parents can also contact the class teacher through email when needed.

• Telephone: +971-2-564-2229
• WhatsApp: +971-56-538-4416
• Email Address:
  • Reception: reception@ahbs.ae
  • Principal: principal@ahbs.ae
  • Admissions: admissions@ahbs.ae
  • Finance: finance@ahbs.ae
  • Human Resources: humanresources@ahbs.ae
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What curriculum does Aspen Heights British School follow?

The school follows the British Curriculum from FS1 to Year 11 and the IB Diploma Programme in Years 12–13.

What are the age requirements for each year group?

Age placement is based on the student’s age as of 31st August, following ADEK guidelines.

How much are the annual tuition fees?

Tuition fees range from AED 37,100 to AED 63,620 depending on the year group.

What extracurricular activities are available?

Students can join clubs like football, drama, ICT, swimming, and gardening.

Does the school offer transport and meal services?

Yes, Aspen Heights provides bus transport and canteen lunch options starting from Key Stage 2.

Note that the cover image belongs to Aspen Heights British School