Merryland International School

• Merryland International School location
• Years offered
• Merryland International School curriculum
• ADEK rating
• How to apply?
• Fee structure
• Merryland International School scholarships
• Merryland International School transportation
• PTA and contact information

Merryland International School is a UK curriculum-based school in Abu Dhabi. It opened as a kindergarten school in 1978 and later added a primary section. The school relocated from a villa to a purpose-built campus in 2010.

The school offers classes from FS1 to Year 13 and is known as an affordable school in the capital city. There are almost 2,700 students with the majority belonging to Pakistan.

Merryland’s vision is Changing Lives Nation Wide. Its vision is to educate a generation of highly productive global citizens who respect diversity. The founder of the school wants to follow a 3D principle i.e. Divinity, Dedication and Discipline.

Some popular housing communities near the school are:

• Muhammad Bin Zayed City
• Al Maqtaa
• Al Mafraq
• Khalifa City

Mohammed Bin Zayed City is a quiet neighbourhood on the outskirts of Abu Dhabi. Its proximity to Dubai makes it an ideal location for people who have to commute to Dubai daily. In proximity to the architectural marvel, Sheikh Zayed Grand Mosque, Al Maqtaa is a popular district offering spacious apartments.

Those who want to stay close to the school can check out:

• Apartments for rent in Musaffah

Merryland International School has an IT integrated campus and the classrooms have all the digital facilities. The school operates in four buildings – a mixed KG section, a section for boys, a section for girls and an administration block. Basic facilities include robotics labs, a library, a gym, and multiple outdoor and indoor play areas with an extensive variety of play equipment.

The FS section has a water play and sand activity area. A themes story corner with water and light features is also designed for FS students.
Eight multi-media computer labs, ICT labs, science labs are part of the campus. The auditorium is based on a 2,600 square metres area and has a seating capacity of 2,000 people. A large-scale theatre facility is also located on the premises.

Merryland International School is located in Musaffah on 63rd Street near Sheikh Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan International Road. E22 or Abu Dhabi – Al Ain Road is also in proximity to the school. There are several other schools near Merryland International School.

Merryland International School Abu Dhabi was established decades ago with a vision to provide quality education to expat communities in the city of Abu Dhabi. The school is declared as a Cambridge Brand Ambassador. It is the first school in the UAE to receive ISO 9001:2015 certification and one of the best schools in Abu Dhabi.

For the last 20 years, the school’s approach has been successful. Staff at Merryland International School does its best to transform students into socially and morally responsible young adults.

ADEK has worked extensively with schools, parents councils, staff members and policymakers to design effective safety measures to implement once schools reopen for the 2021 – 2022 academic session. Here’s a summary of SOPs to give you a better understanding.

• Those entering the school premises must wear a face mask. KG students are exempted. Students and staff who cannot wear masks due to medical conditions must provide a supportive medical certificate.
• Daily temperature and symptoms screening is recommended before leaving the house. Individuals who exhibit symptoms or feel unwell must stay at home. They must see a doctor for assessment and possible COVID-19 testing if required.
• Individuals aged 16 and above who have completed 28 days following the second dose with a UAE-approved vaccine are authorised to enter the school premises upon presenting their vaccination status on the ALHOSN app.
• Children below 16 are authorised to enter the school premises without vaccination.
• The school shall implement physical distancing of 1 to 2 metres between all individuals.
• Schools may follow three operating models: A full school day, attending on a rotational basis or blended learning model.
• Schools are authorised to reopen all athletic facilities for use during physical education (PE), extracurricular activities, and for private use by staff outside of regular school hours.
• Schools shall reinstate PE (including swimming) classes and all sports activities, provided they are implemented with the relevant risk mitigation controls in place.
• Whether organised by the school or by an external provider, extracurricular activities shall be permitted for students enrolled in the school only.
• Events within the school consisting of large assemblies mixing different student groups are not permitted.
• School trips and inter-school events shall be resumed.
• Cooking on the school premises is authorised and schools are recommended to reopen canteens if they were previously closed. However, food must be served by a designated staff member to avoid sharing serving utensils.
• Prayer rooms may be reopened.
• Schools are recommended to reopen libraries if they were previously closed.
• Bus capacity has been increased from 50% to between 59% and 66%.

Years offered at Merryland International School are divided into the following stages:

Early Years classes include FS1 and FS2. The primary and secondary section includes classes from Year 1 to Year 13.

Since the school has the accreditation from the University of Cambridge, it offers Cambridge courses for Primary, IGCSE and Cambridge AS & A level. Merryland follows the UK National Curriculum.

Subjects offered during IGCSE include:

• English
• Mathematics
• Physics
• ICT
• Biology
• Chemistry
• Economics
• Arabic (First and additional language
• Business Studies
• Accountancy
• Urdu
• Bengali

Core subjects for A-Level are:

• Mathematics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Physics
• ICT
• English Language
• Business Studies
• Economic

As per the instructions of The National Emergency Crisis and Disaster Management Authority (NCEMA), all schools across the UAE will discontinue distance learning from January 2022.

ADEK inspected the school from 29th January to 1st February and rated it as ‘**Outstanding.**’ Merryland International School Musaffah received an outstanding rating in student’s achievement, students’ personal and social development, teaching and assessment and curriculum.

According to Merryland International School ADEK rating, the overall performance of the school is outstanding. Since the last inspection, the authorities found that students have maintained excellent progress and the teacher turnover is low.

Students’ progress is very good in Islamic education, good in Social Studies and Arabic (as a first language) and acceptable in Arabic (second language). Kids studying at Merryland also have outstanding learning skills.

The skills and subject knowledge of teachers are excellent which helps create a highly engaging learning environment. The school’s leadership works to raise students’ achievement in Arabic as a first language.
The key strengths of the school are:

• Students’ understanding and appreciation of the UAE culture and heritage
• Their creativity, critical thinking and problem-solving skills
• Students’ high achievement in Islamic education, Arabic as a first language, English, Science and Mathematics
• Teachers’ well-imparted subject knowledge via a rich and varied curriculum
• School’s partnership with parents and the community
• The school’s vision and ethos and its impact on student’s learning

Merryland International School’s academic calendar is divided into three terms.

• The first term starts in the last week of August and concludes in the second week of December, followed by a 3-week winter vacation.
• The second term starts in the first week of January and ends in the last week of March, followed by a 2-week spring break. 
• The third term commences in the second week of April and concludes in the first week of July, followed by a 2-month summer holiday.

For Merryland International School admissions, applicants can register online using the form on the school’s official website. Once the candidate is successfully registered, the school calls him/her for an entrance exam and interview. The interview is conducted by the principal and upon clearing the interview, a letter of acceptance is sent to the candidate via email or SMS.

The applicant needs to fill the application form and upload it along with mandatory documents within the given time. It is also suggested to print the admission form and bring it to the school’s registration office along with the documents on the date of appointment. When all documents are accepted by the registrar, the school fee has to be paid to secure the seat.
Documents to be submitted with the application form are:

• Student’s attested birth certificate both original and one colour copy
• Emirates ID card of student- two colour copies both sides
• Student’s passport copy with a valid visa – 2 colour copies
• Father’s passport copy with a valid visa – 1 colour copy
• Mother’s passport copy with a valid visa – 1 colour copy
• Emirates ID of the father – 1 colour copy both sides
• Emirates ID of the mother – 1 colour copy
• Students health insurance card – 2 colour copies
• Immunisation card – 2 colour copies
• Preschool vaccination card of the student – 2 colour copies
• Five recent photographs of the student (passport size)
• Family book (for UAE nationals only)
• The latest copy of the water bill/electricity bill or Tawtheeq (Registered residential renewed tenancy contract) with premises ID, zone, sector and plot mentioned in the address.

An additional document will be required in case of:

• Local Transfer
• Zonal Transfer from other Emirates
• Transfer from outside the UAE

In the case of local transfer, the following documents are required:

• Promoted final year mark sheet in ADEK format from the previous school – 1 colour copy
• A study certificate from the previous school – original

In the case of Zonal transfer, the following documents are required:

• Attested transfer certificate in ARABIC/ENGLISH from the previous school –1 colour copy
• Attested final year mark sheet from the previous school – 1 colour copy

In case of transfer from outside the UAE, students must submit:

• The attested original transfer certificate in ENGLISH from the previous school
• The attested final year mark sheet or attested final year report card from the previous school – 1 colour copy with the following
• Principal’s signature & school seal
• Stamps of Ministry of Education/ State/ District/ Education Officer/ Inspector of Education/ Education Board
• Stamp of Ministry of Foreign Affairs/ Ministry of External Affairs/ Home Department
• Stamp or seal of Embassy of UAE/ Consular Department – the United Arab Emirates in the country from which the school certificate is issued
• Stamp of Ministry of Foreign Affairs – United Arab Emirates

Before starting the admission process, parents must ensure that their child meets the following age placement criteria.

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

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

Merryland International School fee is quoted in annual figures. Please note that the registration fee is deductible from tuition fee and it should not be more than 5% of the annual tuition fees.

The above-mentioned fees will not cover:

• Uniform fee
• Books fee
• Transportation fee

Term 2 fee should be paid through PDC dated 01 Dec 2020
Term 3 fee should be paid through PDC dated 01 March 2021

Note: Term 1 fee is inclusive of books & mandatory GL assessment but excludes the MOE book price.

Merryland International School works with private transportation companies that have a reliable track record for school transportation. The school and the transportation company ensure all safety measures are implemented. Merryland International School lists the contact details of the companies on its official transportation page.

Details such as payments and pick and drop locations can be discussed directly with the transportation companies. Once the agreement between parents and the transport company is finalised, the details should be communicated in writing to the teacher. The details should mention the transportation company name, the name and address of the student as well as the names of the contact person, driver and bus conductor. The teacher should be immediately notified in the case of changes in any detail.

The school and the transportation company take all the possible safety measures but parents are requested to explain the safety rules to their kids.

Students should follow the rules mentioned below:

• Students should be punctual and reach the pickup point on time
• Students should not run to their bus stop
• Students should wait for the driver’s signal before crossing the street.
• Students should sit in the bus calmly.
• Shouting, whistling and yelling is not allowed on the bus.
• Students should not disturb and distract the bus driver.
• Students should not eat on the bus.
• They should not throw anything inside or outside the bus.

Parents should also abide by the rules for the children’s safety.

• Parents should make sure that the child arrives at the bus stop on time.
• In case of any medical problem with the child, the parent should notify the bus driver, school authorities and conductor.
• A reliable person should drop the child at the bus stop and wait for the child when they return back.
• Children should not be given any medication that induces sleep or drowsiness.

Merryland School offers a variety of sports activities to its students. The school believes that physical activity plays an important part in the well-rounded development of students. From kindergarten to Grade 12, all students are encouraged to participate in sports.

Merryland School Abu Dhabi has plenty of indoor games facilities. There is a multipurpose indoor stadium where students can play volleyball, handball, basketball, table tennis and badminton. Students can learn to swim in the large indoor temperature-controlled swimming pool. Sports-related coaching is provided in association with Etihad Sports Academy.

Students are taken to well-maintained stadiums every Thursday for outdoor games. For promising and talented students, Merryland International Abu Dhabi provides professionals training for cricket and football.

Students can participate in the following sports and events:

• Inter-house matches
• Inter-school cricket matches
• Inter-school athletics meet
• Inter-school football matches
• Coaching camp in an indoor stadium
• Grand sports day
• Physical coaching
• Aerobics

MIS Abu Dhabi has built and maintained a successful house system with an equal number of boys and girls. The school is divided into four houses. Various game and extracurricular activities are organised in which all the houses participate.

Students get a chance to participate in fun, educational extracurricular activities at Merryland International School Abu Dhabi. Creative writing, monologue competition, photography competition, essay competition and other such activities are conducted at the school.

Various age-appropriate visits and field trips are planned for students. In the recent past, students enjoyed their visit to Salam Bombay Restaurant, Merryland’s Farmer’s Market, Emirates Hydroponics Farms and Al Futtaim Motors. They learned how professionals work, how operations are managed and how different departments work in a professional setting.

A trained nurse takes care of the medical facilities at the school. If a student needs any medication during school hours, it should be given to the school nurse in its original labelled container along with a copy of the prescription from the doctor and signed consent from the parent/guardian.

If the prescription or the signed medication consent form is not submitted, medicines will not be administered following HAAD and insurance regulations.

Parents are kept well informed regarding the school events through the circulars posted online on the school website. Other sources of information include student report cards, SMS and Email, parent-teacher meetings and newsletters.

Parents-portal can be accessed easily through school’s official website.

• Telephone: +971-2-551-9626
• Email: contact@merryland.org
• Admissions: registrar@merrylandinternational.net
• Website Merryland International School
• Facebook Merryland International School