Abu Dhabi was ranked the world's safest city in 2025, which explains why families continue to relocate to the capital. Among the most popular areas for settling is Al Reem Island, where proximity to schools matters as much as skyline views or access to Downtown.
The island's reputation as a residential address has evolved quickly, and with it, a network of schools that match its international character. Families come from every corner of the world, and their priorities reflect that mix: British or IB curricula, bilingual learning, continuity from nursery through to secondary, and, above all, convenience.
Within the island's few square kilometres, parents now find several Outstanding-rated schools alongside newer international names. And for those willing to drive fifteen minutes, some of the capital's most established institutions sit just across the bridge on Saadiyat and Al Bateen. Collectively, these schools make Al Reem one of the most education-rich neighbourhoods in Abu Dhabi.
Repton School Abu Dhabi
Curriculum: British / IB | Grades: Nursery – Year 13 | ADEK Rating: Outstanding | Annual Fees: 57,178 – 102,753 AED
Outstanding-rated by ADEK, Repton sits among a select few schools in the capital. Two campuses operate on Al Reem Island: the Rose Campus handles Early Years whilst the Fry Campus takes older students through to Year 13. The split serves a purpose – younger children need contained, protected spaces, whereas older ones benefit from independence and specialist facilities.
Classes stay deliberately small throughout, with specialist teaching starting in primary rather than waiting until secondary. The academic path moves naturally from EYFS through IGCSEs into the IB Diploma, meaning families get one school from nursery onwards rather than facing the admissions scramble at eleven.
The waterfront location matters more than it might seem. Children learn better when their environment appears open rather than enclosed, and classrooms overlooking the marina provide that sense of space. After-school enrichment covers robotics, coding, performing arts, and competitive sport, giving students options beyond the academic day.
Parents often mention the consistency – the same educational philosophy from reception through to sixth form.
GEMS World Academy Abu Dhabi
Curriculum: IB | Grades: Nursery – Year 13 | ADEK Rating: Very Good | Annual Fees: 55,420 – 73,890 AED
"World Academy" sounds abstract until you see the place in full practice. The Reem Island campus follows the full IB pathway from Primary Years to Diploma, one of only a handful in Abu Dhabi offering the complete continuum under one roof. Around 1,200 students study here, organised in small cohorts that keep the school feeling personal despite its scale. Arabic and English are used interchangeably across subjects, with dedicated language coordinators and weekly cultural projects that link the two. Students leave primary able to read and converse confidently in both.
Facilities match the IB's focus on collaboration: open-plan classrooms, design and technology labs overlooking the marina, a black-box theatre, and sports fields that host regular inter-school tournaments. The campus is LEED-certified for sustainability.
For an international school, it appears remarkably grounded. It’s ambitious academically, tight-knit socially, global in reach but local in character.
Nord Anglia International School Abu Dhabi
Curriculum: British | Grades: FS1 – Year 9 (initial) | ADEK Rating: TBD (Opened 2023) | Annual Fees: 69,625 – 99,794 AED
Nord Anglia arrived on Al Reem Island in 2023, adding one of the world's best-known school networks to the capital's education mix. With more than eighty campuses globally, its approach blends British academics with partnerships that bring real depth: Juilliard for performing arts, MIT for STEAM, UNICEF for global citizenship.
Everything here still carries that new-build quality, in the best sense. Purpose-built spaces include design and science labs, specialist art and music rooms, and a black-box theatre that already sees regular use. Staff drawn from well-regarded British and international schools bring experience to these early years, and smaller classes give the first cohorts a level of attention larger campuses can't always offer.
It will take time for results and ratings to arrive, but the foundations are solid. Families choosing Nord Anglia now are drawn to the backing and the convenience of having British education within Reem itself.
Schools Near Al Reem Island (10–20 Minutes Away)
Not every family restricts their search to the island itself. The neighbouring areas of Saadiyat, Al Bateen, and Khalidiya have some of Abu Dhabi's longest-standing schools – all within an easy morning drive.
Cranleigh Abu Dhabi – Saadiyat Island
Curriculum: British | Grades: FS1 – Year 13 | ADEK Rating: Outstanding | Annual Fees: 65,000 – 96,333 AED
Modelled on Cranleigh School in Surrey, the Saadiyat campus carries over much of its character: tradition, ambition, and a belief in well-rounded education. It opened with the kind of investment that shows in every corner – performance halls that host full-scale productions, art studios that resemble university departments, and sports facilities built to Olympic level, including a 50-metre pool.
Beyond the facilities, it's the culture. The house system, taken directly from its British counterpart, builds real connections. Older students mentor younger ones, and pastoral care stays personal, not procedural. Teachers track academic progress and personal development with equal weight. The arts are given genuine importance, not as a side activity but as part of daily learning from the earliest years.
Academic results are consistently strong, but what families talk about most is the atmosphere – the balance of warmth and discipline. For many relocating from the UK, Cranleigh offers continuity: the familiarity of a British education, adapted with sensitivity to Abu Dhabi life.
Brighton College Abu Dhabi – Bloom Gardens
Curriculum: British | Grades: FS1 – Year 13 | ADEK Rating: Outstanding | Annual Fees: 64,175 – 105,773 AED
Academic strength defines Brighton College, but so does how it's delivered. Lessons are structured and challenging, yet the tone in classrooms stays calm rather than pressurised. Staff with experience from the UK and abroad often remain long term – a stability parents notice.
The school mirrors its British counterpart in more than name. Creativity, service, and public speaking are treated as seriously as exam preparation. Music and drama happen throughout the year; debating teams compete regionally; sports fixtures fill the calendar across rugby, athletics, and swimming. Days are full but balanced.
What gives Brighton its reputation isn't just results, though they remain consistently high. It's the consistency of its environment – pastoral systems that work, teachers who know families by name, and a setting that manages to stay close despite the scale. That combination of academic strength and genuine care keeps it among Abu Dhabi's most sought-after schools.
Al Bateen World Academy – Al Bateen Area
Curriculum: British / IB | Grades: FS1 – Year 13 | ADEK Rating: Good | Annual Fees: 58,090 – 75,310 AED
Part of the Aldar Academies network, Al Bateen World Academy may not be the flagship, but it remains one of the group’s most consistent and well-resourced schools. The British curriculum runs through primary and secondary, then transitions to the IB Diploma for sixth form. That progression appeals to families who value clear academic structure early on, followed by the broader perspective the IB brings in later years.
The location helps: around fifteen minutes from Al Reem, keeping the commute manageable. Fees remain well below those of Outstanding-rated schools, yet the quality stays solid and backed by Aldar's institutional stability. Dozens of nationalities fill the student body, multiple home languages overlap, and the school integrates that mix thoughtfully into daily learning.
Leadership and service programmes take on greater weight in the upper years, connecting classroom work with real needs beyond campus. Al Bateen may not have the prestige of Cranleigh or Brighton, but what it offers is harder to find – dependable education, reasonable cost, and proximity that makes everyday family life easier.
The British School Al Khubairat (BSAK)
Curriculum: British | Grades: FS1 – Year 13 | ADEK Rating: Outstanding | Annual Fees: Approximately 61,500 AED (average)
Founded in 1968, BSAK is one of Abu Dhabi's oldest British schools. Generations have passed through its gates, building a school culture with deep roots. Many teachers have been here for more than a decade. Academic expectations are high, but the pressure rarely becomes visible; it's the kind of discipline that comes from experience.
The facilities reflect those years: a 650-seat theatre for student productions, extensive sports grounds, and specialist spaces for art, science, and design that have grown with the school over time. Students move from nursery through to A Levels within the same setting.
BSAK's reputation rests not only on results but on reliability. In a city where new schools rise quickly, it remains a constant – trusted, proven, and excellent.
Other Notable Options
Not every family follows British or IB pathways. Saint Joseph's School runs the Indian CBSE curriculum from Grades 1 through 12, rated "Good" by ADEK, providing continuity for families who want their children educated within that system. Pearl British Academy takes a different approach – British curriculum, but only up to Year 6, with an Outstanding rating and a smaller setting that works for families who want something closer-knit in the early years.
Both sit around fifteen minutes from Al Reem Island, widening the options for families whose needs fall outside the mainstream international school model.
Choosing the Right School
Most families begin with the curriculum – British structure or IB inquiry – then weigh commute times against fee structures. But the harder questions come with whether the school’s temperament truly suits your child. Outstanding ratings provide a baseline. Culture determines fit.
Al Reem Island now offers that choice. Education here mirrors the island's character: internationally minded, professionally run, and grounded in the everyday realities of raising children in a city where families come from everywhere.
