International Academic School Dubai is a private K-12 school located in Al Warqa 1, Dubai. The school was established on September 2006 as a private school for international students, catering to over 1000 students. Presently one in three students comes from the local Emirati population (2013/14) – this is a decline from 50% (2011/12). Total student numbers have remained flat.

The school has been in the process of converting to a full US curriculum and has adopted the Common Core curriculum for English and mathematics. For other subjects, the school uses the California State curriculum. The school’s syllabus is taught through an English medium with Arabic also being taught as a secondary language.

As of 2013/2014 the school received the Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) inspection rating of Acceptable. International Academic School Dubai has consistently held this rating since inspections began. Ironically given the school’s name, weakness in the school centre around academic performance.

More specifically, to move out of the Satisfactory rating and to obtain a Good one, IAS has a rather large to do list. It needs to raise attainment in key subjects, ensure lessons include a variety of approaches to meet the needs of different abilities, raise expectations in lessons, enrich the curriculum in the high school, provide more focused professional development programmes linked to school priorities, and to externally validate assessments to provide a realistic view of students’ attainment in an international context.

The campus itself offers a variety of facilities to encourage learning and extra-curricular activities including a fully equipped library with the latest material, modern science laboratories, a creative art center (for Art, Music and Drama), computer laboratories, kindergarten inter-skills room, cafeteria, conference room, prayer room, audio visual room and a multi-purpose auditorium. The school also has a number of sporting facilities including a football ground, basketball court and swimming pool.

As of 2014 the school fees, while far from premium, are not value end either. They start at 13,000 AED per year for kindergarten students to 25000 AED per year for grade 12 students (not including additional fees such as school uniforms and transportation). Revenues should not be an inhibitor to the school’s progress.