Al Bateen Academy, Al Manseer – The Review

“Our values define us at Al Bateen Academy. They influence the way we work with each other, the way we serve our students and parents – and the way we engage with our communities.

We promise to deliver the highest standards of education and to inspire a love of learning.

We are inclusive – creating a learning environment where all learners feel supported, motivated and encouraged to pursue their personal best.

We employ the best quality teachers.

We deliver value and quality beyond expectations.

We believe that imagination, creativity and big dreams can change our world.

We celebrate thinkers and doers.

We have fun and energy

 

Passion is at the heart of who we are.

We want to shape a better future.

We are committed in our hearts and in our minds.

We feel strongly about things.

We inspire.

We are driven, enthusiastic, positive and ambitious.

We are excited about the future.

We are continuously moving forward, innovating and improving things

We care

We are welcoming.

We listen.

We do what is right, rather than what is easy.

We know it takes people with different ideas, strengths, interests, and cultural backgrounds to help us all succeed.

We are each important and unique.

We do things better, together.

We help each other. We achieve our goals together.

We know the power of collective genius.

We will always conduct ourselves with integrity, honesty and a sense of moral purpose.

What really makes this school wonderful? Our students. ADEC “Outstanding” rating notwithstanding, it is our students that are the heartbeat of the school – academic, confident, independent, caring, open minded, tolerant, balanced, creative and high achieving.

Al Bateen Academy students are locally educated; internationally competitive.

Ours is a beautiful, vibrant, international school.”

Neil Dilk, CEO and Head of School, Al Bateen Academy

Opened on its (fabulous) purpose built site in September 2011, Al Bateen Academy is hugely innovative, combining the best of a British (English National) curriculum to (I)GCSE with the choice for students, post-16, of AS or the International Baccalaureate Diploma. This is a unique approach to education in the UAE and is designed to provide an education that meets the needs of all children, whatever their ability, ambition, potential or gifts. Genuinely inclusive, the aim is that every child shall have an outstanding education, and one this is happy to its core. Unlike other schools, there is no push for children to meet statistics, but, rather, a push for children to find their joie de vivre. We have included the quote above, long as it is, because there is no better way of understanding the depth of thought, imagination – and “heart” invested in Al Bateen. This is a very special school.

As a relatively new school Al Bateen Academy results are outstanding:

2015 was the second cohort of students to complete their I/GCSE’s. Results demonstrate progress in overall attainment at 5ACEM with a 10% increase from the previous year results, 2014. For 2015 the pass rate for 5ACEM was 76%. Overall 85% of students gained A/A grades in one or more academic subjects with 84% of the cohort achieving 5 or more A-C grades. The percentage of Al Bateen Academy students achieving one or more A* = 74%, 1 or more A/A = 85%, 1 or more A-B = 95%.

Compared against the 2014 UK national average (DFE National Statistics) for all schools which was 52.6% ACEM Al Bateen students exceeded the national UK average by 23.4%. In Mathematics the UK A – C pass rate was 69.1% which Al Bateen Academy students exceed by 11.5%.

The school secured a 99% Pass rate for all subject grades with 84% of students achieving 5 A-C grades; 76% of students achieving 5 A – C grades including English & Mathematics; 80% of all I/GCSE grades awarded were A* – C (68.8% UK average); 81% of students achieved A-C for Mathematics (68.4% UK average in 2013 / 2014); 90% of Al Bateen Academy students achieved A-C for English (61.7% UK average); 38% of all grades were between A-A; 58% of all grades were between A-B and 73% students achieved at least one A* grade.

Al Bateen Academy only secured International Baccalaureate (IB) World Status in 2014. In this context, 2017 achievement by Al Bateen Academy students of an average point score of 32.3 (against a world average of 30 points) is impressive stuff.  Five Al Bateen Academy pupils scored above 40 points. Prospective parents should recognise that this is an inclusive, rather than a hothouse, academically selective one.

2022 IB performance was equally stellar – read more about IB Results Day at Al Bateen Academy here.

The school has grown rapidly with a capacity of 1200 students from Grades 7 to 13. Its main feeder schools are (the impressive) Al Mushrif Primary, The Pearl Primary and Al Muna Primary.

Facilities are outstanding including a library, research laboratory, 850-seat auditorium, dedicated prayer room; art rooms, music and drama rooms, graphic design area, music recording studio, recital hall, multi-purpose hall, dance studio, swimming pool, football pitch, 25M swimming pool and basketball courts.

Al Bateen Academy Learning Support department is very well resourced, telling of the school’s commitment to a whole child approach that nurtures children’s gifts and talents individually according to need. Impressively the department has 9 dedicated staff, this set to increase as the school grows.

The school states its commitment powerfully:

“All students are entitled to a broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated curriculum recognising that all students have individual educational needs which should be taken into account.”

The school offers an extensive range of extra-curricular activities including Mandarin Chinese, Football, Netball, Rugby, Sailing, Swimming, Arabic, Art, Choir, Drama, Calligraphy, Jewellery making, Music, Photography and Theatre.

Al Bateen Academy is rated Very Good with Outstanding featuresb by the Abu Dhabi Education Authority (ADEC), its second highest award.

Al Bateen Secondary School achieved WhichSchoolAdvisor.com “Good School” status in 2014-2022.

It is an inclusive school that comes very highly recommended. And for all the right reasons.