Al Nahda National Schools - Girls vs GEMS Founders School - Masdar City

	A Al Nahda National Schools - Girls Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates	G GEMS Founders School - Masdar City Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year AED 17,730 - 33,020	Fees / year AED 26,000 - 34,000
Age range	Age range 4 - 18 years	Age range 3 - 14 years
Type	Type Boys School, Girls School	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum British Curriculum, American Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Pearson Edexcel IGCSE, Advanced Placement (AP)	Curriculum British Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils 5,800	Pupils —
Typical class size	Typical class size 20	Typical class size —
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 1983	Opened —
Bus service	Bus service No	Bus service —
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location —	Location GEMS Founders School – Masdar City is located in Masdar City, Abu Dhabi. It sits within the Masdar City sustainable urban community. The school offers admissions from FS1 to Year 9 for the 2025-26 academic year.
Stages	Stages —	Stages Foundation Stage (FS1–FS2); Primary School (Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2); Secondary School (Key Stage 3 and Key Stage 4). The school currently serves students from FS1 to Year 9.
School type	School type —	School type Co-educational (mixed gender).
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix There are 84 nationalities represented in the school community. Emirati students account for around 30% of the student body. About 90% of students speak English as an additional language.
Additional learning support	Additional learning support —	Additional learning support GEMS Founders School provides inclusion for English as an Additional Language (EAL), lower ability learners, and students with special educational needs, as well as provision for more able and gifted and talented students. The Head of Inclusion coordinates assessments and supports individual education plans as needed.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation —	Country affiliation The school follows the British National Curriculum (England) and operates in the UAE as a British schools overseas institution.
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation No formal religious affiliation is stated.
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure The school day starts at 7:30am. FS1–FS2 finish at 12:30pm; Years 1–8 finish at 2:40pm. A National Anthem is observed at 7:45am, and the school runs Monday to Friday with weekends on Saturday and Sunday.
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details School Transport is operated by School Transport Services (STS) LLC. The service provides safe pick-up and drop-off with professional staff and a modern fleet of buses; specific routes and availability are arranged through the school's transport contacts.
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details —	Fee details Application / Re-enrolment fee - A re-enrolment (registration) fee is charged to secure a place and is non‑refundable but adjustable against the first term fee. The school states this fee is 5% of the next academic year's tuition; the published re‑enrolment amounts for AY2025‑26 are shown in the fee schedule (for example: AED 1,300 for FS1, AED 1,425 for FS2, AED 1,550 for Year 1–3, AED 1,600 for Year 4–6, AED 1,700 for Year 7–9). Tuition fees by year group (per term and annual total for AY2025/2026) - FS1 — Re‑enrolment: AED 1,300. Term 1: AED 9,100. Term 2: AED 7,800. Term 3: AED 7,800. Annual total: AED 26,000. - FS2 — Re‑enrolment: AED 1,425. Term 1: AED 9,975. Term 2: AED 8,550. Term 3: AED 8,550. Annual total: AED 28,500. - Year 1 — Re‑enrolment: AED 1,550. Term 1: AED 10,850. Term 2: AED 9,300. Term 3: AED 9,300. Annual total: AED 31,000. - Year 2 — Re‑enrolment: AED 1,550. Term 1: AED 10,850. Term 2: AED 9,300. Term 3: AED 9,300. Annual total: AED 31,000. - Year 3 — Re‑enrolment: AED 1,550. Term 1: AED 10,850. Term 2: AED 9,300. Term 3: AED 9,300. Annual total: AED 31,000. - Year 4 — Re‑enrolment: AED 1,600. Term 1: AED 11,200. Term 2: AED 9,600. Term 3: AED 9,600. Annual total: AED 32,000. - Year 5 — Re‑enrolment: AED 1,600. Term 1: AED 11,200. Term 2: AED 9,600. Term 3: AED 9,600. Annual total: AED 32,000. - Year 6 — Re‑enrolment: AED 1,600. Term 1: AED 11,200. Term 2: AED 9,600. Term 3: AED 9,600. Annual total: AED 32,000. - Year 7 — Re‑enrolment: AED 1,700. Term 1: AED 11,900. Term 2: AED 10,200. Term 3: AED 10,200. Annual total: AED 34,000. - Year 8 — Re‑enrolment: AED 1,700. Term 1: AED 11,900. Term 2: AED 10,200. Term 3: AED 10,200. Annual total: AED 34,000. - Year 9 — Re‑enrolment: AED 1,700. Term 1: AED 11,900. Term 2: AED 10,200. Term 3: AED 10,200. Annual total: AED 34,000. Billing schedule and payment terms - Tuition fees are payable in advance of attendance. Invoices can be issued to the fee sponsor on record on request. - The school publishes the standard term/instalment due dates for AY2025‑26 as: 1st term due 11 August 2025 (parents are advised to pay before 5 August to avoid delays), 2nd term due 01 January 2026, and 3rd term due 01 April 2026. Tuition may also be paid in full in advance. - Consequences for non‑payment include withholding examination entry, reports, references or examination results, loss of the student's place, and possible temporary or permanent exclusion. Timely payment is required. Other costs and fees - Uniforms: A full school uniform is required. Uniforms and PE kit information are provided and uniform items are supplied via the designated supplier (Threads). Specific uniform prices are not published in the tuition fee schedule. - School transport: A dedicated school bus service is provided by STS Group; parents register for bus service and transport fees are charged separately and payable online through GEMS systems. Specific bus-route or fee amounts are not listed on the tuition fee schedule. - Canteen / lunches: The school uses Slices catering with a cashless top‑up system. Parents add credit to their child's account (GEMS Connect / Slices payment portal). Food costs are paid via the top‑up system and are not included within the published tuition totals. - Extra‑curricular activities: The school offers extra‑curricular programmes; any associated charges are handled separately (no central ECA pricing is published on the tuition fee schedule). Refund information and student withdrawals - The re‑enrolment (registration) fee is non‑refundable. Tuition fee refunds follow the UAE Ministry of Education policy; refund requests must be submitted in writing to the school admissions office and refunds are paid to the original payee. A 30‑day written notification of withdrawal is required to process student departures and documentation. Fee payment options and channels - The school advertises the FAB GEMS World Credit Card as a method to pay annual tuition in advance (with promotional savings noted for cardholders). This indicates acceptance of card payment arrangements for tuition. - Bus fees and some school service payments are payable online via GEMS Connect / the school's payment portals; Slices lunch top‑ups are handled through the Slices payment portal. Tuition invoices can be issued to the fee sponsor on record.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details —	Curriculum details GEMS Founders School – Masdar City follows the British National Curriculum (National Curriculum for England) from Foundation Stage through Secondary (FS1 to Year 9), with English as the language of instruction. Foundation Stage (FS1–FS2) emphasizes play-based learning to develop early numeracy, literacy, motor skills and self-esteem. Primary covers Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 2, building foundational knowledge across subjects in an engaging, inquiry-led environment. Secondary (Year 7–Year 9) delivers core subjects—English, Mathematics, Science—plus Arabic (for Arabic speakers and non-Arabic speakers), UAE Social Studies, Moral Education, and Islamic Studies for Muslim students, together with specialist subjects such as Computing, History and Geography, French, PSHE, Physical Education, Art and Music, under a Design Thinking approach. The curriculum is designed to align with GCSE standards to prepare learners for Key Stage 4, with progression guidance and options discussed as they approach secondary transition.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression —
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions —	Admissions Step 1 – Online Application: Complete the Online Student Enquiry & Registration. After submitting the form, you receive an acknowledgement with an online reference number and guidance on the following steps. This starts your child's admissions journey. Step 2 – Assessment: Your child will be invited by the School Registrar for an assessment or an interview via email notification or phone. Results are notified by email or by phone. Observations are used for Foundation Stage 1 and 2 (FS1 and FS2); written assessments for Year 1 and Year 2; and CAT4 with written assessments for Year 3 to Year 8. Step 3 – Enrolment: The Registrar sends offer letters to successful applicants, subject to seat availability. Families review the offer details and proceed to the next step in the process. The offer indicates a potential place at GEMS Founders School – Masdar City, pending completion of the subsequent steps. Step 4 – Registration Deposit: The deposit is payable after the student has been offered a place and parents have accepted the offer. The registration deposit is 5% of the total tuition fees and is non-refundable. The deposit is deductible from the total tuition fees for the academic year. Once the above process is completed the student is enrolled. Parents will be notified via email the schedule of tuition fee payment, by the Finance department. Step 5 – Required Documents: The minimum documents include passport copies for the child and both parents, residency visa pages, and a copy of the child's birth certificate (in English or Arabic). Recent passport photographs and the child's immunization/vaccination card, plus Emirates ID copies for the child and both parents, are required. Original Emirates IDs are required if the child is accepted. Copies of the child's last two school reports are required for Year 1-2; last two years' reports and CAT4 for Year 3+; nursery reports for FS1/FS2 if available; and a transfer certificate or leaving certificate. Step 6 – Transfer Certificate Guidelines: The transfer certificate must be on official school letterhead and include the full name, date of birth, enrollment date and the year group when the child first started at the current school, present class, year promoted to, school curriculum, and the principal's signature and stamp. If transferring from a GCC country or another UAE emirate, the transfer certificate must be attested by the Ministry of Education. Countries outside the UAE (including but not limited to the USA, Australia, Canada, Western Europe, Japan, and New Zealand) require attestation from Educational Authorities, the UAE Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and the UAE Embassy. Within Abu Dhabi, transfer is online through eSIS once a seat is confirmed. Step 7 – For Existing Students: Re-Registration Deposit: Re-registration deposits apply when existing students re-enrol for the following academic year. The re-registration deposit is 5% of the total tuition fees and is non-refundable, and it is deductible from the total tuition fees. The Finance department provides the schedule of tuition payments by email. Step 8 – For Existing Students: Transfer Certificates and Overseas Applications: Students in Year 1 and above must submit a Transfer Certificate/School Leaving Certificate; this is a mandatory requirement by ADEK for eligibility to enter a classroom. The Transfer Certificate should state the student's name, age, the year the student was promoted to by the end of the previous academic year, the current year, and the curriculum, and it must be stamped by the school and signed by the Principal/Vice Principal. The Transfer Certificate may be in Arabic or English and must be attested as required by the origin country; for Abu Dhabi, attestation rules apply and eSIS will transfer the file online once a seat is confirmed.
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
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