Yas American Academy

Yas American Academy is located on Yas Island, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. The campus address is 19 Al Tahaddur Street, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi.

The school provides education from Pre-Kindergarten through Grade 12. It follows the American Massachusetts State Curriculum and is NEASC-accredited.

Yas American Academy operates as a co-educational private day school. Boarding facilities are not described or offered.

The academy serves students from over 40 nationalities. The total student body is 1,136, with 743 Emirati students (local) and about 393 international students, making Emirati the largest local group. The largest nationality groups listed for students include UAE, USA, and Jordan.

The academy has an Inclusion Policy aligned with ADEK policies. It identifies Students of Determination early and provides a dedicated Inclusion team (Head of Inclusion, Inclusion Teachers, and Inclusion Assistants), with Documented Learning Plans (DLPs) for Elementary and Secondary. The policy specifies accommodations, MAP-based assessment considerations, access to therapy services, and active collaboration with parents.

Affiliation to the United States is reflected in the Massachusetts State Curriculum and NEASC accreditation; the school is part of Aldar Academies in Abu Dhabi.

No religious affiliation is stated; the network welcomes students from all cultures and religions.

The school day generally runs from 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with a shorter schedule on Fridays (7:30 a.m. to 12:00 p.m.).

A School Bus Service is available with GPS tracking. The school coordinates with transportation providers and supports arrangements for students with additional learning needs to access buses where required.

The Yas American Academy curriculum is based on the American Massachusetts State Curriculum, incorporating Common Core, NGSS and SHAPE frameworks, and is delivered through play-based learning in Kindergarten, inquiry-based learning in elementary, and project-based learning in middle and high school, with Arabic instruction aligned to UAE MOE guidelines. The High School offers General and Advanced course pathways with a broad range of electives and AP courses, leading to the American High School Diploma. The diploma is the standard qualification for entry to leading US universities and is increasingly recognised by other leading higher education institutions worldwide. The academy holds NEASC accreditation and is designated a School of Character by the Jubilee Centre, with a West Yas Way values framework including Integrity, Respect, Determination, Collaboration and Innovation embedded across the curriculum. The curriculum spans Pre-KG through Grade 12, with year-group progression mapped in academy materials.

In Yas American Academy, inclusion means all students have access to learning, feel welcome, safe, supported, and belong, with needs catered for to develop socially, emotionally and academically. The vision for inclusion states that all students are supported to reach their full potential through personalized adaptations, with well-trained staff ensuring optimal social, emotional, and academic progress. Adaptive teaching is an inclusive, flexible approach that sets high expectations, uses ongoing assessments, and provides necessary scaffolds to support all learners. A Wellbeing framework is embedded in Yas American Academy's policy, with a whole-school responsibility for wellbeing, and programs to promote positive relationships and social-emotional development. Staff receive ongoing training on recognizing signs of distress and how to act, and families are engaged to support student wellbeing.

In Yas American Academy, inclusion embraces Students of Determination (SOD) and is implemented through a Head of Inclusion and an Inclusion Team supported by specialist teachers and assistants. The school uses Documented Learning Plans (DLPs) for students receiving Tier 2 or Tier 3 support, with termly targets and termly progress reviews; annual reviews are held for Tier 3. Identification and referral follow an Assess-Plan-Do-Review model, with Cause for Concern raised by teachers and referrals tracked in a central Inclusion register. Inclusion provision includes in-class adaptations, push-in and pull-out interventions, counselling for social-emotional needs, and therapy services in-school or through external providers. The policy requires collaboration with parents and external agencies and provides for funding considerations; ADEK policies guide any specialist provision and related fees.

75% of Yas American Academy students are learning English as an Additional Language (EAL). The ELL policy defines a shared responsibility among all stakeholders to provide English support for students to thrive academically and socially. Students are identified using NGRT assessments and a WIDA screener to determine language needs and are monitored through progress data. The school uses a tiered provision approach (Tier 1-3) with classroom scaffolding, targeted language interventions, small-group instruction, and collaboration between ELL and content-area teachers. Foundational literacy and vocabulary development are emphasized across subjects to support reading, writing, speaking, and listening. The policy assigns specific ELL leadership roles and responsibilities to the ELL department and ELL Lead Teacher, with ongoing professional development.

The Well-Being Policy at Yas American Academy outlines a whole-school commitment to promoting health, wellbeing, and happiness for students, staff, and families, aligned with ADEK and UAE frameworks. Wellbeing is guided by a whole-school approach with responsibilities shared among leaders, staff, students, and families. On-campus supports include homeroom teachers, heads of grade/department, a school counsellor, a dean of students, a school nurse, senior leaders, the student council, and designated safeguarding leads. Mindfulness and resilience-building are integrated into the program, with informal lessons and a dedicated wellbeing slot to develop emotional regulation and wellbeing skills. The policy highlights staff training to recognize signs of distress and signpost to internal or external support, and active family engagement to support each student's wellbeing.

The Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy establishes safeguarding as a core responsibility with zero tolerance for maltreatment and outlines a framework to keep children safe. A senior designated Child Protection Coordinator and a Child Protection Team oversee safeguarding, with ongoing staff training and annual CP training; safeguarding records are maintained, often using CPOMS, to track concerns. Staff are required to report concerns to appropriate authorities (police and UAE authorities as needed) and to communicate with parents about safeguarding issues. Student Protection Education is delivered to students to help them understand personal safety and how to report concerns, using developmentally appropriate content. All safeguarding records are confidential, with robust safe recruitment practices and clear lines of responsibility for safeguarding across the school.

1. Submit your enquiry online; a Parent Relations Executive will respond within 2 working days to assist you. This initial contact helps outline next steps and provides guidance on the enrolment process. 2. Schedule a tour or a meeting with our Senior Leadership team to learn more about Yas American Academy. This allows you to ask questions about the curriculum, facilities, and school culture. 3. Submit your completed application; the Admissions Team will be in touch within 2 working days. You will be guided through the next steps and timelines for assessment and decision-making. 4. Within 2 working days of a successful assessment, you will receive an offer of a place at the Academy. After you accept the offer and pay the registration fee, enrollment is confirmed.

Scholarship applications for the 2025-2026 Academic Year are now open. The Aldar Academies Scholarship Programme recognizes exceptional talent in Academic Achievement, Sports, Innovation & Digital Technology, Creative & Performing Arts, and Arabic Studies. The programme provides a tuition-fee reduction until graduation and is available for both new and existing students across Yas American Academy and other Aldar Academies. Available scholarship sites include Yas American Academy, Al Ain British Academy, Mamoura British Academy, and Bateen World Academy. The scholarship programme is open from Grade 6 onwards. Applicants must first secure a student place before progressing with a scholarship application, and both a place and scholarship must be applied for simultaneously. The scheme and participating schools operate within Aldar Academies, with fees regulated by ADEK.