At a glance
GEMS Founders School Abu Dhabi is the capital campus of the affordable British brand within GEMS Education, built to deliver a values based British education at a lower fee point than the group's premium academies. It is an all through school for boys and girls in Masdar City, the sustainable urban community in the east of the capital, and is regulated by the Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge. The founding year of the Abu Dhabi campus is not published here because we could not confirm it with confidence, so we describe it qualitatively rather than guess. Set the school against the wider market of international schools in Abu Dhabi through our city hub.
| Detail | Summary |
|---|---|
| Curriculum and exam boards | British curriculum, IGCSE, A Level |
| Stages | Foundation Stage to the senior years (ages 3 to 18) |
| Founded | Not published |
| Accreditation | Regulated by ADEK; part of GEMS Education |
| Fee band | Value to mid (see the Abu Dhabi fees guide) |
| Campus area | Masdar City, eastern Abu Dhabi |
Curriculum and academics
The school follows the National Curriculum for England across the full age range, from the Early Years Foundation Stage through Key Stages 1 to 3, then IGCSE and a sixth form. The Founders model is designed to keep class sizes and facilities solid while holding fees down, which is the core appeal of the brand to budget conscious families. The British curriculum here leads to the same IGCSE and A Level qualifications used by the premium academies, read directly by universities in the United Kingdom, India, North America and across the Gulf. Because the Abu Dhabi campus is part of a larger group, it shares teaching standards and professional development with the wider GEMS network. Ask the school for its most recent IGCSE and A Level results and university destinations, since we do not republish unverified outcome figures.
GEMS Founders School Abu Dhabi fees
GEMS Founders School Abu Dhabi fees sit in the value to mid band for the capital, broadly in the region of AED 26,000 to AED 42,000 a year depending on stage, which is the whole point of the Founders brand. The school publishes a current annual schedule that rises by year group and is approved by ADEK, and it revises this each year, so treat our band as a guide and confirm the live figure with the school. You can sense check it against our guide to international school fees in Abu Dhabi. Beyond tuition, budget for a registration or assessment fee, a seat deposit, examination entry fees in the senior years, uniform and optional transport.
Working out the real cost of a place?
Use our fee calculator to add tuition, registration, deposit and bus into one budget. Free, independent, no school pays to appear.
Admissions
Admission runs on a rolling basis across the academic year, which starts in late August. Because the fees are accessible, popular year groups, especially the primary stages, fill early, so families relocating to the eastern mainland should register as soon as a place is foreseeable. Assessment is age appropriate: a settling session for the youngest children and curriculum based assessment in English and mathematics, with school reports and references, for older applicants. Sixth form entry is conditional on IGCSE or GCSE grades, with subject specific requirements for the most demanding A Level courses.
Location and who goes there
The campus is in Masdar City, a planned low carbon community in the east of Abu Dhabi near the airport, well connected by road to Khalifa City, Mohammed Bin Zayed City and the eastern suburbs. The value fees draw a broad mix of Arab, South Asian and other expatriate families who live across the mainland rather than the premium island belt. For households balancing a tight budget against a recognised British curriculum, Founders is one of the practical options in the capital. For the wider picture of where families settle across the capital, return to the Abu Dhabi city hub.
Reviews
No verified reviews yet. GlobalSchoolGuide is independent and no school pays to be listed, so we publish parent reviews only once they are verified. If your child attends or has attended GEMS Founders School Abu Dhabi, you can submit a review to help other relocating families. We never display a star rating without real, checked reviews behind it.
Frequently asked questions
How much are GEMS Founders School Abu Dhabi fees?
GEMS Founders School Abu Dhabi fees sit in the value to mid band for the capital, in the region of AED 26,000 to AED 42,000 a year depending on stage. The brand is built around affordable British education. Budget separately for registration, a deposit, examination entry, uniform and optional transport.
Is GEMS Founders School Abu Dhabi a good school?
GEMS Founders is the affordable British brand within GEMS Education, regulated by ADEK and built to deliver a values based British education at a lower fee point. Whether it suits your child depends on budget, stage and proximity to Masdar City.
What curriculum does GEMS Founders School Abu Dhabi follow?
It follows the British curriculum, the National Curriculum for England, leading to IGCSE and A Level in the senior years, as part of GEMS Education.
When do GEMS Founders School Abu Dhabi applications open?
Admission is rolling across the academic year, which starts in late August, but the value fees make popular year groups fill early, so register as soon as a place is foreseeable.
Where is GEMS Founders School Abu Dhabi located?
The school is in Masdar City, the sustainable urban community in the east of Abu Dhabi near the airport.
