Raha International School - Gardens Campus

Gardens Campus is located in Raha Gardens, Khalifa City A, Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. It is Abu Dhabi's first IB Continuum school. The two Raha campuses are about a seven-minute drive apart, connected by local roads in Khalifa City.

Minis EY1 EY2 Grade 1 Grade 2 Grade 3 Grade 4 Grade 5 Grade 6 Grade 7 Grade 8 Grade 9 Grade 10 Grade 11 Grade 12

The school is co-educational and operates as a day school (no boarding facilities).

The Gardens Campus hosts students from more than 90 nationalities; public data does not specify a single most common nationality or the local-to-international ratio.

Raha provides Additional Learning Needs (SEN) support and wellbeing services through a dedicated inclusion program. The school has a SEN team with specialist staff and wellbeing provisions.

No formal country affiliation; the school operates in the United Arab Emirates (UAE).

No religious affiliation is stated.

School day typically starts around 7:45–7:50 am for Grades 1–12 and ends around 2:50 pm; EY1 finishes around 1:00 pm and EY2 around 2:00 pm.

Transportation is outsourced to School Transport Services (STS) Group. Costs are AED 5,000 per student per year (2025–26). A bus assistant accompanies each bus; all vehicles have CCTV and tracking. Registration/seat allocation is managed by Emirates Transport, based on route availability and home address.

Gardens Campus offers the IB Continuum: Primary Years Programme for ages 3–12, Middle Years Programme for ages 11–16, and Diploma Programme for ages 16–19. The PYP is inquiry-based and transdisciplinary, with six transdisciplinary themes, agency and voice, and a holistic focus on academic, personal, and social development; Arabic language begins in the Early Years, with Islamic and Social Studies starting from Grade 1. The MYP provides eight subject groups for ages 11–16, includes subject choices in the final two years, and requires learning in at least two languages, with a focus on Approaches to Learning and Service as Action. The DP is a two-year programme for ages 16–19, spanning six subject groups and including Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS), and the Extended Essay to prepare students for university. The Gardens Campus accommodates Minis through Grade 12, aligning PYP, MYP and DP within a single Abu Dhabi campus.

The school integrates pastoral care into the structure of each grade level, supported by grade level leaders, heads of grade, heads of pastoral care for each division, and school counsellors. These roles help embed the IB Learner Profile throughout the curriculum to foster a positive school culture. The community is described as close-knit and inclusive, with a goal of helping every student take charge of their well-being and thrive beyond the classroom. Wellbeing and inclusion are positioned under the Beyond Classroom section as core to daily life at the Gardens Campus. This approach sets the foundation for social and emotional development within the IB framework.

The Inclusion Policy identifies Additional Learning Needs (ALN), Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND)/Person of Determination (PoD), Multi-Lingual Learners (MLL), and Gifted and Talented (G&T), including Twice Exceptional (TE) and Multiple Learning Differences (MLD). The school uses a Graduated Response with a Student Support Team (SST) that forms to assess and plan appropriate support for a student. Provisions are delivered through Individual Education Plans (IEP), Individual Accommodation Plans (IAP), Advanced Learning Plans (ALP), Language Acquisition Plans (LAP), or Wellbeing Support Plans (WSP) as needed. The Inclusion process progresses from referral to assessment, plan development, implementation, and regular review, with collaboration between families, teachers, and external agencies when appropriate. The Inclusion Policy aligns with ADEK guidelines and documents the roles of the Inclusion Team in coordinating supports.

English is the language of instruction at Raha International School, and EAL support is provided for identified students from EY to Grade 9. EAL identification and assessment involve language aptitude screening and referrals to an EAL specialist, with decisions about placement based on assessment outcomes. The EAL support program uses a combination of in-class support and withdrawal from class to help students access the IB curriculum. LAS Links assessments are used for placement of new students, with ongoing progress monitoring throughout the year. EAL proficiency levels range from Intensive/Beginning to Above Proficient, guiding the level of support required.

Wellbeing at the Gardens Campus is supported by integrated pastoral care across grade levels, with grade level leaders, Heads of Grade, Heads of Pastoral Care, and School Counsellors providing support. The aim is to help each student take charge of their well-being and to thrive in all aspects of life outside the school. The Inclusion team also focuses on the academic, social, and emotional growth of students, including those with ALN, SEND/PoD, MLL, and Gifted and Talented needs. The Wellbeing framework aligns with the IB Learner Profile to promote a positive school culture, and a Wellbeing Support Plan may be developed as part of a Graduated Response for ongoing social-emotional support.

Taaleem's Child Protection and Safeguarding Policy for Raha Gardens Campus (policy EDUC-008) sets the safeguarding framework, with an effective date of 25 August 2025 and a scheduled review date of 25 August 2026. The policy applies to all employees, governors, contractors, volunteers, visitors, and partners, and designates the Designated Safeguarding Lead (DSL) and deputies with defined roles and responsibilities. It outlines governance, reporting procedures, and the training required for safeguarding across the group, including CPOMS usage and escalation steps. The policy emphasizes keeping children safe in a wide range of environments, including online and offline contexts, and details the process for referrals, investigations, and handling allegations against staff. It also situates safeguarding within broader Taaleem safeguarding practices, including whistleblowing and safeguarding oversight at the group level.

1. Application: All applications are digital and there are no paper applications. In the online application you provide general information about your child and contact details, and you upload preliminary documents including a copy of your child's passport, a copy of their UAE visa or Emirates ID if applicable, a copy of their most recent report card in English or official translations, a copy of any diagnostic testing or educational assessments in English with translations, and the email address of a reference. You will receive a confirmation that your application has been received and reviewed within 1 to 4 business days, and we will proceed to Step 2 only when a possible opening is known. It is important to disclose information about any additional learning needs, as failure to do so may put your child's place at risk. 2. Assessment: If places are available you will be invited to submit further information and/or schedule an assessment. Children applying to Minis to Grade 1 will be invited for a Stay and Play session or classroom experience at the school between October and April, with arrangements for families outside Abu Dhabi. Children applying to Grades 2 to 11 will take a computerized cognitive ability assessment, and overseas applicants can complete this step remotely; Arabic level may also be assessed as needed for placement. 3. Review: The Raha academic teams review the application and you will receive feedback within a week. If a place is confirmed you will receive an official offer letter specifying a campus and you must pay a non refundable deposit of 5% to confirm; a seat cannot be held until the deposit payment is received and once a place is accepted, it is not possible to transfer campuses. If there are no concerns and a place is not available, your child will be placed in a priority wait pool in case of withdrawals.

1. Availability: When there are more eligible applicants than places, priority status is determined by the Taaleem Admissions policy, the date of application, and a holistic profile. If there is no availability, the applications will stay on the waiting list up until the start of the academic year for openings. Every year is a fresh start. 2. Priority wait pool: If there is no place, a child may be placed in a priority wait pool to cover withdrawals. 3. Seat allocation: If withdrawals occur, seats may be allocated from the priority wait pool to suitable applicants.