American International School in Abu Dhabi

A Swiss non-profit, working since 1968. Its programmes are among the most widely recognised school programmes in the world. Authorisation is granted stage by stage, so a school with the final stage does not necessarily run the younger ones; which stages this school holds is set out in the line below.

What the badge means for this school. The school is allowed to run this programme and to award its certificate. This is a confirmation of the programme, not a judgement on the school as a whole. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it. At this school: PYP (ages 3-12), DP (ages 16-19). PYP is the primary stage, ages 3 to 12. It is not a set of subjects but a frame for the whole school: learning is built around lines of inquiry, and there are no exams at the end. DP is the final stage, ages 16 to 19: six subjects plus a compulsory core of theory of knowledge, an extended essay and CAS. The diploma is accepted by universities all over the world, and in a number of countries it counts for admission on the same footing as the local leaving certificate.

It accredits international schools and is a paying association at the same time. It examines governance and ownership, the curriculum, teaching, student wellbeing, staff and premises; a team of volunteers from other CIS accredited schools visits the school. Membership and accreditation are different things here, and schools confuse them more often than anything else.

What the badge means for this school. The school has been through this organisation's accreditation. It was judged as a whole: governance, safeguarding, staff, premises, teaching. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it.

One of the oldest American accreditations, working since 1887 in more than a hundred countries and linked to the Office of Overseas Schools of the US State Department. It judges the school as an institution across twelve areas, including finances, governance, premises and student support.

What the badge means for this school. The school has been through this organisation's accreditation. It was judged as a whole: governance, safeguarding, staff, premises, teaching. The entry stands in the organisation's public register - anyone can check it.

The American school programme, with the High School Diploma at the end. It usually comes together with AP courses, which the College Board stands behind, and with an American accreditation - MSA, NEASC or Cognia.

What this means for this school. The diploma is written out by the school itself: the American programme has no common leaving exam, and the content of the senior years is set by the school. Outside checking therefore rests on two things here - the accreditation of the school, and the AP exams if the school runs them.

Esol Education is a school group; its site is esoleducation.com. The About us page dates it to 1976 and names the founder: «Founded in 1976 by Walid Abushakra», and gives its size in one line: «operates 10 schools across six countries», «collectively serving 12,500 students from over 100 nationalities». The list on our-network/k-12schools prints those ten: The American International School in Abu Dhabi, Dunecrest American School and Fairgreen International School in the UAE, American School Hong Kong, two campuses of the American International School in Egypt and Cairo English School in Egypt, American School of Bahrain, American International School in Cyprus, and Universal College Aley in Lebanon. On dates, the site puts the Abu Dhabi school this way: «celebrating its 25th anniversary, having been established in 1995». Ownership, management and franchise are not distinguished: of itself and of the schools the site uses the single word «operates».

What this means for this school. The network owns or operates the school. Its accreditation and programme authorisation the school obtains separately, in its own name.