Cranleigh Abu Dhabi

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi is located on Saadiyat Island in Abu Dhabi, in the cultural district near Manarat Al Saadiyat. The campus sits on a purpose-built site with good access to Saadiyat Island's roads and facilities. The location places the school close to Abu Dhabi's museums and cultural precincts.

The school follows the British National Curriculum from FS1 to Year 13, covering early years through to the sixth form. Students ordinarily take IGCSE in the middle years and proceed to A Levels or equivalent in the senior years.

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi is a co-educational day school and does not currently offer boarding facilities. An extended day is available, allowing students to participate in activities beyond the core lessons.

The school represents a large international community, with more than 65 nationalities; the most represented nationality is British, and local students make up around 20% of the student body.

The school provides English as an Additional Language (EAL) support and has a Learning Support framework. EAL is delivered at multiple levels (whole-school provision, in-class support, and small-group or 1:1 intervention), and SEN provisions are available where needed.

The school is affiliated with Cranleigh School in the United Kingdom and operates as part of the Cranleigh international network.

There is no formal religious affiliation stated for the school, reflecting its diverse international community.

The core school day runs from around 7:30 am to 3:30 pm. The extended day option extends activities until about 6:00–6:30 pm, depending on after-school commitments.

A bus service is provided by a contracted operator, with the school coordinating transport for students. There have been occasions of bus shortages affecting after-school activities, prompting communications to parents about service availability.

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi follows the English National Curriculum, with the Early Years Foundation Stage (FS1–FS2) in Pre-Prep and the National Curriculum as the foundation for all later years, extended to meet local needs. The school is structured into Pre-Prep (FS1–Year 2), Prep (Year 3–8), Senior (Year 9–13) and Sixth Form (Year 12–13), with progression aligned to UK age bands and ADEK guidance. In the Senior School, students typically study IGCSEs in a broad range of subjects; this is followed in Sixth Form by A Levels (with BTECs as an alternative) and an optional Extended Project Qualification (EPQ). The Sixth Form uses Harkness-style teaching and a Sixth Form Core Curriculum to develop independent thinking, wellbeing, and career-focused subject choices. The curriculum emphasises enquiry-led learning, clear assessment criteria, and a global-citizenship dimension as central pillars of the school's approach. Admissions are aligned with UK-year group standards, with entry points from Pre-Prep through Sixth Form and formal evaluation processes for Sixth Form applicants.

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi supports Social and Emotional Learning (SEL) through a full-time School Counsellor who provides confidential, personalised pastoral support to pupils. The School Counsellor is part of the Learning Support Department, which coordinates wellbeing provision and the school's response to pupils with additional needs. The Learning Support Team handles day-to-day SEN provision, maintains records, and creates Learning Passports/IEPs to guide targeted support and parental involvement. External specialists, including Psychology services, Occupational Therapy and Speech and Language Therapy, may be engaged to support pupils with SEN as needed. English as an Additional Language (EAL) learners have access to the full curriculum and activities, with Level One–Three EAL support to ensure participation across the school. Parents are actively involved as partners in planning and reviewing pupil wellbeing and provision.

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi defines Special Educational Needs (SEN) as including learning difficulties and persistent social, emotional or mental health needs, and identifies pupils of determination to receive appropriate provision. The School Principal has overall responsibility for SEN, delegated to the Director of Learning Support, who reports to the Vice Principal (Academic). The Learning Support Team conducts in-house screening, maintains a central record, and creates Learning Passports (IEPs) in collaboration with parents and pupils. Provision is delivered across three levels: Level 1 (Quality provision for all), Level 2 (in-class or small-group support), and Level 3 (specialist withdrawal or 1:1 support), with exam access arrangements under JCQ guidelines where relevant. Specialist support may be provided by the Learning Support Team or by outside specialists such as Psychology services, Speech & Language Therapy and Occupational Therapy. The school emphasises SEN provision as a school-wide responsibility rather than a separate specialist institution, with differentiated teaching and collaboration among staff to meet diverse needs.

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi recognises English as an Additional Language (EAL) and ensures EAL learners have access to the full curriculum and co-curricular activities on the same basis as native English speakers. The EAL policy states aims to overcome barriers to learning, value linguistic and cultural diversity, and support EAL pupils to become confident and fluent users of English. EAL support is structured in three levels: Level One – quality provision for all; Level Two – in-class support; Level Three – small-group or 1:1 intervention. The EAL Co-ordinator leads the school's EAL provision in consultation with the Director of Learning Support and liaises with English teachers to monitor progress. Most EAL pupils do not have SEN; if a specific learning difficulty is identified, EAL pupils have equal access to the school's SEN provision.

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi is committed to positive mental wellbeing and provides a full-time School Counsellor who is a qualified psychologist. The counselling service offers a confidential, safe, nurturing and personalised approach and is part of the Learning Support Department. A Learning Passport (IEP) framework records additional actions and targets for pupils with complex needs or mental health concerns. The Learning Support Team coordinates mental health provision and can arrange input from external specialists to support targeted interventions. The partnership with parents is emphasised in planning and reviewing wellbeing provision.

Cranleigh Abu Dhabi maintains safeguarding arrangements with named safeguarding staff and a formal route to raise concerns via the Raise a Concern portal. The contact list includes Sue Fairbrother (Head of Safeguarding) and Dr Andrea Saxel (Senior DSL) and Emma Lewis (DSL for Prep). If a child is in immediate danger, dial 999. Concerns can be raised through the Firefly-based Raise a Concern system, which allows anonymous submissions if desired. Safeguarding policies, including the Complaints Policy, set out formal stages and responsibilities for managing concerns and protecting pupils.

The Cranleigh Abu Dhabi campus opened in 2014 on Saadiyat Island. Cranleigh International built the local operating company, which Aldar Education took over in 2018 in continued partnership with Cranleigh. The school has won the TES Best New International School of the Year and is listed in Spears Top 100 global schools. In January 2024 a separate Cranleigh Abu Dhabi Pre-Prep site was opened at Saadiyat Lagoons for over 600 Pre-Prep children. The school has about 2600 students across two sites. The Pre-Prep site opened January 29, 2024, and is a stand-alone campus with its own swimming pool and large indoor and external play spaces.
ldar Education continued the Cranleigh partnership after the 2018 transition.

Cranleigh's offer includes a Scholars' Programme and an EPQ (Extended Project Qualification) as part of its academic enrichment.