Al Ain British Academy vs Brighton College Al Ain

	A Al Ain British Academy Al Ain, United Arab Emirates	B Brighton College Al Ain Al Ain, United Arab Emirates
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year AED 42,320 - 63,400	Fees / year AED 52,689 - 83,404
Age range	Age range 3 - 18 years	Age range 3 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels	Curriculum British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A Levels
Pupils	Pupils 1,030	Pupils 863
Typical class size	Typical class size 12	Typical class size 8
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened —	Opened —
Bus service	Bus service —	Bus service —
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location The school is located in Al Ain, the second-largest city in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Al Ain is known as the Garden City of the UAE, situated near the Oman border.	Location Brighton College Al Ain is in Gafat Al Nayyar, in Al Ain, the second-largest city in Abu Dhabi emirate. Al Ain is near the Oman border and known as the Garden City of the Gulf.
Stages	Stages Four stages: Pre-Prep (FS1 and FS2), Primary (Year 1-6), Secondary (Year 7-11 leading to I/GCSE), and Sixth Form (Year 12-13 leading to A Levels).	Stages Four stages: Pre-Prep (Nursery/FS1 to Year 2), Prep (Year 3-5), Senior (Year 6-11), and Sixth Form (Year 12-13). Students progress through IGCSE to A Level qualifications.
School type	School type Al Ain British Academy is a private co-educational day school following the English National Curriculum. It is a founding member of TASS and has been designated an ACE School of Character.	School type Brighton College Al Ain is a private co-educational day school. It is part of the Brighton College family, connected to Brighton College in the UK.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support —	Additional learning support —
Country affiliation	Country affiliation The school follows the English National Curriculum and has been inspected by British Schools Overseas (BSO), achieving an Outstanding rating.	Country affiliation The school is part of the Brighton College family, originally established in Brighton, England in 1845. It brings the Brighton College educational ethos to Al Ain.
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure —	School day structure —
Bus service details	Bus service details —	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Annual Tuition Fees (2025-2026, AED) FS1 - AED 42,320 FS2 to Year 6 - AED 43,780 Year 7-8 - AED 53,640 Year 9 - AED 57,480 Year 10-13 - AED 63,400 Fees exclude uniforms, food services, transport, exam fees, and extracurriculars. Payment can be made per term: 40% in Term 1, 30% in Terms 2 and 3.	Fee details Annual Tuition Fees (2025-2026, AED) The school offers College Discounted fees below the ADEK-approved maximum: FS1 - AED 52,689 (ADEK approved: 55,090) FS2 - AED 52,689 (ADEK approved: 57,310) Year 1-2 - AED 62,366 (ADEK approved: 67,800) Year 3-4 - AED 65,456 (ADEK approved: 71,160) Year 5 - AED 65,456 (ADEK approved: 74,300) Year 6-8 - AED 68,330 (ADEK approved: 74,300) Year 9 - AED 76,731 (ADEK approved: 87,490) Year 10-11 - AED 80,568 (ADEK approved: 87,490) Year 12 - AED 80,568 (ADEK approved: 90,630) Year 13 - AED 83,404 (ADEK approved: 90,630) Fees include tuition, standard curriculum (sports and arts), over 80 co-curricular activities, career guidance, and transport for sports fixtures. Additional costs may apply for trips, food, transport, exam fees, devices, and uniforms. A 5% referral discount per family is available (up to three families).
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system The school has a house system with four houses: Falcons, Salukis, Foxes, and Camels. The house system provides a framework for competitions, sports, and character development activities.	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership The school operates a School Governance Group and has a community organisation called Friends of Al Ain British Academy for parent engagement.	Governance and ownership Brighton College Al Ain is part of the Brighton College family, connected to Brighton College in the UK (founded 1845). The school brings the Brighton College educational philosophy of curiosity, confidence, and kindness to the UAE.
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details The school follows the English National Curriculum from Foundation Stage through to A Levels. Students take I/GCSE examinations in Year 11 and A Levels in Year 13. A BTEC Sports programme is also available.	Curriculum details The school follows the UK curriculum, enriched and adapted to the Al Ain context. Students take IGCSE and A Level examinations. The curriculum is designed around the school's core values of curiosity, confidence, and kindness.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results A Level (2020) - 38.9% A* - 61.1% A-A - 88.9% A-B (UK national average: 9% A, 27.9% A-A) GCSE (2020) - 34% grade 9 - 56.7% grades 8+ - 99.3% grade 4+ (UK national average: 6.3% grade 9, 14.4% grades 8+, 76% grade 4+) The school reports the highest A Level results in the UAE in 2020 and 2023.	Exam results 59% of A Level university offers in 2025 were from Russell Group universities.
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression 59% of A Level students received university offers from Russell Group institutions in 2025, demonstrating strong progression to leading UK universities.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning The school has been designated an ACE School of Character, reflecting its focus on values and character education. The house system provides a supportive structure for pastoral care.	Social & emotional learning Kindness is one of the school's three core values alongside curiosity and confidence. The pastoral approach emphasises developing the whole child.
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview The campus provides purpose-built facilities for teaching from Foundation Stage through to Sixth Form. A virtual tour is available to prospective families.	Facilities overview The campus provides purpose-built facilities supporting both the academic curriculum and over 80 co-curricular activities. Career guidance is provided as part of the school programme.
Sports facilities	Sports facilities Sports facilities support the PE programme, Sports Day events, and the BTEC Sports programme. The house system drives inter-house competitions.	Sports facilities Sports and PE are included in the standard curriculum. Transport is provided for sports fixtures. The co-curricular programme includes additional sports options.
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities An extensive extra-curricular programme includes multiple clubs. The house system (Falcons, Salukis, Foxes, Camels) provides a structure for competition and character development.	Extra curricular facilities Over 80 college-provided co-curricular activities are included in the tuition fees. These span academic, creative, sporting, and personal development opportunities.
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History Al Ain British Academy has established itself as one of the leading British curriculum schools in Al Ain, achieving the highest A Level results in the UAE in 2020 and 2023.	History Brighton College was founded in Brighton, England in 1845. The Al Ain campus brings this heritage and educational philosophy to the UAE, providing a British independent school education in the Garden City of the Gulf.
Community	Community Friends of Al Ain British Academy serves as the parent community group. The school engages parents through a podcast series, social media, and regular events. An open-door policy encourages parent involvement.	Community The school community is guided by the values of curiosity, confidence, and kindness. Career guidance and university preparation support students through to graduation.
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association Friends of Al Ain British Academy is the parent community group, organising events and fostering connections between families.	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual The school's ethos of curiosity drives academic enrichment beyond the standard curriculum. Career guidance supports university preparation.
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative Arts are included in the standard curriculum fees. Creative activities form part of the 80+ co-curricular offering.
Cultural & language	Cultural & language Arabic and Islamic Studies are incorporated into the curriculum alongside the English National Curriculum, reflecting the school's UAE context.	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing The BTEC Sports programme and PE department provide structured physical activity. Inter-house sports competitions through the house system (Falcons, Salukis, Foxes, Camels) foster teamwork and wellbeing.	Lifestyle & wellbeing Sports are a core part of the curriculum. Over 80 co-curricular activities support a balanced lifestyle. The school's value of kindness underpins its wellbeing approach.
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision English is the language of instruction. Arabic is taught as an additional language, and Islamic Studies form part of the curriculum as required in the UAE.	Language provision English is the language of instruction. Arabic is taught as an additional language as required in the UAE.
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards Highest A Level results reported in the UAE in 2020 and 2023.	Awards British International School of the Year 2025-2026. British School of the Year Al Ain 2025. Shortlisted for MENA School of the Year 2025. Finalist, British International School of the Year 2024.
Accreditations	Accreditations ADEK rating: Very Good. British Schools Overseas (BSO): Rated Outstanding (2023 inspection). ACE School of Character designation. Quality Mark achieved. Founding member of TASS (The Association of Schools in Southeast Asia).	Accreditations ADEK rating: Outstanding in every category. British Schools Overseas (BSO): Outstanding. Part of the Brighton College family (UK, founded 1845).
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions 1. Book a campus tour through the school website or contact admissions. 2. Submit an application for the relevant year group. 3. A scholarship programme is available for qualifying students. 4. A referral programme offers 5% discount per family referred (up to three families). 5.	Admissions 1. 2. Book a campus tour or attend an information session. 3. Submit an application for the relevant year group. 4. A referral programme offers 5% discount per family referred (up to three families).
Scholarships	Scholarships A scholarship programme is available. Details can be obtained from the admissions team.	Scholarships —
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist —
	View full profile →	View full profile →