FS1 to Year 13 · Khalifa City, Abu Dhabi
A school that keeps the light on for every child.
A British-style curriculum for ages 3 to 18, classes of no more than 22, and teachers who know your child by name. Applications for August 2027 open on 1 November.
- 3 to 18Ages, FS1 to Year 13
- 22Maximum class size
- 1,140Pupils
- 41Nationalities
- AED 42,500A year, FS1 tuition
From the Principal
You should be able to picture your child here before you visit.
Choosing a school in a new city is hard. So we put the things families ask about first on this page: what your child learns at each age, how admissions work and when, what the fees are and what they cover, how the bus works, and what happens if your child needs a little extra help.
Then come and see us on a normal school day. That is the visit that tells you most.
Clare AdeyemiPrincipal, Lanternfield International School
Curriculum
One school, four stages, the same people who know your child.
A British-style curriculum from FS1 to Year 13, on one campus. Choose a stage to see what a normal week looks like for your child.
Learning through play, with a purpose.
Children spend much of the day choosing, building, painting, counting and talking, with teachers who plan every corner of the room. Phonics starts in FS2. Arabic is part of every week from the start.
What it looks like
- Two adults in every class.
- A shaded outdoor garden used every day, from October to April.
- A gentle start for FS1, with half days in the first two weeks.
The basics, done properly, around big questions.
Reading, writing and mathematics every day, taught well and checked often, around topics that make children curious: rivers, the desert, inventors, the stars. Specialist teachers for Arabic, music, PE, swimming and computing.
What it looks like
- Reading records shared with parents each week.
- Swimming from Year 1.
- Three parent meetings a year, plus a written report each term.
Specialist teachers, proper labs, a broad choice.
In Years 10 and 11 students take two-year courses that end in internationally recognised qualifications at 16. Every student has a tutor who sees them each morning.
What it looks like
- Around nine subjects, chosen at the end of Year 9.
- A weekly tutor check-in.
- Guided independent study from Year 9.
The step before university.
Three or four advanced subjects, small seminar groups and a timetable that feels like the step before university. Our university guidance team helps with applications to the UK, the UAE, Europe, North America and Asia.
What it looks like
- An average teaching group of 9.
- A dedicated sixth form study centre.
- An extended project for every student.
Arabic for all pupils, Islamic Education for Muslim pupils, and UAE social studies and moral education are taught at every stage, as in every school in the emirate. Exam boards are listed here on a live site.
Wellbeing and inclusion
Happy children learn. So we start there.
Every pupil has one adult who checks in with them every day: a class teacher in primary, a tutor in secondary. Our wellbeing team, two counsellors and a school nurse, is on site every day and in the timetable, not behind a referral form.
A named adult for every child
The same face each morning, who notices when something is off.
Counsellors in school every day
Two counsellors and a nurse, with drop-in times your child can find.
Plans written with parents, reviewed each term
You see the plan, you shape it, and you hear how it is going.
Inclusion
Some children need more time, a different way in, or someone beside them. Our inclusion team works with families from the first visit, plans support with you and reviews it each term. Tell us about your child's needs when you apply: it never counts against an application. We will always be honest about what we can and cannot provide.
Admissions
Admissions for August 2027, step by step.
Five steps, from a first visit in November to the first day in August. Mid-year places open when seats do: ask and we will tell you straight away which year groups have space.
Today: applications for August 2027 open on 1 November 2026.
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1
1 November 2026
Applications open
Apply online. Application fee AED 500, refunded if we cannot offer a place.
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2
November 2026 to January 2027
Tours and open mornings
Tuesday and Thursday mornings, 08:30 to 10:00, plus open mornings on 21 November and 16 January.
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3
January to February 2027
Meet and assess
FS1 to Year 1: a relaxed play session. Year 2 upwards: a short reading and maths assessment and a chat. Sixth form: a conversation about subject choices.
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4
From 1 March 2027
Offers
Offers come by email with a seat deposit request (AED 5,000, taken off the first term's fees). Accept within 14 days.
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5
9 and 10 June 2027 · First day 24 August 2027
Welcome days and the first day
Meet the class teacher, try the uniform, ride the bus route once.
Documents you will need
- Passport and Emirates ID copies for your child and both parents
- Your child's birth certificate
- The last two school reports
- Immunisation record
- A transfer certificate from the previous school, attested if it is from outside the UAE
Fees for 2027–28, in AED
Fees, in full, before you ask.
| Year group | Per year | Per term |
|---|---|---|
| FS1 | AED 42,500 | AED 14,167 |
| FS2 | AED 44,000 | AED 14,667 |
| Years 1 to 2 | AED 51,500 | AED 17,167 |
| Years 3 to 6 | AED 55,800 | AED 18,600 |
| Years 7 to 9 | AED 63,900 | AED 21,300 |
| Years 10 to 11 | AED 69,400 | AED 23,133 |
| Years 12 to 13 | AED 77,800 | AED 25,933 |
What the fee includes
- Teaching and core learning resources
- Textbooks, a school-managed tablet from Year 3 and a laptop from Year 7
- Day trips that are part of the curriculum
- Staff-led after-school clubs
- Swimming
- Counselling and nursing care
- Lunch for FS1 and FS2
Not included, priced in full
- Bus: from AED 6,800 a year, by zone
- Uniform: around AED 900 for a full set
- Optional residential trips
- External exam entry fees in Years 11 and 13
- Paid specialist clubs
Inspection and licensing
Every private school in Abu Dhabi is licensed and inspected. On a live site, this panel shows the school's current licence details and its most recent inspection report, linked to the original document, with the date it was published. We show the report itself, not a summary of it.
- Licence detailsListed here on a live site
- Latest inspection reportLinked here on a live site
- Affiliation and approvalsListed here on a live site
Campus and facilities
Built for the climate, and for children.
A low, shaded campus around a courtyard and an old ghaf tree. Covered walkways link every building, so nobody crosses open sun between lessons.
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- 25 mIndoor pool, plus a learner pool
- 2Sports halls and a shaded all-weather pitch
- 8Science labs
- LibraryWith a separate sixth form study centre
- 400Seats in the theatre, plus music rooms
- StudiosArt, design and a ceramics room
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- GardenEarly years garden with its own entrance
- ClinicWith a full-time nurse
Transport and uniforms
The morning, sorted.
Stylised map. Rings show bus zones, not exact boundaries.
The bus
Air-conditioned buses with a trained supervisor on every route, seat belts for every child and live arrival alerts in the parent app.
- AKhalifa City, MBZ CityAED 6,800 a year
- BAl Raha, Yas, Al ReefAED 8,400 a year
- CSaadiyat, the city centreAED 9,900 a year
Pick-up from 06:40. Register by 15 July for August.
The uniform
Sky polo, navy shorts, trousers, skirt or pinafore, and a sunhat for primary. Secondary wears a white shirt and navy. Modest options for every item, including long sleeves and a navy headscarf.
Buy from the school uniform shop on campus or online. A full primary set costs around AED 900.
Calendar 2026–27
Dates for the year ahead.
- 4Nov
Year 7 open evening
Wednesday, 17:30 to 19:00 · For families joining secondary
- 21Nov
Open morning
Saturday, 09:00 to 11:00 · Prospective families, all ages
- 26Nov
UAE National Day celebrations
Thursday, school day · Whole school, families welcome from 10:00
- 10Dec
Winter concert
Thursday, 18:00, in the theatre · Whole school
- 11Dec
End of term one
Friday, school closes at 11:30 · Whole school
- 16Jan
Open morning
Saturday, 09:00 to 11:00 · Prospective families, all ages
- 4Feb
FS family reading breakfast
Thursday, 07:45 to 08:30 · Early Years families
- 26Feb
Primary science fair
Friday, 08:30 to 11:00 · Years 1 to 6 and their families
- 1Mar
Offers sent for August 2027
Monday, by email · Families who applied
- 18Mar
Sixth form subjects evening
Thursday, 18:00 to 19:30 · Year 11 students and parents
No events in this group this term.
Parent portal
Already a Lanternfield parent?
Sign in for reports, the bus tracker, fee statements, permission slips and the lunch menu.
Book a tour
Come on a normal Tuesday.
Tours run on Tuesday and Thursday mornings during term, 08:30 to 10:00, with the Head of Admissions and a student guide. Bring your child if you like.