SAMA International Schools (SIS)

Welcome to SAMA International School Admissions

With great pleasure, we welcome your interest in SAMA International School Abu Dhabi for your child’s education.

Our mission is to nurture strong values and essential competencies so that students grow into confident, responsible future leaders. This is achieved by promoting academic excellence, fostering a love of learning, and embedding our core values of tolerance, care, honesty, respect, and integrity.

SAMA International School is an inclusive learning community. As part of the admissions process, students may be assessed to ensure we can provide the most appropriate academic, emotional, and social support to help them reach their full potential.

Our admissions team will guide you through each step of the process. An overview of the application journey is outlined below.

Admission process – four easy steps

• Step 1: Complete the online admission inquiry form – visit form
• Step 2: You will receive a confirmation email from our admissions team once your inquiry is submitted. Subject to grade availability, you will then receive instructions and a list of required documents.
• Step 3: Our admissions team will contact you within two working days to schedule an assessment, meeting, or school visit. Assessments are age-appropriate and help us understand your child’s learning needs.
• Step 4: The admissions team will confirm your child’s acceptance, subject to availability, usually within one week.

Admission age criteria

Student placement is determined according to the current student entrance age criteria as outlined by the UAE Ministry of Education.

Assessment criteria

As part of the admissions process, students entering KG1, KG2, and Grade 1 will be invited to meet with the head of early years or primary. Where possible, students may meet teachers in small group settings, with parents invited to attend.

For Grades 2 and 3, assessments focus on verbal and non-verbal reasoning, reading, writing, and basic computation. For Grades 4 to 10, students complete online assessments covering verbal, non-verbal, and quantitative skills.

Applicants from non-English-speaking backgrounds may be required to complete additional language assessments. Students with additional learning needs may be asked to undertake specific assessments as determined by the head of inclusion.

Re-assessments may be requested if a student is unwell, distressed, or if there is a clear mismatch between school reports and assessment outcomes. All re-assessments are formally documented and approved.

Transfer certificate

A transfer certificate (TC) is required by ADEK to register a student in any Abu Dhabi school. The TC must be issued by the current school on official letterhead, signed and stamped, and reflect the student’s final day of attendance.

Depending on the country of the previous school, the TC may require additional attestations:

• United States, Canada, Western Europe, Australia, New Zealand – school stamp and signature only
• GCC countries – school stamp and signature plus Ministry of Education attestation
• All other countries – school, Ministry of Education, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and UAE Embassy attestation

Students of determination and learning support

SAMA International School complies fully with UAE regulations regarding students of determination. Applicants are required to disclose any known disability or learning need at the time of application and provide relevant medical or educational reports.

All documentation is reviewed by the head of inclusion, and families may be invited for a consultation to discuss how individual needs can be supported. Where learning needs become apparent after enrolment, the school works collaboratively with parents to determine appropriate and reasonable adjustments.