Private School

Inspection Report

Modern Private School

Academic Year 2015 2016

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Modern Private School

Inspection Date
Date of previous inspection

May 23, 2016

to

N/A

May 26, 2016

N/A

General Information

Students

School ID

263

Total number of
students

916

Opening year of
school

2015

Number of children
in KG

77

Principal

Emad Esbel

Number of students
in other phases

Primary:
Middle:
High:

School telephone

+971 (0)2 448 4000

Age range

3 years 8 months to 18
years

School Address

Building 26, Shakhbout City

Abu Dhabi

Grades or Year
Groups

KG - Grade 12

Official email (ADEC)

privatemodern@adec.ac.ae

Gender

Mixed

School website

-----------------

% of Emirati
Students

31%

Fee ranges (per

annum)

Low to Medium:
AED 14,000 AED 25,000

Largest nationality
groups (%)

1. Syrian:
18%
2. Egyptian: 14%
3. Jordanian: 14%

Licensed Curriculum

285
325
229

Staff

Main Curriculum

Ministry of Education
(MoE)

Number of teachers

50

Other Curriculum

----------

Number of teaching
assistants (TAs)

External Exams/
Standardised tests

Ministry of Education
(MoE)

Teacher-student
ratio

KG/ FS

1:19

Other phases

1:20

---------

Teacher turnover

0%

Accreditation

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Introduction
Inspection activities
Number of inspectors
deployed

Number of inspection days

Number of lessons observed

99

Number of joint lesson

observations

Number of parents
questionnaires
Details of other inspection
activities

51; (return rate: 6%)

The inspection team held meetings with students, staff
and parents. They scrutinised samples of students
written work and reviewed a range of policies and
other documents.

School
The school aims to focus on:
Developing the students role in learning through a
student centred learning approach.
School Aims

School vision and mission

Developing the family and the local communitys role to

create a knowledgeable and articulate generation of
student who is able to interact with the society and
solve problems.
The schools vision is to establish a high-quality learning
community, which provides a comprehensive
evaluation to support school improvement with global
standards. Its mission is to improve the quality and the
efficiency of school in the emirate of Abu Dhabi so as to
apprehend the strategic goal of Abu Dhabi Education
Council in bringing schools into the trail of global
standards

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Admission Policy

The school operates an inclusive admissions policy in its

first year of opening. The official policy for future years
states that it will only accept students that pass
academic admissions tests.

Leadership structure
(ownership, governance and
management)

The senior leadership team (SLT) is made up of the

principal, the vice principal, an administrative adviser,
coordinators of the core subjects and an external
academic adviser. The SLT is supported by schools
Board of Trustees, comprising the owner, the principal,
and representatives from parents and senior staff.

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SEN Details (Refer to ADEC SEN Policy and Procedures)

Number of students
identified through external
assessments

Number of other students

identified by the school

Intellectual disability

Specific Learning Disability

Emotional and Behaviour

Disorders (ED/ BD)

Autism Spectrum Disorder

(ASD)

Visually impaired

Hearing impaired

Multiple disabilities

SEN Category

Speech and Language

Disorders
Physical and health related
disabilities

G&T Details (Refer to ADEC SEN Policy and Procedures)

G&T Category

Number of students
identified

Intellectual ability

15

Subject-specific aptitude (e.g. in science, mathematics,

languages)

20

Social maturity and leadership

Mechanical/ technical/ technological ingenuity

Visual and performing arts (e.g. art, theatre, recitation)

Psychomotor ability (e.g. dance or sport)

Page 5 of 20

The overall performance of the school

Inspectors considered the school in relation to 3 performance categories
High performing (Outstanding, Very Good or Good)

Band B

Satisfactory (Acceptable)

Band C

In need of significant improvement (Weak or Very Weak)

(C)

Satisfactory

Weak
Band C
In need of significant
improvement

Weak

High Performing

Acceptable

Band B

Good

Band A

Very Good

Performance Standards

BAND

Outstanding

School was judged to be:

Performance Standard 1:
Students achievement
Performance Standard 2:
Students personal and
social development, and
their innovation skills
Performance Standard 3:
Teaching and assessment
Performance Standard 4:
Curriculum
Performance Standard 5:
The protection, care,
guidance and support of
students
Performance Standard 6:
Leadership and
management

Summary Evaluation:
The schools overall
performance

Page 6 of 20

Very Weak

Band A

The Performance of the School

Evaluation of the schools overall performance
The quality of education provided by the Modern Private School is weak. The new
school is not providing an adequate standard of education for its community.
Attainment and progress in all subjects are weak overall. In the large majority of
lessons, the quality of teaching is weak, which restricts students attainment and
the progress they are able to make. Assessment procedures are not robust enough
to identify students strengths and weaknesses. Procedures for supporting
students individual needs are weak. Consequently, students with special
educational needs (SEN) and those who are more able, make limited progress.
Students have an acceptable understanding of Islamic values and appreciation of
the culture and heritage of the UAE. The schools new building provides acceptable
facilities for learning and the staff are developing positive partnerships with
parents.
The schools systems for behaviour management are weak and regularly lead to a
disruptive learning environment, especially in the boys sections. Safety
procedures are not understood and applied consistently by all staff and students.
Senior leaders do not monitor school practices and policies sufficiently well. The
newly formed Parents Council has already suggested areas that they would like to
see as priorities in the schools future plans for improvement.
Progress made since last inspection and capacity to improve
The school is new and has not previously been inspected.
The senior leadership team (SLT) are unable to articulate clear and comprehensive
plans for developing the school. Their capacity to improve the school without
external support is weak.
Development and promotion of innovation skills
The development of innovation skills throughout all phases of the school is weak.
The senior leadership team (SLT) has not made it a priority within curriculum
delivery. There are limited opportunities for students to take the initiative and most
defer to their teachers, only taking on projects or activities devised by them. During
the inspection week, girls in the middle school organised a food festival sharing
foods from their home countries. There was also a science exhibition set up in a
laboratory during the inspection week. In a few science lessons in the high school
students design and build vacuum cleaners using recycled materials. Elsewhere
students seldom apply their school work to real life situations. In kindergarten (KG)
classes children have too few opportunities to design or, construct their own
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learning opportunities. Too little time is given to learning from imaginative play and
other creative work in the younger classes. Students make limited use of computers
and other technology for independent research. The limited collaboration between
subject coordinators reduces opportunities for cross-curricular planning to
establish links between subjects and develop independent learning styles.

The inspection identified the following as key areas of strength:

students understanding and appreciation of Islamic values

students appreciation of the culture and heritage of the UAE
the school building and its range of specialist facilities
the schools growing partnerships with parents.

The inspection identified the following as key areas for improvement:

students attainment and progress in all subjects

the quality of teaching
assessment systems, which do not identify the prior attainment of groups
or individual students and the strengths or weaknesses in their learning
support for students who find learning difficult and levels of challenge for
the more able learners
systems for managing students behaviour
procedures for ensuring the safety of all students

monitoring by senior leaders of school practices and policies.

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Performance Standard 1: Students Achievement

Students achievement Indicators

KG

Attainment

Islamic
Education

Arabic
(as a First Language)

Arabic
(as a Second
Language)

Primary

Middle

High

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Attainment

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Attainment

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Progress

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Attainment

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Attainment

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Attainment

Weak

Weak

Weak

Acceptable

Progress

Weak

Weak

Weak

Acceptable

Attainment

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Attainment

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Progress

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Attainment

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Social Studies

English

Mathematics

Science
Language of
instruction (if other
than English and
Arabic as First
Language)
Other subjects
(Art, Music, PE)
Learning Skills
(including innovation, creativity, critical
thinking, communication, problemsolving and collaboration)

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Students achievement is weak in almost all subjects. It is acceptable in mathematics

in the high school due to the strong subject knowledge of the teachers. The results of
the most recent Ministry of Education (MoE) assessments show most high school
students attaining in line and above expectations in almost all subjects. However,
evidence from lessons and scrutiny of students work indicate that most students are
currently performing below curriculum standards in all subjects. Progress is weak for
most students in most subjects across all phases because use of formative assessment
evidence is not taken into account as part of the planning process. In most lessons,
students progress is weak in development of their learning skills, in problem solving
and investigative work in particular. Students who find learning difficult are
insufficiently supported. More able students are not challenged sufficiently and
consequently make far less progress than they should.
In Islamic education, students achievement is weak. Assessment results indicate that
their attainment is good or better, which is not reflected in lessons or students
current work. Knowledge of concepts, such as Seera and Tajweed rules, do not
develop well across the school. The majority of students in Grade 5 can list things that
God created and a majority of students in Grade 9 are able to list the main things in
the universe and understand that it is made by God. This is not representative of
acceptable, age-appropriate level of attainment. Overall, the progress of a minority of
students in the primary and middle phases is so weak that they do not develop a clear
understanding of some major tenets of faith. In most lessons, students are unable to
recite verses from the Quran appropriately or demonstrate deep understanding of
its meaning. Students recitation skills are under-developed at all phase levels.
Students attainment and progress in Arabic are weak. Students listening skills
develop adequately across the school, and most are able to respond to teachers
simple questions. Progress in speaking standard Arabic is limited by poor modelling
by teachers in most lessons. In the upper primary phase, students reading skills are
acceptable but their writing is below expectations. In the middle and high school
phases, students reading comprehension and writing skills are below curriculum
expectations. Writing is limited to textbook activities which require short sentence
responses, leaving limited opportunities for any extended writing. Most students
progress in reading and writing Arabic is restricted by insufficient opportunities for
them to practise their skills and by low level activities that do not match their abilities.
Across all phases, students achievement in social studies is weak. Students make only
limited progress in the subject and their attainment is below curricular expectations.
In KG, there are few opportunities for students to engage with activities related to
UAE including attending regular assemblies. Only a few students at Grade 5 are able
to discuss the role of family structures in UAE society. In the middle school most
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students have only an uncertain grasp of the geographical features of the UAE and
the key events in its recent history. A few students in Grade 10 are able to discuss
different types of environmental pollution and cite relevant examples, but most
cannot. Progress at all phases is weak because teachers have very low expectations
of what students can achieve. Lessons provide few opportunities to develop detailed
knowledge and do independent research.
Achievement in English is weak. The majority of children in the KG are able to
recognise letters and common words. Their progress is weak because their work
involves continually repeating what they have already learnt. Students speaking skills
are weak at all phases. This is because of insufficient opportunities in most lessons for
students to express their views and opinions. Many teachers inaccurate
pronunciation of simple words provides incorrect models for students to follow.
Reading and writing are weak. Almost all lessons are textbook-led with no further
enrichment activities; they do not provide students with sufficient opportunities to
read for meaning and write for a purpose. In the primary phase most students repeat
short sentences created by their teacher, with little opportunity to create their own.
In the middle and high school, activities focus on vocabulary and grammar. Students
are given few opportunities to write imaginative stories or to share their opinions.
Over-reliance on worksheets, which require only brief responses, result in weak
writing skills. Girls writing in the high school is better than the boys because they
have more opportunities to write in lessons.
Achievement in mathematics is weak, except in the high school, where it is
acceptable. Children in the KG are able to count confidently to 10 but have limited
opportunities to extend their mathematical understanding beyond that. In the
primary phase, students knowledge of number bonds develops inconsistently. Most
Grade 2 students are able to add two digit numbers. More able students, when given
the opportunity, are able to subtract two digit numbers. In Grade 7 many girls are able
to apply their knowledge of data displayed in a range of formats and analyse and
compare data. By contrast, much of the work done by Grade 7 boys is incomplete and
poorly presented with badly formed numerals. Students attainment and progress in
the high school are acceptable because the teachers deploy their secure subject
knowledge effectively. Most high school students demonstrate an acceptable
understanding of geometry, trigonometry and algebraic equations.
In science attainment is below curriculum expectations across all phases and progress
is weak. In KG 1 lessons, children are able to recognise different clothing worn by
emergency services. These concepts are reinforced in KG 2 science lessons. In the
primary phase, lessons are focused on textbooks which require students to answer
simple, factual questions. There are too few opportunities to apply their scientific
knowledge in lessons. As a result, only a few students at Grade 5 can, for example,
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apply scientific concepts to measure distance, speed and velocity. Middle and high
school students progress in science is weak because they have only limited
opportunities for practical experimentation and because the work is too easy in most
lessons. Resources for scientific experiments, including chemicals and equipment, are
very limited. Lessons do not allow sufficient opportunities to develop scientific skills
such as framing hypotheses, and devising and conducting experiments. As a result
only a few of the older students are able to describe, analyse and make
generalisations. For example, most students at Grade 12 can recall chemical equations
from memory but only a minority understand their practical application.
Students learning skills are weak. In many lessons, particularly in boys classes,
students do not demonstrate positive attitudes. Feedback from teachers in most
lessons is limited and does not encourage students to reflect on what they have learnt
and evaluate how well they are doing. In the few effective lessons, teachers provide
collaborative tasks, which motivate students to discuss and communicate
meaningfully with one another about their work. In most lessons, subjects and
concepts are taught rigidly and in isolation, leaving few opportunities for students to
make connections between different areas of learning. In almost all lessons, tasks are
too strictly controlled by the teacher and restricted to activities from textbooks and
worksheets. Consequently, students independent research, reflection, innovation
and critical thinking skills are not regularly promoted and are under-developed.

Performance Standard 2: Students personal and social development,

and their innovation skills
Students personal and social
development, and their innovation skills
Indicators

KG

Primary

Middle

High

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Understanding of Islamic values and

awareness of Emirati and world cultures

Acceptable

Acceptable

Acceptable

Acceptable

Social responsibility and innovation skills

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Personal development

Many students of all ages are willing to learn. Most of them lack self-reliance and
rarely seek feedback on their work in lessons. The poor behaviour of many students,
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particularly boys, in lessons and around the school, is a cause for concern for other
students, staff and parents. In many lessons behaviour disrupts learning. Many
teachers plan low-level tasks for boys classes in order to control their behaviour. In
the boys sections, at break times and between lessons, many students poor
behaviour leads to disruption and a few incidents of bullying. Most girls behaviour is
acceptable. Relationships between many staff and students are courteous. Most
students want to please the adults around them. Many students have only limited
understanding of how to live safe and healthy lives. This is demonstrated by their
choice of food during breaks and the regular sharing of unhealthy items, such as
biscuits and sweets during lessons when they think they are not being seen. Students
average attendance at 92% is acceptable. Many students are routinely late to lessons.
Most students demonstrate a clear understanding of Islamic values. Students listen
respectfully to the recitation from the Holy Quran in the morning assemblies. Most
of these verses are read rather than recited by heart. Displays around the school
reflect students knowledge of their Emirati heritage and culture. Students are
encouraged to learn about other societies customs through food market days and
flag days. Their understanding and appreciation of world cultures is weak.
Most students understand that they are part of a wider school community and the
majority of older students take this role seriously. The school has identified student
councillors but their roles are limited and they are rarely asked for their opinions or to
influence the schools development. Many girls show a positive work ethic but lack
the initiative to create and lead their own projects. In KG classes, children
demonstrate an acceptable understanding of their responsibility for keeping their
classroom tidy and participate actively in helping their teachers to tidy up. Across the
school, students do not take adequate responsibility for their environment. This is
reflected in the amount of litter around a new school building that has only been in
operation since the start of the academic year. Students participation and
understanding of wider conservation issues is very limited.

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Performance Standard 3: Teaching and Assessment

Teaching and Assessment Indicators

KG

Primary

Middle

High

Teaching for effective learning

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Assessment

Weak

Very Weak

Very Weak

Very Weak

The quality of teaching was deemed weak or very weak in a large majority of the
lessons observed and good in only a few. All the good teaching was observed in
mathematics lessons.
Teachers subject knowledge is variable. Teachers of mathematics in the high school
demonstrate strong subject expertise, set high expectations and teach lessons at a
more rapid pace. Many teachers of Arabic and English do not have sufficient language
proficiency to provide strong models with accurate pronunciation for students to
follow. Many teachers across all phases do not use their subject knowledge well
enough or understand how different students learn.
Lesson planning is weak and inconsistent. There is a wide variation in lesson
structures as not all teachers follow the schools agreed format for lesson planning.
A large minority of teachers do not use their lesson plans well enough to ensure
activities are purposeful and well timed. The use of resources, other than textbooks,
is limited in all subjects. The use of practical resources is too limited to encourage
learning.
The quality of questioning to deepen students understanding is weak. In most
lessons, teachers ask closed questions that do not require students to demonstrate
their thought processes. Students are routinely expected to give short answers and
are rarely asked to expand on them. Across the school, a few mathematics teachers
successfully match the level of their questions to individual students abilities. The
majority of lessons do not engage students interests or promote acceptable learning.
Only a few involve discussions or questions that challenge students thinking.
In only a few lessons students benefit from learning by collaborating and sharing
ideas with one another. For example, groups of students in a Grade 5 English lesson
re-told a story in their own words instead of repeating the language of the original
text. There is limited challenge in most lessons for more able students and little
support for those who find learning difficult. In almost all lessons, teachers provide
the same work for every student irrespective of their ability.

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Students seldom take the lead in lessons or take responsibility for their own progress.
In KG classes teachers direct the children to a very limited range of activities and they
have little choice of what to do and which resources to use. Opportunities for
students to think or research in lessons are extremely limited. In a few mathematics
lessons students are challenged to apply their knowledge and think through
solutions, for example for workplace uses of data applications. In most lessons there
are few problem solving or open-ended tasks where students work together to find
their own solutions. Greater challenge is needed in most lessons to ensure the large
majority of students are purposefully engaged. Practical skills and critical thinking are
under-developed.
The school does not have a consistent or reliable approach to the assessment of
students attainment and progress. In the KG, there is no measurement of what
children know about letters and numbers or how they work together and
communicate with others. In a few subjects, teachers have introduced diagnostic
tests at the start of the academic year. Results are restricted to the measurement of
knowledge alone. Consequently, the school does not have a clear understanding of
individual students starting points, especially in problem solving and investigative
skills and teachers are unable to track progress.
The results of MoE assessments are recorded but not analysed sufficiently well to
identify gaps in students knowledge, skills and understanding or to measure the
progress that students make each term. The data from internal tests and quizzes are
not used sufficiently well to inform and adapt teaching to support student learning.
In many lessons, more able students have to wait for others to finish a task before
they are set a task that is appropriately challenging for them, leading to a loss of
learning time. In the large majority of lessons students work is marked without asking
them to make corrections or to try a more difficult problem. Students do not know
how to improve their work because they rarely have written feedback. There is no
whole school marking policy that is consistently used by teachers or monitored by
leaders.

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Performance Standard 4: Curriculum

Curriculum Indicators

KG

Primary

Middle

High

Curriculum design and implementation

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Curriculum adaptation

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Curriculum design and implementation are weak. The school offers the MoE
curriculum. The KG curriculum does not take sufficient account of how young children
learn and gives children too few opportunities to learn through play. It focuses mainly
on knowledge of letters in both Arabic and English and does not ensure continuity
and progression in language learning. Textbooks dictate learning in almost all lessons.
In English and Arabic, there are too few opportunities for students to develop
conversational or writing skills. In science and mathematics, students have too few
opportunities to develop problem solving, enquiry and investigational skills in a
systematic way. Choice for older students is confined to the selection of the arts or
science stream at Grade 11. Additionally, an advanced science stream is offered to
Grade 12 students. There are too few planned links between subjects. Consequently
students are rarely able to make links between different areas of learning. The review
and subsequent development of the curriculum are weak and do not ensure that the
academic needs of all students are met.
Curriculum adaptation is weak. Teachers make very few modifications to the
textbook-based curriculum to meet the needs of students. As a result, many,
particularly the more able, do not make the progress they are capable of. The
curriculum is focused on knowledge acquisition. There is insufficient focus on
developing students skills at the appropriate level. There are few opportunities for
students to develop enterprise or innovation skills. Older girls have the opportunity
to organise some events such as a marketplace for sharing food from different
countries. Such opportunities are not routinely provided for older boys.
Extracurricular subject-based activities are provided for one period each week for
around half of the schools population. Some educational trips are organised to help
students learn about the world outside of school. The school has developed an
acceptable range of learning activities and events to support students knowledge
and understanding of the culture of the UAE and Islamic values.

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Performance Standard 5: The protection, care, guidance and support

of students
The protection, care, guidance and
support of students Indicators

KG

Primary

Middle

High

Health
and
safety,
including
arrangements for child protection/
safeguarding

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

Care and support

Weak

Weak

Weak

Weak

The school has begun to develop procedures for safeguarding students; these are not
embedded into daily routines and practices. The child protection policy is prepared
but not fully understood by staff, students or parents. The school has insufficiently
robust procedures to ensure the safety of all students from bullying. This is due to the
inconsistent understanding and application of its behaviour policy by the staff and
limited monitoring of whole school practices by the SLT. Senior staff are over-reliant
on monitoring behaviour through surveillance cameras, which are plentiful but do not
provide effective alternatives to supervision. The new school building is suitable for
the needs of most students, including those with special educational needs (SEN).
There are several specialist facilities, including science laboratories. These are not
adequately resourced and are used as substitute classrooms. Arrangements for
security are adequate with staff available at all external exit doors. A number of locks
still await further checks to ensure that they work consistently and do not cause
delays during the school day. Maintenance and record keeping are appropriately
established and relevant certificates are in place. The school is not sufficiently active
in promoting safe and healthy lifestyles. The limited access to fresh drinking water at
break times is a key concern expressed by many students.
The quality of care and support is weak. Relationships between staff and students are
sometimes strained, especially in the middle school boys classes and in communal
areas around the boys section of the school. Policies for managing behaviour are
inconsistently applied, including rewards and punishments. This is a key concern for
many students, who feel that expectations are not clear. The schools policies for
monitoring and promoting good attendance and punctuality are not sufficiently
robust. There are no systems for checking trends in absence, particularly at the end
of the week. Systems for identifying students with SEN are subjective and
inadequate. There is very little support in lessons for the few students who are
identified as having SEN and their progress is not monitored. Teachers generally give
the same work to all students and ask more able students to help them in class.
Page 17 of 20

Consequently they make only weak progress. Very little additional provision is offered
to students identified as having gifts and talents. Personal and academic guidance are
weak and inconsistent. Only a few of the older students are helped in making further
education and career choices. are and

Performance Standard 6: Leadership and management

Leadership and management Indicators
The effectiveness of leadership

Weak

Self-evaluation and improvement planning

Weak

Partnerships with parents and the community

Acceptable

Governance

Acceptable

Management, staffing, facilities and resources

Weak

The schools leadership and management are weak. The SLT are committed to UAE
and Emirate priorities. However, the absence of a clear focus and direction and limited
educational vision undermines the ethos and morale of the school. Relationships
amongst adults around the school are cordial but many staff express concerns about
the lack of cohesion and strategic direction. An external consultant supports the SLT
and coordinators have been appointed for most subjects. Many of these roles are
unclear and not appropriately focused on student learning. The majority of the
schools leaders have only limited knowledge and understanding of good practices in
teaching, learning and assessment. The SLT react to issues rather than actively
planning for school improvement. They express a commitment to raising standards
but are unable to articulate clear plans for achieving this. Their capacity to improve
the school without support is weak.
The schools self-evaluation is uncoordinated and does not provide sufficient evidence
for its generous judgments. Leaders have an inaccurate understanding of the schools
strengths and weaknesses. The school does not have effective procedures for
analysing assessment information in order to identify areas in need of improvement
and to inform teaching strategies. The school development plan (SDP) is not widely
shared, resulting in teachers accepting limited responsibility and accountability for
improvement activities. The monitoring of teaching and learning is weak. Classrooms
observations lack rigour in associating the impact of teaching on student learning and
progress and do not identify meaningful next steps for either staff or students.
Page 18 of 20

The school is developing acceptable partnerships with parents. There is regular

communication with parents about students behaviour. Parents views about school
issues are sought during the open evenings where parents come to meet senior
leaders as well as teachers. A newly formed Parents Council is looking forward to
being involved in discussions about the SDP and have already identified a number of
areas that they would like to be taken into account for future planning. Reports to
parents about students attainment and progress are brief and usually provide single
judgment words with limited information about how parents can support their childs
learning at home.
The schools Board of Trustees, comprising the owner, the principal, parents and
senior staff, meets regularly. A representative of the Board visits the school each
week to participate in financial and operational discussions. The Trustees have
appointed external consultants to support the SLT in academic matters, including the
provision of regular professional development opportunities for teachers. Currently
there are insufficient discussions about school standards. Trustees do not hold the
leadership team sufficiently accountable for the quality of the schools performance.
The schools owner is actively involved in financial and operational decisions to ensure
that statutory requirements are met.
The schools day-to-day procedures and routines are not effective. Staff and students
do not have clear expectations laid out for them and they are not consistently
supported or held appropriately accountable for their actions. Many do not have
appropriate teaching qualifications. A number of KG teachers do not have appropriate
qualifications or experience to teach young children. The use of additional adults in
KG classes and in laboratories is limited to behaviour management rather than
supporting learning. The school is investing a great deal in the provision of
professional training for teachers and in external consultancy to support school
improvement initiatives. This investment has had little impact on students
attainment. The range of learning resources in the school is insufficient in quantity
and quality to respond effectively to UAE initiatives such as the development of
innovation skills.

Page 19 of 20

What the school should do to improve further:

1. Improve the quality of teaching and learning so that most students make at
least expected progress in relation to individual starting points and
curriculum standards by :
i. ensuring that teachers have higher expectations of what all students
are capable of achieving
ii. identifying clear and specific learning outcomes and assessing them
at the end of each lesson
iii. using assessment information to set appropriate targets for all
students, particularly those who are less able and require additional
support, and more able learners who require additional challenge
iv.
routinely asking probing questions to extend students thinking and
evaluate their understanding
v. providing learning activities that enable students to develop critical
thinking and problem solving skills.
2. Ensure behaviour is consistently good by:
i. developing a whole school behaviour code through discussion with
students and staff to achieve common understanding and ownership
ii. ensuring that all staff consistently apply the behaviour code
iii. developing pastoral support plans for students who consistently
misbehave.
3. Improve the quality of strategic leadership to ensure that all improvement
activities are focused on learning by:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

developing an agreed and well planned strategy for improving the

quality of teaching and learning
giving teachers precise and accurate targets for improving their
practice through more focused lesson observations
clearly defining subject leaders roles and responsibilities for
improving the effectiveness of teaching and learning
using assessment information more effectively to identify areas in
need of improvement and set clear priorities for improvement.

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