InspectionReport

AlDhabianiaPrivateSchool

AcademicYear20142015

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AlDhabianiaPrivateSchool

InspectionDate 1619February2015

SchoolID# 182

LicensedCurriculum MinistryofEducation(MoE)

NumberofStudents 1372

AgeRange 3to18years

Gender KGG3(mixedclasses)
G4G12(girlsonly)
Principal HamdaAhmedAlMuhairi

SchoolAddress KhalifaBinShakhbootStreet,AbuDhabi

TelephoneNumber +971(0)26678282

FaxNumber +971(0)26653374

OfficialEmail(ADEC) [email protected]

SchoolWebsite _______________

Dateoflastinspection 1417April2013

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Theoveralleffectivenessoftheschool
Inspectorsconsideredtheschoolinrelationto3performancecategories

BandA Highperforming(overalleffectivenessgrade1,2or3)

BandB Satisfactory(overalleffectivenessgrade4or5)

BandC Inneedofsignificantimprovement(overalleffectivenessgrade6,70r8)

TheSchoolwasjudgedtobe: BANDB;GRADE5

Themainstrengthsoftheschoolare:

theeffectivesupportseniorleadersreceivefromtheFamilyDevelopment
Foundation (FDF), particularly the professional development programme
forteachers
thesatisfactoryattainmentandprogressmadebymoststudentsinallcore
subjects
thesatisfactoryandimprovingdevelopmentofstudentsthinkingskills
thepersonaldevelopmentofstudentswhobehavewell,enjoyschooland
areengagedintheirlearning
high quality display which is used to celebrate students work, inform
learningandprovideapositivelearningenvironment.

Themainareasforimprovementare:

the strategic use of attainment data, to track students progress, and

enablecomparisonswithschoolsfollowingthesamecurriculum
the development of assessment practices to inform and improve lesson
planningandensurethattheneedsofallstudentsaremet
thelevelofchallengeinlessonssothatlearningisaccelerated
thedevelopmentofapastoralsystemwhichsupportsstudentsacademic
progress
the effectiveness of all subject coordinators in ensuring improvement to
thequalityofteachingandlearning
the quality, quantity and effective use of the schools resources for
science.




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Introduction
The school was evaluated by a team of 5. They observed 89 lessons, conducted
several meetings with representatives from the FDF, the viceprincipals, subject
coordinators, social workers, students and parents. They scrutinised students
workacrosstheschool,analysedthe807responsestotheparentsquestionnaire
and considered many of the schools policies and other documents. The
curriculum development specialists representing the FDF and the viceprincipals
wereinvolvedthroughouttheinspectionprocessand12jointlessonobservations
wereconducted.

DescriptionoftheSchool
AlDhabianiaPrivateSchoolwasestablishedinAlKhalidiyahareaofAbuDhabiin
1987. The aim of the school states it is the intention to ensure students reach
high educational standards and are able to use modern technology within their
work.TheschoolfollowstheMinistryofEducation(MoE)curriculum.Theschool
isoneofagroupof4schoolsownedbytheFDF.ManagersfromtheFDFadvise
theprincipalandsupportmanyaspectsoftheschoolsdevelopment.
BoysandgirlsareadmittedinKindergarten(KG)toGrade3;grades4to12admit
girlsonly.Thereare1372students,ofwhom86%aregirls;261inKG,443ingrades
1 to 5, 304 in grades 6 to 9 and 364 in grades 10 to 12. All students but one are
Muslim, 16% are Emirati. Other students originate mainly from Egypt (20%), Syria
(20%),Jordan(19%),Palestine(9%)andtheSudan(6%).
Students are admitted into the KG after an interview. In other grades, students
prior attainment, assessed through their report cards, is considered. The school
has identified 89 students as having special educational needs (SEN) including
those with physical disabilities and severe learning needs. Their needs are not
formally assessed. Approximately 2 students in each class are considered by the
schooltobegiftedandtalented.
The current principal has been in post for 7 years. She is supported by 2 VPs, 2
curriculumdevelopmentspecialistsand11subjectcoordinators.Teachingstaffare
all appropriately qualified and staff turnover is low. Annual school fees are low
andrangefromAED7,736inKG1toAED13,570inGrade12,exclusiveofbooksand
transport.

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TheEffectivenessoftheSchool
Evaluationoftheschoolsoveralleffectiveness
AlDhabianiaPrivateSchoolhasimprovedsincethepreviousinspectionandnow
provides a satisfactory quality of education across all performance standards.
Personal development is satisfactory and improving as students enjoy learning,
behave well and are respectful to adults and their peers. The attainment and
progress of students are satisfactory in core subjects and across all phases. The
satisfactoryqualityofteachingissupportedbyregularprofessionaldevelopment.
TheFDFprocureandmaintaintheresourcesnecessarytoappropriatelyenrichthe
curriculum. Senior leaders provide clear strategic direction for school
improvement.

Studentsattainment&progress
Students attainment and progress are satisfactory. Most students work at age
relatedexpectationsinthecoresubjectsofEnglish,mathematics,science,Arabic,
Islamic education, social studies, and information and communications
technology (ICT). Attainment and progress in noncore subjects are also
satisfactory. The results for Grade 12 students in the MoE standardized
examinationshaverisenslightlyoverthepastthreeyears.Afewstudentsattain
overall results that put them within the top performing group in Abu Dhabi.
Attainment in mathematics and physics is lower than that of the other core
subjects,butremainssatisfactoryoverall.
In Arabic, students reading and comprehension skills are satisfactory and
grammatical skills are well developed. Some students make elementary spelling
mistakesandrequiremoreopportunitiestodeveloptheirwritingskills.Students
understandIslamicvaluesandcanapplyrecitationrulesaccuratelywhenreading
the Holy Quran; their reading of the Hadith occasionally lacks accuracy.
StudentsattainmentinIslamiceducationinGrade12isaboveaverage.Students
understandandcanexpressanadequateknowledgeoftheUAEsculture,values
andheritage.
ThemajorityofchildrenspeaklittleEnglishonentrytotheschool.Bytheendof
KG2,theymakesatisfactoryprogressintheacquisitionofEnglish,andparticularly
intheirspeakingskills.Moststudentsmakeatleastsatisfactoryprogressasthey
move through the school and by the time they reach grades 11 and 12, they can
discusssocialandmoralissueswithconfidenceandwriteusingaccurategrammar
andspelling.
In the KG, most children develop satisfactory number skills. In grades 11 and 12,
manystudentsareabletomanipulatemorecomplexalgebraandusecalculusto
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find gradients. In a few lessons, progress is unsatisfactory due to a lack of

challengeforthemoreableandanoveremphasisongroupworkwhichslowsthe
paceoflearning.Inscience,childrenintheKGaregivenopportunitiestoexplore,
predict and experiment at first hand. By Grade 11, students can understand and
illustratescientificprinciples.Opportunitiestoundertakeindividualpracticalwork
arelimitedbutstudentscanmakerecordsofrelevantobservations,andcompare
andidentifypointsofsignificance.
Studentsbasicskillsinspeaking,listening,reading,writing,numeracyandICTare
satisfactory; thinking is satisfactory and improving. The development of 21st
Century skills, such as higher order thinking, is improving. The progress of
students with moderate learning needs is variable. They are not provided with
sufficientopportunitiestoaccessappropriatelearningsupport.
The school records trends in attainment but this is not used strategically to
compare results with similar schools in order to benchmark students
performance.Theschooldoesnottrack,monitororevaluatetheattainmentand
progress of individual students systematically enough as they proceed through
theschool.
Studentspersonaldevelopment
The personal development of students is satisfactory and improving.
Relationshipsbetweenadultsandstudentsaresupportive,warmandrespectful.
Studentssaytheyenjoyschoolandareverypositiveaboutthehelpandguidance
they receive from their teachers. They are engaged and enthusiastic about their
learning. They speak confidently and are offered a number of opportunities to
assume responsibility. Students regularly receive certificates and awards in
assembliestorecognizetheirsuccesses.Theybehavewell,bothin,andoutside
theclassroom.
StudentsareknowledgeableabouttheUAEanditscultureandshowrespectfor
its values. The school has a traditional outdoor heritage centre, which is used
effectively.Nationalvaluesarepromotedthroughassemblies,thecurriculum,the
NationalIdentityProgrammeandNationalDaycelebrations.
Students acknowledge there are some opportunities to engage in sporting and
culturalactivitiesbutsaythesearelimited. Therangeofextracurricularactivities
and competitions, particularly in science and English, is insufficient. This impacts
on students personal experiences and their understanding and awareness of
issues within the wider community. There is no regular health education
programme and many students have a superficial understanding of health and
safetyissues.SnacksbroughttoschoolbystudentsintheKGdonotdemonstrate

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anunderstandingofhealthyeating.Vendorssupplytherestofthestudentswith
avarietyofnutritiousfoodoptions.
Theschoolreportsanattendanceratethatiswellaboveaverageat97%;thiswas
not reflected by inspectors observations which indicated that attendance was
lower,butstillaboveaverage.
Thequalityofteachingandlearning
Teaching andlearningaresatisfactoryacrosstheschool andin all core subjects.
Thequalityofteachingrangedfromasmallpercentagethatwasgoodtoavery
few very unsatisfactory lessons; the large majority were deemed satisfactory.
More effective teaching was seen in science; the least effective teaching was in
mathematics.
Teachershaveadequateknowledgeoftheirsubjectsandmostarecommittedto
improving the quality of their lessons. In the best lessons, teachers manage
behaviourwell.They engagestudentseffectivelyinlearningandprovideregular
opportunities for students to develop the quality of their standard Arabic and
spokenEnglish.Themosteffectiveteachersusewelltargetedquestionstoprobe
students understanding and a variety of strategies to sustain interest and
enjoyment.
Learning objectives are displayed in most lessons but occasionally they do not
definemeasurableoutcomes.Studentsworkwellcollaboratively;insomelessons
thereisanoverrelianceongroupworkandthiscanslowthepaceandlowerthe
challengeoflearning.IntheKG,childrenareenthusiasticlearners.Teachersplan
active experiences; sometimes these activities do not deepen understanding
because they are undertakencollectively asa wholeclass rather thanin groups,
pairsorindividually.
Teachersunderstandtheimportanceofdevelopingskillsforthe21stCenturyand
endeavour to provide opportunities for students to investigate, solve problems,
drawconclusionsandreporttheirfindings.Inafewlessons,teachersoverdirect
thelearningandstudentsarerelegatedtopassiveobservation.
Manyteachersprovidelearningactivitiesforstudentsofvaryingabilitybutthisis
atanearlystageofdevelopmentandisnotconsistentlyeffective.Differentiated
activitiesdonotalwaysmatchthechildrensneedsorprovidemeaningfultasksto
acceleratetheirprogress.Baselineassessmentsarenotusedeffectivelytoinform
planning for individual childrens learning needs. Teachers regularly assess
students work. These assessments are not used to set individual targets for
improvement.

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Meetingstudentsneedsthroughthecurriculum
The implementation of the curriculum is broad and balanced and offers a
satisfactory programme for addressing the learning needs of most students.
Curriculum delivery is improving and opportunities for students to develop 21st
Century skills are developing. Students are being prepared adequately for their
futurelives.Forexample,theyaredevelopingtheskillsnecessarytobeinventive,
use creative ideas, explore, investigate and follow lines of enquiry, and they are
developingsatisfactoryspeakingskills.Thecurriculumisnotsufficientlyadapted
for those who are less able or have special gifts and talents. Extension and
supportworkareevidentinmanylessonsbutthisdoesnotchallengeorsupport
thesegroupsofstudentssufficiently.
Resourcesareimprovingthoughtheresourcecentreshavethepotentialtoenrich
the curriculum, they remain underused. There is only a single science laboratory
and this is also underutilised. A range of textbooks is used to deliver the MoE
curriculumandtheseensuresystematicprogression.Thiscurriculumisextended
and enriched through the development of wider learning skills and lines of
enquiry.
There are 4 ICT suites but there is little cross curricular work undertaken using
thesefacilities.TheMoEcorecurriculumisenhancedbyphysicaleducation(PE),
artandmusic.StudentsaredevelopingasatisfactoryunderstandingofUAEfamily
andculturalvalues.
Theprotection,care,guidanceandsupportofstudents
The protection, care, guidance and support of students are satisfactory. The
school has established a behaviour policy with a particular focus on the positive
reinforcement of good behaviour, punctuality and school rules, promoting a
cultureofcare.Studentsbehaviouriswellmanagedandstudentsreportthatthe
few incidents of bullying are dealt with appropriately. Assemblies are well
organizedandmanagedandsupportthedevelopmentofacaringcommunityand
asenseofschoolidentity.
Thechildprotectionpolicyisclearandstaffhavebeentrained;afewarelimitedin
their understanding of how to recognize students at risk. There are 2 social
workers and they have many responsibilities. This often impacts on their
availability and the consistency of their support for vulnerable students. The
systemstorecordpastoralconcernsandacademicprogressareunderdeveloped
and not aligned satisfactorily. This reduces the effectiveness of tracking and
communicationprocesses.

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Theschoolsiteissecure;thereare2securityguardsandaconsiderablenumberof
closedcircuit TV (CCTV) cameras. Reasonable checks are made on the moral
characterofallstaffandtherequireddocumentsaremaintainedinacentralfile.
There is a prayer room in one area of the school and this is used regularly. The
school has recently appointed a registered nurse and the care provided at the
schoolclinicisimproving.
Thequalityoftheschoolsbuildingsandpremises
The buildings and premises are well maintained and provide a satisfactory
environment for learning. Most classrooms are reasonably spacious although
classrooms in grades 9 to 12 are smaller and more crowded. One of the 4 ICT
suiteshasbeenupdatedwithnewequipment.Thereareartandmusicroomsand
4 large halls used for physical education (PE). There is only 1 science laboratory
andthisdoesnotsupportthesciencecurriculumeffectively.Thelibraryisusedas
a learning resource for junior and middle grades. Outdoor areas are shaded and
this includes an area for KG play. The use of display to enhance the learning
environment and support learning is strong; it is used effectively to celebrate
studentsachievements.
The FDF monitors, manages and funds the development and security of the
buildings. A viceprincipal has responsibility for health and safety and all
equipment is regularly checked. Regular evacuation practices take place and
proceduresarewellunderstood.
Theschoolsresourcestosupportitsaims
Resourcesaresatisfactoryinsupportingtheschoolsaims.Teachersareadequate
in number, secure in subject knowledge, qualified and demonstrate a
commitmenttotheirstudents.TheFDFhaveappointed2curriculumdevelopment
specialists to provide support for subject leaders and teachers. They teamteach
andmodelgoodpractice.Therearenoclassroomassistantstoprovideadditional
supportforstudents.
AllclassroomshavedatashowfacilitiesthatareusedregularlyandtheICTsuites
arewellequipped.Thesciencelaboratoryisnotwellresourced.Thereappearsto
be a lack of equipment to support a range of PE activities. The quantity and
quality of resources in KG are satisfactory and there is a resource room for KG
games. Resource centres for Arabic, English, science and mathematics are
availableforotherjuniorgradesandtheseareadequatelyequippedwithavariety
oflearningsupportmaterials.

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Theeffectivenessofleadershipandmanagement
Leadership and management are satisfactory. The FDF actively supports the
school to ensure that development and improvement are secure and aligned to
the recommendations made in the previous inspection report. The FDF has a
sufficiently objective and independent view of the quality of the schools work.
Senior leaders, most subject coordinators and teachers demonstrate strong
commitment to improving their practice and enhancing learning opportunities.
Subjectcoordinatorslacktheconfidencetotakefullresponsibilityfortheirareas
withoutthesupportoftheFDFspecialists.Asaresult,theirimpactinimproving
thequalityofteachingintheirsubjectareasisvariable.
Teaching staff and middle managers are involved in the evaluation process and
the selfevaluation form (SEF) highlights the improvements made since the last
inspection.Itisoverpositiveanddoesnotprovidesufficientmeasurableevidence
to demonstrate the impact of the initiatives on student outcomes. The school
development plan (SDP) is reasonably well structured and focused on the key
improvements. Curriculum development specialists and subject coordinators
regularly undertake lesson observations. These are more likely to focus on
teachingratherthantheeffectivenessofstudentlearning.
ThereisaParentsCouncilandparentsarepositiveaboutthequalityofcareand
educationprovidedfortheirchildren.Theydonotparticipateformallyinthecycle
of school improvement and development. There are appropriate procedures in
placefordealingwithparentalcomplaints.

Progresssincethelastinspection
There have been improvements to all performance standards since the last
inspection and many of the issues raised by the inspection report have been
successfully tackled. Attainment and progress have improved and are now
satisfactoryinallcoresubjects.Studentsaresatisfactorilydevelopingskillsrelated
tocollaborativework,problemsolving,investigationandcreativity.
Professional development activities are held weekly and the school has made
someprogressinimprovingteachingandlearningstrategies.Theschoolisfully
staffedandteachingintheKGandgrades1to3isnowageappropriate.
ICTresourceshavebeenimprovedandtherearenow4ICTsuites.Resourcebases
are available for specialist teaching in all core subject areas. Children in the KG
haveaccesstoasafe,shadedoutdoorspaceforplay.Securityhasbeenimproved
withadditionalstaffandCCTVcameras.
Theschoolhasdemonstratedthatithasthesatisfactorycapacitytomakefurther
improvements.
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Whattheschoolshoulddotoimprovefurther:

1. Toimprovethequalityofteachingandlearningby:
i. ensuring that teachers provide written feedback when
markingandthisisusedbystudentstoimprovetheirwork
ii. planninglearningactivitiesthatareconsistentlydifferentiated
sothattheneedsofallstudentsaremet
iii. providing students with more opportunities for independent
learning
iv. increasingthelevelofacademicchallengeofferedinlessons.

2. Toimproveleadershipandmanagementby:
i. monitoring and tracking students attainment and progress more
regularly and strategically so that clear targets can be set to
acceleratelearning
ii. strengthening the role of coordinators so that they take full
responsibility for the leadership and management of their subject
areas
iii. ensuring that during lesson observations, subject coordinators
focusonthequalityoflearningratherthanteaching.

3. Alignpastoralandacademicsystemsmoreeffectivelytosupporttheneeds
ofallstudentsandeffectivelytracktheirprogressandachievement.

4. Improvethedeliveryofsciencebyincreasingthequalityandquantityof
resourcesandbymakingbetteruseofthosethatalreadyexist.

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InspectionGrades

BandA BandB BandC

Highperforming Satisfactory Inneedofsignificant
improvement

Unsatisfactory

unsatisfactory
Satisfactory&
Outstanding

Satisfactory
VeryGood

Improving
Good

Poor
Very

Performance
Standard

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8
Standard1:
Students
attainmentand
progress
Standard2:
Studentspersonal

development

Standard3:The
qualityofteaching
andlearning

Standard4:The
meetingof
studentsneeds
throughthe
curriculum

Standard5:The
protection,care,
guidanceand
supportofstudents

Standard6:The
qualityofthe
schoolsbuildings
andpremises

Standard7:The
schoolsresources
tosupportitsaims

Standard8:The
effectivenessof
leadershipand
management

Summary
Evaluation:The
schoolsoverall
effectiveness

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