InspectionReport

AinAlKhaleejPrivateSchool

AcademicYear201314

AinAlKhaleejPrivateSchool

InspectionDate
SchoolID#

57November2013
129

LicensedCurriculum

MinistryofEducation
American(G1G6only)

NumberofStudents

898

AgeRange
Gender
Principal
SchoolAddress

3to18years(KGGrade12)
Mixed
RaedAlQasrawi
POBox24998,FallajHazzaa,AlAin

TelephoneNumber

+971(0)37811232

FaxNumber

+971(0)37811242

OfficialEmail(ADEC)
SchoolWebsite

ainalkhaleej.pvt@adec.ac.ae

Dateoflastinspection 1922February2012

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Theoveralleffectivenessoftheschool
Inspectorsconsideredtheschoolinrelationto3performancecategories
BandA Highperforming(overalleffectivenessgrade1,2or3)
BandB

Satisfactory(overalleffectivenessgrade4or5)

BandC

Inneedofsignificantimprovement(overalleffectivenessgrade6,70r8)

TheSchoolwasjudgedtobe:

BANDC;

GRADE7

Themainstrengthsoftheschoolare:

improvementsinboysbehaviour,particularlyoutofclass;
studentspositiverelationships
principalsunderstandingofwhattheschoolneedstodotoimprove.

Themainareasforimprovementare:

students achievement, particularly improving the quality of teaching and

assessment
hebreadthandqualityofthecurriculum
furtherimprovethepersonaldevelopmentofstudents
thequalityoftheleadershipandmanagementacrosstheschool,including
developmentofthemiddleleadersroles.

Page3of10

Introduction
Theschoolwasinspectedby5inspectors.Theyobserved49lessons,conducted
discussions with the owner, principal, subject cocoordinators, teachers and
students. They analysed school data and documents, scrutinised students work
and analysed 51 responses to the parents questionnaire about the school. The
principalwaskeptinformedoftheprogressoftheinspection.

DescriptionoftheSchool
TheschoolislocatedintheFalajHazzahschooldistrictofAlAin.Itservesfamilies
of mixed socioeconomic backgrounds in the local areas of Yahir, Salamat,
Maqam,UmGhafa,AlZaherandMezyed.Itopenedasavillaschoolandmoved
to its present site in 1992 to accommodate rising student numbers. The school
aims to create leaders, achieve high quality performance, foster gifted and
talentedstudentsandhaveeffectivepartnershipswiththelocalcommunity.
TheschoolcatersforbothboysandgirlsfromKindergarten(KG)toGrade12.898
studentsareenrolled,ofwhich529areboysand369girls.Thereare134children
inKG,327incycle1(grades1to5),182incycle2(grades6to9)and255incycle3
(grades 10 to 12). 28% of students are UAE nationals. Other major nationalities
representedare:Egyptians(21%),Syrian(17%)Jordanian(12%)andSudanese(7%).
There are further very small proportions from other countries. Virtually all the
studentsareMuslim,withjustfournonMuslimsintheschool.Theschoolteaches
the Ministry of Education (MoE) curriculum in all grades and an American
standardcurriculumfor86studentsingrades1to6.Theschoolhasnotidentified
anystudentswithspecialeducationalneeds.300studentshavebeenidentifiedas
giftedandtalented.StudentsrequestingentrytotheAmericancurriculumsitan
entranceexamination.Ageneraladmissionstesthasrecentlybeenintroducedfor
entrytotherestoftheschool.Allinclusiveannualfeesforstudentsrangefrom
AED 7,150 in KG to AED 14,690 in Grade 12. 100 teachers are employed by the
school.Teacherturnoverislowwithjust2teachersleavinginthelastyear.
Theprincipalhasbeeninpostsince2005.Heissupportedbyaviceprincipaland
coordinatorsforallofthecoresubjects.Therearetwostudentcounsellors,one
each for boys and girls. The owner meets with the principal on a regular basis.
There are parents and students councils. The owners longer term plan is to
build a second new school which offers a wholly American curriculum, while
retainingtheMoEcurriculuminthisschool.

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TheEffectivenessoftheSchool

Studentsattainment&progress
Students attainment and progress in all subjects are below international
standards. Attainment and progress in Arabic, Islamic Studies and Science are
unsatisfactoryanddonotmeetADECexpectations.Insocialstudies,Englishand
mathematics they are very unsatisfactory. In information technology (ICT) they
arepoor.ProgressisbetterintheKGandUScurriculumsectionswhereawider
range of appropriate resources are used. Basic skills are weak. Students
knowledge of UAE culture and heritage is inadequate. They show limited
understandingofIslamicvalues.Therearenotrackingsystemsinplacetomonitor
students progress. Independent learning skills, critical thinking and problem
solvingareinadequatelydeveloped.Studentsarenotwellpreparedfortheirnext
stageofeducation.
AppropriateprogressismadeinEnglishinKGandingrades1and2.Thisincludes
recognising and forming letters and understanding the meaning of words.
Standards in reading and writing in later primary and secondary levels are low.
Few students express themselves clearly and accurately when speaking and
writing. In mathematics, the youngest students acquire basic skills in number
recognitionandmanipulation.Theyarelesssecureintheirunderstandingofthe
propertiesofshapes,capacityandthevalueofnumbers.Olderstudentsareable
to interpret bar graphs and differentiate polynomials. Openended problem
solving and relating mathematics to reallife situations are underdeveloped. In
science,fewyoungerstudentsrecognisewhatmakesafairtest.Studentsinthe
American curriculum section are developing their knowledge and understanding
of biological processes such as the fertilisation of plants. Older students cannot
useICTtomeasurechangesandtopredictoutcomes.Scientificresearchskillsare
inadequate. In Arabic, students in the lower grades can read simple sentences.
They are not able to construct grammatically correct paragraphs or spell words
accurately.Bygrade12,studentsstillhaveinadequateskillsintheunderstanding
ofclassicalArabicwritingandspeaking.Manyolderstudentsdonotunderstand
theprinciplesonwhichtheUAEisfoundedandtherichnessoftheirlocalheritage
and traditions. Few students recognise how their religious beliefs should impact
on their daily lives. Attainment and progress in other subjects are very
unsatisfactory.Physicaleducationoutcomesarepoor.Theschoolhasverylimited
understanding of what international standards are and the levels it would be
reasonabletoexpectofstudentsatdifferentstagesoftheireducation.

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Studentspersonaldevelopment
Students personal development is unsatisfactory. There have been some
improvementsinboysbehaviour.Instancesofunacceptablebehaviourstilloccur
inlessonswheretheteachingfailstoengagestudentsintheirlearning.Mostgirls,
andboysintheearlyyears,enjoyschoolandengagereadilyinlessontasks.Many
older boys have a poor or indifferent attitude to their studies. There are few
opportunities for them to assume responsibility and gain independence. Most
studentsinteractwellandarerespectfulofeachothersviews.Assembliesdonot
providesufficientopportunitiesforstudentstodemonstratetheirunderstatingof
UAE heritage and culture. Most students stand respectfully when the National
Anthem is played. The wider personal qualities and skills required for the next
stageoftheireducationareunderdeveloped.Punctualitytoschoolremainspoor,
asitwasatthelastinspection.
Thequalityofteachingandlearning
Teachingandlearningareveryunsatisfactory.Teachingrarelycatersfortherange
of needs and abilities in the class. It is often too teachercentred, with an over
relianceonthetextbook.Therangeandqualityofresourcesusedisinadequate.
Teachers subject knowledge is satisfactory. Their understanding of teaching
methods and activities to engage and motivate all students is unsatisfactory.
Studentsarenotgivenlearningtargetsoreffectivefeedbackonhowtoimprove.
More able students are not stretched and challenged. Objectives and success
criteria are rarely shared with students. Older boys are often indifferent or
uninspiredbyclassroomtasksandactivities.Afewstaffuseappropriate,targeted
questioning to check students understanding. Lessons rarely give opportunities
todevelopstudentsindependentandcriticalthinkingskills.TheuseofICTisnot
anintegralpartoflearning.Longtermsubjectplanningdoesnotincludeteaching
and assessment based on defined learning outcomes. Professionaldevelopment
forteachershadonlybegunatthetimeoftheinspection.Classroomsthroughout
theschoolareuninspiringlearningenvironments.
Meetingstudentsneedsthroughthecurriculum
The impact of the curriculum in meeting students needs is very unsatisfactory.
The American curriculum implementation caters for the needs of more able
studentsbetterthanthemainstreamcurriculum.ThecurriculumofferedinKGis
supplemented with some ageappropriate large outdoor equipment. The
requirements of the MoE curriculum are met. The curriculum delivery is narrow
and does not meet the abilities and aspirations of the range of students at the
school. There are no courses or qualifications offered which match best
international standards. There is little to extend and challenge the gifted and
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talentedstudents.Basicskills,toimprovelearningwithinandacrosssubjects,are
not identified. There are no crosscurricular themes or activities. Little has been
done to embed ICT in learning across subjects. UAE heritage and culture do not
featurestrongly.StudentsdocelebrateNationalDayappropriately.Afewextra
curricular visits are undertaken each year. The curriculum does not provide
adequate preparation for students moving to the next stage of education. Nor
doesitequipthemwiththinkingandproblemsolvingskills.
Theprotection,care,guidanceandsupportofstudents
The protection, care, guidance and support of students are very unsatisfactory.
The school does not have a pastoral system to guide and support individuals.
There are no systems for tracking students progress and setting individual
targets. There is limited support for gifted and talented students. Some are
enabled to enter local and national competitions. Two students have won the
Hamdan Excellence Award and the Sharjah Educational Excellence Award.
Personalised advice on career choices is inadequate. There are no effective
proceduresfordealingwithpunctualityissues.Theschoolpaysdueregardtothe
minimumrequirementsforhealthandsafety.Asignificantimprovementsincethe
last inspection has been the introduction of a child protection policy and the
trainingprovidedforstaff.Despitethis,staffarenotsufficientlyawareofthefull
implications of the policy. There is a fulltime nurse at the school and an
appropriately equipped clinic. Parents have good access to relevant staff should
theyhaveconcerns.Theschooldoesnotprovideeffectiveinformationtoparents
on their childrens progress, apart from school test results. The school has an
accessibleprayerroomforstudents.Assembliesdonotpromoteanethosofcare
andconsideration.Boysassembliesareunderminedbyanoverofficiousexercise
regime.
Thequalityoftheschoolsbuildingsandpremises
Theschooliscleanandmaintainedundercontract.Therearenoobvioushazards
thatcompromisestudentshealthandsafety.Classroomsareadequateinsizefor
mostclasses.ThetwoscienceandtwonewICTlaboratoriesarecramped,under
resourced and underused. Premises for physical activity are wholly inadequate.
The playgrounds are covered but the surface is unsuitable for sport. There are
insufficient specialist facilities to support gifted and talented students. The
facilitiesforKGareadequate.Therecentlyinstalledindoorplaysurfaceprovidesa
safe and stimulating backdrop to childrens learning. Corridors are colourfully
decorated with murals. There are insufficient displays which celebrate students
workexceptforsomescienceandartinthegirlssection.Theschoolissecure.It

Page7of10

has one entrance which is manned by a security guard. Close circuit cameras
monitorthepremises.
Theschoolsresourcestosupportitsaims
The school is appropriately staffed. The range, quality and use of classroom
resourcesareinadequatetosupportteachingandlearning.Theyconsistmainlyof
text books supplemented with worksheets. Classrooms in the American
curriculumsectionhavedataprojectorsbutthesearerarelyused.Childreninthe
KGaresupportedadequatelybyteachingassistants.Theyusesomeappropriate
large play equipment.The schoollibrary hasa dedicated librarian but it is highly
disorganised. It contains limited range of magazines, audiovisual aids or other
relevant learning resources. The new computers only have very basic software
and no internet access. Resources for physical education are minimal. There are
someartresourcesbutlittleelsetosupportnoncoreactivities.
Theeffectivenessofleadershipandmanagement
The principal has an understanding of what the school needs to do to improve,
particularly in improving the quality of teaching and learning. The school lacks a
proper leadership structure to support the principal and drive through the
necessary improvements. The school does not set high enough expectations in
termsoftheacademicperformanceandpersonaldevelopmentofstudents.The
monitoringofteachingisnoteffective.Selfevaluationisarelativelynewprocess
for the school. The self evaluation form (SEF) overestimates the quality of the
provision in a number of areas. The school improvement plan (SIP) is well
structured and clear for the most part. It addresses the eight inspection
Framework standards with appropriate content, providing objectives, strategies
andstaffresponsibilities.Thecriteriaformeasuringtheoutcomesofactionsare
less clear. As yet improvements have little impact. The school does not fully
embedanunderstandingoftheheritageandcultureoftheUnitedArabEmirates.
Students are not developing an awareness of the relevance of Islamic values in
theireverydaylives.Parentsareabletocommunicatewithstaffthroughavariety
of channels. They can contact staff if they have concerns. The principal is well
aware of the necessary regulations and what needs to be done to comply with
them. The school does not have good capacity to improve without appropriate,
highqualitysupport.

Progresssincethelastinspection
There have been minimal improvements since the last inspection. A child
protection policy has been introduced but staff do not understand its
implications. Maintenance contracts are in place and the school buses are being
Page8of10

replaced or upgraded. Raising achievement remains a key issue. Teaching skills

havenotimproved.Aformalprogrammeofcontinuingprofessionaldevelopment
is only now being established. Standardised testing is not in place. Learning
resources have not improved apart from the purchase of 30 new computers.
Thesearenotbeingusedeffectively.Figuresforattendanceshowimprovement.
The statistics are high but procedures for recording attendance are not robust.
There have not been any significant improvements in the impact of middle
leaders.Dataisnotbeingusedtoanalysestudentperformance.
Whattheschoolshoulddotoimprovefurther:
1. Raiseachievementby:
i.
ii.
iii.

providing lessons that consistently challenge and engage students of

allabilities;
developing systems for assessing and tracking students progress,
settingtargetsandprovidingsupporttomeetthem;and
increasing classroom materials and resources to enable more
stimulatinglessons.

2. Improvethebreadthandqualityofthecurriculumby:
i.
ii.
iii.

offeringawiderrangeofrelevantactivitieswithinandacrosssubjects
andextracurricularactivities;
makingmoreeffectiveuseofICTincoresubjects;and
developing courses and standardised tests which match international
standards.

3. Improvethepersonaldevelopmentofstudentsfurtherby:
i.
ii.
iii.

providingopportunitiesforstudentstodeveloptheirleadership,social
andcreativeskills;
improvingpunctualityand
providingmorerelevantandengagingassemblies.

4. Improveleadershipandmanagementby:
i.
ii.
iii.

developing a programme of classroom monitoring which has a clear

focusonstudentsprogress;
developing the role of middle leaders to lead and monitor
improvement;and
embeddinganunderstandingoftheheritageandcultureoftheUnited
ArabEmirates.
Page9of10

InspectionGrades

Inneedofsignificant
improvement

Poor

Very
unsatisfactory

Satisfactory&
Improving

Unsatisfactory

Satisfactory

Satisfactory

Highperforming

Good

BandC

VeryGood

BandB

Outstanding

Performance
Standard

BandA

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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