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Dubai Arabian American Private School, Al Muhaisnah 1
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Review

Dubai Arabian American Private School, Al Muhaisnah 1

by June 4, 2016

Dubai Arabian American Private School is an all-through American curriculum school offering FS to Year 12 “education” for students between the ages of 4 and 18.

It is not a school that can currently be recommended for prospective parents. The school is identified as a “Weak” school by the KHDA, meaning that the school is not functioning effectively for its children. It is one of seven schools performing at this, the lowest current grading awarded to any school in Dubai.

However, it is important to note that the school has now been purchased by new owners who have claimed that they are genuinely committed to delivering an outstanding school.

KHDA inspectors note: “The new owners knew that the school was weak when they bought it and have plans to develop it into a high performing bilingual school with an American curriculum and a strong Islamic ethos.”

It is worth outlining the key areas in which the school has been failing.

First, and most critical, the school has no accreditation. Effectively, whilst the school claims to teach on the basis of Common Core standards in English and Mathematics, and follow a California curriculum for Science, this is meaningless. School certificates and assessment are internal and effectively any student graduating from the school leaves without any recognised qualification.

Second, the school actively recruits to avoid taking any students with Special Educational Needs (SEN). It is not staffed to understand, manage or in any way meet the needs of children identified with Special Educational Needs or Disabilities (SEND). The school is identified historically as having students identified with SEN who have been failed.

Third, whilst hazardous areas have been closed off, the school has identified areas of disrepair that are not appropriate for a functional, effective and safe school.

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Fourth, whilst the school has, and is in the process of expelling a significant number of students, it has been unable to control a significant element of the student (male) population with knock-on impacts across the school.

Fifth, only 10% of current teaching staff have a qualification to teach.

Sixth, many teachers have an inadequate grasp of the English Language.

Seventh, the atmosphere in significant parts of the school, including the majority of classrooms in the middle and high school, are described by the KHDA in very strong terms as “bleak,” the first time we have identified this word used by inspectors.

We understand that the new owners have now recruited a Principal, Mr Ismat Daou, former Head of Curriculum (IB) at the Al Najah Private School in Abu Dhabi, currently rated by ADEC as a Band B Satisfactory school with Good features. Mr Daou is a Biologist by training, graduating originally from the American University of Beirut. He secured his Masters in Educational Leadership and Administration at Abu Dhabi University in 2014. Mr Daou brings with him nine years’ experience from Al Najah, a parallel stream all through UK/IB curricular school.

Mr Daou states his aim is to “provide a process for meaningful, ongoing whole school improvement” and his “top priority is to secure accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.”

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Details to consider
Type of school

Private, for-profit

Full WSA Review

Coming soon.
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Average Cost Per Year

FS1: 12,579
FS2: 13,272
YEAR 1: 14,195
YEAR 2: 14,886
YEAR 3: 15,579
YEAR 4: 16,272
YEAR 5: 16,964
YEAR 6: 17,542
YEAR 7: 18,811
YEAR 8: 20,081
YEAR 9: 21,465
YEAR 10: 23,427
YEAR 11: 25,735
YEAR 12: 28,042
YEAR 13: NA

Curriculum

US / American

External Exam Boards

None

Selective

Yes
Notes:
(1) All students must pass both an interview and an academic assessment
(2) The interview will evaluate the applicant’s personality, attitude and communication skills
(3) The interview will identify and/or detect risk of behavior challenges.
(4) The interviewers will pay grade each applicant's verbal language skills, communication skills, social skills, behavior, problem solving skills and critical thinking.
(5) The school does not encourage students with SEND to enroll (KHDA)
(6) The school does not have a process to identify and provide support to students with SEND or those who are gifted and talented (KHDA)
(7) The school has not filled the SEND coordinator position for most of the past four years (KHDA)
(8) The school does not have individual educational plans in place for students (KHDA)

Waiting list

No

Value Added

Not published

Number of Students

1,416

Teacher to Student Ratio

1:14

Largest nationality teachers

Egyptian

Teacher turnover

40%

Year opened

2006

Location

Al Muhaisnah 1, Dubai

Student composition

Emirati (largest nationality): 1,025
Pre-kindergarten: 0
Special Educational Needs: 0 (no policies/staff in place to identify SEN need)

Gender

Mixed, segregated

School canteen

Yes (segregated)
Notes:
(1) Students are taught in mixed gender groups from Kindergarten to Grade 3.
(2) From Grade 4 onwards, boys and girls are taught separately.
(3) Facilities, including the cafeteria, are segregated

Owner

Not published

Admissions Telephone

+971 (0) 4 288 8888

Web Address
Attainment Nur SEM

40%

Attainment Pri SEM

20%

Attainment Sec SEM

20%

Attainment Post-16 SEM

20%

Progress Nur SEM

46.6%

Progress Pri SEM

26.6%

Progress Sec SEM

20%

Progress Post-16 SEM

20%

Arabic Native Primary Results (Native)

40%

Arabic Secondary Results (Native)

20%

Arabic Post-16 Results (Native)

20%

Arabic Primary Results (Add.)

20%

Arabic Secondary Results (Add.)

20%

Arabic Post-16 Results (Add.)

20%

Islamic St. Primary Results

40%

Islamic St. Secondary Results

20%

Islamic St. Post-16 Results

30%

Leadership

20%

Community

20%

Facilities

20%

Quality of teaching

25%

Student personal responsibility

35%

Quality of curriculum

25%

School Governance

40%

SEN Provision

20%

Strengths

• New owners with expressed commitment to transforming the school
• New Principal with experience in curriculum structuring and delivery and professionally qualified in educational leadership

Weaknesses

• No accreditation
• Certificates awarded by the school are effectively worthless
• Buildings in disrepair with hazardous areas closed-off to protect students
• “Bleak” school environment
• Ongoing student expulsions with loss of control of male student population
• Teaching staff lack basic qualifications and training in how to teach
• Significant numbers of staff cannot speak English
• KHDA “Weak” school, with provision at a borderline level to being placed under special measures

Rating
Our Rating
User Rating
Rate Here
Academic
F+
F
Value
F+
F
ExtraCurricula
F+
F
Languages
D
F
Sports
D-
D
Arts & Drama
D
C
Teaching
F+
D-
Communications
D-
F
Differentiation
D
F
SEND Provision
F
F
Scl Community
C+
F
Scl Facilities
D-
F
Opportunities

The new owners must, as a first step, make the school buildings safe, complete repairs and bring the school under control. We believe that any US school operating without accreditation is not suitable for the education of students who will require meaningful qualifications on their leaving the school.

F+
Our Rating
F+
User Rating
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40%
About The Author
Jon Westley
Jon Westley is the Editor of SchoolsCompared.com and WhichSchoolAdvisor.com UK. You can email him at jonathanwestley [at] schoolscompared.com

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Academic
Value
ExtraCurricula
Languages
Sports
Arts & Drama
Teaching
Communications
Differentiation
SEND Provision
Scl Community
Scl Facilities