2017-18 Indian School KHDA results – What Each Indian School does Best

Indian School KHDA results – exclusive SchoolsCompared.com look at the movers and shakers and what makes the best Indian schools shine

The KHDA Inspection reports run to some 20+ pages. The SchoolsCompared.com team has drilled into each report in this year’s Indian School KHDA results to determine what each school does best, and where it has room for improvement.

We would always advise parents to look beyond the Headline rating. There are many Dubai schools with Outstanding, Very Good or Good features and areas of inspection that may not yet hold that overall Outstanding,Very Good or Good rating – the KHDA’s stated minimum rating that they expect schools to achieve. Parents also need to consider whether the areas of improvement recommended by the inspectors within this year’s Indian School KHDA results are always necessarily as high a priority for them and their children personally.

The comments below are a distillation of the main summary paragraphs for each school’s report.  Detailed comments within the reports give further explanations as to where schools are performing well and where improvement is required.

 

GEMS Modern Academy
Rated Outstanding for the 7th year

What the school does best:

The inspectors praise GEMS Modern Academy in this year’s (2018) Indian School KHDA results for “Sustaining and improving opportunities for all students, through visionary leadership, well supported by parents. Building a vibrant community, inclusive of all students, developing individuals to reach high levels of academic achievement and personal development. Making a commitment to, and delivering best educational practices. Creating a wide range of rich curriculum provision that extends and engages students. Providing excellent support to facilitate high levels of well-being and the health and safety of all students and staff”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The inspectors say that GEMS Modern Academy should “Improve progress and attainment in Arabic as an additional language, through: the provision of a curriculum that is relevant to the students’ interests and experiences and one that builds systematically on their developing language skills, providing effective professional development in the best practices of teaching an additional language, ensuring consistently accurate measurement of students’ starting points and progress, in lessons and over time”.
The school also needs to “Improve progress and attainment in Islamic education by raising teachers’ expectations of student performance and accurately matching challenging learning experiences to the different levels of abilities of students”.

 

The Indian High School
Rated Very Good in 2017-18 after 6 years as Outstanding

Many families will have been surprised to see that the Indian High School has moved to a Very Good rating after so many years rated as an Outstanding school. However, there is still very much that is Outstanding.

What the school does best:

Inspectors noted “Students’ outstanding attainment in English, mathematics and science in the secondary phase. Students’ capacity for independent learning. Students’ personal development. The curriculum design and its wide range of options and combination of courses. The positive partnership with parents and the local and wider communities”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The inspectors say that the Indian High School needs to “Improve the rate of progress for students in Arabic as an additional language by ensuring teachers in the middle phase set aspirational and achievable objectives. Establish systems that will accurately measure students’ progress over time. Make effective use of assessment information to plan lessons that meet the needs of different ability groups and improve their learning skills. Accurately identify students’ needs according to the KHDA guidance for inclusion and the SEND categories, so that teaching and support are matched to need”.

 

GEMS Our Own English High School
Rated Very Good for 3 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors noted “The excellent behaviour and exemplary attitudes to work, displayed by students across the school. The excellent arrangements for keeping students safe and secure. The guidance and support for students in the secondary phase, which enables students to attain at the highest level in English, mathematics and science. The clear commitment of leaders to continuous improvement. The outstanding partnership with parents, enabling them to support their children’s learning effectively”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors recommend that “The leadership team should work systematically with teachers to: ensure teaching in all subjects, and particularly in primary, is consistently at a minimum good level in every lesson, accelerate progress and raise attainment in Arabic as an additional language for all groups of students, [and] use the learning environment creatively, especially in the lower phases, provide students with consistent and frequent opportunities for creative, independent and spontaneous learning. Leaders at all levels should use all data effectively to rigorously track students’ progress and monitor the impact of teaching on students’ learning”.

 

The Millennium School
Rated Very Good for 3 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors noted that “Senior and middle leaders, aided by strong governance, set a clear direction and successfully drive to encourage high academic standards and create an inclusive ethos. There is a very positive and nurturing learning ethos in the Kindergarten, which results in children having consistently high levels of achievement in English, mathematics and science. The school effectively develops students’ personal attributes and ability to take responsibility for their own actions and to show care and concern for others and the environment. Curriculum design, implementation and adaptation, including a wide range of developmental extra-curricular activities, are of high quality. There is very effective care and support for students, and rigorous and successful arrangements for ensuring health and safety”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors recommend that the school should “Accelerate students’ progress and raise attainment in Arabic in the middle and secondary phases. Enable all teachers to: analyse assessment data consistently to match challenge in lessons to the learning needs of all groups of students, use targeted questioning to assess the understanding of individual students, and provide helpful written feedback to students on their next steps in learning. Leaders should evaluate lessons more accurately and share the very good practice to ensure more consistency in the quality of teaching”.

 

Delhi Private School
Rated Very Good for 3 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors noted “The school’s success in promoting students’ personal development. Students’ achievement levels in most subjects. The inclusive ethos which underpins the effective care and support for students and the very effective provision for those with SEND. Senior leaders’ vision and determination to further improve the school”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors noted the need to “Accelerate students’ progress and raise their attainment in Arabic by ensuring that teachers: focus on developing students’ speaking, reading and writing skills, raise their expectations of what students can achieve and provide appropriately challenging tasks. Improve the curriculum in the Kindergarten (KG) to ensure: appropriate time is spent on the teaching of early literacy, numeracy and scientific skills, children have ample opportunities to learn by playing, exploring and choosing how to do things, the expectations related to what children know, understand and can do, match best early years practice. Improve the quality of teaching in the middle phase, especially in Arabic and in mathematics, by encouraging teachers to share best practice”.

 

Ambassador Kingergarten
Promoted to Very Good after 2 years as Good

What the school does best:

The Inspectors commented in this year’s (2018) Indian School KHDA results for Ambassador Kindergarten on “The caring ethos and positive relationships ensure that children become confident learners with high levels of self-esteem. Attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science are very good. The school has successfully created a culture of learning that allows for experimentation, enquiry and investigation. Governance and the partnerships with parents are very strong”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors recommended that “Teachers should take more account of prior learning to support the matching of tasks and activities to the abilities of children and provide timely and purposeful interactions when they are working at learning centre activities. [They should] Accelerate the progress of children with SEND and those who are gifted and talented in order to allow them to maximise their potential”.

 

Ambassador School
Rated Good for the third year

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “The personal development of students [which] is a strength across the school; in the secondary phase, it is outstanding. Standards of achievement in mathematics and science are very good across all phases, as they are in secondary phase English. The school develops very good relationships with parents and engages well with the local community and with international partners which enriches the curriculum for students. The school is highly successful in ensuring students are safe, happy and well cared for”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors advised that the school needs to “Improve the quality of teaching and assessment in both the primary and middle phases of the school, to match the very good practice in the secondary phase by: implementing extensive, focused professional development and support for middle leaders so that they can support teachers in the implementation of the very best classroom practice. Use assessment data precisely, researching, sharing and implementing best practice in primary teaching and learning strategies. Improve lesson planning across all phases, so that teachers more effectively differentiate learning activities and meet the needs of all groups of students, particularly those with special educational needs/disabilities (SEND) and the most-able. Leaders, including governors, [need] to work with key stakeholders to: ensure all school improvement plans are closely aligned to the school’s self-evaluation, clearly evidence self-evaluation judgements and ensure their accuracy, explicitly link self-evaluation outcomes to the school improvement priorities and monitor the implementation of plans that then emerge”.

 

GEMS New Millennium School Al Khail
Rated Good for the 3rd year – the rating that it achieved and has retained since its first inspection

What the school does best:
The Inspectors found that “Leaders have been successful in building a learning culture that involves all members of the community. The school continues to provide high levels of protection and safety for all students and staff. Leaders are developing very effective partnerships with parents and the community which impact positively on student performance. Teachers are developing respectful, self-disciplined students with a high regard for the environment and service to the community. Leadership and governance are giving high priority to the National Agenda. The school is improving the high level of performance of last year”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors made strong statements in their recommendations that “With some urgency, school leaders should design a skill-based curriculum that is fit for purpose for additional language Arabic learners. It should be based on the number of years of the students’ language experience and appropriate to their needs and interests. School leaders should accurately evaluate the performance of the school, especially the quality of teaching and the measurement of progress in lessons”.

 

GEMS Our Own Indian School
Rated Good for the past 3 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors noted in the 2018 Indian School KHDA results for GEMS Ours Own Indian School …”the outstanding attitudes, behaviour and relationships of students in all phases, their enthusiasm for learning and their strong social responsibilities and understanding of Islamic values. Students’ very strong progress in English, mathematics, science in the secondary phase. The outstanding provision for health and safety including all aspects of child protection and safeguarding. The vision and drive of the school’s senior leaders”.

Recommendations for Improvement:

The Inspectors made clear recommendations that the school should “Improve the quality of learning to raise attainment in Arabic as an additional language by ensuring: there is greater consistency in the quality of teaching, the work provided is more closely matched and appropriately challenging to meet individual students’ needs, students are provided with frequent opportunities to speak Arabic and write independently. [It should] Improve the consistency of teaching in the KG, primary and middle phases by: making full use of assessment data and information to plan and implement rigorous and challenging lessons for all students, planning and implementing an increased range of higher order thinking activities, improving teachers’ questioning skills. [It should] Improve the consistency in assessment practice by: developing and implementing a robust feedback policy which includes guidance for marking and providing oral feedback to students about their work, frequently and consistently enabling students to self-assess and identify next steps in learning, simplifying the system of student tracking which identifies when interventions are required. [It should} Improve self-evaluation practices by more accurately analysing internal and external data and using it to inform the school improvement plan”.

 

JSS International School
Rated Good for 5 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “Students’ excellent behaviour, their positive attitude towards learning and cultural awareness. Students’ high achievement in English, mathematics and science in the secondary phase. The school’s outstanding systems and processes to ensure the health and safety of its students and staff. The improved provision and the stimulating learning environment for children in the Kindergarten”.

Recommendations for Improvement:

The Inspectors advised that “Leaders at all levels should ensure that actions identified in development plans are consistently applied in the classrooms and across all subjects. They should measure the impact of the actions on the outcomes for students. School leaders should base school self-evaluation on reliable information relating to all aspects of the school’s work so that they have an accurate and comprehensive view of its performance. [They should] Seek ways to develop teachers’ capacity to provide high-quality learning opportunities that develop students’ skills. [They should] Effectively address the full range of students’ needs, particularly for those with SEND and those who are under-performing”.

JSS Private School – rated Good for 4 years.

What the school does best:

The Inspectors noted in this year’s Indian School KHDA results (2018) for JSS Private School that “…(s)tudents make good or better progress across all five key subjects in all phases of the school. Students consistently demonstrate strong learning skills, personal and social development and innovation skills. There are consistently good or better curricula and teaching across all phases of the school and these are very good in the Kindergarten. There is good or better protection, care, guidance and support provided to all students”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors advised that “The school should raise students’ attainment in Arabic as an additional language so that it is at least good across all three phases. The school should improve the assessment of learning by aligning internal assessments and tests with the standards of valid and reliable external measures. All teachers should provide regular, thoughtful and useful written feedback to students so that they know how to improve their learning. Governors should improve their understanding of students’ achievements and the school’s priorities for improvement so that they can better support the leadership team. The school should provide shade over the main courtyard area to protect students during physical education lessons and break times”.

 

GEMS Our Own High School
Rated Good for 8 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “The exemplary attitudes and behaviour of students across the school, appreciation of their own and the UAE cultures, and the high level of social responsibility and work ethic they exhibit. Students’ achievement in most key subjects in the primary and secondary phases. The collaborative relationships and the highly developed lines of communication between the school, parents and staff”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors advised that the School “Develop consistently high quality teaching by: improving middle leaders’ effectiveness in evaluating teaching and modelling best practice, implementing the performance management system for all staff members, with governing body support. [They should] Effectively use the available testing, benchmarking and profiling data to adjust teaching strategies and provide all students with meaningful learning experiences. [They should] Improve students’ achievement in Arabic by reviewing the design and implementation of the curriculum to provide balanced development of the four language skills”.

Primus Private School – rated Good for 9 years.

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “The exceptional personal development of students, who display positive attitudes underpinned by very good behaviour. The outstanding adoption of safe and healthy lifestyles, and students’ very good attendance and punctuality. Effective governance and outstanding partnerships with parents. The school’s excellent provision for the health and safety of all students and staff”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors advised the school should “Enhance the quality of teaching, improve attainment, and accelerate progress by: embedding opportunities for innovative exploration and hands on activities for students into lessons, improving curriculum implementation in the Kindergarten to provide discovery and exploration led learning, integrating critical thinking, research opportunities, and activities that enable students to learn independently. [They must improve the] training teachers to identify students’ strengths and weaknesses through data analysis and use this information to match teaching strategies to students’ learning needs. [They should] Improve outcomes for students in Arabic as an additional language by: using best practice in the school to improve the effectiveness of teaching, improving assessment practices and the analysis of data to modify curriculum. [The school must] Improve outcomes for students with SEND by: enabling teachers to remove barriers to learning for individuals and for groups of students, rigorously monitoring the progress made by students with SEND and adjusting teaching to meet their needs”.

 

The Indian High School, Garhoud branch
Rated Good for 9 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors noted “The strong progress students make in learning English, mathematics and science and their very good learning skills. Students’ outstanding personal and social development. The high quality provision for the curriculum, teaching and assessment of learning. The high quality protection, care, guidance and support of students. The good quality of overall leadership”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors noted the need to “Improve the leadership, teaching and learning of Arabic so that students make good progress. Improve the quality of teaching so that students experience consistently good lessons. Improve the school’s self-evaluation processes so that the resulting judgements are accurate. Provide access to the internet for all students in all classrooms”.

 

The Kindergarten Starters
Rated Good for 3 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised ”Students’ outstanding personal development and their awareness of social responsibility at a very young age. The welcoming, vibrant and inclusive school community. The outstanding partnership with parents, and the local and international communities. The hard work and commitment of all staff to improve the school’s performance. The principal’s clear vision, direction and high expectation for the school”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors stated that “As a matter of urgency, the governing body must support the senior leaders in implementing existing plans to reduce the number of students in classrooms. [They must] Develop the teaching strategies in Arabic to ensure students acquire language skills at a good or better rate. [They should] Improve the coherence and effectiveness of the school’s self-evaluation and improvement planning by: prioritising key areas for improvement, developing a sharply focused action plan that includes clear milestones, consistently monitoring and evaluating the impact of the actions on students’ achievements and learning and make the necessary modifications. [They should] Improve the consistency of teaching by sharing and embedding the existing best practices”.

 

Credence High School
Promoted to Good after 1 year as Acceptable

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “Students’ very good personal and social development across the school. The strong provision in Kindergarten and the progress children make in the subjects. The outstanding arrangements and procedures that ensure the health and safety of all students. The dedication and commitment of the senior leadership team, including the principal, to school improvement”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors advised that the school should “Improve students’ attainment and progress in Islamic education and Arabic as an additional language by adopting age-appropriate strategies that follow a balanced curriculum. Enhance teaching practices to ensure that the different groups of students, especially the high achievers, are sufficiently challenged. Ensure that the learning needs of students with SEND are more effectively met through appropriate teaching strategies”.

 

Springdales School Dubai
Promoted to Good after 1 year as Acceptable and a rating of Good in its first inspection

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “The whole school drive to secure improvements in teaching, learning skills and assessment. The high-quality outcomes in the Kindergarten. The exemplary safeguarding arrangements which keeps the school community safe. The promotion of students’ well-being”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors noted that “Governors and senior leaders must improve the quality of students’ attainment and progress in Arabic as an additional language by: improving teachers’ understanding and implementation of good additional language practices matching activities to the needs of individual students, providing more opportunities to develop their reading and writing skills, training and monitoring teachers to accurately use assessment data to deliver lessons that build on students’ prior knowledge and improves their achievement. [They must] Ensure that the needs of the lower and higher attaining students are met through more effective curriculum adaptation”.

 

The Indian Academy
Promoted to Good after 4 years as Acceptable

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “Students’ strong sense of personal and social responsibility, respect for others and love of learning. [The] Improvement in students’ understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures in the primary phase. [The] Improved teaching in English, which results in improved student progress, in the primary and middle phases. Regular performance management that supports improvement in teaching in middle school. Improvements in assessment practices, driven by leaders across all phases”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors noted the need to “Raise attainment in Islamic education and Arabic by improving student progress rates. Improve the quality of teaching in the primary phase by: sharing best practice from elsewhere in the school and beyond, sustaining individual professional development closely linked to teachers’ needs through rigorous performance management, developing capacity in leaders for effective coaching and mentoring. Ensure that all curriculum adaptation is based on identified student needs and impacts on student outcomes, especially where student progress is below expectations”.

 

Amled School
Rated Acceptable – the only newly inspected School in 2017-18

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “The purposeful learning environment, and caring, well behaved and respectful students. The good provision for health, care and support for students. The achievement of primary and middle phase students in English, mathematics and science”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors noted a wide range of areas, identifying that the school should “Improve the effectiveness of teaching, particularly in the KG, by: engaging children’s interest and make learning relevant to their needs; ensuring children have time to complete their work and have opportunities to develop their independent working skills; developing teachers’ questioning skills to ensure more probing, open-end questions are asked, to support a deeper understanding by students. Improve teachers’ analyses and use of external and internal assessment data, including CAT4 and international benchmark data, to modify the curriculum and adjust teaching. Accelerate students’ progress and raise attainment in Arabic as an additional language by ensuring teachers: provide frequent opportunities for students’ to develop speaking, reading and writing skills; raise their expectations of what students can achieve; engage students in appropriately challenging tasks. Improve the learning outcomes for students with SEND by ensuring all teachers: provide targeted support students to enable them to understand the key learning concepts; differentiate work to match their specific learning need”.

 

Bilva Indian School
Promoted to Acceptable after being judged Weak in its first inspection

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “The clear direction set by the school leadership, which ensures that there is a continuing focus on improvement in a positive learning environment. Improved assessment procedures and improved attainment and progress in English, mathematics and science. Students’ personal and social development and their understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture. A curriculum that provides students with a good range of learning experiences. An inclusive ethos that ensures all students are provided with good care and support, particularly those with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors noted the need to “Accelerate students’ progress in Arabic, so it at least matches that seen in other subjects. Ensure that teaching is consistently good and better, particularly in the Kindergarten and primary phases, by ensuring that learning activities are well matched to students’ ages and abilities, especially those at the upper end of the ability range. Develop the skills of middle leaders so that they can identify and eliminate weaknesses in teaching and fully support the drive for improvement. Provide all governors with all the necessary information to hold leaders fully to account for students’ outcomes”.

 

Buds Public School
Rated Acceptable for 6 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors noted that “There is a welcoming and inclusive ethos at the school. There is mutual respect shown by the staff, students and parents that leads to the development of mature, responsible young people. There is an environment in which all students and staff feel safe, secure and well cared for”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors identified the need for the school to “Strengthen the analysis and application of assessment data to: inform all stakeholders better of the goals of the UAE National Agenda; embed best practices in curriculum modification, alter teaching strategies and improve students’ outcomes; establish measurable targets for improvement for senior leaders and teachers. Ensure that teaching and learning is of consistently high quality in all phases, with a focus on: developing students’ research, collaboration, debating and critical thinking skills; providing clear assessments of learning in classrooms, indicating next steps to improve. Provide continuing professional development for all teachers, to ensure better identification of students with SEND, gifts or talents. Increase students’ progress in learning Arabic as an additional language by planning lessons focused on language skills and competencies rather than on topics. Revisit all school policies and procedures, roles and responsibilities to improve educational outcomes and to support student welfare”.

 

Elite English School
Rated Acceptable for 7 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors noted “The effective teaching and students’ good learning skills in the secondary phase, which contribute to their good progress in English. Students’ positive attitudes and strong work ethic, together with their secure understanding of Islamic values and their sense of responsibility for the environment. The attention given to ensuring students’ health and safety”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors noted the requirement to “Accelerate students’ progress across the key subjects by ensuring that teachers: avoid setting the same lesson activities for all students and do not dominate lessons by talking too much; match teaching in the primary and middle phases to students’ different abilities, so that each student achieves their highest potential, [and] develop the skills and confidence needed to support students with special educational needs during lessons. Refine the assessment procedures by: ensuring that assessment information is analysed and interpreted accurately to provide a clear view of the progress of individual students and classes through each grade and phase, using assessment information to review the effectiveness of the teaching. [They should] plan initiatives for improvement, ensuring that teachers monitor students’ progress during lessons and tell students the next steps they should take to improve, comparing students’ results on internal and external assessments with their scores in the cognitive abilities tests to find out the extent to which they are achieving their potential [and] sharing academic targets with students and parents. Ensure that the curriculum in the Kindergarten has a clear rationale that: identifies the key knowledge, understanding and skills that children are intended to acquire as they move through the phase, provides a secure basis for assessing children’s progress and attainment”.

 

Gulf Indian High School
Rated Acceptable for 9 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “The vision and capacity of senior leaders to improve the school’s effectiveness. The effective provision in the kindergarten which enables children to thrive. The school’s success in promoting students’ personal development. The good progress that students make in most subjects. The effective care and support for students within an inclusive ethos”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors noted the requirement to “Improve the quality of teaching in the primary and middle phases by embedding the good practice evident in the most effective lessons. Accelerate students’ progress in Arabic by improving their skills in speaking and writing. Improve the accuracy of self-evaluation when analysing and interpreting progress data, and when reviewing the quality of teaching and learning”.

 

Little Flowers English School
Rated Acceptable for 6 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised the school for “Promoting good attitudes and behaviour of students in the KG and primary phase and the very good conduct of students in the middle phase. The positive relationships between the students, teachers and support staff. Strong partnerships with parents, the community and significant charitable work in the local community. The effective provision in place to support and to ensure the care and well-being of all students. Good teaching and learning skills in the middle school phase”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors noted the need to “Improve students attainment and progress by: raising teachers’ expectations of what students can achieve, accurately identifying the starting points of different groups of students and ensuring that lesson objectives are appropriately matched to their needs, accurately measuring the progress of all groups of students in every lesson, using assessment data and information effectively to improve the quality of teaching, [and] modifying the curriculum to meet the needs of all students. Improve self-evaluation by using accurate measurements of attainment and progress for all groups of students in all subjects. Ensure that the governors: have an accurate and up-to-date knowledge and an understanding of how the school is performing, its strengths and areas for improvement, and the progress different groups of students are making in their learning. [They should] enable school leaders, at all levels, to improve the quality of teaching by the sharing of best professional practice, hold the principal to account for improving educational outcomes for all groups of students”.

 

New Indian Model School
Rated Acceptable for 9 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “The outstanding personal and social development of students throughout the school. Students’ understanding of Islamic culture. The very good progress children in the KG make in English and mathematics. The day-to-day running of the school is well organised and the school’s procedures are effective and efficient”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors recommended that the school “Improve governance and leadership by: ensuring governors hold leaders fully accountable for the school’s actions and outcomes and take responsibility for the school’s performance; clarifying leadership, especially middle leaders’ roles and providing training and support for all leaders to accurately monitor and evaluate teaching and learning; creating and implementing an improvement plan that focuses on consistency of teaching, learning and assessment across the school, particularly in primary. Improve the use of assessment information by ensuring: internal assessments are aligned with external measures of students’ attainment, [and that] the analysis of assessment information is shared with staff and used consistently across the school to guide curriculum and lesson planning. Improve the impact of teaching on student learning, especially in primary by: developing teachers’ ability to plan lessons with objectives which specify clearly what students are expected to learn; designing and presenting tasks that increase students’ knowledge and provide them with opportunities to solve problems that develop their understanding and skills. Improve provision for students with SEND by: ensuring there are clear identification procedures and appropriate intervention to meet their individual needs”.

 

Pakistan Educational Academy
Rated Acceptable for 6 years.

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “Overall attainment, progress and leadership in the KG, which has resulted in positive learning outcomes for children. Students’ personal development, rooted firmly in strong Islamic values, which results in a generally respectful, tolerant and courteous student body. Students’ attainment and progress in secondary science, due to a greater emphasis on investigative work in the classroom, which has improved critical thinking in some classes. Improvement in SEND, due to systems developing and having a beneficial impact on the learning outcomes of the majority of students with SEND”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors advised that “Governors and senior leaders should improve leadership at all levels by: using all available information to accurately evaluate the school’s performance and set realistic targets for improvement. The governing board should: closely monitor academic learning outcomes of all groups of students, [and] hold senior leaders to account for urgently improving these outcomes. Improve the quality of assessment in all phases by: providing teachers with accurate assessment information, which has been benchmarked and moderated; ensuring data are used to plan effective lessons that challenge students of all abilities, in particular those who are more able, in order to accelerate progress and raise attainment; sharing the best assessment practice that exists in each phase, thoroughly analysing National Agenda Parameter reports and use the findings to make adjustments to teaching practices; and to adapt the curriculum so that it meets the needs of all students. Ensure self-evaluation uses accurate information to produce measurable targets which take full account of recommendations from the previous year, has short-term, attainable benchmarks which allow for rapid improvements to be made and measured”.

 

Sabari Indian School
Rated Acceptable for 3 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors note that “The school is supported very well by a skilled board of governors. The inspirational leadership of the principal is transforming the school and has already impacted on students’ achievement in a relatively short time. The effectiveness of school systems and the emphasis placed by school staff in providing a safe and caring environment for all students. The development and provision of a broad curriculum across the school which has helped to improve student’s attainment”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors advised that the school should “Improve students’ attainment in Arabic as an additional language. Improve the quality of teaching and the progress students make in all subjects by: improving the consistency of classroom management, making better use of assessment data when planning to meet individual students’ learning needs, providing more opportunities in all subjects for students to exercise critical thinking and innovation skills, providing more helpful feedback to students to enable them to improve, and ensure that the subsequent action of students is followed up. Improve the provision for students with SEND by developing individual education plans and ensuring that barriers to learning are accurately identified, learning strategies are clear for teachers to incorporate into their lessons, and the extent of success can be measured; putting in place clear expectations, high quality training and rigorous monitoring and accountability systems to improve the work of learning support assistants,[and] improving the monitoring of students with SEND in the classroom. Improve self-evaluation by making lesson observations more rigorous and by taking more account of how well students are learning and the outcomes they achieve. Provide training to support middle leaders to have a greater impact on improving teaching, learning and student outcomes in their departments”.

 

The Central School
Rated Acceptable for 9 years.

What the school does best:

The Inspectors noted that “Students’ attainment and progress are good in Islamic Education in the middle and secondary phases, and in English, mathematics and science in the secondary phase. The personal and social development of students is outstanding in the secondary phase and very good in the Kindergarten and primary phases. Students’ understanding of Islamic values and their relevance to life in Dubai is outstanding in the secondary phase and very good in the other phases”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors require the school to “Raise students’ attainment and progress in all subjects and phases by ensuring that: all teachers fully understand how to develop critical thinking, problem solving and independent learning skills, and to use advanced technology to support teaching and learning; full use is made of reliable assessment information to plan work that meets the needs of students of all ability levels and that lessons are taught as planned; effective support is provided for students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) and those with particular gifts and talents, in order that they can maximise their potentials. Improve the school’s self-evaluation procedures by ensuring that: internal assessments are reliable and validated by international benchmark data, all judgements of the school’s performance are accurate and so form a secure base for improvement planning, [and] all improvement plans specify objectives that are realistic, measureable and achievable within specified time scales. Improve the effectiveness of leadership at all levels, by ensuring that: roles and responsibilities are clearly defined and fully understood, and that middle leaders are given more responsibility for driving improvement, all leaders are able to identify high quality teaching and use this to guide their evaluations of the effects of teaching upon students’ learning, [and that] rigorous monitoring confirms the consistent implementation of all school policies and plans”.

 

The Indian International School, Dubai Silicon Oasis
Rated Acceptable for 6 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “Students’ attainment and progress in the Kindergarten (KG) and their personal and social development. Students’ attainment in all phases in mathematics and their progress in the middle and secondary phases. Students’ behaviour and attitudes and the provision for their health and safety. The good provision for the students with SEND in the learning centre.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors advised that “Governors and leaders at all levels should ensure all improvement plans have a positive impact on students’ achievement by: improving teachers’ understanding and implementation of good teaching practices and matching activities to the needs of individual students, ensuring that lessons focus on developing students’ learning skills, knowledge and understanding; improving and monitoring teachers’ use of assessment data to deliver lessons that build on students’ prior knowledge and identify their next steps in learning accurately; evaluating the impact of teaching strategies on students’ learning skills and achievement in all subjects and phases”.

 

Crescent English School
Rated Weak for 6 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “The school’s increased capacity to improve which is strengthened by the appointments of new senior and middle leaders. The improved teaching and students’ learning skills in the KG. The effective identification of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors state that “The governing board should urgently appoint a qualified and experienced substantive principal to the school. School leaders should take immediate steps to: improve the overall quality of teaching and assessment in the primary phase especially in mathematics and science, ensure that the curriculum is translated into schemes of work and lesson plans that consistently provide clear and age-appropriate learning objectives. Governors should work with school leaders more closely to: improve the use of accurate National Agenda Parameter assessment information to effectively adapt the curriculum, ensure that the school improvement plans are explicitly aligned to the key priorities that emerge from a rigorous self-evaluation process, and that the plans are effectively monitored. Develop teachers’ skills so that they: use all available internal and external assessment information to set work for all students that matches both their learning styles and abilities, routinely adopt teaching methodologies that lead to improvements in students’ learning skills especially critical thinking, collaboration and inquiry, make effective use of the information provided by the SEND department to better support students with SEND”.

 

Emirates English Speaking School
ated Weak for 2 years and previously Acceptable for 7 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors note “Students’ progress in Islamic education in the primary, middle and secondary phases. Students’ personal development, their understanding of Emirati culture and Islamic values, and their social responsibility. The provision for health and safety across the school and for child protection and safeguarding”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors state that the school must “Improve student achievement across all subjects and phases by: improving teachers’ use of assessment to track and monitor students’ progress, using the information from assessments to modify the curriculum and to adapt teaching to meet the needs of all groups of students. Accurately identify and effectively support students with SEND by: improving identification of needs and providing appropriate early interventions, compiling and implementing individual educational plans (IEPs) that remove barriers to learning and enable students to manage their own learning and development, [and] developing teachers’ effective use of IEPs to support students’ academic progress and personal development. Improve the effectiveness of leadership, self-evaluation and governance by: improving leaders’ skills to enable them to measure students’ progress precisely in lessons and to use this information when evaluating teaching [and] defining clearly all leaders’ roles and responsibilities for improving students’ outcomes. Governors should: hold school leaders accountable for the quality of student achievement and the quality of teaching, assessment, and curriculum adaptation to meet all students’ learning needs; improve resources including staffing in the KG and teachers’ regular access to high quality professional development that is linked to the school’s identified improvement priorities, [and] engage parents more closely as partners in their children’s learning”.

 

Gulf Model School
Rated Weak for 6 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors praised “Students’ good attitudes to learning, behaviour and their positive relationships with staff. The drive, determination and commitment of staff. The school’s effective communication with parents”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors stated that the school must “Urgently improve the effectiveness of leadership by: appointing a well-qualified, skilled and suitably-experienced principal who is approved by KHDA, ensuring the governing body understands the action the school is taking to raise students’ achievement and holds school leaders to account for the impact of this work; establishing clear criteria for judging the impact of leaders’ roles and responsibilities, so that individuals can be held to account for necessary improvements; developing leaders’ skills in checking teaching and learning and holding all teachers to account for students’ progress. Senior leaders should develop the capacity of all teachers so that they: use available internal and external assessment information to set work for students that matches their abilities, [and] make the necessary modifications to lesson content and approach to help ensure that students with special educational needs/disabilities (SEND) make good progress. Ensure students, staff and parents are safe on the school premises by: developing evacuation and child protection procedures that are understood and rigorously implemented by all staff”.

 

H. H. Shaikh Rashid Al Maktoum Pakistan School
Rated Weak for 7 years

What the school does best:

The Inspectors stated “The students’ personal and social development is good in all four phases. The older students’ understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture is good. The school has good links with parents and the local community”.

Recommendations for improvement:

The Inspectors require that the school “Improve students’ progress in learning Arabic by raising the teachers’ expectations of them and developing teachers’ knowledge of the appropriate expectations for each age group. Improve the quality of teaching, students’ learning skills and the assessment of learning, especially in the primary grades. Urgently attend to risks to students’ health and safety in the school and on the internet. Improve the quality of leadership so that all leaders work towards achieving common goals, based upon an accurate understanding of the current quality of the provision and outcomes at the school. Immediately improve the quality of the resources for teaching and learning and for supporting students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND)”.