Good Will Children Private School

Good Will Children Private School delivers a dual-framework academic programme that combines British EYFS and Cambridge International curricula with the UAE Ministry of Education (MOE) curriculum across all phases. From KG1, children follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework; from KG2 through Grade 6, the school transitions into Cambridge International Primary; and Grades 7 and 8 follow Cambridge International Lower Secondary. Core Cambridge subjects — English, Mathematics, Sciences, Digital Literacy, Coding, Art and Design, and Physical Education — run alongside MOE-mandated Arabic, Islamic Studies, Social Studies, and Moral Education. The programme is designed to prepare students for Cambridge Checkpoint, IGCSE, O-Level, and A-Level examinations, though the school currently educates only to Grade 8, meaning those pathways are post-transfer destinations rather than in-house offerings.

Among British curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi, GWCPS carries a notable distinction: it is one of very few Cambridge-accredited schools in the emirate to offer an optional Urdu language programme from KG to Grade 8, reflecting the school's predominantly South Asian community. Additional languages available include Arabic (first and second language), French, and Spanish. The school also embeds enrichment strands — Wellbeing, Sustainability and Environmental Awareness, Community Service, and Entrepreneurship and Leadership Skills — across all phases, alongside Quran Recitation and a dedicated Reading Intervention programme in both Arabic and English. A recently established inclusion team supports the school's 16 students of determination, though inspectors noted this provision is still developing in rigour.

On standardised and international assessments, results present a mixed picture. In TIMSS 2023, Year 5 Mathematics produced a score of 508.94, above the international average of 503, and Year 9 Mathematics reached 498.19, above the international average of 478 — both positive signals. However, Year 5 Science scored 486, falling below the international average of 494, and both year groups fell well short of the school's own internal targets. In PIRLS 2021, Year 5 students achieved a score of 537.6, placing them at the intermediate international benchmark. GL Assessment results for AY2023/24 indicated weak attainment in English, Mathematics, and Science in Phases 2 and 3, a finding that directly informed the ADEK Irtiqaa inspection's overall judgement. Arabic performance was comparatively stronger: ABT assessments rated Arabic first language attainment as Very Good in Phases 2 and 3, and Arabic second language attainment as Good in Phase 2.

The school's most recent ADEK Irtiqaa inspection, conducted May 2025, rated GWCPS Acceptable overall — a rating it has held since at least 2018–19, indicating no net improvement across inspection cycles. Among the 105 British curriculum schools in Abu Dhabi, this places GWCPS in the lower performance tier: the city index shows that 29 British curriculum schools are rated Good and 18 are rated Outstanding, meaning the majority of comparable schools outperform GWCPS on the inspection scale. Inspectors identified English progress in Phase 2 as a genuine bright spot — improving from Acceptable to Good — and rated students' personal and social development as Good across all phases. Health and safety arrangements were rated Very Good. However, Science achievement regressed from Good to Acceptable in Phases 1 and 2, and Islamic Education in Phase 1 declined to Weak.

Inspectors flagged several areas requiring urgent attention: the need to raise achievement across all subjects and phases to at least a Good level; more consistent use of formative assessment to personalise instruction; strengthening critical thinking and hands-on collaborative learning; and improving the identification and support of students with additional learning needs. Teaching quality was described as variable, with newer staff not yet fully embedding effective classroom management. Compared to higher-performing British curriculum peers in Abu Dhabi, GWCPS lacks an in-house upper secondary pathway, has no published university destination data, and the library — while holding approximately 14,000 books in English, Arabic, and Urdu — has no computers for student research or e-book access, a gap inspectors specifically noted.