Al Dar Private School
Executive Summary
Al Dar Private School in Al Ain has received an overall Acceptable rating in its latest ADEK Irtiqa inspection for the 2025-2026 academic year. This marks a decline in performance from the previous inspection in 2022, where the school was rated Good. The inspection highlights reduced impact of leadership and inconsistency in teaching and learning across all phases.
Students' achievement in both Arabic and English-medium subjects, including Islamic Education, Arabic, UAE Social Studies, English, Mathematics, and Science, has generally declined or remained Acceptable across most phases. While internal assessment data shows some upward trends in attainment for Islamic Education, Arabic, UAE Social Studies, and English, external standardized assessments like PISA and TIMSS indicate performance below school targets and international averages. Learning skills have also declined to Acceptable.
Key strengths include Good personal development, strong understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture in cycles 1-3, and effective health and safety arrangements. However, teaching and assessment, curriculum design and adaptation, care and support, and leadership and management are all rated Acceptable, indicating areas requiring significant development to improve student outcomes and overall school provision.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Al Dar Private School Overall Rating
Acceptable
ADEK Performance Standards
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Overall attainment and progress in most subjects, including Arabic and English-medium subjects, have declined or remained acceptable across all phases. While internal data shows some positive trends in attainment for certain subjects, external assessments indicate performance below targets. Learning skills are also rated acceptable. attainmentprogressLearning skills
Personal development is a strength, rated Good across all phases, supported by positive student behaviors and attendance. Students demonstrate a good understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture in cycles 1-3. However, social responsibility and innovation skills are acceptable, with limited proactive student initiatives. Personal developmentIslamic valuesEmirati culturesocial responsibilityinnovation skills
Teaching and assessment have declined to acceptable across all cycles. Lessons are predominantly teacher-led and textbook-driven, with inconsistent planning, differentiation, and limited inquiry-based learning. Assessment data analysis is largely descriptive, and its use to inform differentiated teaching and guide next steps is inconsistent. teacher-leddifferentiationassessment data
Curriculum design, implementation, and adaptation are acceptable across all phases. The MoE curriculum is broad but focuses more on knowledge acquisition than skill development. Adaptation for different student groups, including those with additional learning needs and gifted students, is variable and lacks consistent embedding of IEPs. MoE curriculumcurriculum adaptationIEPs
Health and safety, including child protection, remain a strength at a Good level with well-understood safeguarding procedures. However, care and support for students have declined to acceptable, with inconsistent implementation of behavior and attendance systems. Specialist provision for students of determination and gifted students is lacking. Health and safetychild protectionsafeguardingCare and supportstudents of determination
The effectiveness of leadership, self-evaluation, improvement planning, governance, and school management have all declined to acceptable. While leaders are committed, self-evaluation lacks rigor, and improvement planning is descriptive. Accountability for teaching quality and student outcomes needs strengthening, and resource limitations persist. Effectiveness of leadershipself-evaluationimprovement planninggovernanceaccountability
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Cultural Appreciation
Students demonstrate a strong appreciation of UAE culture and heritage, alongside a good understanding of Islamic values, reflected in their daily interactions and participation in school life.
Supportive Environment
Positive and respectful relationships among most stakeholders contribute to a generally supportive school environment, fostering a sense of community.
External Benchmarking
The school effectively benchmarks students’ academic outcomes against appropriate external, national, and international expectations, ensuring alignment with recognized standards.
Health and Safety
The school maintains robust health and safety arrangements, ensuring students are safe and secure within the school premises and during bus transportation.
Parent Communication
Parents highly appreciate the school’s regular and transparent communication, as well as its timely responsiveness to their queries and concerns.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Overall, students' achievement in Arabic-medium subjects and English-medium subjects has declined across most subjects and phases since the previous inspection, with many subjects now rated Acceptable. While internal assessment data shows some upward trends in attainment for Islamic Education, Arabic, UAE Social Studies, and English, external standardized assessments like PISA and TIMSS indicate performance below school targets and international averages. Learning skills have also declined to Acceptable.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The principal and middle leadership team demonstrate commitment and openness to school improvement. However, self-evaluation processes and improvement planning lack the necessary rigor and precision to drive sustained progress. The capacity of some middle leaders to effectively lead teaching and learning is variable, and resource limitations, alongside staffing issues, hinder overall improvement.
Inspection Findings
Students' Achievement
Students' achievement has generally declined across most subjects and phases since the previous inspection, with attainment and progress in Arabic and English-medium subjects now largely acceptable. While internal data shows some positive trends, external assessments indicate performance below targets, and learning skills have also declined.
Personal & Social Development
Personal development is a strength, rated Good, with positive student behaviors and attendance. Students demonstrate a good understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture in cycles 1-3. However, social responsibility and innovation skills are acceptable, with limited proactive student initiatives and underdeveloped global citizenship.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching and assessment have declined to acceptable, characterized by mostly teacher-led, textbook-driven lessons with inconsistent planning, pacing, and differentiation. Assessment systems provide basic measures, but moderation is inconsistent, data analysis is descriptive, and its use to inform differentiated teaching is limited.
Curriculum Design & Adaptation
Curriculum design, implementation, and adaptation are acceptable. The MoE curriculum is broad but focuses more on knowledge acquisition than skill development. Adaptation for different student groups, including those with additional learning needs and gifted students, is variable, and opportunities for creativity and innovation are limited.
Protection, Care & Support
Health and safety, including child protection, remain a strength at a Good level with well-understood safeguarding procedures. However, care and support for students have declined to acceptable, with inconsistent implementation of behavior systems and a lack of specialist provision for students with additional learning needs and gifted students.
Areas for Development
- •Improve students’ achievements in all subjects by enhancing skills in extended writing, reading comprehension, mathematical reasoning, problem-solving, and scientific enquiry, ensuring secure progress for lower-attaining and additional learning needs students, and challenging high-attaining and gifted students.
- •Improve teaching and assessment in all cycles by consistently using assessment information to adapt lessons, improving questioning and feedback, ensuring differentiated teaching meets all learners' needs, developing a clear marking policy, and creating purposeful links between subjects for innovation.
- •Ensure the school meets and exceeds its targets on international assessments (TIMSS, PISA, PIRLS) by developing a coherent whole-school strategy, providing targeted professional development for teachers, and systematically embedding higher-order thinking practice into lessons.
- •Enhance health and safety arrangements by reviewing fire drills, improving record-keeping, ensuring premises are well-maintained, and promoting student health and well-being awareness through consistent health education.
- •Strengthen leadership and management to improve the quality of provision and outcomes by improving the accuracy and rigor of self-evaluation, developing middle leaders' capacity, and addressing staffing gaps and workload issues.