Al Eman Private School, Abu Dhabi

Al Eman Private School delivers the UAE Ministry of Education (MoE) curriculum across KG1 through Grade 10, covering the full suite of national subjects: Islamic Education, Arabic as a First Language, UAE Social Studies, English, Mathematics, and Science. This is a curriculum designed around national standards and Arabic-language instruction, with English taught as a core subject rather than the medium of instruction - a distinction families transitioning from British or American curriculum schools must factor carefully into their decision. The 2024 ADEK Irtiqa inspection provides the most reliable picture of academic performance. Islamic Education achieves a consistent Good rating for both attainment and progress across all cycles, with internal data suggesting most students attain above MoE curriculum standards. Arabic as a First Language is the school's strongest academic area: attainment reaches Very Good in Cycle 3, and external MoE examination results are described as outstanding in Cycles 1 and 3. This is a genuine differentiator for families prioritising Arabic literacy. Mathematics shows encouraging progress data, with Cycles 2 and 3 achieving Very Good progress ratings - meaning students are advancing faster than expected relative to their starting points, even if absolute attainment sits at Good. Science follows a similar pattern, with Very Good progress in Cycles 1 and 2. English language performance is more nuanced. Internal data places most students above curriculum standards, and the school has invested in structured reading programmes, phonics instruction through Grade 4, and daily five-minute reading sessions. However, PISA 2022 results tell a sobering story: 15-year-old students scored 382.3 in reading literacy - below both the international benchmark and the school's own target of 437.6. PIRLS 2021 results similarly fell below the international benchmark. ACER IBT standardised assessments indicate acceptable attainment in Cycles 1 and 3 and weak attainment in Cycle 2. These external benchmarks suggest a meaningful gap between how students perform on internally-calibrated tasks versus internationally-standardised measures - a gap the school acknowledges and is actively working to close through PISA-style question integration and reading enrichment programmes. The school's teaching methodology is broadly described as good by ADEK inspectors, with students actively engaged in lessons and demonstrating collaborative learning skills. However, the inspection identifies a critical weakness in assessment design: tasks are predominantly knowledge-based and application-level, offering insufficient opportunities for analysis, critical thinking, or extended writing. Feedback to students is inconsistent and lacks depth. For families with academically ambitious children, this is a material concern - gifted and talented students are specifically noted as not being challenged to their full potential. The school has received ADEK recommendations to introduce more inquiry-based, hands-on activities and to differentiate more effectively for both high and low attainers. On inclusion and academic support, the picture requires candour. The school has 22 identified students of determination, but ADEK flags the identification rate of 2.95% as low, and the absence of in-school support services (ISSS) means students with additional learning needs receive limited specialist support. There is no published data on university destinations, which reflects the school's current grade range topping out at Grade 10 - families planning for post-secondary pathways will need to factor in a school transition at that stage. Curriculum choices in Cycle 3 are noted by ADEK as needing expansion to better prepare students for future education.