Al Ittihad National Private School - Shakhbout
Executive Summary
Al Ittihad National Private School - Shakhbout has maintained its overall ADEK Irtiqa rating of Very Good for the 2024-2025 academic year. This sustained high performance is a testament to the effective leadership, dedicated staff, and supportive school community. The school is recognized for its inclusive environment and strong commitment to national priorities.
Academically, the school demonstrates strong performance in several areas, notably exceeding all targets and international averages in TIMSS assessments for both mathematics and science. Students show Outstanding awareness of Islamic values and Emirati and world cultures. The American curriculum is expertly planned and adapted, aligning well with national priorities and preparing students effectively for progression.
Key strengths include rigorous safeguarding and health and safety protocols, rated Outstanding, and very effective care and support for students. Leadership and management are Very Good, driven by clear strategic direction and strong accountability from the school owners, ensuring a conducive learning environment and continuous improvement.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Al Ittihad National Private School - Shakhbout Overall Rating
Very Good for 2+ consecutive years
ADEK Performance Standards
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students demonstrate very good attainment and progress in many subjects, with particular strengths in Islamic Education and UAE Social Studies. The school exceeded international averages in TIMSS for mathematics and science. However, attainment in English, Mathematics, and Science in some phases, particularly Phase 4, and in standardized MAP/IBT assessments, requires further improvement to reach consistently very good or outstanding levels. TIMSSMAPIBTIslamic EducationUAE Social Studies
Students' personal development is very good across all phases, characterized by positive attitudes and behavior. Awareness of Islamic values and Emirati and world cultures is outstanding and a significant strength. Social responsibility and innovation skills are good, with strong community involvement, though innovative activities are still developing. Islamic valuesEmirati and world culturessocial responsibilityinnovation skills
Teaching is very good in most phases, with teachers planning engaging lessons and implementing coherent assessment practices. The school effectively uses MAP and international assessment data to identify areas for improvement. However, student-centered and inquiry-based learning are not yet fully established in all phases, and some external assessment results require attention. engaging lessonsassessment practicesMAPinquiry-based learning
Curriculum design and implementation are outstanding in earlier phases and very good in Phase 4, demonstrating strong adaptation. The school offers a well-structured, flexible, and inclusive American curriculum that aligns with national priorities and meets student needs. Links to Emirati culture and society are very well established, though curricular choices in Phase 4 are still developing. American curriculumnational prioritiesEmirati culturecurricular choices
The school provides outstanding health and safety, including rigorous safeguarding systems, well-planned protocols, and well-equipped facilities. Care and support for students are very good, with the school priding itself on being welcoming and inclusive, offering effective support for all student groups, including students of determination. health and safetysafeguardingcare and supportinclusive
Leadership and management are very good overall, with outstanding management of staffing, facilities, and resources. The long-standing principal, new vice-principal, owner, and Board of Trustees provide clear strategic direction. Partnerships with parents and the community, and governance, have improved to very good, fostering a culture of accountability, inclusion, and continuous improvement. strategic directiongovernanceparents and communityaccountability
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Exceeded TIMSS Targets
The school exceeded all its targets in TIMSS for both mathematics and science, performing above international averages.
Strong Strategic Leadership
Clear strategic direction from the principal, vice-principal, and senior leaders has effectively maintained an inclusive school and sustained strong performance.
Outstanding Cultural Awareness
Students demonstrate exceptional pride in their UAE national identity and an outstanding understanding of Islamic values and Emirati and world cultures.
Effective Teaching & Assessment
The quality of teaching and effective assessment processes ensure that the learning needs of students are met to a high level in most subjects.
Rigorous Safeguarding & Care
Rigorous support structures ensure very effective care and support of students, including a healthy, safe, and secure environment, rated Outstanding.
Expert Curriculum Planning
The curriculum is expertly planned and reviewed, promptly addressing learning gaps and preparing students well for progression through phases.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students' achievement in Arabic medium subjects is strong due to the effective work of the Arabic department. However, external IBT assessment results and MAP results in English, Mathematics, and Science across Phases 2, 3, and 4 indicate areas for improvement.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The leadership team, comprising the principal, vice-principal, owner, and Board of Trustees, provides a clear strategic direction, fostering a culture of accountability, inclusion, innovation, and continuous improvement. They effectively manage resources and staff, ensuring a high-quality learning environment and have successfully implemented almost all previous inspection recommendations.
Inspection Findings
Students' Achievement
Students generally attain levels above Ministry of Education curriculum standards in Islamic Education, Arabic, and UAE Social Studies, and above California Common Core State Standards in English, Mathematics, and Next Generation State Standards in Science. However, external standardized assessments (IBT, MAP) indicate weak attainment in Phases 2, 3, and 4 across several subjects, contrasting with strong performance in TIMSS.
Personal & Social Development
Students exhibit very good personal development, positive attitudes, and behavior across all phases. Their understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures is outstanding. Social responsibility and innovation skills are good, supported by strong community involvement, though further development is needed in innovative activities and environmental awareness.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching is very good in most phases, with engaging lessons and coherent assessment practices. The school effectively uses MAP and other international assessment data to inform improvements. However, student-centered and inquiry-based learning are not consistently established across all phases, and there is a need for more rigorous internal assessment and better differentiation.
Curriculum Design & Adaptation
The curriculum is well-designed and implemented, rated outstanding in earlier phases and very good in Phase 4, showing strong adaptation. It is structured, flexible, inclusive, and aligns with national priorities, meeting the needs of most students. Links to Emirati culture are well-established, but curricular choices and the range of AP and elective subjects for older students are still developing.
Protection, Care & Support
The school maintains outstanding health and safety, including robust child protection and safeguarding arrangements, well-planned protocols, and equipped facilities. Care and support for students are very good, with effective provision for all groups, including students of determination, fostering a welcoming and inclusive environment.
Areas for Development
- •Raise students’ achievement to a consistently very good or outstanding level in all core subjects and phases by improving creative writing skills in Arabic, strengthening students’ ability to link Islamic values to the Holy Qur’an and Hadeeth, developing knowledge of UAE’s government initiatives for economic sustainability and Sustainable Development Goals (SDG), enhancing argumentative writing, and improving investigation and practical skills for scientific thinking and problem-solving.
- •Improve aspects of teaching, assessment, and curriculum by ensuring student-centered, inquiry-based learning strategies are fully established, applying teaching strategies that allow students to demonstrate innovation, creativity and entrepreneurial skills, ensuring consistently high teacher expectations and differentiated challenge, making internal assessment more rigorous, using assessment data more effectively to modify the curriculum and personalize learning opportunities, further developing the range of AP and elective subjects, and implementing Individual Education Plans (IEPs) and Advanced Education Plans (ALPs) more consistently.
- •Ensure the school continues to exceed their targets and international averages in TIMSS, and meets and exceeds targets in PISA and PIRLS assessments by aligning teaching with TIMSS/PISA/PIRLS frameworks to target higher-order thinking skills, integrating international assessment-style questions into classroom practice, providing targeted professional development on data-driven pedagogical strategies, enhancing critical reading skills, and developing real-world problem-solving tasks.
- •Improve the impact of school leadership further by ensuring the SEF is more focused and analytical and linked with the SIP, strengthening the impact of monitoring teaching and learning, strengthening support for middle leaders and inclusion team, and reviewing the roles and responsibilities of leaders to ensure clearer accountability and better student outcomes.