Al Ittihad National Private School - Falaj Hazza
Executive Summary
Al Ittihad National Private School - Falaj Hazza has maintained an overall Good rating in its latest ADEK Irtiqa inspection for the AY 2025/26. The school, which follows an American curriculum, demonstrates consistent strengths in Arabic-medium subjects and fosters a strong sense of national identity among its students. This stability reflects a commitment to core values and foundational learning.
Academic achievement in Arabic-medium subjects, including Islamic Education and Arabic as a first language, remains Good across all phases, with notable progress improvements in Phase 2. Students exhibit a secure understanding of Islamic values and a strong appreciation for Emirati culture. However, English-medium subjects, particularly in phases 2, 3, and 4, show areas for development, with attainment often rated Acceptable or Weak in standardized assessments, indicating a need for enhanced higher-order thinking and writing skills.
The school's leadership and management are rated Good, with robust safeguarding policies and effective curriculum planning that promotes UAE culture. While leadership shows strategic intent to improve international assessment performance, challenges persist with high staff turnover in upper phases and inconsistencies in self-evaluation and the impact of professional development on teaching practices. Recommendations focus on raising achievement, refining teaching and assessment, strengthening leadership capacity, and improving international assessment outcomes.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Al Ittihad National Private School - Falaj Hazza Overall Rating
Good for 2+ consecutive years
ADEK Performance Standards
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students' achievement in Arabic-medium subjects is consistently Good across all phases, with improved progress in Islamic Education and Arabic as a first language in Phase 2. However, attainment and progress in English-medium subjects, including English, Mathematics, and Science, are generally Acceptable or Weak in phases 2, 3, and 4, particularly in standardized assessments. Learning skills remain Good across all phases. Arabic-medium subjectsEnglish-medium subjectsstandardized assessments
Students demonstrate positive attitudes to learning and are generally self-disciplined. Understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures are Very Good across all phases, with students showing a strong appreciation for UAE heritage. Social responsibility and innovation skills are Good in phases 1 and 2, and Very Good in phases 3 and 4, with students actively engaged in community initiatives and student council projects. Islamic valuesEmirati and world culturesSocial responsibilityinnovation skills
Teaching for effective learning is Good across all phases, maintaining its previous standard. Assessment practices are Good in Phase 1 but Acceptable across phases 2, 3, and 4, with concerns regarding the reliability of attainment data. Teachers' skills in designing lessons that promote higher-order thinking and reasoning for international assessments remain variable, despite professional development. Teaching for effective learningAssessment practiceshigher-order thinking
The curriculum design and implementation, as well as curriculum adaptation, are Good across all phases. The school offers a well-structured and inclusive curriculum that aligns with national priorities and effectively promotes Emirati culture. However, consistent implementation in lessons to provide sufficient challenge and systematically develop higher-order thinking skills is an area for improvement. Curriculum design and implementationcurriculum adaptationEmirati culture
Health and safety, including child protection and safeguarding arrangements, are Very Good across all phases, with rigorous systems and well-equipped facilities. Care and support are Very Good in Phase 1, Good in phases 2 and 3, and Acceptable in Phase 4. While systems for students of determination are generally effective, provision for gifted and/or talented students is less effective, and attendance in Phase 4 remains Weak. Health and safetychild protectionsafeguardingstudents of determinationgifted and/or talented students
Leadership and management are Good overall. The effectiveness of leadership is Good, and the governing board has a positive influence. However, school self-evaluation and improvement planning are Acceptable, with an over-reliance on internal data leading to misalignment with external assessments. High staff turnover persists, limiting sustained improvement, and the impact of leadership on student outcomes needs strengthening. Effectiveness of leadershipSchool self-evaluationstaff turnover
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Strong Arabic Achievement
Achievement in Arabic-medium subjects is maintained at Good standards across all phases, with improved progress in Phase 2 for Arabic as a first language and Islamic education.
Emirati Identity & Values
Students demonstrate a secure understanding of Islamic values, appreciation, and pride in their UAE national identity across all grades.
Robust Safeguarding
The school has robust safeguarding and child protection policies in place, ensuring a safe and secure environment for students.
Well-Planned Curriculum
The curriculum is effectively planned and offers coherent learning experiences that promote the UAE’s culture and heritage across almost all aspects of provision.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Overall, students' achievement in Arabic-medium subjects has remained Good, with improved progress in Phase 2. However, English-medium subjects have seen varied changes, with some progress improvements in Phase 2 English, but declines in attainment and progress in Mathematics and Science across phases 2, 3, and 4, largely attributed to high teacher turnover. Standardized assessment results (MAP, PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS) indicate Weak attainment and progress in English, Mathematics, and Science across most phases.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
School leadership demonstrates a clear strategic intent to improve student performance, particularly in international assessments, and maintains effective day-to-day operations. However, the impact of leadership is hampered by an over-reliance on internal assessment data for self-evaluation, persistent high staff turnover, and variable capacity among middle leaders to monitor teaching and learning effectively.
Inspection Findings
Students' Achievement
Students generally attain above curriculum standards in Arabic-medium subjects, with strong progress in Islamic Education and Arabic in Phase 2. However, English-medium subjects show weaker attainment and progress in standardized assessments across phases 2, 3, and 4, indicating a need to strengthen higher-order thinking, writing, and problem-solving skills.
Personal & Social Development
Students exhibit positive attitudes, self-discipline, and a Very Good understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture. Social responsibility and innovation skills are strong, with students actively participating in community initiatives and student council projects, particularly in upper phases.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching for effective learning is Good, but assessment procedures are inconsistent in producing reliable attainment data, especially in phases 2, 3, and 4. There is a need to move beyond teacher-directed approaches, promote independent learning, and enhance teachers' capacity to develop higher-order thinking skills.
Curriculum Design & Adaptation
The curriculum is well-structured, inclusive, and effectively planned to promote UAE culture and national priorities. However, its implementation does not consistently provide sufficient challenge or systematically develop students' higher-order thinking, critical thinking, and innovation skills across all subjects and phases.
Protection, Care & Support
The school maintains Very Good health and safety, including robust safeguarding and child protection. Care and support are generally effective, but provision for gifted and/or talented students is less developed, and attendance management in Phase 4 requires significant improvement due to persistent Weak attendance.
Areas for Development
- •Raise students’ achievement to consistently Good and Very Good levels, particularly in English-medium subjects and phases 3 and 4, by improving writing at length, strengthening reasoning and problem-solving skills in mathematics, and enhancing scientific and practical skills.
- •Improve aspects of teaching, assessment, and curriculum by ensuring teachers use time and resources effectively to promote independent learning, strengthening assessment procedures for reliable data, and expanding curricular opportunities for creativity and innovation.
- •Improve the impact of school leadership by establishing clear guidelines for responsibilities, expanding middle leaders' capacity to monitor teaching and learning, and strengthening governance to address staff stability and focus on measurable student outcomes.
- •Raise achievement in international assessments (TIMSS, PISA, and PIRLS) by aligning daily teaching and curriculum planning with assessment frameworks, enhancing teachers’ capacity in higher-order thinking strategies, and engaging parents through targeted workshops.