Al Maharat Private School
Executive Summary
Al Maharat Private School has achieved a Good overall rating in its latest ADEK Irtiqa inspection for the 2023-2024 academic year, marking a significant improvement from its previous inspection. Located in Shakhbout City, Abu Dhabi, the school has demonstrated advancements across all performance standards, reflecting a strong commitment to continuous enhancement.
The school follows the British curriculum and is actively transitioning to the Cambridge curriculum, with plans for full implementation across all grades by the 2024/2025 academic year. Key academic strengths include improved attainment and progress in English and Mathematics, particularly in KG and secondary phases, alongside enhanced students' personal and social development and innovation skills. Teaching and assessment practices have also seen a positive shift from acceptable to good.
This progress is largely attributed to the establishment of a new leadership team in August 2022 and a significant reduction in teacher turnover, which have driven effective strategies and innovative approaches. The school has successfully addressed all recommendations from its previous inspection, aligning with the UAE Inspection Framework's criteria and pursuing the High-Performance Schools Award.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Al Maharat Private School Overall Rating
Good
ADEK Performance Standards
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students' attainment and progress have improved, particularly in English and Mathematics in KG and secondary phases. While Arabic medium subjects remained acceptable, overall student achievement reflects better than expected progress in relation to starting points and curriculum standards. EnglishMathematicsArabic medium subjects
Students' personal and social development, alongside their innovation skills, have improved from acceptable to good. This indicates enhanced positive attitudes, self-reliance, and opportunities for developing creative thinking. innovation skillspositive attitudesself-reliance
Teaching and assessment practices have moved from an acceptable to a good rating, partly due to a significant reduction in teacher turnover and the establishment of a new leadership team. This reflects more effective learning strategies and improved assessment processes across all phases. teacher turnovernew leadership teamassessment processes
The curriculum design and implementation have been upgraded from acceptable to good. The curriculum now better supports students' learning needs and is aligned with international standards, including the implementation of the Cambridge Curriculum in some phases. Cambridge Curriculuminternational standardslearning needs
The school's provision for the protection, care, guidance, and support of students has improved to good. This reflects enhanced support systems, student welfare initiatives, and effective policies for well-being and safeguarding. safeguardingstudent welfaresupport systems
The effectiveness of leadership and management has improved from acceptable to good. This is attributed to the new leadership team’s effective strategies and innovative approaches, which have been instrumental in driving school-wide improvements and addressing previous recommendations. new leadership teameffective strategiesschool-wide improvements
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Student Engagement & Confidence
Students across all year groups are actively engaged in learning and are becoming more confident in their abilities.
Communication Skills
Students demonstrate strong abilities to communicate their thinking and learning effectively across all subjects.
Innovation Skills Development
The school provides ample opportunities for students to develop and enhance their innovation skills.
Effective Safeguarding
Policies and procedures for promoting student well-being and ensuring safety are highly effective.
Support for Students of Determination
There is strong and effective support provided for students of determination, ensuring their needs are met.
Parental Engagement
Parents are actively committed to supporting the school across all phases, contributing to a strong community.
Academic Performance Breakdown
The school has made substantial progress in students' attainment and progress, particularly in English and Mathematics, with general improvements noted across KG and secondary phases. Arabic medium subjects have maintained acceptable ratings.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
A new leadership team, established in August 2022, has implemented effective strategies and innovative approaches that have significantly driven school-wide improvements. This leadership has been instrumental in addressing previous inspection recommendations and fostering continuous improvement.
Inspection Findings
Students' Achievement
Students demonstrate improved attainment and progress, particularly in English and Mathematics in KG and secondary. While Arabic medium subjects remained acceptable, students show expected or better than expected progress in relation to curriculum standards, though some groups, including students of determination, do not always make expected progress in all subjects.
Personal & Social Development
Students exhibit good personal development, understanding of Islamic values, and awareness of Emirati and world cultures. Their social responsibility and innovation skills are also rated as good, indicating positive attitudes and increasing self-reliance.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching for effective learning and assessment practices are rated as good. Teachers apply subject knowledge, and internal assessment processes are secure and linked to attainment and progress, contributing to improved student outcomes.
Curriculum Design & Adaptation
Curriculum design and implementation, along with curriculum adaptation, are rated as good. The curriculum, including High-Performance Learning, offers experiences that empower students and is being modified to better support learning needs and align with international standards.
Protection, Care & Support
Health and safety, including child protection and safeguarding arrangements, are rated as Very Good. Care and support for students are good, reflecting effective policies, well-being initiatives, and strong support for students of determination.
Areas for Development
- •Improve students’ achievement, teaching, and assessment to become at least very good by engaging students in well-planned group work to develop their collaboration skills, planning regular opportunities for critical thinking, problem-solving, inquiry, and independent learning skills, providing more opportunities for students to make meaningful connections between all areas of learning, ensuring teachers consistently plan well-differentiated work to meet the needs and extend the learning of higher-attaining students, using assessment data effectively, and ensuring all teachers use more open-ended questioning.
- •Ensure that all students are given the opportunity to develop their personal, social development and innovation skills by empowering students with opportunities to initiate activities to support the community and elevating students' understanding of other world cultures.
- •Enhance the quality of the curriculum’s design and implementation to a very good level by balancing opportunities to acquire knowledge with the time needed to develop learning skills, ensuring the school continues to modify the curriculum to consistently meet the needs of higher attainers, improving the quality of support for students with gifts and/or talents, and providing more challenge in every lesson for all students.
- •Improve aspects of the leadership to raise effectiveness to at least a very good level by strengthening the development of the middle leadership to better support school expansion and elevating the levels of challenge and support from the governing board.