Al Nahda National Schools - Branch-girlsPrincipal & Leadership TeamLast Updated: April 7, 2026

Al Nahda National School for Girls is led by Principal Salma Sidqi Eid, supported by Vice Principal and Head of Secondary Amy Louise Simmons and Head of Primary Rinus Jan Steyn. The 2024/25 ADEK inspection confirmed that the school has undergone significant leadership changes since 2022, including the appointment of a new Director General, Board Chair, and Principal — a substantial renewal of the senior team at every level. Despite this degree of transition, the inspection found that leadership and management have remained stable, sustaining performance across all six leadership indicators without regression. That is a meaningful signal of institutional resilience, though parents should note that the full impact of the new leadership on student outcomes is still developing.

The effectiveness of leadership is rated Good by ADEK, with governance rated Very Good — the strongest sub-rating in the leadership domain. Governors are described as providing informed and constructive strategic oversight, a consistent strength carried forward from the previous inspection cycle. School self-evaluation, improvement planning, and parent partnership are each rated Good. The inspection does, however, flag a clear area for development: middle leadership needs to more consistently drive accurate assessment practices and raise teaching quality across phases. This is an honest gap in an otherwise stable structure.

With 283 teachers serving 2,617 students, ANNSG operates at a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:10 — meaningfully lower than the Abu Dhabi city average of 1:13.6 across all private schools. For a school of this scale, that level of staffing density is a genuine operational commitment. [MISSING: staff qualification percentages — no data on Masters-level or higher qualifications provided in inspection sources.] Teacher nationalities are primarily Egyptian, Jordanian, and Palestinian, reflecting the school's predominantly Arab student body. [MISSING: explicit staff retention or turnover data from inspection or WSA sources.]

Parent engagement is an active feature of school life. The school runs a functioning PTA, holds regular teacher-parent conferences, and goes further than most by offering dedicated sessions explaining MAP, GL, TIMSS, PISA, and PIRLS assessments — complete with sample questions, revision strategies, and home-support guides. Partnership with parents is rated Good by ADEK. The school's achievement of the ADEK Reading Prize is a notable recent distinction, directly funding new Arabic and English book collections and upgraded reading environments. Founded in 1983, ANNSG carries over four decades of educational history in Abu Dhabi as part of the Al Nahda National Schools Group, which educates approximately 6,500 students across its campuses — a scale that brings both resource depth and institutional continuity.