Al Saad Indian School
Executive Summary
Al Saad Indian School has achieved an overall ADEK Irtiqa rating of Very Good for the 2024-2025 academic year, marking a significant improvement from its previous 'Good' rating. This enhancement reflects the school's commitment to quality education within its Indian curriculum framework, serving a diverse student body primarily from India, Pakistan, and Afghanistan.
The inspection highlights strong student achievement across most subjects, with notable improvements in the secondary phase, where attainment in English and Science is now Outstanding. Students also demonstrate Very Good personal development, exhibiting positive attitudes, respectful behavior, and a strong understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture. The school's robust health and safety arrangements are consistently rated as Outstanding.
Effective leadership, which has improved to Very Good, plays a crucial role in fostering a positive learning environment and driving school improvement initiatives. While teaching quality and curriculum adaptation are generally Good, the report identifies areas for further development, particularly in challenging high attainers and students of determination, and enhancing the consistency of teaching and assessment practices.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Al Saad Indian School Overall Rating
Very Good
ADEK Performance Standards
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students demonstrate strong achievement across most subjects, with significant improvements noted in Arabic-medium subjects and outstanding attainment in English and Science at the secondary level. While internal data often shows high attainment, inspectors noted some inconsistencies with observed lesson performance, particularly in Phase 1. Outstanding attainmentimproved progressstrong achievement
Students exhibit very good personal development, displaying positive attitudes, respectful behavior, and punctuality. Their understanding of Islamic values, awareness of Emirati and global cultures, and social responsibility are rated as good, reflecting respectful relationships and a willingness to support peers. positive attitudesrespectful behaviorIslamic values
Teaching quality varies, with improvements in KG and secondary phases, while middle phases maintain a good level. Teachers effectively engage students, especially in English-medium subjects, but there is a need for more efficient use of time and better differentiation to meet diverse student needs. Assessment practices are good to very good, with data now incorporated into lesson plans for most grades. effective engagementdifferentiationassessment data
The curriculum design and adaptation are rated as good across all phases, providing varied learning opportunities that prepare students well for further study. However, there is insufficient adaptation to consistently extend all learners and cater to the diverse needs of all students effectively. varied learning opportunitiescurriculum adaptation
Health and safety arrangements, including child protection and safeguarding, are outstanding, maintaining a robust system and well-equipped facilities. However, care and support for students have regressed to good, primarily due to the absence of in-school support services for students of determination and a low identification rate for additional learning needs. Outstanding health and safetychild protectioncare and support
Leadership effectiveness and self-evaluation have improved to very good, reflecting successful initiatives to enhance student learning and staff development. Partnerships with parents and governance remain very good, while management and resources are good. Strategic staffing increases and investments in facilities demonstrate a commitment to improvement, though their full impact is still emerging. effective leadershipself-evaluationparent partnerships
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Strong Student Achievement
Students demonstrate strong achievement across most subjects, with notable progress observed in the secondary phase, particularly in English and Science, where attainment is outstanding.
Positive Personal Development
Students exhibit positive personal development, respectful behavior, and strong relationships within the school community, fostering a supportive and engaging environment.
Outstanding Health & Safety
The school maintains outstanding health and safety protocols, including robust child protection and safeguarding measures, ensuring a secure environment for all students.
Effective Leadership
Leadership is effective in fostering a positive learning environment, supporting staff development, and consistently driving high standards and continuous school improvement.
Improved Overall Performance
The school's overall performance judgment improved from 'Good' to 'Very Good' since the previous inspection, reflecting enhancements in core educational areas.
Strong Parent Partnership
The school benefits from strong and productive partnerships with parents, actively involving them in supporting student learning and school initiatives.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Overall, students' achievement has shown significant improvement, particularly in Arabic-medium subjects and in English and Science at the secondary level. While internal assessment data often indicates high attainment, inspectors noted inconsistencies with observed lesson performance in some phases. Mathematics achievement has regressed in middle and secondary phases, requiring focused attention on lesson alignment and assessment outcomes. Learning skills show varying performance across phases, with improvements in KG and secondary, but regression in the middle phase.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
Leadership is effective in cultivating a positive learning environment, supporting staff development, and driving high standards and ongoing school improvement. The appointment of a new Vice Principal and strategic staffing increases, including additional inclusion teachers and KG classroom adults, demonstrate a commitment to supporting learners, though the full impact of these recent initiatives is still emerging. Leaders show a clear understanding of benchmarking academic achievement against international standards and use data to inform curriculum modifications.
Inspection Findings
Students' Achievement
Students generally achieve well across subjects, with outstanding attainment in English and Science in the secondary phase. However, there are inconsistencies between internal assessment data and observed lesson performance, and mathematics achievement has regressed in some phases. Differentiation for high attainers and students of determination needs improvement.
Personal & Social Development
Students demonstrate very good personal development, characterized by positive attitudes, respectful behavior, and punctuality. Their understanding of Islamic values, Emirati culture, and social responsibility is good, fostering a supportive and inclusive school community.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching quality varies, with improvements in KG and secondary phases, but consistency is needed across all phases. While teachers engage students effectively, there is a need for more efficient use of time and better differentiation. Assessment practices are good to very good, with data now informing lesson planning for most grades.
Curriculum Design & Adaptation
The curriculum is well-designed and implemented, offering varied learning opportunities that prepare students for further study. However, there is insufficient adaptation to consistently extend all learners, particularly high attainers and students of determination, and to cater to their diverse needs effectively.
Protection, Care & Support
The school maintains outstanding health and safety arrangements, including robust child protection and safeguarding measures. However, care and support for students have regressed to good, primarily due to the absence of in-school support services for students with additional learning needs and a low identification rate.
Areas for Development
- •Raise the standards of achievement to at least very good in all subjects by ensuring activities are sufficiently challenging for high attainers and gifted students, expanding opportunities to use technology for independent research, encouraging interdisciplinary projects, and providing more real-world problem-solving activities in mathematics.
- •Further improve the quality of teaching, learning, and assessment by providing more opportunities for students, especially in lower phases, to develop independent research, innovation, creativity, and problem-solving skills. Additionally, improve the quality of marking and feedback to guide student improvement and ensure more efficient use of lesson time.
- •Strengthen leadership and management by ensuring the Self-Evaluation Form (SEF) is evaluative rather than descriptive, rigorously used by all leaders, and that the school development plan is robustly monitored for impact on student outcomes. Also, ensure attendance and punctuality improve to be at least very good across all phases.