Al Sanawbar Private School
Executive Summary
Al Sanawbar Private School, located in Al Ain, has maintained an overall Good rating in its latest ADEK Irtiqa inspection for the 2025-2026 academic year. The school, which follows an American curriculum, demonstrates a consistent commitment to maintaining its performance, with its overall judgement remaining stable since the previous inspection in 2022.
The school shows particular strengths in Arabic-medium subjects, where students' achievement remains Good across all phases. Students exhibit positive attitudes, a secure understanding of Islamic values, and pride in their UAE national identity. Effective safeguarding procedures and support systems ensure student safety and well-being, including timely identification of students with additional learning needs.
While leadership has provided clear strategic direction and maintained stability during significant staff turnover, areas for development include consistently raising achievement in core subjects, particularly in English-medium subjects and science in lower grades. The school is also recommended to enhance higher-order skills, improve assessment consistency, and strengthen performance in international assessments like TIMSS, PISA, and PIRLS.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Al Sanawbar Private School Overall Rating
Good
ADEK Performance Standards
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students' achievement is maintained at an overall Good level, with Arabic-medium subjects consistently rated Good across all phases. While English-medium subjects generally remain Good, there are variations, including regressions in English in Middle school and Science in Primary. Mathematics progress in Middle school has improved to Good, reflecting more effective teaching strategies. Arabic-medium subjectsEnglish-medium subjectsMathematics progress
Students demonstrate positive attitudes, respectful behavior, and a secure understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture. They interact courteously and contribute to an inclusive school community, with older students serving as strong role models. However, attendance, punctuality, and innovation skills across all phases remain areas for improvement. positive attitudesIslamic valuesEmirati culturesocial responsibility
Teaching for effective learning is Good across most phases, with strong strategies in Middle school mathematics enhancing reasoning and problem-solving. Assessment systems are secure and well-aligned with curriculum standards, providing valid measures of attainment and progress. While moderation processes are developing, consistency across all subjects and phases is not yet fully effective. effective teachingassessment systemsmoderation processes
Curriculum design is rated Good, reflecting coherent planning, clear progression, and alignment with UAE priorities. However, curriculum adaptation is Acceptable, as targeted modifications and meaningful opportunities for enterprise, creativity, and innovation are not consistently evident in classroom practice to meet the diverse needs of all students. Curriculum designUAE prioritiesCurriculum adaptationcreativity and innovation
The school maintains effective safeguarding systems, providing a safe, orderly, and well-supervised environment. Health and safety procedures are consistently implemented. The identification of students with additional learning needs, including students of determination and those who are gifted and talented, has strengthened, but the classroom implementation of personalized support plans lacks full consistency. effective safeguardingsafe environmentadditional learning needspersonalized support plans
The quality of leadership and management is Good across all indicators. The principal and senior leaders provide clear strategic direction, ensuring stability during significant staff turnover and demonstrating a strong commitment to UAE priorities. However, the accuracy and depth of evaluative practice and the consistent translation of leadership actions into measurable improvements require further embedding. strategic directionstaff turnoverUAE prioritiesevaluative practice
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Consistent Achievement
Students' achievement has been maintained at an overall Good level across all subjects, demonstrating stable performance.
Positive Student Development
Students show positive, respectful, and responsible attitudes, a secure understanding of Islamic values, pride in UAE national identity, and active participation in community activities.
Effective Safeguarding
The school has effective procedures for safeguarding and support systems that ensure students’ safety and well-being.
Strong Support for SEND
Timely identification and support for students with additional learning needs, including students of determination, are effective.
Stable Leadership
Leaders provide clear strategic direction and have maintained overall school stability through a period of significant staffing change.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students' achievement in Arabic-medium subjects has remained Good across all phases. In English-medium subjects, there is variation, with some improvements and regressions across phases. External assessment data (MAP, IBT, TIMSS, PISA) often indicate lower attainment compared to internal assessments and international benchmarks.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The leadership team, led by the principal, provides clear strategic direction and has successfully maintained stability despite significant staff turnover. They demonstrate a strong commitment to UAE priorities, which is reflected in improved outcomes for National Identity. While self-evaluation and governance are coherent, there is a need to sharpen evaluative practices and ensure leadership actions consistently translate into measurable improvements in teaching quality and student outcomes.
Inspection Findings
Students' Achievement
Students demonstrate Good attainment and progress in Arabic-medium subjects across all phases. In English-medium subjects, performance varies, with some regressions in English and Science in lower phases. Internal assessments often show higher attainment than external benchmarks (MAP, IBT, TIMSS, PISA), indicating a gap. Students' skills in Qur’an recitation, evidence-based reasoning, extended writing, mathematical vocabulary, and scientific inquiry need further development.
Personal & Social Development
Students exhibit positive attitudes, respectful behavior, and a strong understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture. They engage courteously with peers and adults, contributing to an inclusive school community and participating in social and environmental initiatives. Older students are good role models. However, attendance, punctuality, and innovation skills across all phases require improvement.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching for effective learning is Good, with purposeful lessons building fluency and independence, particularly in Middle school mathematics. Assessment systems are secure and aligned with curriculum standards, providing valid measures of progress. While teachers use assessment information to inform planning, the consistency and effectiveness of assessment-informed practice and moderation processes vary across subjects and phases.
Curriculum Design & Adaptation
Curriculum design is Good, characterized by coherent planning, clear progression, and alignment with UAE priorities. However, curriculum adaptation is Acceptable, as targeted modifications and meaningful opportunities for enterprise, creativity, and innovation are not consistently integrated into classroom practice to cater to the diverse needs of all students, including high-attainers and students of determination.
Protection, Care & Support
The school maintains effective safeguarding systems, ensuring a safe, orderly, and well-supervised environment with consistent implementation of health and safety procedures. Identification of students with additional learning needs, including students of determination and gifted/talented students, has strengthened. However, the consistent classroom implementation of personalized support plans across all subjects and phases needs further development.
Areas for Development
- •Raise students’ achievement to consistently Very Good or better across all core subjects and phases by deepening understanding and skills in Islamic education and social studies, particularly in Qur’an recitation, evidence-based reasoning, and analytical skills.
- •Improve students’ writing at length in Arabic and English, and enhance their higher-order reading and speaking skills in both languages to strengthen fluency and comprehension.
- •Strengthen students’ use of accurate mathematical vocabulary, reasoning, problem-solving skills, and the application of mathematics to real-world contexts across all phases.
- •Enhance students’ scientific and practical skills across all phases so they can conduct investigations and design experiments using the scientific method, particularly in phases 1 and 2.
- •Increase the consistency of effective teaching, particularly in the lower grades, and embed opportunities for students across all phases to develop independence, deeper challenge, and higher-order skills such as inquiry, critical thinking, problem-solving, innovation, and effective use of technology, particularly for high-attaining and gifted students.
- •Ensure assessment procedures are robust, producing reliable data, and that assessment information is used effectively to plan learning, monitor progress, and close gaps between internal and external benchmarks.
- •Enhance the quality of written feedback so that it is specific, forward-looking, and routinely acted upon.
- •Expand elective options in the upper grades and embed innovation, enterprise, and problem-solving skills across the curriculum, while consistently supporting students with additional learning needs and challenging high-attaining and gifted students.
- •Improve leadership effectiveness in strengthening assessment procedures, professional challenge, and evaluative impact to ensure reliable assessment data, shared accountability, and sustained improvements in students’ outcomes.
- •Sharpen self-evaluation so judgements are fully evidence-based and effectively triangulated with lesson observation, students’ work, and external assessment data.
- •Refine monitoring systems so that lesson observation and review processes focus clearly on the progress students make.
- •Strengthen governance oversight through more analytical use of data, clearer follow-up actions, and systematic review of impact.
- •Align daily teaching and curriculum planning with TIMSS and PISA international assessment frameworks by embedding skill-based questions, modelled practice, and sample item formats into regular classroom lessons across English, mathematics, and science.
- •Use a detailed analysis of PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS results to identify gaps between curriculum coverage and assessment demand, and adjust planning accordingly.
- •Integrate question types and cognitive tasks modelled on international frameworks into teaching to build familiarity and confidence.
- •Continue targeted professional training to strengthen teachers’ understanding of benchmark expectations and cognitive demand.