Alia International School
Executive Summary
Alia International Private School has received an overall ADEK Irtiqa rating of Weak for the 2025-2026 academic year. This represents a decline from its previous rating of Acceptable in AY2023/24, indicating significant areas requiring improvement across the school's operations.
The decline is largely attributed to weaknesses in students' achievement in both Arabic and English-medium subjects, particularly in Phase 1 where the absence of qualified teachers severely impacts foundational learning. Attainment in English, mathematics, and science has fallen to Weak across most phases, with external assessments like MAP, PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS showing Very Weak performance significantly below international averages.
While students' personal development has improved to Good, demonstrating positive attitudes and strong attendance, other key areas such as teaching and assessment, curriculum design, and leadership and management have also declined to Weak. The school faces challenges in pedagogical knowledge, curriculum adaptation, and effective governance, which collectively hinder consistent student progress and overall school improvement.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Alia International Private School Overall Rating
Weak
ADEK Performance Standards
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students' achievement has declined to Weak across most subjects and phases, particularly in Phase 1 due to a lack of qualified teachers. Attainment in English, mathematics, and science is largely Weak, and external assessments (MAP, PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS) show Very Weak performance. Progress is Acceptable in upper phases but Weak in Phase 1, with students struggling in foundational literacy, numeracy, and scientific inquiry. Arabic-medium subjectsEnglish-medium subjectslearning skillsPhase 1
Students' personal development has improved to Good across all phases, with positive and responsible attitudes, respectful relationships, and Outstanding attendance. Understanding of Islamic values and Emirati/world cultures remains Good, though social responsibility and innovation skills are Acceptable with limited opportunities for community engagement. positive attitudesself-disciplineIslamic valuesEmirati and world culturesattendance rates
Teaching for effective learning and assessment practices have declined to Weak across most phases, especially in Phase 1. Lessons are largely teacher-led with limited inquiry-based learning, and classroom management is underdeveloped. Assessment data is unreliable and not effectively used to track progress or address learning needs, with peer- and self-assessment rarely practiced. teacher-ledinquiry-based learningclassroom managementassessment data reliability
Curriculum design and implementation, along with curriculum adaptation, have declined to Weak across all phases. Policies are generic, and the curriculum lacks breadth, balance, and clear continuity, failing to adequately prepare students for the next educational stage. Modifications for students with additional learning needs are limited, as are opportunities for enterprise, innovation, and creativity. breadth, balance, continuitycurriculum adaptationadditional learning needsinnovation
Health and safety, including child protection and safeguarding, remain Good due to effective systems and protocols. However, care and support have declined to Acceptable, primarily due to insecure identification of students with additional learning needs and gifted/talented learners, leading to insufficient tailored support and challenge. Health and safetychild protectionsafeguardingidentification of students with additional learning needs
Leadership and management have declined to Weak, with the exception of parental involvement which remains Acceptable. The new principal's vision is not yet shared, and leaders lack sufficient knowledge of curriculum and best practices. Self-evaluation is underdeveloped, governance is ineffective in staffing and accountability, and resources are limited, particularly in Phase 1. new principalstrategic directionself-evaluationgovernancestaffingresources
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
UAE National Identity
Students demonstrate pride in their UAE national identity, reflecting a strong connection to local culture and heritage.
Positive Student Attitudes
Students show positive attitudes toward learning and maintain respectful relationships with staff and peers, contributing to a harmonious school environment.
Effective Safeguarding
The school has effective safeguarding procedures and provides a safe environment for all students and staff, ensuring their protection and well-being.
Outstanding Attendance
Students’ attendance is Outstanding, currently at 98%, indicating high engagement and commitment to schooling.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Overall academic performance has declined, with attainment in English-medium subjects rated Weak across most phases. External assessments (MAP, PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS) consistently show Very Weak performance, significantly below international benchmarks. While internal data sometimes indicates better progress, the inspection highlights a critical need to strengthen foundational skills and conceptual understanding across all subjects and phases.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The new principal has begun to establish a strategic direction and vision, but this is not yet effectively shared across the school community. Leadership capacity is limited, with senior and middle leaders lacking a secure understanding of curriculum requirements and high-quality teaching practices. Self-evaluation processes are underdeveloped, and governance is ineffective in ensuring stable staffing, accountability, and sufficient resources, which collectively impede sustained school improvement.
Inspection Findings
Students' Achievement
Students' achievement shows a significant decline, particularly in Phase 1 where foundational literacy, numeracy, and scientific inquiry skills are Weak due to staffing issues. While internal assessments suggest better attainment in upper phases for Arabic-medium subjects, external assessments consistently reveal Very Weak performance in English, Mathematics, and Science across all cycles, falling well below international benchmarks.
Personal & Social Development
Students demonstrate positive attitudes towards learning, maintain self-discipline, and foster respectful relationships with peers and staff. Attendance rates are Outstanding. Understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures is Good, though opportunities for developing social responsibility and innovation skills through community and sustainability projects are limited.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching for effective learning is largely teacher-led, with limited integration of inquiry-based methods and underdeveloped classroom management, especially in Phase 1. Assessment policies are reviewed but not effectively implemented, leading to unreliable data that is not used to track progress, identify learning gaps, or differentiate instruction for diverse student needs.
Curriculum Design & Adaptation
The curriculum lacks breadth, balance, and clear continuity, with generic policies that do not adequately prepare students for the next stage of education. Curriculum adaptation is Weak, offering limited modifications for students of determination, low/high attainers, or gifted students, and providing insufficient opportunities for enterprise, innovation, and creativity across subjects.
Protection, Care & Support
The school maintains effective systems for health and safety, including child protection and safeguarding, which are rated Good. Staff-student relationships are a strong feature. However, the identification of students with additional learning needs and gifted/talented learners is insecure, resulting in inadequate tailored support and challenge to meet their diverse requirements.
Areas for Development
- •Raise students’ achievement to a consistently Good level in all core subjects and phases, particularly in Phase 1 by strengthening foundational literacy, numeracy, vocabulary, and scientific inquiry skills, enhancing reading, comprehension, and writing skills in Arabic and English, developing knowledge and skills in mathematics and science, and building critical thinking, independent learning, and collaborative skills.
- •Improve the effectiveness of teaching and assessment by strengthening teachers’ knowledge of how students learn, increasing challenge in classroom questioning, enhancing differentiation in lesson planning, aligning internal assessments with curriculum standards, and establishing a systematic approach to analyzing assessment and benchmark data.
- •Improve the effective implementation and modification of the curriculum by ensuring alignment with licensed requirements and national expectations, improving curriculum progression, enhancing curricular options, and ensuring purposeful curriculum adaptation that secures appropriate challenge and support for all students.
- •Improve the effectiveness of school leadership by strengthening leadership oversight of care and support, improving leadership capacity across all levels, ensuring a rigorous, analytical self-evaluation process, and improving governance effectiveness in clarifying leadership roles, accountability, staffing, and resources.
- •Raise achievement in international assessments (TIMSS, PISA, and PIRLS) by integrating assessment-style tasks and inquiry-based learning activities, using performance data to guide instruction, strengthening data analysis, and developing a coherent whole-school strategy for preparation.