Ashabal Al Quds Secondary Private School, Abu Dhabi
ADEK Inspection Report & Ratings
Last updated
Executive Summary
Ashabal Al Quds Secondary Private School maintains a Good overall rating in the AY 2024/25 ADEK Irtiqa inspection, reflecting consistent standards across most areas. The school, located in Shakhbout City, Abu Dhabi, offers the MoE (UAE) curriculum to students from KG to Cycle 3.
While students' achievement in Arabic-medium subjects generally remains Good, some areas have seen a decline, particularly in Arabic as a first language and Islamic education across various cycles. English-medium subjects show sustained performance, though achievement in English and science in KG has declined, and mathematics remains Acceptable across all phases. Learning skills have also declined in KG and Cycle 1, with instruction often being teacher-directed.
The school demonstrates Very Good understanding of Islamic values and appreciation of UAE culture and heritage, and Good social responsibility and innovation skills. Teaching has declined in KG and Cycle 1, but assessment practices have improved in Cycles 1-3. Leadership and management are rated Good, with partnerships with parents improving to Very Good, though self-evaluation and improvement planning require strengthening.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Ashabal Al Quds Secondary 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 in Arabic-medium subjects remains Good overall, though attainment in Arabic as a first language and Islamic education has declined in some cycles. English-medium subjects show sustained performance, but attainment in English and science in KG has declined, and mathematics remains Acceptable across all phases. Progress in science and Islamic education in Cycles 2 and 3 is Good, as is English across Cycles 1-3. Arabic-medium subjectsEnglish-medium subjectsMathematicsScienceIslamic education
Students' personal development is Acceptable, influenced by the implementation of behavioral systems. However, their understanding of Islamic values and appreciation of UAE culture and heritage are Very Good across all phases. Social responsibility and innovation skills are consistently Good, with students actively participating in community and environmental initiatives. Islamic valuesUAE culture and heritageSocial responsibilityInnovation skills
Teaching has declined to Acceptable in KG and Cycle 1 due to teacher-directed instruction and limited student-led learning, but remains Good in Cycles 2 and 3. Assessment is Acceptable in KG but improves to Good in Cycles 1-3, with improved data records for tracking individual progress, though its use to inform instruction could be more effective. Student-led learningAssessment dataTeacher-directed instruction
Curriculum design and implementation are Good in Cycles 1-3, featuring a well-structured, broad, and balanced approach with strong cross-curricular links. However, the KG curriculum is Acceptable, lacking sufficient opportunities for strong literacy, numeracy, and inquiry-based learning. Curriculum adaptation to meet diverse student needs is inconsistent and rated Acceptable. Curriculum designCross-curricular linksInquiry-based learningCurriculum adaptation
The school maintains Good health and safety procedures, including effective child protection and safeguarding protocols, complemented by well-being initiatives. Care and support for students remain Acceptable. Support for students of determination is inconsistent, and there is insufficient challenge for gifted and talented students. Health and safetyChild protectionSafeguardingStudents of determinationGifted and talented students
Leadership effectiveness, governance, and management and staffing maintain Good ratings. Partnerships with parents and the community have improved to Very Good due to enhanced communication. However, self-evaluation and improvement planning have declined to Acceptable, with a need to prioritize raising student achievement and strengthen middle leadership. Leadership effectivenessPartnerships with parentsSelf-evaluationStudent achievement
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Strong English Achievement
Students demonstrate good achievement in English across Cycles 1, 2, and 3, indicating effective language development.
UAE Culture & Values
Students show secure knowledge of Islamic values and a strong appreciation for the heritage and culture of the UAE.
Effective Safeguarding
The school has robust procedures in place for safeguarding students, including comprehensive child protection measures.
Clear Leadership Direction
Leaders provide a clear direction, fostering a culture of continuous improvement and effectively communicating their vision to all stakeholders.
Enhanced Parent Partnerships
The school has established effective partnerships with parents, improving communication and reporting on student development.
Cross-Curricular Connections
Students effectively connect their learning to UAE culture and other curriculum areas, enhancing holistic understanding.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Overall, students' achievement in Arabic-medium subjects remains Good, with some areas of decline across cycles. In English-medium subjects, performance is sustained with some areas of decline, particularly in KG. Performance in international assessments (PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS) is below targets and international averages, indicating a significant gap in literacy and numeracy.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The leadership team provides clear direction and fosters a shared vision for continuous improvement. The new principal has enhanced school facilities, resources, assessment, and parent engagement. While governance is effective, self-evaluation needs strengthening to accurately assess achievement and prioritize student outcomes.
Inspection Findings
Students' Achievement
Students' achievement in Arabic-medium subjects remains Good overall, with some declines in attainment in Arabic as a first language and Islamic education across cycles. English-medium subjects show sustained performance, but attainment in English and science in KG has declined. Mathematics remains Acceptable across all phases. Performance in international assessments is below targets.
Personal & Social Development
Personal development is Acceptable due to behavioral systems. However, students demonstrate Very Good understanding of Islamic values and appreciation of UAE culture and heritage, and Good social responsibility and innovation skills across all phases.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching has declined to Acceptable in KG and Cycle 1 due to teacher-directed approaches, but remains Good in Cycles 2 and 3. Assessment is Acceptable in KG but has improved to Good in Cycles 1-3, with better data records, though its use to inform instruction needs further improvement.
Curriculum Design & Adaptation
Curriculum design and implementation are Good in Cycles 1-3, offering a broad and balanced structure with strong cross-curricular links. However, the KG curriculum is Acceptable, lacking sufficient opportunities for foundational skills and inquiry-based learning. Curriculum adaptation for diverse student groups is inconsistent and rated Acceptable.
Protection, Care & Support
Health and safety, including child protection and safeguarding, remain Good. Care and support for students are Acceptable, with inconsistent support for students of determination and insufficient challenge for gifted and talented students.
Areas for Development
- •Raise students’ achievement to become at least good, by strengthening students' speaking, reading and writing skills in standard Arabic, engaging students in regular creative writing tasks, developing critical thinking and mathematical reasoning, improving scientific investigation skills, and expanding opportunities for problem-solving, critical thinking, innovation, ICT and research skills.
- •Enhance teaching, and assessment to become at least good, by raising teachers’ expectations of student potential, ensuring lesson planning and delivery meet the needs of all student groups, and shifting toward student-centered teaching practices.
- •Enhance students’ performance in international assessments by addressing identified gaps in literacy, strengthening the integration of assessment-style questions and problem-solving activities, providing targeted professional development for teachers, and implementing a comprehensive plan for data analysis and intervention.
- •Strengthen KG Provision and improve students’ early learning outcomes, by enhancing classroom and outdoor resources, ensuring the curriculum builds foundational knowledge, using assessment data more effectively, improving curriculum continuity, ensuring teaching assistants play an active role, and improving questioning strategies.
- •Improve aspects of leadership to raise effectiveness to at least a consistently good level, by strengthening middle leaders' ability to monitor and guide their teams, ensuring all students are fully engaged, strengthening behavior management systems, aligning Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) with the school development plan, providing targeted professional development for KG teachers, and ensuring necessary curriculum linked resources are available.