Dar Al Marefa Private School
Executive Summary
The overall quality of education provided by Dar Al Marefa Private School is Good. From the Kindergarten (KG) onwards, students acquire strong learning skills and achieve well in most subjects. The school follows the IB curriculum, offering programs from KG 1 to Grade 12.
Attainment and progress are mostly good in KG, PYP, and MYP, and Very Good in DP for English, mathematics, and science. Students demonstrate very good personal and social development, contributing to a positive learning atmosphere, and show appreciation for Islamic values and UAE culture.
School leaders are committed to developing well-rounded citizens, though self-evaluation needs to be more accurate. Parental support is strong, and governors ensure good resources. The school has shown improved provision and student outcomes in the Diploma Programme.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Dar Al Marefa Private School Overall Rating
Good
Dubai Focus Areas
These three pillars represent the Dubai education authority's priorities: ensuring inclusive practices, prioritizing student wellbeing, and meeting UAE National Agenda targets.
The school provides good support for students of determination, with strong identification and assessment procedures, and detailed individual education plans (IEPs). Partnerships with parents are strong, and students make more than expected progress. However, consistency in support from class teachers and the availability of alternative pathways need improvement. students of determinationIndividual education plans
Leaders prioritize student and staff wellbeing, using surveys to provide personalized academic, social, and emotional support. Systems like counsellors and student leaders are in place, and wellbeing lessons deepen understanding of emotions. Students have access to a wide range of extra-curricular activities that support wellbeing. wellbeingcounsellorsextra-curricular activities
The school has successfully exceeded National Agenda targets for international assessments, showing significant improvement in PIRLS results. Curricula in English, mathematics, and science have been adapted to address gaps, and strategies to improve reading literacy are being extended. The Emirati cohort's achievement is Very Good. National AgendaPIRLSEmirati cohort
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Islamic Values
The school's culture is deeply rooted in Islamic values, fostering a respectful and appreciative environment for students.
DP Outcomes Improved
The school has significantly improved its provision and student outcomes within the Diploma Programme, demonstrating enhanced academic success.
Strong Parental Support
Parents provide strong support and commitment to the school, valuing the communication and feeling that their children are safe and appreciated.
Strong Personal Development
Students across all phases demonstrate strong personal development, exhibiting positive attitudes, good behavior, and a sense of social responsibility.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The principal and school leaders are committed to UAE priorities and developing well-rounded citizens, fostering a positive learning culture. They have taken action to improve teaching and outcomes, but self-evaluation is sometimes overgenerous, leading to inconsistencies not being fully addressed.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
From KG onwards, students acquire strong learning skills and achieve well, with attainment and progress mostly Good in KG, PYP, MYP, and Very Good in DP for core subjects. Students of determination make good progress, and personal and social development is Very Good, contributing to a positive learning atmosphere.
Personal Development
Students demonstrate very good personal and social development, showing positive attitudes, considerate behavior, and appreciation for Islamic values and UAE culture. They willingly take on leadership roles and display a strong sense of community and social responsibility, particularly in DP.
Teaching Quality
Teaching is Good in KG, PYP, and MYP, and Very Good in DP, with teachers effectively using subject knowledge for engaging lessons. However, inconsistencies remain in KG, PYP, and MYP where expectations can be too low, and internal assessments are not always reliable, leading to inaccurate progress pictures.
Protection & Care
Students' safety and wellbeing are a high priority, with effective safeguarding and child protection policies supported by regular staff training. A caring ethos permeates the school, and robust systems identify and support students of determination, with personalized plans guiding their care and career choices.
Areas for Development
- •Improve school self-evaluation by ensuring that all judgements of the school’s performance are accurate and form a reliable base for improvement planning.
- •Improve the quality and consistency of teaching in KG, PYP and MYP.
- •Broaden the range of alternative curriculum pathways to cater for a wider range of students’ interests and needs.
- •Improve students’ Holy Qur’an recitation skills.
- •Improve students’ writing for different audiences and different purposes.
- •Improve students’ writing skills in PYP and their spelling accuracy in MYP.
- •Improve students' writing, including the use of punctuation, in PYP and MYP.
- •Encourage students in DP to take on more challenging learning activities.
- •Improve students’ familiarity with mathematical vocabulary to enhance their capacity to solve word problems, particularly in PYP and MYP.
- •Ensure that all students engage in regular practical laboratory work.
- •Ensure that students’ independent learning skills and activity levels are maintained at points of transition.
- •Improve attendance in all phases.
- •Encourage boys in MYP to develop a stronger sense of personal responsibility.
- •Extend students’ knowledge and understanding of a broader range of world cultures.
- •Ensure that learning activities are more closely matched to students’ needs and abilities, and that students are fully engaged in all lessons.
- •Raise teachers’ expectations of what students can achieve.
- •Ensure that all assessments provide accurate and reliable measures of students’ attainment and progress.
- •Ensure that curriculum adaptations are applied more consistently across the phases to provide appropriately challenging work for students of all abilities.
- •Develop an alternative curriculum pathway to meet students’ needs better, particularly the needs of students of determination.
- •Ensure that all health and safety procedures are reviewed and updated as necessary.
- •Emphasise to parents the importance of their children’s regular attendance.
- •Ensure consistency in the support provided by class teachers for students of determination.
- •Integrate the school's reading and literacy plan more fully into the National Agenda action plan.
- •Firmly embed wellbeing as a theme through all aspects of the curriculum.
- •Improve students’ self-awareness and self-control in MYP.