Dar Al Uloom Private School - Baniyas

Curriculum
Indian
ADEK
Good
Location
Abu Dhabi, Jarn Yafour
Fees
AED 5K - 10K

Executive Summary

Dar Al Uloom Private School - Baniyas, operating under the MoE (UAE) curriculum, has received an overall Weak rating in its latest ADEK Irtiqa inspection for the 2024-2025 academic year. This marks a significant decline from its previous Good rating in 2022, primarily attributed to substantial staff turnover, leadership changes, and worsening building conditions with unaddressed health and safety concerns.

Academically, students' achievement in Arabic-medium subjects, including Islamic Education and Arabic as a first language, shows mixed results, with social studies maintaining a Good rating across all cycles. However, achievement in English-medium subjects, such as English, Mathematics, and Science, has regressed, with progress in English declining to Acceptable across all phases. Students' learning skills in Cycles 1 and 2 have also regressed to Acceptable due to limited opportunities for critical thinking and technology use.

The quality of teaching has been significantly impacted by staff turnover, leading to a regression in Cycles 1 and 2, though teaching remains Good in KG and Cycle 3, particularly in Arabic-medium subjects. Leadership and management have also regressed, with governance rated as Weak due to a failure to address critical compliance and site safety issues. Despite these challenges, the school maintains positive and supportive partnerships with parents and the wider community.

Overall School Performance

Inspection Year 2024-2025

Outstanding

Very Good

Good

Acceptable

Weak

Very Weak

Dar Al Uloom Private School - Baniyas Overall Rating

Weak

ADEK Performance Standards

The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.

Students' Achievement
Weak

Attainment and progress in Arabic-medium subjects, particularly Islamic Education and Arabic as a first language, show mixed results, with some phases maintaining 'Good' while others are 'Acceptable'. UAE Social Studies consistently achieves 'Good' ratings. However, English-medium subjects (English, Mathematics, Science) have largely regressed, with most attainment and progress now rated 'Acceptable' or 'Weak' in standardized assessments, and learning skills also declining. Arabic-medium subjectsUAE Social StudiesEnglish-medium subjectsLearning Skills

Students' Personal & Social Development
Good

Students' personal development, understanding of Islamic values, and social responsibility are consistently rated as 'Good' across all cycles. Students demonstrate a strong appreciation for Islamic values and UAE culture, actively participating in community initiatives and national campaigns, despite punctuality issues. Islamic valuesUAE culturesocial responsibility

Teaching & Assessment
Acceptable

The quality of teaching has regressed to 'Acceptable' in Cycles 1 and 2 due to high staff turnover, though it remains 'Good' in KG and Cycle 3, particularly in Arabic-medium subjects. Teaching often lacks promotion of critical thinking, problem-solving, and independent learning, relying heavily on textbooks. Assessment practices are 'Acceptable', providing adequate measurement of student progress. staff turnovercritical thinkingtextbook-drivenassessment practices

Curriculum
Acceptable

Curriculum design and adaptation are rated 'Acceptable' across all phases. While the curriculum is broad and balanced, it focuses primarily on knowledge acquisition at the expense of skill development, and is largely textbook-driven, limiting teachers' ability to go beyond standard content. knowledge acquisitionskill developmenttextbook-driven

Protection, Care, Guidance & Support
Weak

Health and safety provisions are rated 'Weak' across all cycles, with significant unaddressed issues including structural damage and poor facility conditions, leading to a 'high risk' classification by Civil Defense. Care and support for students have regressed to 'Acceptable', with limited identification and support for students of determination, low attainers, and gifted students. Health and safetyhigh riskCare and supportstudents of determination

Leadership & Management
Weak

Leadership and management have regressed, with the effectiveness of leadership and self-evaluation rated 'Acceptable', and governance rated 'Weak' due to failure in addressing compliance and site safety. Management, staffing, and facilities are also 'Weak'. Despite these issues, partnerships with parents and the community remain 'Good'. governancesite safetystaffingpartnerships with parents

Key Highlights

Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.

Islamic Values & UAE Culture

Students across all Cycles demonstrate a clear understanding and appreciation of Islamic values and UAE culture through active participation in religious and national events.

Positive Personal Development

Students demonstrate positive personal development and social responsibility, actively participating in community initiatives and national campaigns.

Strong Social Studies

Attainment and progress in social studies remain good across all cycles, with students demonstrating above curriculum standards and strong engagement in national identity topics.

Strong Parent Partnerships

Relationships between parents and the school are strong, with frequent communication, active parental involvement in school life, and well-structured academic reporting systems.

Good Teaching in KG & Cycle 3

Teaching in KG and Cycle 3 is good, particularly in Arabic-medium subjects, where lessons reflect stronger engagement and progress compared to other areas.

Academic Performance Breakdown

KGKG1-KG2
Islamic Education
Good
Arabic as a first language
Good
UAE Social Studies
Good
English
Acceptable
Mathematics
Acceptable
Science
Acceptable
Learning Skills
Good
Primary/ElementaryGrades 1-5
Islamic Education
Acceptable
Arabic as a first language
Acceptable
UAE Social Studies
Good
English
Acceptable
Mathematics
Acceptable
Science
Acceptable
Learning Skills
Acceptable
MiddleGrades 6-8
Islamic Education
Acceptable
Arabic as a first language
Acceptable
UAE Social Studies
Good
English
Acceptable
Mathematics
Acceptable
Science
Acceptable
Learning Skills
Acceptable
Secondary/HighGrades 9-12
Islamic Education
Good
Arabic as a first language
Good
UAE Social Studies
Good
English
Acceptable
Mathematics
Acceptable
Science
Acceptable
Learning Skills
Good

Students' achievement in Arabic-medium subjects has remained broadly stable or declined slightly, while English-medium subjects have regressed with no improvement evident. Learning skills in Cycles 1 and 2 have also regressed.

Leadership & Management

Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.

The effectiveness of leadership
Regressed from Good to Acceptable.
Acceptable
School self-evaluation and improvement planning
Regressed from Good to Acceptable.
Acceptable
Parents and the community
Sustained as Good.
Good
Governance
Regressed from Good to Weak.
Weak
Management, staffing, facilities and resources
Sustained as Weak.
Weak

Leadership Approach

Leadership and management have regressed overall, with key areas like effectiveness of leadership, self-evaluation, and governance declining. While some operational improvements have been made, self-evaluation is underdeveloped, and governance has failed to address critical compliance and site safety issues. High staff turnover and inadequate resources further hinder effective management, though partnerships with parents remain a strength.

Inspection Findings

Students' Achievement

Students' achievement in Arabic-medium subjects shows mixed performance, with some areas maintaining 'Good' while others are 'Acceptable' or have regressed. English-medium subjects have largely declined, with attainment and progress rated 'Acceptable' or 'Weak' in standardized assessments, and learning skills also showing regression in Cycles 1 and 2.

Personal & Social Development

Students consistently demonstrate 'Good' personal development, a strong understanding of Islamic values, and awareness of Emirati and world cultures. They show positive social responsibility and actively participate in community initiatives, though punctuality remains an area for improvement.

Teaching & Assessment

The quality of teaching has regressed to 'Acceptable' in Cycles 1 and 2 due to high staff turnover, but remains 'Good' in KG and Cycle 3, particularly in Arabic-medium subjects. Teaching generally lacks strategies to promote critical thinking and independent learning, relying on textbooks. Assessment practices are 'Acceptable', adequately measuring student progress.

Curriculum Design & Adaptation

Curriculum design and adaptation are rated 'Acceptable' across all phases. The curriculum is broad and balanced but focuses heavily on knowledge rather than skill development, and its textbook-driven nature limits teachers' ability to innovate or adapt content effectively.

Protection, Care & Support

Health and safety provisions are rated 'Weak' across all cycles, with significant unaddressed hazards and a 'high risk' building classification. Care and support for students have regressed to 'Acceptable', with insufficient identification and targeted support for students of determination, low attainers, and gifted students.

Areas for Development

  • Raise attainment and accelerate progress across the core curriculum subjects by improving students’ ability to read fluently and write extended, creative texts, developing problem-solving and scientific enquiry skills, integrating international assessment-style questions, identifying and supporting all low and high attainers, and increasing opportunities for independent skill application.
  • Improve strategies and provision for effective teaching, assessment, and curriculum by using a broader range of engaging teaching approaches, embedding differentiated tasks, ensuring regular and specific assessment feedback, reviewing and adapting curriculum content, and equipping staff to use technology effectively.
  • Ensure the school meets and exceeds its targets on international assessments by analyzing PISA and TIMSS data, aligning teaching and learning with assessed skills, integrating higher-order thinking tasks, strengthening conceptual understanding, enhancing reading comprehension, supporting teachers, tracking progress, and fostering student confidence.
  • Review the health and safety arrangements for the school by addressing all serious hazards, upgrading air conditioning, implementing a reliable system for recording and tracking safeguarding and maintenance data, clarifying staff roles and responsibilities, and implementing regular compliance checks.
  • Improve the impact of school leadership by establishing accountability structures, aligning the school’s vision with inclusive practice and student achievement, evaluating professional development, ensuring evidence-based self-evaluation, linking the school development plan to priority areas, and enabling the governing board to support leadership succession and provide resources.