DEWA Academy, Dubai
KHDA Inspection Report & Ratings
Last updated
Executive Summary
The DEWA Academy provides a Good quality of education, focusing on a vocational education for Emirati boys. The school promotes a strong vision to develop the capabilities of its students, preparing them well for future employment.
Students demonstrate Good progress and attainment in almost all subjects, including Islamic Education, English, mathematics, and science, with Very Good progress in engineering. The curriculum effectively combines Ministry of Education subjects with BTEC engineering units, successfully preparing students for higher education and careers.
Key strengths include a strong sense of community, mutual respect, and students' well-developed personal and social responsibility. The academy also excels in ensuring health and safety, providing strong care and support, and maintaining a strong commitment to inclusive education.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
DEWA Academy Overall Rating
Good for 3+ consecutive years
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.
Leaders foster an inclusive culture with suitable policies and effective planning, monitoring, and support by the inclusion leader. Screening systems accurately identify learning needs, informing comprehensive Individual Education Plans (IEPs). Students make better than expected progress towards vocational qualifications. Individual Education Plans (IEPs)vocational qualifications
The academy has a good level of wellbeing provision, with leaders promoting a clear vision and comprehensive policies. Students feel heard through the student council, and systematic monitoring leads to suitable interventions. The curriculum incorporates social and emotional learning, fostering highly motivated students. student councilsocial and emotional learning
The school's overall standards in the National Agenda Parameter are acceptable. While middle leaders use assessment information to identify strengths and areas for improvement, reading test results are below expected levels. Leaders have initiated literacy initiatives, but the action plan lacks measurable targets and specific completion dates. reading literacyPISA
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Academic Progress
Students show good progress and attainment in almost all subjects, including Islamic Education, English, mathematics, and science.
Community & Respect
The school fosters a strong sense of community and a climate of mutual respect among students and staff.
Responsibility & Values
Students exhibit a well-developed sense of personal and social responsibility, coupled with respect for Islamic values.
Health & Safety
Arrangements for health and safety are robust, with a strong focus on care and support for all students.
Inclusive Education
The academy demonstrates a strong commitment to inclusive education, ensuring all students are supported.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Following improved attainment in mathematics, progress and attainment in Islamic Education, English, mathematics and science are now all good. Progress and attainment in Arabic are acceptable. Students make very good progress in engineering and almost all achieve a full Business and Technology Education Council (BTEC) Level 3 diploma at the end of Grade 12.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
Senior leaders, led by the principal, promote a strong vision for the academy as an educational setting developing Emirati boys for high-quality vocational education and future employment. They establish a positive learning culture with professional relationships and effective communication, though middle leaders' effectiveness in securing improvement varies.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students demonstrate good attainment and progress in most subjects, including Islamic Education, English, mathematics, and science, with very good progress in BTEC engineering. Learning skills are good, though Arabic attainment and progress remain acceptable. Almost all students achieve a full BTEC Level 3 diploma.
Personal Development
Students exhibit very good personal development, showing maturity, responsibility, and a strong work ethic. They have positive attitudes, excellent behavior, and strong relationships with staff and peers. Their understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture is very good, and they show excellent student leadership and commitment to social responsibility.
Teaching Quality
Teaching for effective learning is good, with most teachers possessing strong subject knowledge and fostering positive relationships. However, teaching is not consistently matched to the full range of learning abilities, and differentiated challenge is inconsistent. Assessment is acceptable, with internal and external data alignment being inconsistent, and assessment data not always effectively informing lesson planning.
Protection & Care
Health and safety, including safeguarding, is very good, with the academy prioritizing student welfare through an exceptionally secure learning environment and thorough risk assessments. Care and support are good, characterized by positive relationships and effective guidance systems. The inclusion leader has improved identification systems for students of determination, though punctuality to lessons needs improvement.
Areas for Development
- •Improve progress and raise attainment in Arabic.
- •Improve the quality and consistency of teaching and learning.
- •Ensure that the outcomes of internal assessments are accurate.
- •Apply greater rigour in the process of self-evaluation and ensure that the MoE curriculum and BTEC provision are more closely aligned.
- •Improve students’ reading literacy levels to give students fuller access all aspects of the BTEC curriculum.
- •Fully integrate wellbeing themes into teachers' lesson plans in all subjects and ensure that they are implemented in lessons.
- •Improve students' punctuality at the start of lessons.
- •Develop students’ awareness of a wider range of world cultures.
- •Improve IEPs to include students' own roles and responsibilities in improving their progress.