Elite English School
Executive Summary
Elite English School received an Acceptable rating in its 2023-2024 KHDA inspection. The school, which follows the Indian curriculum, has maintained a mostly adequate performance, demonstrating improvement in a few key areas.
Students show higher achievement in English, particularly in Secondary, and exhibit good learning skills across all phases. Teaching in KG and Primary is notably stronger, systematically building children’s learning, while the curriculum is appropriately designed and continuously improved.
The school prioritizes safeguarding, child protection, and wellbeing, with well-developed procedures for safety. Leaders are committed to UAE national priorities and school improvement, though their capacity for change varies, and day-to-day management operates effectively.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Elite English School Overall Rating
Acceptable for 11+ 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.
The school demonstrates a strong commitment to inclusion, with an experienced leader and specialist team accurately identifying barriers to learning. While individual education plans are detailed, support for students of determination remains inconsistent in lessons, and modifications for gifted and talented students are in early stages. Students of DeterminationIndividual Education PlansGifted and Talented
Wellbeing is a high priority, reflected in mutual respect and strong parent partnerships. The school provides ongoing staff training and support, leading to high staff morale. Students are given responsibilities, understand internet safety, and promote healthy lifestyles, fostering a positive and harmonious school climate. staff moraleparent partnershipsinternet safetyhealthy lifestyles
The school has achieved a 'Very Good' rating in international and benchmark assessments for English, mathematics, and science, though it fell short of its PIRLS target. Leaders are developing their understanding of assessment outcomes and implementing plans to address gaps, with a developing reading culture across most subjects. International AssessmentsPIRLSreading literacy
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
KG Achievement
The school demonstrates strong achievement among children in Kindergarten, indicating effective early years provision.
Personal Development
Students exhibit very positive attitudes, self-discipline, and a strong sense of civic responsibility, contributing to a harmonious school atmosphere.
Care & Wellbeing
The school provides high-quality care, support, and wellbeing provisions, ensuring a safe and nurturing environment for students.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students' learning skills are generally good across all phases, with particular strengths in KG. However, content-driven lessons in Middle and Secondary limit the development of independent learning and critical thinking.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
Leaders are committed to UAE national priorities and school improvement, though their capacity to make required changes varies, particularly among middle leaders. Day-to-day management is effective, with well-established routines, and the school is adequately staffed and resourced. However, self-evaluation lacks sufficient emphasis on measurable student progress, and governance needs to strengthen its challenge to leaders.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students demonstrate higher achievement in English, with good outcomes in KG and Primary for Mathematics and Science, but acceptable in Middle and Secondary. Islamic Education progress is good, while Arabic achievement is weak in Middle and Secondary. Students' learning skills are generally good.
Personal Development
Students are self-disciplined, exhibit very positive attitudes to learning, and are proud ambassadors of the school. They have a secure understanding of Islamic values, a well-developed sense of civic responsibility, and contribute actively to their school and local community.
Teaching Quality
Teaching is stronger in KG and Primary, systematically building children’s learning. In Middle and Secondary, teaching is more instructional, limiting independent work. Assessment processes are reliable, especially in KG, but the use of data to inform teaching and the quality of written feedback need improvement in other phases.
Protection & Care
The school has well-developed procedures for health and safety, with safeguarding and child protection as high priorities. Care and wellbeing are also high priorities, with strong support from staff. However, parent pick-up arrangements remain a concern, and support for students of determination is inconsistent.
Areas for Development
- •Raise achievement by improving the quality of teaching and learning, particularly in Arabic.
- •Ensure that assessments provide accurate data and that the information is used to plan learning activities that meet the needs of all groups of students.
- •Strengthen the level of challenge provided by governors in holding leaders to account for the school’s performance.
- •Improve the capacity of the school leaders, particularly the middle leaders, to identify and remove barriers to learning.
- •Ensure that all leaders fully understand the implications of benchmark reports, and use this information to identify and close gaps in learning.
- •Improve the level of students’ English reading skills.
- •Survey a wider range of sources for information on the impact of wellbeing initiatives.
- •Improve recitation skills and memorisation of the assigned Holy verses by introducing the use of technology to encourage independent learning.
- •Ensure Arabic is being taught according to the number of years of studying Arabic to improve students’ outcomes.
- •Improve students’ speaking skills by providing students with opportunities to use Arabic in everyday contexts.
- •Improve independent and extended writing skills in all phases.
- •Improve students’ performance in CBSE examinations.
- •Provide more opportunities for students to apply their mathematical skills in everyday contexts.
- •Challenge students with tasks that develop their critical thinking and investigative skills.
- •Fully embed strategies to develop students’ critical thinking skills.
- •Provide more opportunities for students to engage in scientific inquiry, experiments and problem-solving.
- •Improve students’ independence by enabling them to enquire and lead their own learning.
- •Ensure students use critical thinking skills to enhance learning by consolidating their understanding.
- •Ensure students have opportunities to explore and understand other World cultures beyond their own.
- •Provide more opportunities for students to develop innovative and entrepreneurial skills.
- •Improve the analysis and use of assessment information in lesson planning and implement activities that support and appropriately challenge all groups of students.
- •Improve the quality of written teachers’ feedback on students’ work by including clear steps for further improvement.
- •Conduct a comprehensive and rigorous review to ensure that the curriculum supports high level student outcomes.
- •Adapt the curriculum to meet the needs of all students’ groups, particularly the higher achievers and those with gifts and talents.
- •Improve the arrangements for parents picking their children up at the end of the school day.
- •Ensure that in all lessons, support is well-matched to the needs of individual students.
- •Ensure that in lesson planning, all teachers take account of the needs of students of determination and those with gifts and talents.
- •Use assessment information and individual learning plans to provide intervention strategies to meet students’ current learning needs.
- •Ensure leaders monitor the impact of all initiatives and actions with respect to students’ learning and their achievement.
- •Improve the ability of governors to hold leaders to account for school’s performance.