Emirates Education Academy, Abu Dhabi
ADEK Inspection Report & Ratings
Last updated
Executive Summary
The Emirates Education Academy, operating under the Ministry of Education (MoE) curriculum, received an overall Acceptable rating in its latest ADEK Irtiqa inspection for the 2024-2025 academic year. The school's performance has remained consistent since the previous inspection, with some areas showing minimal improvement while others experienced a slight decline.
While Students' Achievement generally remains Acceptable, there were notable improvements in English, Mathematics, and Science in the Secondary phase (Cycle 3). Students' Personal Development is a strength, rated Good, with positive student attitudes and respect for others. However, Teaching & Assessment, Curriculum, and Protection, Care, Guidance & Support are all rated Acceptable, indicating a need for more consistent implementation of effective practices.
Leadership and Management, rated Acceptable overall, faces significant challenges, particularly in self-evaluation, governance, and the management of staffing and resources, which are all rated Weak. The school's partnership with parents and the community remains a positive feature, rated Good. Key recommendations focus on improving student achievement across all subjects, enhancing teaching and assessment practices, ensuring a broad and balanced curriculum, strengthening protection and care, and improving leadership effectiveness.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Emirates Education Academy Overall Rating
Acceptable
ADEK Performance Standards
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students' achievement is Acceptable overall, with some progress in English, Mathematics, and Science in the Secondary phase. However, attainment and progress in Arabic as a first language, Islamic Education, and UAE Social Studies remain Acceptable across all cycles. Learning skills are consistently Acceptable. EnglishMathematicsScienceSecondary phase
Students' personal development is Good, characterized by positive and responsible attitudes, respect for peers and teachers, and a generally positive approach to work. Understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures are also Good. Social responsibility and innovation skills are developing and rated Acceptable. positive attitudesIslamic valuesEmirati culture
Teaching and assessment practices are Acceptable across all phases. While some work has been done on assessment outcome analysis, a significant number of teachers do not effectively use this data to inform their planning. Consistency in high-quality teaching and differentiation to cater to diverse student abilities needs improvement. assessment outcomesdifferentiate lessons
Curriculum design, implementation, and adaptation are Acceptable across the school. While modifications are planned, their implementation is inconsistent. Reviews of the curriculum lack a sharp focus on connecting planning with successful student outcomes, and cross-curricular links need to be more meaningful. curriculum adaptationstudent outcomescross-curricular links
The quality of health and safety, including child protection and safeguarding, has declined to Acceptable due to a lack of attention to detail and systematic hazard addressing. Care and support, including inclusion, are Acceptable, but there is a need for a comprehensive system to identify and support students with additional learning needs and those who are gifted and talented. health and safetychild protectionsafeguardingstudents of determination
Leadership and management are Acceptable overall, but significant work is needed for improvement. The effectiveness of leadership is Acceptable, but school self-evaluation and improvement planning, governance, and the management of staffing, facilities, and resources are rated Weak. Accountability for leaders at all levels needs to be strengthened. self-evaluationgovernancestaffing and resources
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Positive Student Conduct
Students consistently demonstrate self-discipline and positive responses to peers and teachers, fostering a respectful and productive learning environment.
Effective Attendance Monitoring
The school maintains clear procedures for monitoring and following up on student attendance and punctuality, contributing to consistent school presence.
Safe & Supportive Environment
Effective supervision of students across all areas ensures a safe and supportive atmosphere throughout the school day.
Cultural & Islamic Values
Students show a clear understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture, recognizing their influence on contemporary society.
Strong Parental Support
Parents actively support the school and appreciate the clear and consistent communication provided regarding their children's progress.
Cycle 3 English Improvement
Attainment and progress in English for Cycle 3 students have improved from Acceptable to Good, demonstrating enhanced language skills.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Learning Skills are consistently Acceptable across all cycles.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The leadership demonstrates a commitment to inclusion but faces significant challenges in driving school improvement. There is a critical need to strengthen self-evaluation processes, enhance governance accountability, and address deficiencies in staffing and resource management to achieve desired student outcomes.
Inspection Findings
Students' Achievement
Students' attainment and progress in Islamic Education, Arabic, and UAE Social Studies are Acceptable across all cycles. English, Mathematics, and Science in Cycle 3 show some improvement, with English reaching Good, though Mathematics and Science remain Acceptable despite reported improvements. Learning skills are consistently Acceptable.
Personal & Social Development
Students exhibit Good personal development, displaying positive and responsible attitudes, respect for teachers and peers, and a positive work ethic. Their understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures is Good. However, social responsibility and innovation skills are Acceptable and require further development.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching and assessment practices are Acceptable across all phases. While some efforts are made to analyze assessment outcomes, many teachers do not effectively use this data to inform lesson planning and differentiate instruction. Consistency in high-quality teaching and providing opportunities for discussion and collaborative work need improvement.
Curriculum Design & Adaptation
Curriculum design and implementation, along with adaptation, are Acceptable throughout the school. Planned modifications are inconsistently implemented, and curriculum reviews lack a sharp focus on connecting planning with improved student outcomes. There is a need for more meaningful cross-curricular links and opportunities for enterprise and innovation.
Protection, Care & Support
Health and safety, including child protection and safeguarding, has declined to Acceptable due to identified hazards and a lack of systematic addressing. Care and support, including inclusion, are Acceptable, but the school needs a comprehensive system for identifying and supporting students with additional learning needs and those who are gifted and talented, as well as improving facilities for students of determination.
Areas for Development
- •Improve student achievement to at least a "Good" level across all subjects and cycles by enhancing recitation skills of the Holy Qur'an, deepening understanding of Islamic education texts, improving English phonics, speaking, and extended writing, strengthening standard Arabic speaking and writing, enhancing mathematics problem-solving, and promoting scientific inquiry and critical thinking.
- •Enhance teaching, learning, and assessment across subjects by ensuring lessons cater to the full range of student abilities, increasing consistency of high-quality teaching, providing more opportunities for discussions and collaborative work, rigorously using assessment data for differentiation, and improving the quality of written feedback and self/peer assessment practices.
- •Ensure all students have access to a broad and balanced curriculum by introducing Physical Education for Grade 11 and 12 girls, providing regular access to specialist ICT facilities for girls from Grade 5 to Grade 12, refining curriculum review processes to address learning gaps, and implementing more structured links with the UAE.
- •Enhance students’ protection, care, and support across the school by thoroughly reviewing child protection and safeguarding systems, ensuring the building is fit for purpose for students of determination, developing more effective arrangements for behavior, reviewing risk assessment processes, and implementing systems to identify and support students with additional learning needs and those who are gifted and talented.
- •Improve leadership and management at all levels to drive school improvement by ensuring a properly constituted Board of Governors, holding leaders accountable for student outcomes, strengthening leadership structures, developing robust monitoring and evaluation systems, ensuring data-driven self-evaluation, and filling vacancies as per the organizational structure.
- •Improve results in the International Assessments TIMSS, PISA, and PIRLS by reviewing existing preparation approaches, analyzing previous results to refine teaching practices, strengthening preparation through effective use of resources, enhancing teachers' understanding of assessment frameworks, and providing opportunities for higher-order thinking and mock assessments.