Gems Winchester School
Executive Summary
GEMS Winchester School, a private British curriculum school in Abu Dhabi, has maintained its overall ADEK Irtiqa rating of Very Good for the 2024-2025 academic year. The school demonstrates strong performance across all six ADEK performance standards, reflecting a commitment to high-quality education and student well-being.
Students' achievement is generally strong, with notable improvements in English attainment in Phase 1 and Mathematics in Phase 3. The school actively prepares students for international assessments like TIMSS and PIRLS, incorporating reasoning-based resources and targeted professional development for teachers. A comprehensive transformation of library facilities further supports reading as a key whole-school priority.
Leadership and management are effective, providing clear strategic direction and fostering a positive school culture. The school places a high emphasis on child protection and safeguarding, ensuring a safe and secure environment. Strong relationships between students and staff, coupled with students' innovative skills and work ethic, contribute to a focused and supportive learning community.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Gems Winchester School Overall Rating
Very Good
ADEK Performance Standards
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students demonstrate strong achievement in English, Mathematics, and Science, with notable improvements in specific phases and subjects. While Islamic Education and Arabic subjects show some areas for development in application and fluency, overall attainment and progress are commendable, with students actively engaged in learning and applying critical thinking skills. EnglishMathematicsScienceLearning Skills
Students consistently exhibit positive behavior, emotional maturity, and active engagement in fostering a respectful and inclusive school environment. They demonstrate strong knowledge of Islamic values, Emirati and world cultures, and well-developed social responsibility and innovation skills. positive behavioremotional maturityinclusive environmentinnovation skills
Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge, effective planning, and utilize strategies that promote engagement, reflection, and critical thinking in inclusive classrooms. The school employs reliable internal assessment systems, combined with a range of formative and summative assessments and constructive feedback, to accurately track student progress and support ongoing improvement. strong subject knowledgeeffective planningcritical thinkingreliable assessment systems
The curriculum is well-structured, aligned with the National Curriculum for England and UAE priorities, ensuring smooth progression and appropriate challenge. It fosters creativity, cross-curricular links, and real-world connections, while embedding strong cultural values and preparing students effectively for future learning. British curriculumUAE prioritiescross-curricular linksreal-world connections
The school maintains strong safeguarding policies, ongoing staff training, clear reporting, and effective parent communication. Health and safety are carefully monitored through inspections and drills, with accessible facilities and good medical support promoting students’ well-being and safety. strong safeguarding policieschild protectionhealth and safetystudent well-being
Leadership provides clear strategic direction aligned with UAE priorities, demonstrating a strong commitment to inclusion and high standards. They foster a positive culture through effective communication and delegation, proactively driving innovation while ensuring full compliance and effective management of resources. clear strategic directioncommitment to inclusionpositive culturedriving innovation
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Respectful Relationships
Highly respectful and supportive relationships exist between students and staff, as well as among peers, fostering a positive school climate.
Effective Leadership
The principal and senior leadership team provide effective leadership, setting a clear strategic direction and promoting a bold vision embraced by all stakeholders.
Innovative Students
Students demonstrate strong innovation, creativity, and a robust work ethic in their learning across subjects.
Safe Environment
The school ensures a safe and secure environment with a high emphasis on child protection and safeguarding measures.
Strong Attendance
High attendance and punctuality contribute to a focused learning environment and support overall student achievement.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students' achievement shows strong performance in English, Mathematics, and Science, with specific improvements noted. However, Islamic Education and Arabic subjects require further development in application, fluency, and extended writing skills. The school actively uses standardized and international assessments to monitor and target areas for improvement.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
Leadership provides clear strategic direction aligned with UAE priorities, demonstrates strong commitment to inclusion and high standards, fosters a positive culture through effective communication and delegation, and proactively drives innovation while ensuring full compliance.
Inspection Findings
Students' Achievement
Students demonstrate strong achievement in English, Mathematics, and Science, with many attaining above curriculum standards. While Islamic Education and Arabic subjects show areas for development in applying Tajweed rules, interpreting Qur’anic verses, and enhancing expressive reading and extended writing, students generally make better than expected progress. Standardized assessments show varied performance, with strong results in TIMSS for Year 9 Mathematics and Science, and PIRLS for Year 5 reading.
Personal & Social Development
Students consistently exhibit Very Good personal development, understanding of Islamic values and Emirati and world cultures, and strong social responsibility and innovation skills across all phases. They demonstrate consistently positive behavior, emotional maturity, and actively contribute to a respectful and inclusive school environment.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching and assessment are consistently Very Good across all phases. Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge, effective planning, and use strategies that promote engagement, reflection, and critical thinking. Reliable internal assessment systems, combined with a range of formative and summative assessments and constructive feedback, support accurate tracking of student progress and ongoing improvement.
Curriculum Design & Adaptation
The curriculum is rated Very Good across all phases, reflecting a well-structured design aligned with the National Curriculum for England and UAE priorities. It is thoughtfully planned to ensure smooth progression, appropriate challenge, and relevance, fostering creativity, cross-curricular links, and real-world connections while embedding strong cultural values.
Protection, Care & Support
The school provides Very Good protection, care, guidance, and support for students. This includes strong safeguarding policies, ongoing staff training, clear reporting procedures, and effective parent communication. Health and safety are carefully monitored through inspections and drills, with accessible facilities and good medical support promoting students’ overall well-being and safety.
Areas for Development
- •Improve students' achievements across all core curriculum subjects by strengthening their ability to interpret and apply Qur’anic verses and Hadith, improving knowledge and application of Tajweed rules, enhancing expressive and fluent reading in Arabic, developing extended writing skills in Arabic and English, improving vocabulary, reasoning, problem-solving, and independent scientific investigation skills.
- •Further improve the quality and consistency of high-quality teaching and assessment by ensuring full student engagement, clear expectations for written work, more opportunities for student-led learning, increasing challenge for higher-attaining and gifted students, effective questioning, embedding innovation and enterprise, promoting independent learning, and benchmarking Arabic medium subjects.
- •Meet and exceed the school's targets in international assessments (TIMSS, PISA, and PIRLS) by improving students’ reading fluency, comprehension, conceptual understanding, reasoning, and ability to apply mathematical and scientific knowledge in real-world contexts, using assessment data effectively, and building familiarity with assessment structures.
- •Further improve the effectiveness of leadership and management at all levels by continuing to promote student achievement, developing arrangements for gifted and talented students, increasing the effectiveness of middle leaders, ensuring accountability, providing professional development, timely reviews of the school development plan, broadening parental involvement, strengthening stakeholder engagement, expanding partnerships, enriching global awareness, deepening links between governors and school provision, maximizing instructional time, and promoting effective use of reading resources.