International Community Schools - Khalifa has achieved an overall ADEK Irtiqa rating of Good for the 2024-2025 academic year. The school's leadership, under the principal, has provided strong direction, leading to stabilization and positive development. Students demonstrate positive attitudes, good behavior, and a strong understanding of UAE culture.
The curriculum, guided by a clear rationale and aligned with the school's vision, ensures coherence and progression across all phases. While internal assessments often show students attaining above curriculum standards, external standardized assessments like MAP and TIMSS indicate areas for development, particularly in English language usage, reading, mathematics, and science. The school has initiated strategies to support students in international assessments, integrating benchmark expectations into teaching practices.
The school maintains effective systems for health, safety, and security, with high attendance rates. Leadership and management are rated Good across all aspects, demonstrating effective self-evaluation and strong engagement with parents and the community. Key recommendations focus on improving student achievement in core subjects, enhancing teaching and assessment practices, and strengthening critical thinking for international assessments.
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
International Community Schools - Khalifa Overall Rating
Good
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students' achievement is rated Good overall. While internal assessments indicate many students attain above curriculum standards, external assessments like MAP and TIMSS show Weak performance in English, Mathematics, and Science. Progress is generally Good across phases and subjects, with some variations among student groups. MAPTIMSSinternal assessments
Students' personal development and understanding of Islamic values and Emirati and world cultures are rated Good. They exhibit positive attitudes, good behavior, and respect for others. Social responsibility and innovation skills are rated Acceptable, indicating areas for further development. positive attitudesUAE culturesocial responsibility
Teaching for effective learning and assessment practices are rated Good. Teachers generally provide effective instruction, but there is a need for increased consistency in support, challenge, and questioning skills, especially in upper phases. More effective use of assessment data to inform teaching and differentiate lessons is recommended. effective learningassessment practicesdifferentiation
The curriculum design and implementation are rated Good, guided by a clear rationale aligned with the school’s vision and standards, ensuring coherence and progression. Curriculum adaptation is rated Good in KG and Cycle 1, but Acceptable in Cycles 2 and 3, suggesting a need for more challenging content and higher-order thinking activities. curriculum designcurriculum adaptationcoherence and progression
The school's provisions for health, safety, and child protection are rated Good, with effective monitoring systems. Care and support for students are also rated Good, ensuring a safe and supportive learning environment. High attendance rates reflect effective student welfare arrangements. health and safetychild protectioncare and support
Leadership and management are rated Good across all aspects, including effectiveness of leadership, self-evaluation, community engagement, governance, and resource management. The principal and senior leadership team provide strong direction, stabilizing the school and driving positive improvements. effectiveness of leadershipself-evaluationgovernance
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
The principal and senior leadership team provide effective direction, stabilizing the school and fostering a positive trajectory.
Students exhibit positive attitudes, behave well, and show respect for others, particularly in the lower phases.
Arrangements for student health, safety, and security are effective, supported by successful attendance monitoring systems.
The curriculum is well-planned, guided by a clear rationale, and aligned with school vision and licensed standards to ensure progression.
The school maintains very high attendance rates across all phases, reflecting student engagement and effective support systems.
Internal assessment data for AY2023/24 generally indicates students attain above curriculum standards, with consistent Outstanding attainment in some subjects/phases over three years. However, MAP assessments show Weak attainment in English language usage, reading, and science across phases, and Weak attainment in mathematics in Cycles 2 and 3. TIMSS 2023 results for Grade 4 and 8 in both mathematics and science were below international averages and school targets. PIRLS 2021 for Grade 4 reading was at the intermediate international benchmark.
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
The leadership team, led by the principal, provides clear direction and has successfully stabilized the school, guiding it towards positive improvements. They are proactive in addressing areas for development, including international assessment performance, and foster strong relationships with parents and the community. There is a focus on continuous self-evaluation and strategic planning for school improvement.
Students' attainment and progress vary across subjects and phases. While internal assessments often show performance above curriculum standards, external standardized tests (MAP, TIMSS) indicate Weak attainment in English, Mathematics, and Science. Progress is generally expected or better, but specific groups and subjects require targeted improvement, particularly in areas like Qur’an memorization, extended writing, and problem-solving.
Students demonstrate positive personal development, good behavior, and a strong understanding of Islamic values and Emirati and world cultures. Attendance rates are very high. However, social responsibility and innovation skills are areas identified for further development, requiring more opportunities for critical thinking and engagement with contemporary issues.
Teaching practices are generally effective, and assessment is used to monitor learning. However, there is a need to increase consistency in the level of support and challenge provided, especially in upper phases, and to enhance teachers' questioning skills. More effective use of assessment data to inform teaching and adapt lessons for individual student needs, including gifted and talented students, is required.
The curriculum is well-designed, guided by a clear rationale, and aligned with school vision and licensed standards, ensuring coherence and progression. While implementation is generally good, adaptation needs improvement in Cycles 2 and 3 to include more challenging content and higher-order thinking activities, ensuring the extensive written curriculum is fully implemented and monitored for gaps.
The school provides effective protection, care, guidance, and support for students, with strong arrangements for health, safety, and child protection. Systems for monitoring attendance are successful, contributing to high attendance rates. Students of determination receive appropriate support, with many making Outstanding progress in various phases.