Madar International School
Executive Summary
Madar International School has maintained its overall performance judgment of Good since the previous inspection. The school demonstrates a clear strategic direction from its principal and senior leadership team, with a commitment to UAE national priorities and a culture of continuous improvement.
Key strengths include consistently high student attendance rates, robust safeguarding procedures, and active parental engagement. The board also demonstrates strong governance through meaningful stakeholder engagement and strategic influence on school improvement priorities. However, the school faces challenges in meeting targets for international assessments like PISA, TIMSS, and PIRLS, particularly in English, Mathematics, and Science.
The school has implemented targeted action plans to improve student performance in key assessments, promoting reading and integrating PISA-specific strategies. While some areas like Islamic Education and Arabic as a first language show strong attainment, there is a recognized need to raise attainment and progress across core curriculum subjects and strengthen students' personal, social, and innovation skills.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Madar International School Overall Rating
Good
ADEK Performance Standards
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students' achievement is rated Good overall, with consistent attainment in Islamic Education and Science. While some progress has been made in Arabic as a first language and English in specific phases, there are regressions in English, Mathematics, and Arabic in other phases, and standardized assessment results remain weak. Islamic EducationScienceArabic as a first languageEnglishMathematics
Students' personal development, social responsibility, and innovation skills are rated Good across all phases. However, students' awareness of Islamic values and Emirati and world cultures is rated Acceptable, indicating an area for further enhancement. Personal DevelopmentSocial ResponsibilityInnovation SkillsIslamic valuesEmirati and world cultures
The quality of teaching and assessment remains Good across all phases, supported by systematic lesson planning and strengthened data analysis. Consistent approaches to tracking student progress are in place, but deeper student engagement and consistent use of feedback need further strengthening. Systematic lesson planningData analysisStudent progress
Curriculum design, implementation, and adaptation are rated Good across all phases. The curriculum has been reviewed to prioritize critical thinking and problem-solving, with efforts to align content with international assessment frameworks. Curriculum designCurriculum implementationCurriculum adaptationCritical thinkingProblem-solving
The health and safety of students are a strong feature, rated Very Good, with robust safeguarding and comprehensive health and safety systems. Care and support for students are consistently Good across all phases. Health and SafetySafeguardingCare and Support
Leadership and Management are rated Good, with governance and partnerships with parents and the community rated Very Good. The effectiveness of leadership, self-evaluation, and management are Good, despite high staff turnover, demonstrating a clear strategic direction and commitment to improvement. Effectiveness of LeadershipGovernanceParents and CommunitySelf-evaluationStaff turnover
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
High Attendance Rates
The school maintains consistently high student attendance rates, supported by effective monitoring systems and proactive initiatives.
Robust Safeguarding
Robust safeguarding procedures are securely in place, ensuring all students learn in a safe and well-protected environment.
Active Parental Engagement
Parents are actively engaged as educational partners through structured communication channels and collaborative involvement opportunities.
Strong Governance
The board demonstrates strong governance through meaningful stakeholder engagement and strategic influence on school improvement priorities.
Reading Culture
The school provides extensive reading resources, including two well-equipped libraries and digital platforms, to foster a strong reading culture.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Standardized assessments (NWEA MAP) show very weak levels in English reading and weak levels in language use across phases 2, 3, and 4. Mathematics shows very weak attainment in Phase 2 and weak in phases 3 and 4. Science shows weak attainment across all phases. PISA and TIMSS results are below international averages and school targets across all subjects.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The principal and senior leadership team provide a clear strategic direction, demonstrating commitment to UAE national priorities and maintaining accountability for continuous improvement. Despite high staff turnover, leadership has maintained performance in key areas, with strong governance and community partnerships.
Inspection Findings
Students' Achievement
Students generally attain above Ministry of Education curriculum standards in Islamic Education, Arabic, and UAE Social Studies. However, standardized assessments (MAP, PISA, TIMSS) indicate weak attainment in English, Mathematics, and Science across most phases, falling below international averages and school targets. Progress varies, with some groups making outstanding progress while others, particularly boys in Phase 4 Islamic Education and Arabic, make weak progress.
Personal & Social Development
Students' personal development, social responsibility, and innovation skills are Good across all phases. However, their understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures is Acceptable. There is a need to ensure consistent respectful behavior among boys in phases 2 and 3 and enhance appreciation for healthy living and cultural understanding.
Teaching & Assessment
Teaching and assessment are Good across all phases, supported by systematic lesson planning and strengthened data analysis for tracking student progress. However, there is a need to ensure all teachers deliver purposeful lessons with appropriate pace and challenge, promote deeper student engagement through questioning, and ensure consistency in using feedback, including self- and peer assessment.
Curriculum Design & Adaptation
Curriculum design, implementation, and adaptation are Good across all phases. The curriculum has been reviewed to prioritize critical thinking and problem-solving, with efforts to align content with international assessment frameworks. However, there is a need to enhance the range of choices for Phase 4 students to support their interests and future career aspirations.
Protection, Care & Support
Health and safety, including child protection and safeguarding arrangements, are Very Good, with robust systems in place. Care and support for students are Good across all phases. The school maintains comprehensive health and safety systems and records, ensuring a safe and well-protected learning environment for all students.
Areas for Development
- •Raise students’ attainment, progress, and learning skills across the core curriculum subjects to at least Very Good levels by strengthening core mathematics skills and vocabulary, improving extended writing skills in Arabic and English, and providing more opportunities for scientific thinking, inquiry, and investigation through practical tasks and laboratory work.
- •Ensure students can effectively access and use technology across all phases and subjects for independent research and learning activities, and ensure that targets set for international assessments are met and exceeded, raising attainment in standardized assessments to at least Good levels.
- •Further strengthen students' personal and social development and innovation skills by ensuring that the behavior of boys in phases 2 and 3 is consistently respectful, enhancing understanding of healthy eating and physical activity, improving appreciation of Islamic values and other world cultures, and providing more opportunities for creativity, innovation, and entrepreneurship in lessons.
- •Further strengthen teaching, assessment, and curriculum by ensuring that all teachers deliver purposeful lessons with appropriate pace, support, and challenge for all students, promoting deeper student engagement through questioning, reducing teacher talk, ensuring consistency in using feedback, and enhancing the range of choices for Phase 4 students to support their interests and future career aspirations.
- •Ensure the school meets and exceeds its set targets and international averages on TIMSS, PISA, and PIRLS international assessments by aligning curriculum content and teaching strategies with assessment frameworks, implementing targeted intervention programs, training teachers in evidence-based pedagogical approaches, conducting regular mock assessments, and enhancing cross-curricular literacy.
- •Further strengthen the impact of leadership and governance by ensuring stability and continuity of staffing, reducing staff turnover, ensuring that lesson monitoring continues to improve teaching and focuses on the impact on students' learning and outcomes, and ensuring sufficient learning resources in all subjects, including the effective use of technology.