Maplewood Canadian International School has maintained an overall Good performance since its previous inspection in 2022. The school follows the Canadian curriculum, with a strong emphasis on student-centered learning, creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving.
The school demonstrates significant strengths in English-medium subjects, with overall achievement remaining Good and improvements noted in English, Mathematics, and Science across several phases. Students have also met or exceeded school targets in PISA international assessments for reading, mathematics, and science, reflecting a strong culture of continuous improvement and academic excellence.
Key strengths include students' positive behavior, understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture, and effective safeguarding policies. While leadership and parent partnerships are Good, the inspection identified areas for development in governance, which has regressed to Weak, and management, staffing, facilities, and resources, which declined to Acceptable.
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Maplewood Canadian International School Overall Rating
Good
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students' achievement in English-medium subjects has remained Good overall, with notable improvements in English, Mathematics, and Science across various phases due to stronger real-life connections and collaboration. While Arabic-medium subjects generally remain Acceptable, Islamic Education and Social Studies show some improvements. The school's internal assessment data indicates consistently Outstanding attainment over the past three years across many subjects and phases. English-medium subjectsArabic-medium subjectsOutstanding attainment
Students' personal development, understanding of Islamic values and Emirati and world cultures, and social responsibility and innovation skills are all rated Good across all phases. This is attributed to consistently respectful behavior, growing empathy, and active participation in community initiatives and extracurricular activities, fostering responsibility, teamwork, and creativity. respectful behaviorIslamic valuesEmirati and world culturescommunity initiatives
Teaching for effective learning and assessment is rated Good across all phases, with improvements in Cycle 2. Teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge and enthusiasm. However, assessment data is not consistently used to plan lessons that meet the needs of all student groups, particularly high attainers and gifted and talented students, limiting personalized instruction. strong subject knowledgeassessment datahigh attainersgifted and talented students
Curriculum design, implementation, and adaptation are rated Good across all phases. The school effectively applies the Alberta Curriculum and MoE standards, offering a breadth of subject options with effective planning for progression and cultural integration. While cross-curricular links are well embedded, there is a need for greater consistency in balancing skill development with knowledge acquisition. Alberta CurriculumMoE standardscultural integrationcross-curricular links
Health and safety, including child protection and safeguarding, along with care and support for students, are rated Very Good across all phases. The school provides a clean, safe, and secure learning environment with rigorous procedures for identifying and supporting students with additional learning needs. However, provision for gifted and talented students is not consistently effective. Health and safetysafeguardingadditional learning needsgifted and talented students
Leadership and management are rated Good in effectiveness of leadership, self-evaluation, and parent partnerships. However, governance has regressed to Weak due to the absence of an active governing board, and management, staffing, facilities, and resources have declined to Acceptable, primarily due to persistent staffing shortages and insufficient resources, especially in science. effectiveness of leadershipgovernancestaffing shortagesinsufficient resources
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Students exceeded school targets and international averages in PISA 2022 for reading, mathematics, and science literacy.
Students consistently demonstrate positive behavior, respectful relationships, and a strong understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture.
The school maintains a clear behavior management system and rigorous safeguarding policies, ensuring a safe and orderly learning environment.
Well-established and effective processes are in place for identifying and supporting students with additional learning needs.
The school has established positive partnerships with parents, ensuring consistently effective communication and reporting.
Overall achievement in English-medium subjects has remained Good, with specific improvements in English, Mathematics, and Science across several phases.
The school's internal assessment data consistently indicates Outstanding attainment over the past three years across many subjects and phases, often exceeding curriculum standards. However, standardized assessments (MAP) show Weak attainment and progress in English, Mathematics, and Science across phases 1-3 for AY2023/24. International assessments (PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS) show students meeting or exceeding targets and international averages in most areas.
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
The leadership team maintains a Good level of effectiveness, particularly in guiding school self-evaluation and fostering strong partnerships with parents. However, the absence of an active governing board has led to a significant regression in governance, impacting accountability. Challenges also exist in management, staffing, and resource provision, particularly in senior and middle leadership roles and science resources.
Students generally attain above curriculum standards in Islamic Education, Arabic, English, Mathematics, and Science, with internal data showing consistently Outstanding attainment over three years. However, standardized MAP assessments indicate Weak attainment and progress in English, Math, and Science. PISA and TIMSS results show students meeting or exceeding international averages, particularly in reading, mathematical, and science literacy.
Students demonstrate Good personal development, understanding of Islamic values, and awareness of Emirati and world cultures. Their social responsibility and innovation skills are also Good, evidenced by respectful behavior, empathy, and active participation in community initiatives and extracurricular activities.
Teaching for effective learning and assessment is Good across all phases, with teachers showing strong subject knowledge. However, assessment data is not consistently used to differentiate instruction for all student groups, especially high attainers and gifted and talented students, limiting their accelerated progress.
The curriculum is well-designed and adapted, coherently applying the Alberta Curriculum and MoE standards. It offers a broad range of subjects with effective planning for progression and cultural integration. While cross-curricular links are present, there is a need for more consistent balance between skill development and knowledge acquisition across subjects.
The school provides a Very Good level of protection, care, guidance, and support, maintaining a safe and secure environment with rigorous safeguarding policies. Procedures for identifying and supporting students with additional learning needs are effective, but provision for gifted and talented students requires more consistent implementation.