Maplewood Canadian International School has maintained its overall Good rating in the latest ADEK Irtiqa inspection for the 2024-2025 academic year. The school demonstrates a commitment to the Canadian curriculum, fostering a positive learning environment and achieving notable successes in international assessments.
Academically, the school has shown significant improvement in English, Mathematics, and Science across various phases, with students developing a deeper understanding of concepts and skills. Notably, students exceeded targets in the 2022 PISA international assessments for reading, mathematical, and science literacy. The school actively prepares students for international benchmarks like TIMSS, PISA, and PIRLS, with a strong focus on mathematical literacy and reading strategies.
Students exhibit positive behavior, respectful relationships, and a strong understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture. While safeguarding and support for students of determination remain Very Good, areas for development include strengthening governance, addressing staffing shortages, and enhancing resources, particularly in science.
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Maplewood Canadian International School Overall Rating
Good for 2+ consecutive years
The six Irtiqa inspection standards used by ADEK to evaluate school performance across Abu Dhabi.
Students' achievement is rated Good overall, with notable improvements in English, Mathematics, and Science across several phases due to deeper understanding and effective collaboration. While attainment in Arabic medium subjects remains acceptable, there is a need to enhance interpretive, reflective, and recitation skills, especially in upper phases. EnglishMathematicsSciencePISATIMSS
Students' personal development, understanding of Islamic values, awareness of Emirati and world cultures, and social responsibility are all rated Good across all phases. This is attributed to consistently respectful behavior, growing empathy, and active participation in community and extracurricular initiatives. Islamic valuesEmirati culturesocial responsibilityinnovation skills
Teaching for effective learning and assessment is rated Good, with strong subject knowledge demonstrated by teachers. 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, and written feedback quality needs enhancement. subject knowledgeformative assessmentdifferentiation
Curriculum design, implementation, and adaptation are rated Good across all phases, reflecting the coherent application of the Alberta Curriculum and MoE standards. The curriculum offers breadth and supports progression and cultural integration, though further consistency is needed in balancing skill development with knowledge acquisition. Alberta CurriculumMoE standardscultural integration
The school provides Very Good protection, care, guidance, and support, maintaining a clean, safe, and secure learning environment with rigorous safeguarding policies. Procedures for identifying and supporting students with additional learning needs are effective, though provision for gifted and talented students requires more consistency. safeguardingchild protectionstudents of determinationwellbeing
Leadership and management are rated Good for effectiveness, self-evaluation, and partnerships with parents. 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 due to persistent staffing shortages and insufficient resources. governancestaffing shortagesresourcesaccountability
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Students achieved scores above school targets and international averages in reading, mathematical, and science literacy in the PISA 2022 international assessments.
Students consistently demonstrate positive behavior, respectful relationships, and a clear understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture.
The school maintains a clear, consistently applied behavior management system and rigorous safeguarding policies, providing a safe and orderly environment.
Well-established processes are in place for identifying and effectively supporting students with additional learning needs, including students of determination.
The school has established positive partnerships with parents, ensuring consistently effective communication and reporting.
Overall achievement in English, Mathematics, and Science has remained Good, with improvements in attainment and progress across several phases.
Overall achievement in English-medium subjects has remained Good, with improvements in attainment and progress across several phases. In Arabic medium subjects, achievement has largely remained Acceptable, with some improvements but also regression in Arabic as a first language in the secondary phase.
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
The leadership team effectively guides the school with a clear vision and maintains strong partnerships with parents. However, the absence of an active governing board and persistent staffing and resource challenges, particularly in science, hinder overall operational efficiency and accountability.
Students generally attain above curriculum standards in English-medium subjects, with notable improvements in English, Mathematics, and Science. In Arabic-medium subjects, attainment is mostly in line with standards, with specific areas needing development in recitation, fluency, and extended writing.
Students demonstrate consistently respectful behavior, growing empathy, and active participation in community initiatives. They show a clear understanding of Islamic values, Emirati and world cultures, and exhibit good social responsibility and innovation skills across all phases.
Teachers exhibit strong subject knowledge and enthusiasm. While systems for gathering assessment data are in place, this data is not consistently used to plan differentiated lessons, especially for high attainers and gifted students. There is a need to reduce teacher talk and enhance written feedback.
The curriculum is well-designed and implemented, coherently applying the Alberta Curriculum and MoE standards with effective planning for progression and cultural integration. Cross-curricular links are embedded, but a more consistent balance between skill development and knowledge acquisition is required.
The school provides a very safe and secure learning environment with rigorous health and safety procedures and effective child protection arrangements. Support for students with additional learning needs is strong, but provision for gifted and talented students needs to be more consistently effective.