National Charity School Primary ( for Boys ) Dubai - Abu Hail
KHDA Inspection Report & Ratings
Last updated
Executive Summary
The National Charity School Primary, following the Ministry of Education curriculum, received an Acceptable overall rating in its 2023-2024 inspection. The school demonstrates acceptable performance across student outcomes, provision for learners, and leadership and management.
Students show appropriate progress and acceptable attainment in most subjects, with stronger performance in Arabic as a first language and Islamic Education. They exhibit positive attitudes, strong understanding of Islamic values, UAE and world cultures, and active social contributions.
While teaching quality and curriculum adaptation are Acceptable, there are limitations in providing independent learning opportunities and effective use of assessment data. The school maintains effective health and safety procedures and good overall care and support, though provision for students of determination is acceptable.
Leadership is working to improve effectiveness, and partnerships with parents are <strong>strong. However, improvement plans need clearer priorities, and governance requires a more systematic approach to accountability.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
National Charity School Primary ( for Boys ) Dubai - Abu Hail Overall Rating
Acceptable for 2+ consecutive years
Dubai Focus Areas
These three pillars represent the Dubai education authority's priorities: ensuring inclusive practices, prioritizing student wellbeing, and meeting UAE National Agenda targets.
The school shows an acceptable commitment to inclusive practices, with leaders and the governing board promoting them. Identification procedures for students of determination are in place, but there is a lack of urgency in identifying social and emotional needs of newly enrolled students. While Individual Education Plans (IEPs) are used, curriculum modification and teaching differentiation are variable. Students of DeterminationIEPs
Wellbeing provision and outcomes are acceptable, with leaders developing policies. However, data collection lacks a clear strategy, and self-review does not adequately identify strengths and weaknesses. While classroom climate is positive, the school does not rigorously use the KHDA Wellbeing Framework, and extracurricular activities are underutilized to enrich student wellbeing. KHDA Wellbeing Frameworkhealthy eating initiative
The school's overall standards in the National Agenda Parameter are acceptable. It has a PIRLS result of 474 (low international benchmark) from 2021, and benchmark assessments show consistently acceptable outcomes in English, mathematics, and science for Grade 4. Leaders intend to use assessment information, but adaptations have not yet significantly impacted student outcomes. Reading literacy is weak, with assessment data showing students are not achieving well, despite planned actions and online programs. PIRLSreading literacy
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Strong Arabic & Islamic
Students demonstrate good achievement in Arabic as a first language and Islamic Education, reflecting strong foundational learning in these core subjects.
Holistic Personal Growth
The school excels in fostering students' personal development, including their understanding of Islamic values, UAE and world cultures, and a strong sense of social responsibility.
Improved Data & Engagement
The school has enhanced its processes for collecting and analyzing assessment data, alongside an improved quality of engagement with parents and the wider community.
Effective Student Care
Students benefit from good care and support provided by the school, contributing to a nurturing and safe learning environment.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The senior leadership, including the principal, works to ensure students receive the best education possible, maintaining an acceptable overall performance. Leaders understand areas for improvement but are not always effective in addressing them. Staff morale is positive, and the principal actively considers parents' opinions in decision-making.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Most students achieve appropriate progress and acceptable attainment in the majority of subjects, with stronger performance in Arabic as a first language and Islamic Education. Students are engaged in learning and collaborate well when opportunities are provided.
Personal Development
Students exhibit positive attitudes towards learning and the school, with a strong understanding of Islamic values, UAE culture, and other world cultures. Their social contributions and environmental awareness are strong, participating in activities that positively impact the local community.
Teaching Quality
The quality of teaching is acceptable, but teachers do not consistently provide opportunities for independent learning. While assessment data is collected, its effective use in planning and delivering lessons to meet diverse student needs is limited.
Protection & Care
The school implements effective procedures for health and safety, maintaining well-kept premises and secure incident records. Overall care and support for students are good, though provision for students of determination is acceptable, and systems for attendance and behavior management are adequate.
Areas for Development
- •Ensure that the goals for school improvement are prioritised, based on the findings of the self-evaluation process, and monitored for their impact on provision and student outcomes.
- •Ensure middle leaders play a more effective role in sharing best practices in teaching, including classroom management skills, to secure at least good attainment and progress across all the subjects.
- •Make better use of assessment information to meet the learning needs of all groups of students, including students of determination.
- •Improve students’ engagement and independence in learning and their use of learning technologies in lessons.
- •Ensure that students’ assessment data are used precisely so that weak readers get regular support across the different subjects, in addition to their individual programmes.
- •Improve teachers’ knowledge of the teaching of reading across all subjects to develop literacy across the curriculum.
- •Implement the guidance offered in the KHDA Wellbeing Framework to ensure policy and practice meet all requirements.
- •Provide more challenge in lessons to meet the needs of the higher achievers and ensure all students can link their learning to everyday life.
- •Ensure teachers are more skilled at developing students’ extended comprehension and writing skills.
- •Ensure that external assessment data is used to meet the needs of each student through personalised and differentiated activities.
- •Ensure that reading is prioritised to develop fully students’ reading literacy skills.
- •Improve levels of challenge during lessons, especially for the higher ability students.
- •Ensure that students have more opportunities to develop their independent learning and critical thinking skills, by being set more open-ended tasks.
- •Strengthen students' practical application of knowledge and skills.
- •Enhance the development of scientific skills, such as, observation, prediction, and recording to promote a deeper understanding of scientific concepts.
- •Expand the integration of technology, encourage inquiry-based learning, and research skills to prepare students for the modern world.
- •Ensure that all students have opportunities to use technology in lessons to develop their research skills.
- •Improve students’ critical thinking skills through more probing questioning.
- •Implement cultural education programmes or activities that focus on and deepen students' knowledge of their own cultures.
- •Ensure that assessment data are used to plan differentiated lesson activities meet the needs of all students and to include an appropriate level of challenge for the higher ability groups.
- •Ensure that the curriculum is modified to meet the needs of all groups of students.
- •Develop students’ higher order thinking skills to enrich their learning and understanding.
- •Ensure that, when on school transport, all students wear seat belts at all times.
- •Strengthen the arrangements for increasing students' rates of attendance.
- •Promptly identify the social and emotional needs of newly enrolled students and put in place interventions to support their development.
- •Ensure that the school improvement plans are more strongly based on the priorities identified by the self-evaluation process.
- •Ensure that governors follow more systematic procedures for holding senior leaders to account for the performance of the school.
- •Provide students with more opportunities to use technology to support learning in lessons and widen the range of resources available in the library.