Our Own High School - Al Warqa
Executive Summary
The Our Own High School - Dubai Branch provides a Good quality of education, as affirmed by the 2023-2024 inspection. The school is recognized for its strong ethos and positive culture, which are clearly reflected in the exemplary behavior and active engagement of its students.
The school demonstrates strong progress in most subjects and phases, a direct result of effective teaching, learning, and assessment practices. Students achieve well in English, mathematics, and science across Primary, Middle, and Secondary, with Islamic Education also showing good achievement. The curriculum is well-aligned with UAE national priorities, effectively developing students' knowledge and skills.
Outstanding personal and social development is a hallmark, with students exhibiting a deep understanding of Islamic values and a mature awareness of Emirati and world cultures. The provision for health, safety, care, and wellbeing is excellent, underpinned by effective senior leadership and robust parental partnerships. However, the report highlights areas for development, including raising achievement in KG and Arabic, and enhancing support for students of determination.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Our Own High School - Dubai Branch Overall Rating
Good for 12+ 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 fosters a strong inclusive culture with an open admissions policy. While identification procedures are well-established and parents are satisfied with progress, the inclusive education improvement plan lacks measurable targets, and insufficient staffing impacts student outcomes. Teachers need more training and support to effectively modify learning activities for students of determination. open admissions policyidentification proceduresinsufficient staffingprofessional training
Wellbeing is a main school priority, deeply embedded in its culture and ethos, visible in almost every activity. The school community is described as a large family, with strong parental engagement influencing student welfare. An experienced senior leader oversees wellbeing policy implementation, and students are fully committed to promoting their own and others' wellbeing in a welcoming and hygienic environment. main school priorityfamily atmosphereparental engagementstudent commitment
The school has sustained an Outstanding judgment in English and improved to Outstanding in mathematics and science in international benchmark assessments. However, it fell short of its reading literacy target. Leadership is developing an understanding of international test proficiency levels, but plans for improvement are not always well-focused, and the monitoring of curriculum modifications is emerging. Reading literacy scores are mostly at or above age-related expectations, with an emerging English reading culture. international benchmark assessmentsreading literacy targetemerging English reading culturecurriculum modifications
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Strong Academic Progress
The school demonstrates strong progress across most subjects and phases, attributed to effective teaching, learning strategies, and the judicious use of assessment.
Outstanding Personal Development
Students exhibit outstanding personal and social development, reflecting the school's positive culture and commitment to values.
Excellent Wellbeing Provision
The school provides excellent provision for health, safety, care, and wellbeing, ensuring a secure and supportive environment for all students.
Effective Leadership & Partnerships
Senior leadership is highly effective, further strengthened by excellent partnerships with parents, which contribute significantly to the school's overall performance.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students in Primary, Middle and Secondary achieve well in English, mathematics and science. In Islamic Education students achieve well across all phases. In Arabic, students’ achievement is good except in Secondary where it is acceptable. The progress of students of determination is acceptable.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
Senior leaders, guided by the principal and vice-principal, provide clear educational direction, prioritizing both academic excellence and student wellbeing. The school's vision aligns with UAE national priorities and inclusive learning, with recent appointments strengthening leadership distribution. While self-evaluation is systematic and effective, improvement plans sometimes lack measurable targets, and leadership in KG, Arabic, and inclusion is less strong than in other areas.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students in Primary, Middle, and Secondary phases achieve well in English, mathematics, and science. Islamic Education shows good achievement across all phases. In Arabic, achievement is good except in Secondary where it is acceptable. Progress for students of determination is acceptable, while KG children's progress in mathematics and science is acceptable and good in English.
Personal Development
Students' exemplary behavior reflects the school's strong ethos and positive culture, showing active engagement and a desire for self-improvement. They are highly respectful of Islamic values and exhibit a mature perspective on UAE society's diversity. Students participate in a wide range of voluntary projects, including environmental initiatives.
Teaching Quality
Most teachers demonstrate strong subject knowledge, with well-planned and sequenced teaching across Primary, Middle, and Secondary phases. Activities effectively support and challenge students, and questioning is used to deepen learning. Assessment processes provide reliable measures of knowledge and progress in most phases, though this is less evident in KG.
Protection & Care
The school has rigorous procedures for safeguarding students and child protection, with vigilant staff ensuring a safe, hygienic, and secure environment. The promotion of safe and healthy living is successful, evident in students' choices and physical activity. While students of determination are accurately identified, planning is not always effectively transferred into lessons to provide the required support.
Areas for Development
- •Raise children’s achievement in KG by: ensuring consistently high-quality teaching and learning; making effective use of assessment information to plan and teach lessons that meet the needs of all children.
- •Ensure students achieve well in Arabic, particularly in Secondary, through high-quality teaching and learning activities that fully engage all students.
- •Ensure all middle leaders provide the necessary support for underachieving students, including those with additional learning needs.
- •Improve the provision for students of determination by providing teachers with high quality professional training and suitably trained learning support assistants.
- •Improve the level of students’ reading literacy skills by developing and nurturing the reading culture in the school.