Philadelphia Private School, Dubai
KHDA Inspection Report & Ratings 2018
Last updated
Executive Summary
The overall quality of education provided by Philadelphia Private School is Good for the 2023-2024 academic year. The school has successfully guided improvements in significant aspects of its provision and performance, building on strong links with parents and supportive governance.
Students' achievement in mathematics and science is Good across all phases, with English showing good progress in Middle and High school. The curriculum has been strengthened, particularly in high school, with additional Advanced Placement (AP) courses introduced to meet student interests and university requirements.
Provision for inclusion is Good, with a focus on identifying and supporting students of determination, as well as gifted and talented learners. The school offers a safe learning environment, fostering an inclusive culture for student wellbeing, and leaders have effectively improved self-evaluation procedures.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Philadelphia Private School Overall Rating
Good
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's provision for inclusion is Good, with a strong focus on identifying and supporting students of determination and gifted and talented learners. Parents are highly satisfied with the provision, and individualized interventions are designed based on comprehensive assessments. However, consistency in teacher skills to support students of determination in all lessons needs improvement. students of determinationgifted and talented
Wellbeing provision and outcomes are Good, integrated into the school's climate and culture with friendly and respectful interactions. A skilled team supports students, and information from surveys informs wellbeing initiatives. Students and staff wellbeing ambassadors actively contribute, and specialized activities foster a strong sense of belonging and digital diligence. wellbeing ambassadorsdigital diligence
Overall school standards in the National Agenda Parameter are Good. Students improved their scores in MAP tests in science, mathematics, reading, and language usage, with similar improvements for the Emirati cohort. The National Agenda action plan focuses on improving MAP results, Emirati student achievement, and reading literacy, though assessment data use for personalized learning needs further development. MAP resultsEmirati cohortreading literacy
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Safe Learning Environment
The school provides a secure and safe learning environment, supported by robust policies for safeguarding all students.
Strong Parent Partnerships
The school fosters close partnerships with parents and the wider community, enhancing the overall educational experience.
Middle School Performance
Students demonstrate strong performance in the middle school phase and achieve well in external assessments.
Effective Improvement Planning
The school's self-evaluation procedures and improvement planning are effective, leading to continuous progress.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
Guided by the principal, leaders at all levels have strengthened their understanding and capacity, shaping a common vision to improve student achievement in line with curriculum standards and UAE priorities. They prioritize the wellbeing of students and staff, fostering positive relationships and effective communication with all stakeholders.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students demonstrate good achievement in mathematics and science across all phases, while English shows good progress in Middle and High, though attainment is acceptable. Islamic Education and Arabic achievement are mostly good in Elementary but acceptable in Middle and High. Students' learning skills are consistently good across all phases.
Personal Development
Students' personal and social skills are very good in KG and Middle, and good in other phases, showing mutual support and enthusiasm for community causes. They have a strong understanding and appreciation of Islamic values and Emirati culture, with some awareness of world cultures. Students display positive attitudes, self-reliance, and good behavior, contributing to a calm and peaceful environment.
Teaching Quality
Teaching has improved and is now good in all phases, with teachers striving to address individual needs, though with mixed success. Assessments are well-designed, but the use of assessment information is inconsistent. Teachers possess good subject knowledge and use assessment data to inform teaching, but higher-order thinking and consistency across subjects need further development.
Protection & Care
The school provides a safe learning environment with rigorous safeguarding procedures, which have improved. Health and safety arrangements are very good across all phases, ensuring child protection and effective online safety. Care and support are very good in KG and good in other phases, with effective systems for identifying and supporting students of determination, though consistency in support needs improvement.
Areas for Development
- •Raise students’ performance in Islamic Education and Arabic in Middle and High.
- •Improve the consistency of teaching by identifying and sharing the best practices in all phases.
- •Improve the use of assessment data to meet students' differing learning needs.
- •Measure and record students’ wellbeing to judge the effectiveness of wellbeing initiatives.
- •Improve students’ grammar skills to enable them to write and speak Arabic more accurately.
- •Ensure that all students speak standard Arabic and use a broader range of vocabulary.
- •Increase students’ range of vocabulary and use of grammar structures.
- •Improve students' ability to write at length using accurate grammar and spelling.
- •Improve the basic reading and writing skills of students in lower Elementary and KG.
- •Provide more opportunities for students to find alternative ways to solve problems.
- •Provide students in the lower grades with more opportunities to engage in independent practical investigations.
- •Ensure that students have opportunities to discuss ideas in depth and to explain and justify their views.
- •Develop students' critical thinking and problem-solving skills.
- •Increase opportunities for students to engage in activities related to environmental sustainability.
- •Ensure that assessment data are used in the planning of learning activities to match students’ ability levels.
- •Ensure that curriculum adaptations to meet the needs of students are translated into practice in all lessons.
- •Ensure that support for students of determination is consistently effective in all lessons.
- •Ensure that all teachers have the necessary skills to support students of determination fully in the classroom.
- •Fully embed the improved self-evaluation procedures and improvement planning in all subjects.