Sunmarke School
Executive Summary
Sunmarke School provides a Very Good quality of education, as affirmed by its 2023-2024 KHDA inspection. The school is highly regarded for its provision of high-quality care, support, and learning opportunities, particularly in the Foundation Stage. A culture of mutual respect and open communication fosters a thriving leadership environment, encouraging students to take on meaningful roles.
Students' achievement in English, Mathematics, and Science is mostly Very Good across phases, with Outstanding attainment and progress in English in Post-16. The curriculum effectively supports students, especially those learning English as an additional language, and is adapted to create personal pathways for older students. However, achievement in Islamic Education and Arabic is mostly Acceptable, indicating areas for focused improvement.
The school demonstrates strong leadership, with a clear strategic direction focused on inclusion and wellbeing. Rigorous policies ensure student safety, and a highly inclusive and nurturing environment supports students of determination and EAL learners. The school also boasts Outstanding resources that significantly enhance teaching and learning.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Sunmarke School Overall Rating
Very Good for 4+ 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 maintains a very inclusive ethos, effectively using high-quality premises and resources with well-trained staff to meet the needs of students of determination. Detailed assessments identify students needing support and those with gifts and talents, though support delivery is not always consistent. inclusive ethosstudents of determinationEAL learners
Wellbeing provision and outcomes are very good, driven by a clear vision and an established positive education program. Staff and governors are highly engaged, creating new learning pathways for older students of determination and ensuring staff wellbeing is a priority. Wellbeing is firmly embedded in the curriculum through initiatives like values in action and STEAM lessons. positive education programstaff wellbeingSTEAM lessons
The school has achieved very good standards in the National Agenda Parameter, exceeding its PIRLS target and performing at a high international benchmark in reading literacy. Benchmarking assessments show very high attainment in Mathematics and Science over the last two years. The school has a clear action plan for international assessments and a separate reading action plan to develop students' reading for purpose and pleasure. PIRLS targethigh international benchmarkreading literacy
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
High-Quality FS Provision
The school provides high-quality care, support, and learning opportunities in the Foundation Stage, ensuring a strong start for young children.
Outstanding English in Post-16
Students in Post-16 achieve outstanding attainment and make outstanding progress in English, demonstrating sophisticated skills in writing and literature analysis.
Thriving Leadership Culture
A culture of mutual respect and open communication fosters effective leadership, empowering students to take on meaningful leadership roles.
Inclusion and Wellbeing
The school actively promotes inclusion and wellbeing, creating a supportive learning environment for all students, including those of determination and EAL learners.
Outstanding Resources
The school benefits from outstanding resources that significantly support and enhance the quality of teaching and learning across all phases.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students' achievement in English, Mathematics, and Science is mostly very good across the school, with outstanding performance in Post-16 English. However, achievement in Islamic Education and Arabic remains an area for development.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
School leaders demonstrate a cohesive and strategic approach, prioritizing inclusion and wellbeing. They effectively use self-evaluation to identify improvement areas and maintain strong relationships with parents and the community. Governance holds leaders accountable, contributing to the school's shared vision.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students' achievement in English, Mathematics, and Science is mostly very good, with outstanding performance in Post-16 English. Students exhibit strong responsibility, independence, and enthusiasm for learning, showing a deep understanding of UAE history and Islamic tenets. Achievement in Islamic Education and Arabic is mostly acceptable.
Personal Development
Students display outstanding personal development, including positive attitudes, strong self-reliance, and excellent relationships. They fully recognize Islamic values and Emirati heritage, actively participating in community projects and demonstrating outstanding social responsibility and innovation skills, particularly in environmental initiatives.
Teaching Quality
Teaching for effective learning is outstanding in Foundation Stage and very good in other phases, with high-quality teaching engaging children successfully. Assessment processes are coherent and consistent, with teachers' marking and feedback becoming increasingly effective, though consistency in feedback detail varies across subjects.
Protection & Care
The school provides outstanding protection, care, guidance, and support for students. Rigorous policies ensure safety, and premises are meticulously maintained. A highly inclusive and welcoming environment supports all students, including those of determination and EAL learners, with wellbeing being a high priority for both students and staff.
Areas for Development
- •Improve students’ attainment and progress in Islamic Education and Arabic to close the gap with other core subjects.
- •Improve students’ reading skills in Primary and lower Secondary and promote reading for pleasure across the school.
- •Identify and share examples of very good practice to achieve greater consistency in teaching and learning.
- •Ensure that teachers’ feedback on students’ work gives clear guidance on how to improve, and that students respond to the advice given.
- •Enhance students’ skills in the primary and lower secondary phases in reading for different purposes to select key information from research, as well as encouraging them to read for pleasure.
- •Ensure that all new staff understand how to review, interpret and apply information from the standardised benchmarking assessments accurately.
- •Enhance the school’s self-evaluation and improvement planning by linking them more closely to the descriptors in the KHDA wellbeing framework.
- •Provide more opportunities for students to experience a wider range of world cultures.
- •Increase the capacity to provide counselling support from qualified and suitably trained staff.