InspectionReport

AlRowaisPrivateChoueifat
International

AcademicYear201314

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AlRowaisPrivateChoueifatInternational

InspectionDate
SchoolID#

36March2014
43

LicensedCurriculum

SABIS

NumberofStudents

1,739

AgeRange
Gender
Principal
SchoolAddress

3to18years
Mixed
RaymondNiblock
BuildingGB115,2ndEastStreet,RowaisHousingDivision,
Rowais,AbuDhabi

TelephoneNumber

+971(0)28762525

FaxNumber

+971(0)28762527

OfficialEmail(ADEC)
SchoolWebsite

choueifatrowais.pvt@adec.ac.ae
www.iscruwaissabis.net

Dateoflastinspection 2730May2012

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Theoveralleffectivenessoftheschool
Inspectorsconsideredtheschoolinrelationto3performancecategories
BandA Highperforming(overalleffectivenessgrade1,2or3)
BandB

Satisfactory(overalleffectivenessgrade4or5)

BandC

Inneedofsignificantimprovement(overalleffectivenessgrade6,70r8)

TheSchoolwasjudgedtobe:

BANDB;

GRADE5

Themainstrengthsoftheschoolarethe:

satisfactoryprogressinEnglish,mathematics,scienceandinformationand
communicationtechnology(ICT)
caringethos,andcalmandwelcomingatmosphereinmostaspectsofthe
school
studentsbehaviourinlessonsandtheirpositiveattitudestolearning
opportunitiesforstudentstodevelopleadershiproles.

Themainareasforimprovementare:

thequalityofteachingandlearningsothatstudentsmakebetterprogress
academicstandardsinallsubjects,todevelop21stCenturyskills
thequalityofthecurriculumtomeettheneedsofallstudents,especiallyin
Kindergarten(KG),
therangeofresourcestosupportactivelearning
leadership and management; in particular selfevaluation, school
developmentplanningandmoretargetedprofessionaldevelopment.

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Introduction
The school was inspected by 5 inspectors who observed 80 lessons. They met
with school leaders, teachers, students and parents. They observed assemblies,
break periods and students arrival and departure. Inspectors analysed data and
documentssuppliedbytheschool.Inaddition,436responsesfromparentstoa
questionnaireabouttheschoolwereanalysed.

DescriptionoftheSchool
AlRowaisPrivateChoueifatInternationalwasopenedin2001.Theschoolispart
oftheSABISSchoolNetworkwhichprovidesacommoncorporateframeworkfor
allitsschools.Policiesandprioritiesaresetcentrallyanddecisionsaretakenata
corporate level. The school buildings and premises are owned by Abu Dhabi
NationalOilCompany(ADNOC)andtheyareresponsibleformaintenance.

AllSABISschoolsshareacommonvision.Theyaimacademicallyto:qualifyevery
student for entrance to university, provide a wellrounded education, based on
mastery of English and mathematics, enable acquisition of a second language,
train students for logical reasoning and critical thinking, prepare students for
sustainedintellectualeffortandgenerateexcitementforlifelonglearning.Non
academic aims for graduates are to prepare them to: uphold high standards of
ethical,moralandcivicconduct;makeinformeddecisionsonsocialissues;defend
convictions and reverse negative peer pressure; participate in extracurricular
activities, school management and community work; foster tolerance,
cooperation and teamwork and understand people of the world through
appreciationofdifferencesandsimilarities.

Thereare1,739with933boysand806girls.Thereare371childreninKG,908in
Grades 1 to 5, 335 in Grades 6 to 9 and 125 in Grades 10 to 12. There are slightly
more boys than girls in each section and numbers decrease significantly by the
uppergrades.Pakistanistudentsrepresent21%oftheschoolpopulation,14%are
Indonesian,12%Emirati,9%Egyptian,7%Jordanian,6%Filipinoandtheremainder
represent a smaller number of other nationalities. The majority of students are
Muslim.

Identification of students with special educational needs (SENs) is contrary to

SABIS philosophy. Students who do not achieve sufficiently well in tests are
provided with special lessons. Additionally students from Grade 4 who achieve
95%inexaminationsareabletooptforselfstudy.Approximately32%ofstudents
are learning English as an additional language and receive additional support.
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Studentadmissionisnonselective.StudentsfromGrade1takediagnostictestsin
Englishandmathematics.

The school implements the SABIS Educational System and secondary students
may opt to take American or British external examinations. The Ministry of
Education (MoE) curriculum is followed from Grade 1 to 12 in Arabic, Islamic
education and UAE social studies. The Director, SABIS Support Director, Senior
Administrator and an Academic Quality Controller (AQC) joined the school
betweenAugustandOctoberofthisacademicyear;theyhaveallbeenwithinthe
SABISsystemforanumberofyears.

TheschoolcatersforthefamiliesworkingforADNOC.Theyarefromawiderange
ofsocioeconomicbackgrounds.FeesrangefromAED18,450toAED24,500and
placetheschoolinthemediumtohighcategory.

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TheEffectivenessoftheSchool

Studentsattainment&progress
StandardsonentrytoKGareinlinewithagerelatedexpectationsandstudents
make satisfactory progress during their time in school. Attainment is similar to
schools following a similar curriculum. Students knowledge in English,
mathematics,scienceandinformationandcommunicationtechnology(ICT)arein
linewithinternationalexpectationsandprogressinthesesubjectsissatisfactory.
Standards and progress in Arabic and Islamic education are in line with MoE
expectations; Standards in Arabic are better in KG and primary classes than in
higher grades. In English, students writing skills are less welldeveloped
comparedtoskillsinreading,speakingandlisteningastheydonothavesufficient
opportunities to practise extended writing. Standards in UAE social studies are
unsatisfactory and below expectations because students memorise factual
knowledge and do not gain a deeper understanding. They have limited
opportunities to develop investigative and predictive skills, and formulate
hypothesesinscience.
Assessmentiscontinuousandidentifiesthosestudentswhokeeppacewiththe
knowledge they are expected to acquire and those who fall behind. The
assessment systems and external examinations generate large amounts of data
butthisisnotalwayscollatedoranalyzedsufficientlytoinformthedevelopment
ofpurposefultargetsforindividualstudentsorforwholeschoolplanning.
Students do not sufficiently develop 21st Century skills such as independent
learning, collaboration and research skills, creativity or use of ICT to support
learningacrossthecurriculum.
Studentspersonaldevelopment
Studentspersonaldevelopmentissatisfactoryandimproving.Attendanceat96%
isaboveaverageandstudentsarepunctualatthestartofthedayandformost
lessons. Almost all students behave appropriately and show good respect for
teachers. There is harmony within the multinational community and a caring
ethosintheschool.Attitudestolearningarepositivebutlevelsofselfconfidence
are variable. There are good opportunities for students to develop leadership
roles,especiallyinthehighergradesthroughtheStudentLifeOrganization(SLO).
When students have the opportunity to work together they demonstrate good
personalandinterpersonalskills.
They show respect for the values of the UAE, for example in morning assembly
when they face the flag and sing the national anthem. Students have a
satisfactory knowledge about UAE culture and heritage. They take care of
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classrooms by keeping them tidy. Opportunities to take care of other areas of

theirschoolandsupportthewidercommunityremainunderdeveloped.Thereare
too few opportunities for all students to join in a range of social, cultural,
scientific, sporting and other activities. The poor quality of the outdoor sports
facilities,limitedsportsactivitiesandtheabsenceofacanteenrestrictstudents
abilitytodemonstrateapracticalunderstandingofhowtolivehealthylives.
Thequalityofteachingandlearning
Thequalityofteachingisvariablebutmainlysatisfactory.Almostallteachershave
effectivebehaviourmanagementstrategies.Teacherssecuresubjectknowledge
ensures that they teach accurately and with confidence. Students are regularly
praised for their contributions and effort in lessons. In the better lessons
observed in KG, English and Arabic teachers gave students opportunities to ask
questions and to engage in a dialogue about their learning. Lessons of this kind
are not frequent enough to ensure that students make consistently good
progress.
There are too few opportunities in most lessons for students to think for
themselves, work cooperatively and independently, and engage in practical
learning activities. Questioning is mainly closedended and does not adequately
promote students thinking or allow more detailed student explanations. This
applies to all grades and particularly in KG and science where handson
investigativelearningtopromotethedevelopmentofskillsislacking.
Whole class learning is directed to middle ability students and results in lessons
wheretheneedsofthoserequiringadditionalsupportarenotalwaysmet.Higher
achievingstudentsarenotsufficientlychallengedandtheyoftenworkatapace
thatistooslowfortheirability.Studentsdonothaveclearindividualtargetsso
theydonotknowwhattheyneedtodonextinordertoimprove.Somelessons
finishabruptlywithnoreviewofwhathasbeenlearned.
Meetingstudentsneedsthroughthecurriculum
Curriculumimplementationissatisfactory.Thecurriculumisstructuredtoensure
progression and it promotes a solid foundation of knowledge. The core
curriculumisstrengthenedwiththeadditionofart,music,physicaleducation(PE)
and French. An understanding of UAE culture, family and community values are
adequatelypromotedinsocialstudiesandthroughinternationalandNationalDay
events.Thecurriculummeetstheneedsoftheaveragelearner;thosewhoneed
additionalsupportandhigherachievingstudentsarenotaswellserved.
The development of skills and understanding are less well addressed when
comparedtoknowledgeacquisition.Thereareinsufficientopportunitiesthrough
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thecurriculumtosupportinvestigativeandenquirybasedlearning.Extrasupport
is provided for those students who require it; this is at the expense of their
entitlementtoothercurriculumsubjectssuchasart,musicandphysicaleducation
(PE). Higher achieving students have the opportunity to be a shadow teacher,
mentor to others or to opt for selfstudy. These activities strengthen personal
development; they do not provide sufficient academic challenge to ensure that
themostcapablestudentsmakeenoughprogress.
The programme of school trips, visitors to the school and whole school
celebrations and activities is limited. The range of clubs and activities is narrow
andtoofewstudentsparticipateinthem.
Theprotection,care,guidanceandsupportofstudents
The protection, care, guidance and support of students are satisfactory and
improving. The school provides a positive, calm and welcoming environment.
Procedures to ensure that students attend school are rigorous. Bullying is rare
andanyinstancesaredealtwithpromptlyandasaresultstudentssaythatthey
feelsafeandprotected.Thechildprotectionpolicyiswellknowntoallstaffand
training ensures that everyone knows the required procedures to ensure
studentswelfareandsafety.
Students who find learning more difficult are identified through continuous
assessment. The learning needs of these students is not always met and the
additionallearningsupportisnotalwaysappropriateasnonacademiclessontime
andbreaktimesareusedtoensuretheymeetassessmentrequirements.Students
aresupportedintheirselectionofuniversitiesandtheapplicationprocess.Most
students receive sufficient advice early enough to help them decide which
external examinations to enter in order to pursue preferred career options at
university.
The arrival and departure of students is well supervised. The clinics on each
campus are suitably equipped, have full time nurses and provide appropriate
medicalcare.Thereisaprayerroomoneachcampus.Ontheseniorcampus,the
prayerroomissmallandnotappropriateforsharedusebyboysandgirls.
Thequalityoftheschoolsbuildingsandpremises
Theschoolbuildingsandpremisesareonthreeseparatecampuses:KG,Grades1
to5andGrade6to12.Onlythejuniorcampuswasdesignedtobeaschoolwith
fullscalespecialistfacilities,andthiscreateschallengesincludingadequateaccess
forallstudentstotheprovisionofafullrangeofadequatefacilities.Generallythe
campuses are spacious enough though some rooms are cramped and do not
always support the curriculum effectively. A new purposebuilt school is under
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construction. The first phase for the younger students is due to open in
September2014andtotalcompletionisplannedfor2016.
The buildings are maintained adequately. Areas of the junior school are not
appropriatelycleanandtheoutdoorareasofthejuniorandseniorcampusesare
neglected.Additionalshadedareasandsomeplayequipmenthavebeenerected
outdoorsonthejuniorcampus;theyareincompleteandstudentscannotbenefit
fromthem.Ontheseniorcampustherearenotenoughbathroomsandtheseare
not kept in sufficiently hygienic condition throughout the day. The school
environmentismademoreattractivewithdisplaysinclassroomsandcommunal
areas. They do not celebrate enough students work and on the junior campus
someofthedisplaysareold.
Tightsecurityisevidentontwoofthethreecampuses.Theseniorcampusdoes
not have a secure perimeter and this provides challenges in order to maintain
security. The school has appropriate evacuation procedures and undertakes
regularpractices.
Theschoolsresourcestosupportitsaims
The schools resources are unsatisfactory. Teachers and staff are sufficient in
numbertodeliverthecurriculum.Professionaldevelopmenttakesplace,focusing
on the required delivery of the SABIS approach to teaching. It does not focus
sufficientlyonneedsspecifictotheschooloronthequalityofstudentlearning.
TheassistantsinKGclassesprovidegeneralclassroomhelp.Thelevelofsupport
theyprovideforstudentslearningislimited.
AllGrade5and8classroomshaveinteractivewhiteboards;ICTisnotusedinother
lessonstohelpengagestudentsorimprovethequalityofteachingandlearning.
TherearesufficientcomputersinICTlaboratoriesandcomputersforassessment
purposes are plentiful. Students do not have sufficient access to computers in
lessons or in libraries to support research and application of skills. The stock of
booksinlibrariesispoor,especiallyonthejuniorcampus.Fewresourcesbeyond
textbooks,workbooksandworksheetsareusedinlessonsandthishasanimpact
on skill development, handson activities and investigative learning. This is
especiallythecaseinscienceandinKG.Transportiswellmaintainedandhealth
andsafetyrulesarefollowed.
Theeffectivenessofleadershipandmanagement
Senior leaders have been in post only a few months. They have initiated some
changes and the school has responded well to the health and safety
recommendations from the last report. Daily management is effective and well
establishedsystemsareinplace,andasaresulttheschoolrunssmoothly.Senior
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and middle leaders have clearly defined roles and carry out their duties as
expectedbySABIS.Theschoolhasasystematicapproachtoassessingstandards
against SABIS criteria. Requests made by the school for routine maintenance to
facilities do not always receive sufficient priority or response. This restricts the
speedofprogressinsomeareasofschoolimprovement.
SABISprovidestrategicdirectionatacorporatelevel.Dataandstudentoutcomes
are monitored closely by SABIS and improvements decided and made as
necessary. Selfevaluation within the SABIS systems is in line with expectations;
judgments in the selfevaluation form (SEF) are overly generous and are not
evidenced by sufficient data at all levels across the school. School development
planningisatabasiclevel.
Theturnoverofteachersishighandmostteachersjoiningtheschoolarenewto
the SABIS approach and often have no previous teaching experience. SABIS
professional development enables teachers to deliver the curriculum in the
requiredway.Ongoingprofessionaldevelopmentisnottargetedenoughtomeet
the specific needs of the school in order to rapidly raise student standards.
Monitoring of lessons does not focus sufficiently on student learning and
progress.
Links with parents and other organisations are limited. Parents are welcome to
make suggestions, especially related to matters of health and safety, and can
makeanappointmentatanytimetomeetwithschoolleaders.Someparentsare
frustratedbynotbeingabletomeetwithclassteacherstodiscusstheirchildrens
progress. Responses from the parents questionnaires were variable with the
majority positive and supportive of the school. Within the SLO, students have
opportunitiestomakesuggestionsaboutclubsandactivities.Theydonothavea
voiceinthedecisionmakingprocesses.

Progresssincethelastinspection
The school has responded to the last inspection report in a number of positive
ways.Schoolleadershiphastakenstepstoensurethatmanagersatalllevelscarry
out their duties more effectively. Standards in care have improved. A child
protectionpolicyhasbeenputinplaceandallstafftrainedinitsimplications.All
potentiallyhazardousmaterialsarenowstoredappropriately.Firstaidandsafety
equipment have been strengthened to meet requirements. The Director of the
school is based on the junior campus and as a result there is greater adult
supervisionduringbreaktimes.
Teachers have received training to enable them to manage student behaviour
more effectively and as a result students behave well in lessons. Indoor gym
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facilities are now available. The weaknesses in outdoor sports facilities have not
been addressed sufficiently. A small number of reading books have been
purchasedforthejuniorlibrary;thenumberofbooksandICTprovisioninlibraries
remainanissue.Shadedareas,especiallyonthejuniorcampushavebeencreated
and some play equipment installed. This work is not complete and students
cannotbenefituntiltheyaresafeandfitforpurpose.Althoughstudentstakepart
in sporting events within the SABIS group, the distances involved limit the
frequencyofsucheventsandcontributionswithinthewidercommunityremainat
abasiclevel.
The school has made satisfactory progress since the last inspection in some
important areas and has demonstrated that it has some capacity to make
improvements.Thereremainanumberofareasidentifiedforimprovementinthe
lastinspectionthathavenotbeenaddressedincluding:increasingactivelearning
andexploratoryactivities,studentsuseofICTskillsinallsubjectsandproductive
enoughcommunicationwithADNOCtobringaboutmorerapidimprovement.The
schoolwillbenefitfromexternalsupporttomaketherequiredprogressinthese
areas.

Whattheschoolshoulddotoimprovefurther:
1. Develop the qualityof teaching and learning to promote more rapid student
progressby:
i. providinggreaterchallenge,especiallyforhigherabilitystudents
ii. strengthening teachers questioning skills to promote student
thinkingandopportunitiesformoredetailedexplanations
iii. providing greater written and verbal feedback to students so that
theyknowwhattheyneedtodonexttoimprove
iv. providingmoreopportunitiesandawiderangeofresourcessothat
studentscanengageinpracticalactivitiesanddevelop21stCentury
skills.
2. Provide more opportunities for children in KG to become independent and
makemorechoicesforthemselvesthroughactivitybasedleaning.
3. Urgently increase the range of resources in classrooms, science laboratories
andlibraries.
4. Developtheeffectivenessofleadershipandmanagementby:
i. raising the quality of teaching and learning through targeted
professionaldevelopmentandmonitoringthathasagreaterfocus
onstudentlearning

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ii.

iii.
iv.

ensuring more effective and productive communication between

the school and ADNOC so that priorities for the school are
addressedmorerapidly
improve the quality of school selfevaluation to accurately identify
theschoolsstrengthsandareasinneedofimprovement
ensuretheschooldevelopmentplanningisrigorousandsufficiently
systematicandswifttoraisestandards

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InspectionGrades

Very
unsatisfactory

Unsatisfactory

Inneedofsignificant
improvement

Satisfactory

Satisfactory

Satisfactory&
Improving

Highperforming

Good

BandC

VeryGood

BandB

Outstanding

Performance
Standard

BandA

Poor

Standard1:
Students
attainmentand
progress

Standard2:
Studentspersonal
development

Standard3:The
qualityofteaching
andlearning

Standard4:The
meetingof
studentsneeds
throughthe
curriculum

Standard5:The
protection,care,
guidanceand
supportofstudents

Standard6:The
qualityofthe
schoolsbuildings
andpremises

Standard7:The
schoolsresources
tosupportitsaims

Standard8:The
effectivenessof
leadershipand
management

Summary
Evaluation:The
schoolsoverall
effectiveness

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