Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Inspection Report
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19 22 October, 2015
20 23 January, 2014
General Information
Students
School ID
214
Total number of
students
713
Opening year of
school
September 2011
Number of children
in KG
163
Principal
Chris Nourse
Number of students
in other phases
Primary 439
Secondary 111
School
telephone
Age range
4 15 years
School Address
Grades or Year
Groups
FS Year 10
Official email
(ADEC)
aainternational.pvt@adec.ac.ae
Gender
Mixed
School Website
www.alaininternational.sch.ae
Percentage of
Emirati Students
43%
Largest nationality
groups (%)
1. UAE 43%
2. UK 16%
3. USA 9%
Licensed Curriculum
Main Curriculum
Other Curriculum
Staff
Number of teachers
63
Number of TAs
46
External Exams/
Standardised
tests
Teacher-student
ratio
1:20 KG/ FS
1:22 Other phases
Accreditation
Teacher turnover
25%
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Introduction
Inspection activities
4
73
Number of parents
questionnaires
Details of other inspection
activities
School
School Aims
N/A
Admission Policy
Leadership structure
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SEN Category
Intellectual disability
61
Specific Learning
Disability
Autism Spectrum
Disorder (ASD)
Visually impaired
Hearing impaired
Multiple disabilities
10
Intellectual ability
16
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Band B
Satisfactory (Acceptable)
Band C
(A)
High Performing
Satisfactory
Acceptable
Band B
Good
Band A
Very Good
Performance Standards
BAND
Outstanding
Very Good
Band C
In need of significant
improvement
Performance Standard 1:
Students achievement
Performance Standard 2:
Students personal and
social development, and
their innovation skills
Performance Standard 3:
Teaching and assessment
Performance Standard 4:
Curriculum
Performance Standard 5:
The protection, care,
guidance and support of
students
Performance Standard 6:
Leadership and
management
Summary Evaluation:
The schools overall
performance
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Very Weak
Weak
Band A
Film Nights for EYFS children. The school was recently awarded Third Place in an
Abu Dhabi wide competition to design a sustainable home. ADEC has given
permission for Year 10 students to run a business selling healthy food and fruit.
They are presently working on business plans, advertising strategies and logistics.
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Islamic
Education
Arabic
(as a First Language)
KG
Primary
Middle
High
Attainment
N/A
Acceptable
Acceptable
N/A
Progress
N/A
Acceptable
Acceptable
N/A
Attainment
Acceptable
Acceptable
Acceptable
N/A
Progress
Acceptable
Acceptable
Acceptable
N/A
Attainment
Acceptable
Acceptable
Acceptable
N/A
Arabic
(as a Second
Language)
Progress
Acceptable
Acceptable
Acceptable
N/A
Attainment
N/A
Good
Good
N/A
Progress
N/A
Good
Good
N/A
Attainment
Acceptable
Acceptable
Good
N/A
Progress
Very Good
Very Good
Very Good
N/A
Attainment
Acceptable
Good
Very Good
N/A
Progress
Good
Very Good
Very Good
N/A
Attainment
Acceptable
Good
Good
N/A
Progress
Very Good
Very Good
Very Good
N/A
Attainment
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Progress
N/A
N/A
N/A
N/A
Attainment
N/A
Very Good
Very Good
N/A
Progress
N/A
Very Good
Very Good
N/A
Very Good
Very Good
Very Good
N/A
Social Studies
English
Mathematics
Science
Language of
instruction (if other
than English and
Arabic as First
Language)
Other subjects
(Art, Music, PE)
Learning Skills
(including innovation, creativity, critical
thinking, communication, problemsolving and collaboration)
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Most children join Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) speaking little or no English
and with poorly developed personal and social skills. In the safe and supportive
environment, they make very good progress in these and other areas of learning. In
lessons, a large majority of children make better than expected progress; this
includes SEN and EAL children. By the end of the EYFS, most children attain levels in
line with curriculum standards except that their skills in reading and writing remain
below expected levels.
The number of students has grown significantly each year, with many new students
joining across all year groups. This, together with the high percentage of students
whose first language is not English, has a significant impact on attainment levels.
Attainment is below United Kingdom (UK) standards in reading, writing and
mathematics in standard assessments tests (SATs) at the end of Key Stage 1 (KS1).
The gap closes in KS2 in writing and mathematics, with a large minority achieving
above expected levels. Significant progress is made in reading, with a large majority
of students achieving above expected levels. Students in many subjects make good
to very good progress over time.
Progress is very good in primary and secondary phases in English, mathematics and
science. It is good in social studies and acceptable in Arabic and Islamic education.
By age 7, girls achievement in English is close to national and curriculum expected
levels in reading and writing, but that of boys and EAL students is below. At the end
of KS2, most students attainment in reading is above the expected levels. In
writing, girls are above expectations and boys are at age-expected levels. In the
upper part of the school, students develop increased fluency in spoken language
and their written language continues to improve. Increased use of technology to
support research, synthesis and recording supports students developing skills in
English. In mathematics, students make very good progress in the development of
basic numeracy skills. For example, Year 3 students confidently discuss
multiplication facts; Year 9 students can explain compound interest problems. In
science, students have a good level of understanding and apply their knowledge
well. For example, a Year 8 lesson on identifying proteins, used everyday items such
as bread, chocolate biscuits and yoghurt. This allowed students to make the link to
the healthy lifestyle work of the school.
The attainment and progress in Arabic has improved to an acceptable level since the
last inspection. Students reading, listening and writing skills are in line with
curriculum expectations. Year 4 students have acceptable grammar skills. They are
able to provide examples about nominal and verbal sentences and show reasonable
understanding of grammar rules. In Grade 2, reading, listening and speaking skills
are above curriculum standards because of motivating teaching methods. Support
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for English as Additional Language (EAL) and SEN students is well structured and
highly effective, resulting in their very good progress.
Students in most lessons across the school are eager to learn and show interest in
their activities. When given the opportunity, they take responsibility for their
learning. They work very well together. They communicate well and many are
confident when explaining their learning. Students are able to make connections to
real life examples. Students confidently use technology to extend their knowledge.
They are able to solve problems and apply their own ideas to come up with
solutions.
Personal development
Understanding of Islamic values and
awareness of Emirati and world cultures
Social responsibility and innovation skills
KG
Primary
Middle
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
Very Good
Very Good
Very Good
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
High
KG
Primary
Middle
Very Good
Very Good
Very Good
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
High
Teaching is very good across the school. Teachers have very good subject
knowledge and apply it well in lessons. In EYFS, teaching strategies are effectively
focused on the needs of individual children and in particular to support their
emerging English language development. Most are keen to learn and join in readily.
They develop many learning and organisation skills.
Units of work are planned well to provide progression in learning. Lesson plans are
reasonably well structured. They do not always specify how activities are targeted
to match the identified learning needs of individual and groups of students. In a few
lessons, this leads to students having insufficient challenge and a slower pace of
learning. In most lessons, students are well motivated, enthusiastic and happy
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learners. Specialist teaching from Year 5 in science and Year 6 in mathematics and
English is accelerating progress. High quality learning resources and library facilities
are used effectively to stimulate interest. Technology is used imaginatively to
provide variety in learning. For example, in Year 5 mathematics students used iPads
to photograph examples of different angles they found around the school.
Teachers have very good relationships with students. In the best lessons, teachers
pose questions that elicit a positive and enthusiastic response. Peer assessment of
clay modelling work at the end of an art lesson led to some very interesting student
discussion and reflection on what was good or what could be improved. In a Year 8
mathematics lesson on circle properties, good questioning promoted higher order
thinking in relation to the use of Pi in formulae. The inclusion department ensures
that students needs are clearly identified, with effective strategies to provide
withdrawal and in-class support.
The school has developed high-quality and effective assessment procedures for
tracking the progress and achievements of students. Outcomes of assessments are
carefully collated, analysed and plans developed to address identified areas of need.
Assessment outcomes are benchmarked against UK key stage averages. Baseline
assessments at the start of the year are used effectively to set student targets and
plan interventions for individuals. They are used extremely well to identify the
impact on attainment levels of the large number of new students across all year
groups. Further baseline tests at the end of each term are reviewed by senior and
middle leaders. These are used well to identify areas of concern and formulate
appropriate plans. All teaching staff regularly use assessment to monitor students
progress. In a few lessons, assessment for learning is not used effectively to plan
activities for students with differentiated learning needs. Book scrutiny provides a
good check on the accuracy of assessment in all subject areas. Further moderation is
provided by Aldar Academies Group, which checks the consistency of assessments
across all its schools.
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KG
Primary
Middle
Very Good
Very Good
Very Good
Curriculum adaptation
Very Good
Very Good
Very Good
High
KG
Primary
Middle
High
Health
and
safety,
including
arrangements for child protection/
safeguarding
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
Outstanding
The protection, care, guidance and support procedures are outstanding. This
creates a nurturing environment where students feel very safe and well cared for.
There is a calm atmosphere throughout the school. Despite having relatively lowlevel social skills at the start of the year, EYFS children develop very positive
attitudes towards school, their teachers and learning. Once they get used to the
routines, they behave very well, gradually learning to work with others. They
establish positive relationships with teachers, other adults and children. Class
teachers in Years 1 to 6 and form tutors in middle provide excellent support for
students. They regularly monitor students personal and academic progress. Tutor
time promotes positive relations and citizenship. The very effective communications
between teachers and parents provides consistency in supporting students
development. The inclusion department diligently provides excellent care regarding
implementation of the policies and in planning for the needs of SEN and EAL
students. Constant and effective monitoring ensures that interventions are being
delivered and adapted quickly.
The implementation of the behaviour policy, alongside well established classroom
routines, creates a calm classroom culture. Students demonstrate strong selfdiscipline and positive attitudes to adults and fellow students. Staff are trained in
the application of the child protection policy and fully understand their
responsibilities. The school is extremely secure. There is 24-hour security, closedcircuit tv cameras (CCTV) and identity checks on all visitors. The effective health and
safety committee and the on-site maintenance team oversee and manage hazards
and risks. The school is well maintained, equipment checked and evacuation
procedures practised regularly. The school clinic is well equipped and has a full-time
nurse. e and support
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Very Good
Very Good
Outstanding
Governance
Outstanding
Outstanding
Leadership and management are very good, with some outstanding features. Since
the last inspection, the school has established very well structured senior and middle
leadership teams. The addition of assistant principals (AP) for primary and secondary
has significantly enhanced the capacity of the leadership team as the school
continues to grow, particulary in KS4. The middle leadership group is now
established in the school and is beginning to have a positive impact in monitoring
and accountability of some aspects of the work of their teams. A few do not yet
have total accountability for all aspects of the quality of provision in their specified
areas of responsibility.
There is a clear vision and the school has very good procedures in place through the
self-evaluation (SEF) and school development plan (SDP) to ensure that the vision is
met. The principal and senior team provide the drive and focus for continually
improving provision. The strong school ethos creates a nurturing environment
where relationships are very positive and students are enthusiastic learners. The
well-constructed SEF and SDP was a team effort involving the SLT and MLT. The SEF
is very detailed, well structured and outlines reasonably well the reasons for giving
their grades in each of the performance standards. It makes clear links in respect of
improvement areas in the SDP. The SDP is effectively detailed, has challenging
targets and fully addresses the areas identified in the previous inspection.
Accountability procedures are well structured. The effective Aldar performance
management processes hold staff to account for continually improving students
outcomes. Staff are well supported in developing their skills and knowledge through
the effective continuous professional development (CPD) programme. Senior
leaders undertake regular lesson observations and provide well-structured feedback
to teachers. Middle leaders do walkthroughs and pop in visits to lessons, but only a
few are involved in the formal observation process. Performance management
structures and procedures are very effective in holding staff to account for achieving
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