Private School

Inspection Report

Al Ain Iranian Private School

Academic Year 2015 2016

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Al Ain Iranian Private School

Inspection Date
Date of previous inspection

22 24 November, 2015
28 30 October, 2014

General Information

Students

School ID

133

Total number of
students

175

Opening year of
school

1987

Number of children
in KG

N/A

Principal

Mohammad Hadi

Number of students
in other phases

Primary 102
Middle 49
High
24

School telephone

+971 (0) 3 767 6592

Age range

6 to 17 years

School Address

Khalid Bin Sultan Road, Al

Ain

Grades or Year
Groups

Grade 1 Grade 12

Official email (ADEC)

alainiranian.pvt@adec.ac.a
e

Gender

Mixed

School Website

N/A

% of Emirati
Students

None

Fee range (per

annum)

AED 3,600 - AED 4,560

Largest nationality
groups (%)

1. Iranian 88%
2.Afghani 7%
3.Pakistani 5%

Licensed Curriculum

Staff

Main Curriculum

Iranian

Number of teachers

Other Curriculum

-------

External Exams/
Standardised tests

Grade 12 Iranian national

examinations

Number of Teaching
assistants (TAs)
Teacher-student
ratio

Accreditation

-------

Teacher turnover

22
2
1:8 Other phases
18%

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Introduction
Inspection activities
3

Number of inspectors deployed

Number of inspection days

50

Number of lessons observed

Number of joint lesson
observations

Number of parents
questionnaires
Details of other inspection
activities

26; (returned rate: 13%)

Lesson observation, meetings with parent,
students, staff, senior leaders.
Work scrutiny, analysis of documentation and
learning walks.

School

School Aims

The aims of the school include the intention to train

students to help other people in society and to help
their country to improve.

School vision and mission

The school mission is to develop students become

successful citizens of the future.

Admission Policy

The policy is aligned to Iranian Directorate

expectations for local Iranian population.

Leadership structure
(ownership, governance and
management)

Principal, Vice Principal, Head of Boys and Head of

Girls, Data manager.

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SEN Details (Refer to ADEC SEN Policy and Procedures)

Number of students
identified through external
assessments

Number of other students

identified by the school

Intellectual disability

Specific Learning
Disability
Emotional and Behaviour
Disorders (ED/ BD)
Autism Spectrum Disorder
(ASD)
Speech and Language
Disorders
Physical and health
related disabilities

Visually impaired

Hearing impaired

Multiple disabilities

SEN Category

G&T Details (Refer to ADEC SEN Policy and Procedures)

G&T Category

Number of students
identified

Intellectual ability

Subject-specific aptitude (e.g. in science, mathematics,

languages)

Social maturity and leadership

Mechanical/ technical/ technological ingenuity

Visual and performing arts (e.g. art, theatre, recitation)

Psychomotor ability (e.g. dance or sport)

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The overall performance of the school

Inspectors considered the school in relation to 3 performance categories

Band B

Satisfactory (Acceptable)

Band C

In need of significant improvement (Weak or Very Weak)

(C)

High Performing

Satisfactory

Acceptable

Band B

Good

Band A

Very Good

Performance Standards

BAND

Outstanding

School was judged to be:

Weak
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

High performing (Outstanding, Very Good or Good)

Weak

Band A

The Performance of the School

Evaluation of the schools overall performance
The quality of education provided by the school is weak. Teaching is not
acceptable. The curriculum and its delivery are not appropriately modified to meet
the needs of students. Almost all students do not make the progress they are
capable of. Leadership is weak and governance is very weak. Most teachers
appear genuinely supportive and care for students well-being; the large majority
are unclear as to how students learn most effectively.
The annual change in leadership mandated by the proprietor creates a significant
barrier to ensuring continuity and an accurate view of the quality of the schools
work. The school has not been able to achieve any substantive improvements
despite the positive attitudes of the new principal and the eagerness of students
to learn. Leaders have had little impact on the performance of the school in the
recent past. The lack of a collective shared vision and strategic planning has
resulted in an uncoordinated approach to eradicating the schools significant
weaknesses. The proprietor has not adequately supported the new leadership to
rapidly improve the school. The new leadership team have worked positively in
difficult circumstances to stabilise the school community and nurture effective
teacher and student relationships. Health and safety is now acceptable and there
has been some improvement in technology resourcing. Students who may have
special educational needs (SEN) or who are gifted and talented (G&T) have not
been identified.
Weak resourcing has been compounded by staff shortages, difficulty in obtaining
necessary teacher approvals. There is a lack of continuity in the provision of
specialist teachers and senior leaders. A stable environment for learning has not
been created and students are being disadvantaged.
Progress made since last inspection and capacity to improve
The school has made very few improvements since the last inspection. Health and
safety issues have been addressed: chemicals are now stored safely in lockable
storage units, there is a registered nurse, and transport arrangements are
acceptable. A small number of data projectors have been installed in a few
classrooms. There is more group learning in the large minority of classes. There is
now sufficient time provided to teach Arabic.
Many issues from the previous inspection that were again noted by the
monitoring visit in February 2015, have still not been tackled effectively and
remain as key weaknesses. Academic standards are low, the curriculum is
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insufficiently modified to take account of individual needs, and governance is very

weak. The preconditions for improvement are still not in place. Another change in
leadership has not supported a coherent and effective approach to either selfevaluation or school improvement. There are insufficient subject specialists with
an awareness of how students learn most effectively. The proprietor and the
governing body has a responsibility to ensure that the new principal and
leadership team receive significant external support and resources to raise
academic standards.
The school has not demonstrated that it has the capacity to make the necessary
improvements without significant external support and guidance.
Development and promotion of innovation skills
The school is at an early stage of developing whole school implementation plans
to promote innovation skills. Students understanding of UAE culture and heritage
is good. There are a few opportunities for students to participate in projects that
support innovation and enterprise. There are limited investigative and enquiry
based learning opportunities. Occasionally in Art, older students design their own
projects from re-cycled materials. Students have a positive attitude and engage
well with tasks when they are planned. Critical thinking is underdeveloped in the
large majority of lessons because often questioning does not extend and
challenge thinking. Enterprise, sustainability and independent use of information
and communication technology (ICT) is a weak feature of the large majority of
lessons in almost all subjects. Planning does not always identify opportunities for
innovation and often tasks are not linked to curriculum standards. All too often
students are over dependent on the teacher for support and direction. In less
effective lessons, the textbook sometimes dominates the learning and
opportunities to think creatively are not always realised. Opportunities to
establish cross-curricular links with an emphasis on developing independent
learning styles are not sufficiently well planned for.

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The inspection identified the following as key areas of strength:

students positive behaviour, good attendance and attitudes to learning

student and teacher relationships
students respect for the heritage and culture of the UAE
improved health and safety arrangements since the last inspection.

The inspection identified the following as key areas

improvement:

for

attainment and progress in all subjects

the effective monitoring of the quality of teaching for effective learning
the quality and accuracy of self-evaluation
the quality of governance.

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Performance Standard 1: Students Achievement

Students achievement Indicators

Islamic
Education

Arabic
(as a First Language)

Arabic
(as a Second
Language)

KG

Primary

Middle

High

Attainment

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Attainment

N/A

N/A

N/A

N//A

Progress

N/A

N/A

N/A

N/A

Attainment

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Attainment

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Attainment

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

N/A

Weak

Acceptable

Acceptable

Attainment

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Attainment

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Attainment

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Attainment

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Progress

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

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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Attainment and progress are weak in all subjects and phases with the exception of
the progress in English of the students in the middle and higher phases. Attainment
is not objectively measured against international or national comparisons. The
school does not analyse current Iranian national benchmarking tests to support
more effective learning or assist in the identification of the learning needs of most
groups of students. The school had not compared itself to Iranian national school
standards. The data is readily available to benchmark school performance against
national standards. The school is performing below Iranian standards in most
subjects. English is broadly in line with curriculum standards. Grade 12 external
assessments are undertaken but only a very few girls will take them this year.
There is no specialist provision for students with SEN and gifted and talented
students as they are not identified. Although children with SEN are not identified by
the school, the evidence in classrooms clearly indicates that there are children with
SEN in the school whose needs are not being addressed. All students learn English
as additional language learners (EAL), so most have low skills in speaking, reading
and writing on entry to the school. Most students do not demonstrate the levels of
knowledge, skills and understanding that are in line with curriculum expectations.
Attainment in all core subjects is below curriculum expectations. Progress is
particularly weak in the development of learning skills.
Achievement in Arabic is weak. Listening skills are acceptable and the majority of
students recognise and understand short statements of facts containing present
tense verbs. In grade 6 reading is in line with national expectations and most
students read correctly with expression. Older students writing skills are weak when
compared to curriculum expectations and overall progress in lessons is weak. The
large majority of students attain levels that are lower than curriculum standards in
Islamic education. In Grade 3, most students are able to read and repeat parts of
the Holy Quran, but with little intonation. The large majority are not always fluent
when reading the required Surahs (verses). In Grade 6 the majority of students
recite prescribed verses, applying the required rules of recitation. In social studies,
the large majority of students do not have an acceptable understanding of other
cultures.
In English standards in reading and writing are broadly in line with curriculum
standards for older students. The majority of younger students vocabulary is weak.
Limitations in vocabulary mean that students struggle with their comprehension of
texts. Students do not have strategies for decoding words. In a Grade 8 lesson, the
majority of students were able to begin a simple piece of descriptive writing. They
were unfamiliar with the use of a basic graphic organiser so as to give some
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structure to their responses. The quality of handwriting was acceptable and spelling
was more accurate in older classes. Progress in lessons was acceptable in older
classes but weaker in grades 1 to 5.
In mathematics, achievement is weak as attainment is below age-related curriculum
standards. Teachers expectations of the students are too low. Most of the primary
students were able to count up to number 3 using their fingers or by counting up
the number of Lego pieces they were given. This is well below age-appropriate
expectations. Attainment In a grade 8 boys lesson was very weak with only a large
minority of the students able to identify different types of fractions and solve
mathematical equations. Grade 7 girls algebra was weak with only a large minority
of the students able to simplify the linear equations and find the value of x and y.
The majority of Grade 5 boys are underperforming; they were unable to identify
fractions and simplify them with a common denominator. The heavy reliance on
textbooks reduces opportunities for problem solving and independent
investigations.
In science, the main emphasis is on building knowledge content and scientific
vocabulary. In a Grade 5 science lesson students were engaged in an appropriate
classification exercise but the criteria being used was below age-related
expectations. Enquiry based investigations were limited for the large majority of
students. Attainment and progress in developing technology skills has been
limited because of the shortage of specialist staff. Progress in developing physical
education (PE) skills is similarly constrained by the lack of appropriate resources and
specialist staff.
A large majority of students are passive in lessons and only work under their
teachers direction. In art, the large majority of Grade 7 students use re-cycled
resources to create chicken and egg baskets displaying some innovative practice.
In older classes, students are too reliant on their teachers and rarely reflect upon
the quality of their learning. In lessons there is often a lack of challenge that is
shown when teachers do not pose questions that require students to think rather
than just repeat the factual content they have been given. The style of teaching and
the reticence of students to take responsibility for their learning results in a weak
response to the development of innovative thinking.

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Performance Standard 2: Students personal and social development,

and their innovation skills
Students personal and social development,
and their innovation skills Indicators

KG

Primary

Middle

High

Personal development

N/A

Good

Good

Good

Understanding of Islamic values and

awareness of Emirati and world cultures

N/A

Good

Good

Good

Social responsibility and innovation skills

N/A

Acceptable

Acceptable

Acceptable

Students personal and social development and their understanding of Islamic values
and awareness of Emirati and world cultures is good. The large majority have
positive and responsible attitudes and are polite and courteous. They are self-reliant
and eager to learn. Behaviour is good and they show good levels of self-discipline in
and out of the classroom. The school is safe and orderly and relationships between
students and teachers are respectful and friendly. The majority are aware of what is
a healthy life style and make appropriate choices for snacks and are willing
participants in physical education classes. Attendance is good at 94% and students
are punctual in arriving at school.
The majority of students demonstrate a clear understanding of Islamic values and
how they influence everyday life in the UAE. They respect the UAE flag in assemblies
and sing the national anthem well. The majority have an understanding of Emirati
heritage and can discuss the history, celebrations and sports of the UAE. They are
able to describe traditional dances and the different traditional dress of men and
women. The large majority have a clear understanding and appreciation of their own
culture. Their understanding of other cultures is weak.
The majority of students understand their responsibilities in the life of the school
and a few are proactively involved as school council members. The large majority do
not assume positions of responsibility and their representative voice is not always
heard by leaders. When provided with the opportunity students have a positive
attitude to work and take pleasure in purposeful activity. They are generally reliable
and when given the chance by their teachers lead by example. Students are involved
with clearing up projects to improve their school environment. They have an
acceptable understanding of energy conservation and world environmental
concerns.
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Performance Standard 3: Teaching and Assessment

Teaching and Assessment Indicators

KG

Primary

Middle

High

Teaching for effective learning

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Assessment

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Teaching for effective learning was weak. The quality of lessons ranged from a very
few good to the large majority deemed weak or very weak. More effective lessons
were observed, mainly in English and mathematics.
The majority of teachers demonstrated secure subject knowledge. A minority of
teachers are insecure about the content of the subjects they teach and a large
minority are unclear about how students learn best. The large majority of teachers
dominate the lesson and this slows progress and limits opportunities for students to
interact and share their understanding as critical and innovative learners. Often
there is a one size fits all approach and teachers modification of learning to meet
the individual needs of students is a weakness. In the large minority of acceptable
lessons, there are more opportunity for group led, independent and paired learning;
though activities do not always match students learning needs.
Lessons are not always planned well and when they are, the quality is variable as
learning objectives are not always clear and linked to curriculum standards. Learning
outcomes are all too often not shared with students and the purpose of what is to
be learnt in a lesson is not made clear to most students. In the large minority of
lessons, learning is textbook based and this limits the quality of interaction with the
teacher and between students. Classrooms are spacious but only a minority are
colourful, and enable interactive use by students to improve their learning skills.
In the very few good lessons, there is a positive atmosphere that encourages the
majority of students to learn from their mistakes and misconceptions are addressed
quickly. Teaching for learning is better in a few primary classes and in middle and
higher phase English lessons. Teacher interactions are often positive and resulted in
sustained engagement of students in their learning especially in most English classes
in the middle and higher phases. Questioning is often closed in the majority of
lessons and this slows progress and the development of critical thinking and enquiry
based learning. In very weak lessons, students have very few opportunities to
respond to questions to give detailed answers that expand on each others ideas. In
a large majority of lessons, questioning lacks expertise and insufficient time is
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allowed for students to reflect and share learning.

Teachers use a very limited variety of strategies to engage students and the large
majority rely too much on the textbook. In many lessons very few students take an
active role in games, paired and group activities or presentations and this
compromises the development of learning skills. The needs of most high achieving
students are not always appropriate or sufficiently met because differentiation is
not understood or planned for by most teachers. Independent learning,
collaboration and problem solving are limited to a few lessons. Most students are
not given opportunities to develop independent or critical thinking through
research or enquiry based approaches.
Assessment is weak. The school leadership does not effectively analyse the Iranian
external bi-annual assessments to track progress or identify weaknesses in
curriculum delivery to support more effective learning. Assessment results across
subjects and grades are not always analysed in detail to identify levels of
performance by different groups in terms of skills and knowledge. Benchmarking is
not done at the beginning and end of each year to assess progress made. Target
setting and teachers understanding of individual students strengths and
weaknesses is weak. There are no strategies or interventions to support more able
and less able learners. Data analysis has not been undertaken to identify the
learning needs of any students who may have SEN or who may have gifts or talents.
Lesson observations show that only a minority of teachers have a secure knowledge
of their students abilities and assessment in most lessons is inconsistently applied.
Assessment for learning is rare. Most students lack clear targets and are not aware
of what they need to do to improve or were involved in their own assessment.

Performance Standard 4: Curriculum

Curriculum Indicators

KG

Primary

Middle

High

Curriculum design and implementation

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

Curriculum adaptation

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

The design, implementation and adaptation of the curriculum are weak. The school
uses the Iranian national standards as its curriculum framework. The design of the
curriculum is not broad or balanced. The curriculum maps do not provide adequate
continuity and progression. The curriculum is mainly implemented through
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textbooks and worksheets and as such does not promote creativity or innovation.
Observations from lessons show that the provision for students who may have
learning difficulties or some special educational need or a particular gift or talent is
inadequate because the curriculum is not modified to meet their needs.
Art, PE and ICT do not have specific programmes of study and so skills are not being
adequately identified. The implementation of the core curriculum is weak. The
absence of a middle management structure to plan and evaluate the curriculum
means there are missed opportunities to develop cross-curricular links. There are no
meaningful links with outside agencies to develop and enhance student
understanding of Emirati culture and UAE society. Extracurricular provision is limited
and the numbers of students attending is relatively low. There are some
opportunities for students to work with the other Iranian schools in the UAE.

Performance Standard 5: The protection, care, guidance and support

of students
The protection, care, guidance and support of
students Indicators

KG

Primary

Middle

High

Health and safety, including arrangements for

child protection/ safeguarding

N/A

Acceptable

Acceptable

Acceptable

Care and support

N/A

Weak

Weak

Weak

The school has acceptable formal procedures for the safeguarding of students. An
appropriate child protection policy is in place and staff have had relevant training in
respect of this. While the school makes all the required checks when recruiting
adults, it does not maintain a central register that details all the necessary
information. In addition, some teachers have not received the necessary approvals
prior to starting work.
Relationships are positive and teachers care about students. Arrangements to
ensure health, safety and campus security are adequately established. Bus transport
arrangements are now acceptable and supervision is good. Maintenance and record
keeping are appropriately maintained and relevant certificates are in place. The now
licensed school clinic is effectively run by a qualified nurse and medical records are
appropriately maintained. Chemicals in the science laboratory are now stored safely
in secure, lockable cupboards. The premises are adequately maintained and
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hygienic. The school encourages students to be more aware of healthy lifestyles in

their daily lives.
Care and support are weak. Staff are considerate of students and show appropriate
levels of concern for their safety. Behaviour management systems are in place and
are used consistently to ensure good levels of behaviour are maintained.
Attendance and punctuality are good and day-to-day routines to monitor both are
effective. Students with SEN and students who may be gifted and talented are not
identified. The school does not have an SEN specialist and provides very limited
support for students who may require additional learning support or challenge.
These students do not make adequate progress because there are no intervention
strategies in place. There is insufficient systematic guidance on careers choices and
progression routes to post-school destinations for students in Grade 12. Students
are not informed of the processes to apply to university programmes and no
support is provided on how to complete a competitive application.

Performance Standard 6: Leadership and management

Leadership and management Indicators
The effectiveness of leadership

Weak

Self-evaluation and improvement planning

Very weak

Partnerships with parents and the community

Acceptable

Governance

Very weak

Management, staffing, facilities and resources

Acceptable

The new leadership team under the direction of the new principal has worked
positively and with enthusiasm despite the difficulties with staff shortages and the
three week closure of the school. The annual replacement of principal and school
leadership teams is having a significant negative impact on students learning and
the quality of teaching. The planning of leadership succession is very weak and
undermines any improvement that has been achieved in previous years. The school
vision is not explicit and is not known or shared amongst all stakeholders;
consequently, the strategic direction is unclear. There is no school development plan
(SDP); priorities for improvement are not known and the school culture is
insufficiently focused on students learning.
Few leadership responsibilities exist beyond the senior leadership team. Roles and
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responsibilities are unclear. Inclusion is not effective. There is no senior leader who
takes direct responsibility for overall accountability for the effectiveness and of the
provision made for the achievement of students with SEN.
Self-evaluation is very weak. It lacks rigour and is not systematic; some areas receive
frequent attention while other key areas are neglected. No self-evaluation form has
been completed and leaders do not appear to understand the process. There is no
systematic analysis of school performance data and Iranian national external
benchmarking assessments. Available evidence is too narrowly focused and does
not include any outcomes of staff review or analyses of individual and group
performance. The school does not consult or act on any feedback it receives.
Evaluation methods are limited in scope and do not focus on the quality of students
experiences and standards of attainment, or on improving these. Monitoring of
teaching and learning is unsystematic and does not identify weaknesses in practice
and the impact of these on students learning. There are few written targets for
improvement other than the recommendations from the last inspection report.
There is little evidence of significant impact on any aspect of school improvement
planning. The new leadership team is keen to address the weaknesses and is aware
that support from the Iranian Directorate is essential if there is to be a significant
change in addressing these priorities for improvement.
Partnership with parents and the community is acceptable. The views of parents are
considered and the contribution of the parent council is respected. Communication
with parents takes place regularly. Reports are regular and convey general
comments on students academic and personal and social development. There are
some links with the other eight Iranian schools in the UAE.
The governing body has very limited representation from stakeholders and rarely
seeks their views or responds to concerns of suggestions. Governance has failed to
adequately hold senior leaders to account for the weak quality of the schools
performance over the last three years. It both creates and fails to remove barriers
that limit the development of the sch0ol.
Most aspects of the day-to-day management of the school are adequately
organised. The schools procedures and routines are effective. The school is not
adequately staffed with specialist teachers to meet the needs of all students. The
premises are adequate and specialist facilities are available including technology
facilities. The science laboratory and technology suite are not always used
effectively. The environment for school and staff are adequate. Resources for
learning remain weak overall in both quantity and quality.

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What the school should do to improve further:

1. Raise achievement in all subjects so that most students make the expected
progress in relation to individual starting points and the curriculum
standards by:
i. increasing the pace of student learning for all groups of students
ii. improving students learning skills including taking more responsibility
for developing their own learning, interaction, collaboration and
communication skills
iii. ensuring planning for learning provides opportunities for enrichment,
enterprise, innovation and use of learning technologies.
2. Senior leaders to robustly monitor the quality of teaching for effective
learning to ensure:
i. consistency in the use of learning objectives that are shared with all
students
ii. more effective use of time management to maximise students
learning time
iii. the use of open ended questions in group based learning to support
and challenge students to achieve and go beyond the learning
outcomes
iv. more effective identification of students with SEN and the gifted and
talented to
ensure that adequate and appropriate learning
programmes are in in place to support their needs
v. more effective planning of activities that meet the learning needs of all
groups of students in lessons.
3. Senior leaders to further develop school self-evaluation and ensure that:
i. Iranian benchmark data is analysed and provides a comparison of
school performance against Iranian national standards
ii. different groups of students are identified including students with SEN
and gifted and talented students
iii. individual progress is monitored and strengths and weaknesses are
identified from analysis of assessments.
4. The governing board to support the school leadership more robustly to
address the schools many weaknesses and provide eager and positive
minded students with an effective education that meets the needs of all
groups of students.

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