InspectionReport

AlSalamEnglishPrivateSchool

AcademicYear201314

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AlSalamEnglishPrivateSchool

InspectionDate
SchoolID#

1215May2014
227

LicensedCurriculum

EnglishNationalCurriculum

NumberofStudents

475

AgeRange
Gender
Principal
SchoolAddress

4to16years
Mixed
MagdaMazeed
East9Plot24,MuhammedBinZayedCity,AbuDhabi

TelephoneNumber

+971(0)26414499

FaxNumber

+971(0)26427932

OfficialEmail(ADEC)

Alsalam.pvt@adec.ac.ae

SchoolWebsite

www.alsalamsch.com

Dateofopening

September2013

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Theoveralleffectivenessoftheschool
Inspectorsconsideredtheschoolinrelationto3performancecategories
BandA Highperforming(overalleffectivenessgrade1,2or3)
BandB

Satisfactory(overalleffectivenessgrade4or5)

BandC

Inneedofsignificantimprovement(overalleffectivenessgrade6,70r8)

TheSchoolwasjudgedtobe:

BANDB;

GRADE5

Themainstrengthsoftheschoolare:

students are enthusiastic and positive learners and their behaviour and
relationshipsarepoliteandrespectful
students of all ages are confident speakers and articulate in Arabic and
English
studentsaremakingprogressinallcoresubjects
the school has a caring ethos, a wholeschool commitment to a shared
vision and purpose, and effective internal structures, systems, policies,
proceduresandroutines.

Themainareasforimprovementare:

thebuildingsandresources,especiallyspecialistfacilitiesandinformation
andcommunicationtechnology(ICT)provisioninclassrooms
the development of a school board and committees with members who
understandtheirrolesandresponsibilities
parentalcommunicationandinvolvement
the provision for the different needs of all students, including those
identified with special educational needs (SEN) and those who are gifted
andtalented.

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Introduction
The school was inspected by 3 inspectors. They observed 48 lessons, break
periods, students arrival and departure, and attended assemblies. Inspectors
conducted several meetings with senior staff, subject coordinators, teachers,
support staff, students and parents. They analysed test results and examined
students work across the school. They considered the 182 responses to the
parentsquestionnaireandmanyoftheschoolspoliciesandotherdocuments.In
addition, they met with the proprietor and the chair of governors. The principal
was involved throughout the inspection process and conducted 3 joint lesson
observationswithinspectors.

DescriptionoftheSchool
AlSalamEnglishPrivateSchoolopenedinanewbuildinginMuhammedBinZayed
City in September 2013. The majority of students are from the previous villa
school,with23studentsnewtotheschool.Theaimsoftheschoolaretodeliver
acontemporaryandcuttingedgeaffordableeducationwithinculturalnorms.To
buildthecapacityoffuturecommunityleaders.Toestablishandsustainasafeand
healthy environment that nurtures sustainable and comprehensive learning. To
reinforce the school environment and connectivity between school, family and
the community. To create a secure professional environment for educationalists
andacareerpathwayofprofessionaldevelopment.
Of the 475 students on roll, there are 25 children in kindergarten (KG), 241
studentsinprimary(grades1to5)164studentsinthemiddleschool(grades6to
9)and45inthehighschool(grades10to11).Thereare256boysand219girls.
Almost all students are Muslim and 5.7% of students areEmirati. The majority of
students (69.9%) are from Egypt, 5.3% of students are from Palestine, 5.5% from
Sudan, 4% from Syria, 4% from Jordan, and smaller proportion from other
nationalities.
There is 1 student with a physical disability. The school has developed individual
actionplansfor45studentswhoneedextrasupportinthecoresubjects.
The chair of the Board of Directors is one of the coowners. The board of
governors is not yet fully constituted, nor operative. The senior leadership
comprisesoftheprincipalandtheviceprincipal,whohasbeenonlongtermsick
leave. All 38 qualified teachers have been approved by ADEC. The school has 2
teachingsupportstaff,8carestaff,13administrators,1securityguard,1nurseand
6cleaners.Thereisnoparentscouncil.

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The school conducts entrance exams for students seeking admission. Fees
charged for KG are AED 6,850 for existing students (who were from the villa
school)andAED12,800fornewstudents.FeesinprimaryareAED9,000to9,600
for existing students and AED 14,400 to 16,000 for new students. In the middle
schoolfeesareAED10,600toAED12,800forexistingstudentsandAED16,00oto
AED19,200fornewstudents.Inthehighschool,feesareAED14,500forexisting
students and AED 20,800 for new students. These are in the affordable to low
rangeforexistingstudents,andlowtomediumrangefornewstudents.

TheEffectivenessoftheSchool

Studentsattainment&progress
The school operates entrance tests. Data from these tests show that children
enterkindergarten(KG2)withskillsinArabicatthelevelexpectedfortheirage.
TheirspokenEnglishlanguageskillsareweaker.
ChildreninKGmakeappropriateprogress.TowardstheendofKG,theycanwrite
theirownnames,understandinstructions,andconfidentlyintroducethemselves
in both languages. They can write and understand simple words in both
languages.
StudentsmakebetterprogressinEnglish,Arabic,Islamiceducation,socialstudies,
mathematicsandsciencethanintheirothersubjects.Studentslanguageskillsin
ArabicandEnglisharestrong.StudentsmakestrongprogressfromKGtograde9
andcanspeakconfidentlyandarticulatelyinArabicandEnglish.Progressinother
subjects,suchasartandphysicaleducation(PE)islessstrong.Alackofresources
meansthatstudentsarenotalwaysgiventheopportunitytodevelop21stcentury
skills,forexampleICT,investigativeandresearchskills.Theprogressofmoreable
learnersandslowlearnersislessstrongthanthatofotherstudents.
InNovember2013,theschoolenteredasmallnumberofstudentsingrades3to9
in the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) international
benchmark tests in English, mathematics and science. Results for grade 3 in
Englishwerebelowregionalandinternationallevels.Forgrade9,Englishresults
wereinlinewithinternationalresults.Therewasasimilarpatterninmathematics.
Inscience,theresultsforgrade8and9wereinternationallevels.Theschoolplans
to increase the number of entries next year. The school effectively analyses
results for attainment and progress. It uses summative data and teacher
assessmentswithappropriatecontinuousassessmentinallgrades.
Theschoolusesexternalstandardisedtests.ForecastattainmentinInternational
GeneralCertificateofSecondaryEducation(IGCSE)andAdvancedSupplementary
(AS)examinationsishigh.All30studentsingrade10sittingIGCSEexaminations
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in Arabic, English, mathematics, biology, physics, chemistry, information and

communication technology (ICT) and environment studies in May 2014, are
forecast to pass in all subjects. The majority of students are forecast to gain
gradesA*toCinArabic,English,mathematics,biologyandphysics.Over50%are
forecast to gain either an A* or A in all subjects. Expected results for A* and A
comparefavourablywithUKnationalaverages.
In grade 11, 14 students are taking AS examinations in mathematics, biology,
physicsandchemistry.Theyareallpredictedtopass.4studentsarepredictedto
gainAgradesinmathematicsandchemistry.
Studentspersonaldevelopment
Students are articulate and confident. In grades 4 to 9, students give
presentations to their class in fluent English. They have positive attitudes to
learning and are eager to learn new skills and vocabulary. For example in all
English lessons observed students, searched for new words in theirdictionaries,
withnopromptfromteachers.Behaviouraroundtheschoolandinclassroomsis
polite, sensible and respectful. Students work well with each other and show
mutualrespect,toleranceandunderstandingoftheirdifferentbackgroundsand
cultures. Older students showed support and appreciation for younger students
in KG2 when they presented an assembly. As students progress through the
school, they have a growing understanding of the values of the UAE, and an
awarenessoftheiridentities.
There is an active students council. Students have few other opportunities to
assume leadership roles. In lessons, there are insufficient opportunities to
develop and use their problemsolving and ICT skills in preparation for the next
stageoftheireducation.
Thequalityofteachingandlearning
Teachersknowtheirsubjectswell.Theysupplementtextbooksandworksheets
appropriately with their own activities and examples. Some teachers are
inspirational and share their love of their subjects with students. In a physics
lesson, for example, the wonders of air pressure were demonstrated when an
adult was lifted by students in an apparently weightless chair. Relationships in
classrooms between teacher and students, and among students themselves are
positive and respectful. Teachers manage students behaviour effectively.
Professionaldevelopmentprovidedbytheschoolforallteachersisbeginningto
have a positive impact in classrooms. For example, in all lessons observed,
teacherssharedlearningobjectiveswithstudentsatthestartoflessons.Theydid
notalwaysusethemtoreviewunderstandinglaterinthelesson.Studentswork
wellcollaboratively,forexampleinahighergradeEnglishlesson,3studentsled
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the learning with groups of students supporting each other by discussing the
nuances of specific vocabulary. Teachers and students use English widely and
confidently in most lessons. This is a key reason why students make rapid
progress in their spoken English. In KG, teaching is appropriately childcentred.
Learning and creativity are developed through play and a range of activities.
Stimulatingdisplayssupportchildrenslearning.
Inthebestlessons,teacherschallengethemoreablestudentsandgiveadditional
supporttoslowerlearners.Intheselessons,teachersuseanappropriaterangeof
differentiatedactivitiestomatchtheneedsofstudents.Thisisnotyetapractice
applied consistently by all teachers. Teachers mark workbooks and assignments
regularly.Studentsarenotalwaysgivenenoughguidanceabouthowtoimprove
theirwork,noraretheysetcleartargetsintheirlearning.
Meetingstudentsneedsthroughthecurriculum
TheimplementationoftheEnglishNationalCurriculumthroughEnglishtextbooks
and programmes of study provides challenging and appropriate standards for
each grade level and all the core subjects, plus art, physical education (PE) and
French. The curriculum delivery prepares students well for their public
examinations. The range of subjects is limited in the higher grades due to small
student numbers. The school has plans to add breadth to the curriculum next
academic year by including, for example, AS English, AS ICT, and music
throughouttheschool.Theschooltimetableoperatesefficiently.
The values, culture and traditions of the UAE are integrated into the curriculum
and school activities. For example, the theme of a KG2 class assembly was their
loveoftheUAE.Thereareappropriatedisplaysandartefactsaroundtheschool.
The annual calendar of extracurricular events includes activity clubs and local
visits. The school plans to introduce a weekly activities lesson. Students
successfully take part in a wide range of competitions. During the week of the
inspection,6studentswerecompetinginthefinalofanICTcompetitionatAbu
DhabiUniversitytopromoteessentialprogrammingskills.
Theschoolplanstoappointanacademiccoordinatortoreviewthecurriculumto
meet the needs of different groups of students, especially the more able and
thosewithspecialeducationalneeds.
Theprotection,care,guidanceandsupportofstudents
Theschoolhasapositiveethostowardsthecareofitsstudents.Allthenecessary
safeguards are taken by the school to ensure students safety. All necessary
structures,policiesandproceduresareinplace.Studentssaytheyfeelhappyand
safeinschool.Parentsagree.Allstaffaretrainedinchildprotectionprocedures
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andknowwhattodoincasesofsuspectedoractualabuse.Thereisaclinicanda
certificated nurse to care for students and support a healthy lifestyle. Students
are screened for oral health and eye conditions in association with the local
hospital.Thewholeschoolhealtheducationprogrammepromoteshealthyeating,
personalhygiene,activelifestylesandoralhygiene.
Thepresentprovisionforstudentstoprayisinadequate.Theschoolplanstobuild
2newprayerrooms.Thereisnooneatpresentdesignatedwithresponsibilityfor
thecareofstudentswithspecialandadditionaleducationalneeds.
Thequalityoftheschoolsbuildingsandpremises
Theschoolbuildingsaretoosmallandlackseveralimportantfacilitiesastheyare
not yet complete. Specialist facilities for PE, science, ICT, art and music are
currently insufficient. The school has a strategic plan to build three additional
blocks with ADECapproved architect drawings and appropriate finances. The
drawings include provision for additional specialist facilities, such as an indoor
gymnasium, a sports hall/multipurpose hall, 3 additional science laboratories, a
cafeteria,anewKGarea,amusicroom,aclinic,3ICTrooms,anartroom,special
education facilities and 2 prayer rooms. There is a plan to extend and improve
outdoorfacilities.Classroomsareatpresentsmallandcramped.Limitedphysical
spaceindoorsandoutsideKGrestrictschildinitiatedactivities.Thepresentschool
buildingcannotcaterforincreasedstudentnumbers,forabroaderupperschool
curriculum,orforstudentswithphysicaldifficulties.
Securitycameras,guardsandsystemsandproceduresensuretheschoolisasafe
andsecurelearningenvironment.Staffarediligentoverallmattersofhealthand
safety.Theactivehealthandsafetycommitteeensurethebuildingsarekeptclean
andwellmaintained.Theattractivedisplaysaroundtheschoolenrichlearning.
Theschoolsresourcestosupportitsaims
Schoolresourcesatpresentarenotfitforpurpose.Therearenodataprojectors
in classrooms. Classes share the small portable projector for students to deliver
powerpointpresentations.Theonlyinteractivewhiteboardintheschoolisinthe
smallICTlaboratory,andtherearenocomputersinclassrooms.Thesmallschool
libraryisnotwellstocked.Resourcesinspecialistroomsarepoor.Thereislimited
PEandartequipment,andfewresourcestosupportSENstudents.
Thereisafullcomplementofteachers,manyofwhomarelongservingstafffrom
thepreviousschool.Theyspeakhighlyofthenewprofessionaldevelopmentthey
receive and staff morale is high. All students have textbooks to supplement
learning.

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School buses are regularly maintained. Fire drills and risk assessments are
regularly conducted. Food storage and serving arrangements are hygienic and
healthy.
Theeffectivenessofleadershipandmanagement
In its first year of operation, the school leadership and management have
establishedstructures,systems,policiesandprocedureswhichensurethesmooth
day to day running of the school. Proprietors, school leaders, staff, parents and
studentsshareacommitmenttotheschoolsvision.Theprincipalhasthesupport
and confidence of all stakeholders. The proposed new appointments of a new
vice principal and academic coordinator will increase the senior leadership
capacityforfutureschoolimprovement.Parentsaresupportiveoftheschooland
wishtobemorefullyinvolvedinthefuturedirectionoftheschool.
The mostly accurate school selfevaluation document (SEF) provides limited
evidence to support the judgments in each standard. The school development
plan(SDP)doesnotsetoutclearprioritiesforimprovement.Targetsintheplan
arenotcosted,timed,specificormeasurable.Afullyoperativesystemofschool
governance is not yet in place. The establishment of a board of governors and
appropriate subcommittees to oversee the setting of school priorities and the
allocationofspecificbudgetswillhelpsecuremoreeffectiveschoolplanning.

Capacityforfurtherdevelopment
Leadership, buildings and resources are the 3 key factors to determine the
schoolsabilitytoaddressthechallengesahead.
The principal, with the proposed appointments and support of additional
personnelinseniorposts,hasthecapacityoverthenexttwoyearstomovethe
school forward and raise standards. The appointment of a vice principal and an
academic coordinator are essential to strengthen the leadership team. As a
matter of urgency the proprietors need to constitute an operative board of
governors with clear roles and responsibilities to address the strategic direction
andprioritiesoftheschool.
ProprietorsconfirmthatbuildingplanshavebeenapprovedbyADECandfinance
isavailable.Buildingworkisduetostartin2monthsandshouldbecompletein3
to 6 months from the date of this inspection. As school numbers grow, the
presentbuildingwillbecomeincreasinglyunsuitable.

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Whattheschoolshoulddotoimprovefurther:
1.

2.

3.

4.

Improve buildings and resources, especially specialist facilities and

information and communication technology (ICT) provision in classrooms
by:
i. prioritisingbuildingplansandexpenditureinconsultationwiththe
boardofgovernors
ii. drawing up a 2 year plan for the expansion of ICT provision
throughouttheschool.
Establish a board of governors, and a structure of subcommittees, with
clearrolesandresponsibilitiesby:
i. takingadvicefromADECandotherprivateschoolgoverningbodies
abouttheproceduresandstepsinvolvedinestablishingaboardof
governors
ii. drawing up the constitution and the composition of the board of
governorswithreferencetoknowngoodpractice
iii. settingadateforthefirstandfuturemeetings.
Improvecommunicationwithparentsandtheirinvolvementintheschool
by:
i. settingupaparentsormotherscouncil
ii. further developing the school website, so that it regularly informs
parents(confidentially)oftheirchildsprogressandattainment,as
wellaseventsandgeneralnews
iii. invitingparentalrepresentationontheboardofgovernors.
Improve the provision for the different needs of all students, including
specialeducationalneeds(SEN)andgiftedandtalentedby:
i. appointing an SEN coordinator to lead and manage the
identificationofandsupportforstudentswithadditionalneeds
ii. requiring teachers to identify and plan for more able students in
their lessons with more challenging tasks, questions an extension
work.

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InspectionGrades

Inneedofsignificant
improvement

Poor

Very
unsatisfactory

Satisfactory&
Improving

Unsatisfactory

Satisfactory

Satisfactory

Highperforming

Good

BandC

VeryGood

BandB

Outstanding

Performance
Standard

BandA

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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