How does ADEK rate and inspect schools in Abu Dhabi

Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) is a government body established to develop education and educational institutions in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi. Implement innovative educational policies, plans and programs that aim to improve education and support institutions and staff to achieve the objectives of national development in accordance with the highest international standards.

The inspection of the private schools in the Emirate of Abu Dhabi started in 2008 as a pilot phase. Then between the Academic year 2009 and 2011 all private schools were inspected.

Who inspects schools and for how long?
Schools are inspected by teams of professional, qualified and experienced inspectors, who typically spend three to five days in a school. They are led by a Lead Inspector. Other inspectors are known as Team Inspectors. All inspection teams include a Lead Inspector for Arabic, Islamic education and social studies and other Arabic speaking inspectors as necessary. Inspection teams for schools offering curricula in languages other than English and Arabic include speakers of those languages. All inspection teams include specialists with curriculum expertise in the school’s given curriculum or curricula.

How does ADEK rate schools?
Inspectors make judgments on a school’s performance in six performance standards

• 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

**Inspectors use a six-point scale when judging the level of quality in each of the Performance Standards.

The following table shows what the six points mean

• Outstanding– Quality of performance substantially exceeds the expectation of the UAE
• Very Good– Quality of performance exceeds the expectation of the UAE
• Acceptable– Quality of performance meets the minimum expectation of the UAE. (This is the minimum level for every school in the UAE)
• Weak– Quality of performance is below the expectation of the UAE
• Very Weak– Quality of performance is significantly below the expectation of the UAE

In the inspection Summary Report that goes to schools, the judgements are banded together in six levels of quality and defined as below:

• Band A – HighPerforming(Outstanding, Very Good, Good)
• Band B – Satisfactory(Acceptable)
• Band C – In need of significant improvement (Weak, Very Weak)