NewSchoolInspectionReport

TheNationalTorches

AcademicYear20142015

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TheNationalTorchesSchool

InspectionDate
SchoolID#

2730April2015
257

LicensedCurriculum

MinistryofEducation(MoE)

NumberofStudents

1057

AgeRange
Gender
Principal
SchoolAddress

4to18years
Mixed
HananAhmedShebi
AlMurourStreet,backofLLHhospital,AbuDhabi

TelephoneNumber

+971(0)24482414

FaxNumber

+971(0)24483413

OfficialEmail(ADEC)

Nationaltorches.pvt@adec.ac.ae

SchoolWebsite

DateofOpening

September2014

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Theoveralleffectivenessoftheschool
Inspectorsconsideredtheschoolinrelationto3performancecategories
BandA Highperforming(overalleffectivenessgrade1,2or3)
BandB

Satisfactory(overalleffectivenessgrade4or5)

BandC

Inneedofsignificantimprovement(overalleffectivenessgrade6,70r8)

TheSchoolwasjudgedtobe:

BANDC;

GRADE7

Themainstrengthsoftheschoolare:

students gain an adequate knowledge and understanding of the values

andcultureoftheUAE
relationshipsinmostlessonsarepositive,basedonmutualrespect
apositiveethosinwhichstudentsappearhappy
theschoolrunssmoothlyonadailybasis.

Themainareasforimprovementare:

standards and progress in all subjects to meet best international age

relatedexpectations
the students acquisition of sufficient 21st century skills, especially critical
thinking,communicationandindependentlearning
teachersexpectationsandthelevelofchallengefordifferentgroups
thebehaviourofaminorityofboysinlessonsandaroundschool
theimplementationanddeliveryofthecurriculumtomotivateandinspire
students
provision of sufficient range and use of resources to support students
learning.

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Introduction
Theschoolwasevaluatedby5inspectors.Theyobserved80lessons,conducted
meetings with senior leaders, subject coordinators, teachers, students and
parents. They analysed test and assessment results, scrutinized students work
acrosstheschool,analysed 552 responses to the parents questionnaire and
consideredmanyoftheschoolspoliciesandotherdocuments.Theprincipaland
senior leadership team were involved throughout the process and the vice
principal undertook 2 joint observations of lessons with inspectors, including a
learningwalkin5classesinKG.

DescriptionoftheSchool
The National Torches School opened in September 2014 in exGovernment
accommodationaftertheclosureofavillaschool.Theschoolscorevaluesareto
encourage allstudentstoexploittheirabilities,developtheirmoralvalues,gain
thehighestlevelsofknowledge,copewithtechnologicaladvancementsandgain
culturalawarenesstoservetheirsociety.
TheschoolcatersforstudentsfromtheKindergarten(KG)toGrade12.Almostall
students are of Arabic heritage and Muslim; 3% are Emirati, 24% Egyptian, 19%
Syrian,11%Sudanese,10%Yemeni,9%Palestinian,andsmallerproportionsfrom21
other countries. There are similar numbers of boys and girls. Classes are mixed
genderinKGGrade3.Thereare112childreninKG,403studentsingrades15,
299 students in Grades 6 9 and 243 students in Grades 10 12. The school
identifies 9% of students with special educational needs (SEN), mostly with
learning or language difficulties. The school accepted most students from the
originalvillaschoolsupplementedbyabout200admittedbyADECfromotherex
villaschools.
The principal is on medical absence and the school is being led by the vice
principalandpermanenteducationadviser,whoformtheseniorleadershipteam.
SchoolfeesrangefromAED2,500toAED9,000.Theschoolemploys75teachers,
includingadministration.Teacherturnoverislow.

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TheEffectivenessoftheSchool

Evaluationoftheschoolsoveralleffectiveness
The National Torches provides a very unsatisfactory quality of education.
Attainment and progress are significantly below agerelated best international
expectationsinallsubjects.Thequalityofteachingandtheimplementationofthe
curriculum are very unsatisfactory. There are insufficient resources, including
moderntechnology,toenablestudentstoapplytheirskills.Buildingsandfacilities
areunsatisfactoryanddonotsupportlearningwellenough.
The school has a caring ethos and most students are happy and like school. It
enjoysthesupportofmanyparentsandteachersmoraleishigh.Theschoolhas
gonethroughaperiodofturbulencesinceopeningandnowrunssmoothly.Ithas
been relocated and enrolled over 200 new students since September 2014. The
principal has been on medical leave since the school opened. The viceprincipal,
educationadviserandpublicrelationsofficerleadandmanagetheschool.
Studentsattainment&progress
Attainment and progress are very unsatisfactory. Standards are well below
international agerelated expectations in all subjects. More able students and
those with SEN make very unsatisfactory progress. Students make insufficient
gains in their 21st century skills, such as critical and creative thinking,
communication, collaboration and problem solving to prepare them adequately
for their future. Childrens basic skills in KG are well below agerelated
expectationsandtheymakeveryunsatisfactoryprogress.
In Arabic, progress in speaking, reading and writing is well below expectation
becauseteachersdonotconsistentlyexpectstudentstousestandardArabicand
grammar is not accurate. In Islamic education, students do not read the Holy
Quran accurately by using Tajweed (enunciation) rules consistently. They have
insufficientknowledgeofIslamicconceptsandissues.Insocialstudies,students
knowledgeandunderstandingofhistoryandgeographyareweak.Studentsinthe
highergradesdonothavesecureknowledgeoftheeconomyinGulfcountries.
InEnglish,standardsinspeakingandlisteningaremarginallybetterthanreading
and writing. Writing throughout the school is very unsatisfactory because
students have few opportunities to compose extended pieces of work
independently. They make too many grammatical and spelling mistakes, which
remainuncorrected.Markingandfeedbackdoesnothelpthemknowwhatthey
needtodotoimprovetheirwork.
In mathematics, childrens basic numeracy skills in KG are not sufficiently
developed. In some lessons, students demonstrate satisfactory levels of
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attainment, when they apply prior learning, ask questions and solve problems.
Conceptsinhighergradesareoftenplannedtomeetbestinternationallevels,but
areoversimplifiedsostudentsdonotgainunderstandinginsufficientdepth.For
example,inaGrade11girlslessononprobability,studentswereonlyexpectedto
calculatetheprobabilityofboystogirlsratiosfor3children.Inscience,students
in lower grades, do not have a secure understanding of the water cycle,
condensation, evaporation or the states of matter. Older students have limited
understanding of halogens or inert and ideal gases. This represents very
unsatisfactory levels of attainment and progress. Information communications
and technology (ICT) skills are not developed well enough as students have
limitedopportunitytodeveloptheirskillsinothersubjectsasresourcesarevery
limited.
Theschoolusesdiagnostictestseffectivelytoassessstudentsbasicskills.Ithasa
systemtotrackattainmentbutdoesnotanalysedatatoenableteacherstoplan
lessons to meet the needs of different groups of students. It has no clear and
accurate evidence of standards and progress related to best international
expectations.
Studentspersonaldevelopment
Studentspersonaldevelopmentisunsatisfactory.Girlsbehaviourinlessonsand
aroundschoolisnormallyappropriateandtheydemonstratesensibleandmature
attitudes to learning. The behaviour of aminority of boys in lessons and around
school can be disruptive. Too many students are passive learners, limiting their
engagement in lessons. Children in KG, often shout out answers without any
teacher intervention. In some KG classes, children lie on desks, stand on chairs
andwanderaroundtheroomwithoutanyteacherintervention.
Students say they are happy and like their school, as reflected by the above
average attendance at 93%. Relationships with peers and teachers are positive,
basedonmutualrespect.Studentslistentotheviewsofothersandthereareno
obvioustensionsbetweenstudentsfromdifferentbackgrounds.Studentsdonot
gainsufficient21stcenturyskillstopreparethemadequatelyforthefuture.Thisis
because lessons are too dominated by teachers and tasks do not challenge
studentstothinkindependently,answerindepthorworkcollaboratively.
Studentsdonothavesufficientunderstandingoftheneedtolivesafeandhealthy
lives. Many of them eat unhealthy food at break times. A minority of students
participate in a limited range of social, cultural, scientific, sporting and other
activities.

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Thequalityofteachingandlearning
The quality of teaching and learning is very unsatisfactory. Lessons observed
ranged from satisfactory and improving to poor. The large majority of lessons
were judged to be very unsatisfactory. Some more effective lessons were seen,
mainlyinmathematics.
Mostteachershaveappropriateknowledgeoftheirsubjectsothatexplanations
areaccurate.SometeachersofEnglishusestilted,unnaturalspokenlanguagein
lessons and have a weak knowledge of grammar and spelling. Learning is very
slow in KG because teachers do not understand how young children learn best.
Strategies used are ineffective in ensuring that children in KG remain engaged;
anddeliveryofthecurriculumisnotsuitedtotheneedsofchildren.
Relationshipsarepositive,however,behaviourofchildreninKGandthatofboys
isnotalwaysmanagedeffectively.Teachersdonotensureroutinesandclassroom
managementstrategiesareconsistentlyapplied.Progressisveryslowinallareas
because of inappropriate behaviour, especially by boys; insufficient opportunity
for students to learn actively. In the more effective lessons, for example in
mathematics, practical and investigative tasks enable students to apply their
knowledge and deepen their understanding. Teachers expectations are too low
inmanylessonsandworkprovidedoftenlackschallenge,especiallyformoreable
students. Teachers dominate in too many lessons, limiting students
independence, creativity and interactive learning opportunities. Resources to
supportlearningarerarelyavailablesoteachersrelyontextbooksandlearningis
too focused on students acquiring knowledge. Students are mainly passive
learners,oftenshowinglimitedenthusiasm,initiativeorinterest.
Assessmentforlearningstrategiesarenotusedeffectively.Teachersdonotuse
assessment data to plan tasks that meet the needs of different ability groups,
especiallythemoreableandstudentswithSEN.Lessonobjectivesareoftennot
clearandarenotusuallysharedwithstudentstohelpthemknowwhattheyare
expectedtolearn.Theyarerarelyusedtoreviewlearningandcheckonstudents
deeper understanding. Questions are mainly closeended and focus on factual
knowledge, suppressing students deeper thinking skills, especially for the more
able.StudentshaveverylittleopportunitytousetheirICTskillsinothersubjects.
Meetingstudentsneedsthroughthecurriculum
The delivery of the curriculum is very unsatisfactory. The implementation of the
curriculumdoesnotinspireormotivatestudentsbecauseofanoverrelianceon
textbooks with a focus on acquiring knowledge. Planning of lessons does not
provide sufficient opportunities for students to work independently or
collaborativelyininteractivetaskstodeveloptheircuriosityorresearchskills.The
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KGcurriculumdoesnotmeettheneedsofchildrenastheygetlittleopportunity
tolearnactively,experientially,throughplayorinitiatetasksforthemselves.
TheschoolimplementstheMinistryofEducationcurriculum,whichisbroadand
balanced. It offers French in the lower grades, sport and art to widen students
learning.Thecurriculumenablesstudentstoacquireappropriateknowledgeand
understandingofthevaluesandculturesoftheUAE.Theschooloffersanarrow
rangeofextracurricularactivitiestoenhancestudentslearningas,forexample,in
sport,sciencedramaandvisitstoUniversitiesandthestockmarket.
Theprotection,care,guidanceandsupportofstudents
Thequalityofprotection,care,guidanceandsupportisunsatisfactory.Systemsto
track students progress and support their academic and personal development
are inadequate. SEN provision is led by social workers, who are not trained to
identify or support the range of students needs. Procedures for support are
unclearandvague.Theschool hasadequate proceduresto monitorattendance.
Registers are taken daily and any absences are followed up on the first day by
supervisors.Veryfewchecksaremadeduringthedaytoensureallstudentsarein
lessons.Therearefewexamplesoftheuseofrewardsaspositivereinforcement
andsanctionsarenotappliedrigorously.Studentsgetinsufficientguidanceonthe
choicesavailabletothemwhentheyleaveschool.
Theschoolhasapositiveethosandstudentssaytheyfeelsafeandcaredfor.The
childprotectionpolicyandproceduresensurethatadultsintheschoolareaware
ofwhattodoiftheysuspectanyabuse.Theschoolmakesthenecessarychecks
on adults. Students say that there is very little bullying and they know that any
incidentswillbedealtwitheffectively.Theclinicisadequateinsizeandprovidesa
satisfactoryleveloffirstaidbutstudentmedicalrecordsarelimited.Thereare2
verysmallprayerrooms,whichareinadequateinsizeforthenumberofstudents.
Thequalityoftheschoolsbuildingsandpremises
The quality of the schools buildings and facilities is unsatisfactory. Many
classrooms are stark with few displays celebrating students work and inspiring
them. KG and Grade 1 classrooms are small. Some walls are dirty with many
unsightlymarks.Outdoorareasarenotwellmaintained.Largeapparatusisnotall
securely bolted to the ground and some of the rubber flooring has dangerous
gaps.
The size of the site and the buildings is adequate for the number of students.
Someclassroomshavebeenredecoratedsincethestartoftheacademicyear.Key
staff are responsible for the safety and maintenance of the accommodation.
Specialist facilities for science, and outdoor physical education (PE) are not
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adequatetosupportthedeliveryofthecurriculum.The3sciencelaboratoriesare
notusedregularlyforpracticalwork.Thereisaspaciousgym,usedmainlybygirls.
Outdoorareasareinadequateforsportasthehardandunevensurfacecouldbe
dangerous when boys play football. They are limited in size and the school
staggers break times to avoid overcrowding. There are 2 ICT laboratories with
insufficientworkingcomputers.Thelibraryissmallforthenumberofstudents.
School records show that maintenance staff and external contractors check
electrical and safety equipment, such as fire hoses and extinguishers, regularly.
Evacuation procedures are robust. Hazardous substances are stored safely. The
school does not have ramps and lifts to cater for students who may enrol with
physical disabilities. Canteens are extremely small. Security is rigorous and
prevents unwanted intrusion and a new system of closedcircuit television
cameras(CCTV)hasbeenintroduced.
Theschoolsresourcestosupportitsaims
The range, quality and quantity of learning resources is very unsatisfactory. The
school has sufficient teachers who are suitably qualified for their roles and
responsibilities.Theschoolprovidesregularprofessionaltrainingtodeveloptheir
skills.Theimpactistooslowandnewstrategiestoenhancestudentslearningare
notevidentinthevastmajorityofclasses.
The range of additional resources in classrooms to support students learning is
veryunsatisfactory.Toomanylessonsrelyonworkbooksandworksheets,limiting
opportunity for students to learn actively and apply their skills and knowledge.
The quality of the schools science facilities and resources is very unsatisfactory.
There are no chemicals and virtually no resources for physics. ICT facilities and
resourcesareveryunsatisfactory.Manycomputersarenotworkingandstudents
have to share computers during lessons. Classrooms have insufficient ICT
resources.Thespaciousschoollibraryhasaverylimitedrangeofbooksandmany
are old and very worn, hampering the development of students reading and
research skills. Resources in physical education are inadequate. In all lessons
duringtheinspection,theonlyresourceusedwasafootball,withnofocusatall
ondevelopingstudentsskills.
Theschoolplaysnoroleinensuringthatthebusesareadequatelymaintainedas
parentsmaketheirowncontractwiththebuscompany.Buseshavefirstaidkits
and fire extinguishers. Students do not use seat belts when they use the front
seats.Thecanteeniscleanandhygienicandfoodisstoredinrefrigerators.

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Theeffectivenessofleadershipandmanagement
The quality of leadership and management is very unsatisfactory as it has
insufficient impact in ensuring at least adequate teaching and satisfactory
academicprogress.Teachingandlearningarenotimprovingquicklyenoughand
theschooldoesnothaverigoroussystemstomonitorthequalityoflessons.The
ownersrepresentativesupportsthemanagementoftheschool.Hehasregular
discussionswithleadersandvisitstheschoolweekly.Heisawareoftheareasthat
need improvement, especially in the quality of teaching, resources, salaries and
stability in leadership. Leadership has a positive ethos and most parents and
studentsarehappy.Theschoolrunssmoothlyonadaytodaybasis.
Selfevaluation is insufficiently rigorous and outcomes are not clearly linked to
schoolimprovementplanninginordertoraisestudentperformanceinallsubjects
and identify priorities for improvement in all aspects of provision. The self
evaluation document (SEF) is not sufficiently based on accurate evidence from
monitoring of the quality of teaching or students attainment and progress.
Leaders do not have the experience, skills or a secure vision of best practice to
ensure judgements are correct. The school development plan (SDP) focuses on
suitable areas for improvement, but it is too general, incomplete and is not a
useful tool to take the school forward. Middle leaders are ineffective. They
monitorlessonswiththefocusonteachingratherthanonthequalityoflearning
or academic progress. They do not have consistent knowledge of assessment
dataforstudentsintheirsubject.
Parents are supportive of the school, especially of the relationships between
teachers and students and the regular communication about their childs
progress. They have concerns about boys behaviour and the absence of the
principal since the start of the school year. The school has clear channels of
communicationwithparents.Ithasanopendoorpolicyandparents'complaints
aredealtwithinformallybuteffectively.

Capacityforfurtherdevelopment
Senior leaders have not demonstrated that they have sufficient professional
expertise or knowledge to rapidly improve the quality of teaching. The school
doesnothaverigorousenoughsystemstoaccuratelyjudgethequalityoflessons
oreffectivelytracktheacademicprogressofstudents.
The school has not demonstrated that it has the capacity to ensure that it will
provide at least a satisfactory standard of education by the time of the next
inspection.Itwillrequiresignificantexternalmonitoringandsupporttodoso.

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Whattheschoolshoulddotoimprovefurther:
1. Strengthen the effectiveness of teaching and learning to ensure at least
satisfactoryprogressinallsubjectsatwholeschoollevelby:
i.
usingstandardisedandformativeassessmentstotracktheprogress
ofallstudentssystematically
ii.
using assessment data more effectively to plan differentiated
learningactivitiestomeettheneedsofdifferentgroupsofstudents,
especiallythemoreableandthosewithSEN
iii.
providing more opportunities for students to develop 21st Century
skillssuchascriticalthinking,problemsolving,independentlearning,
communicationandcollaboration
iv.
using resources more effectively to support students learning,
significantlyincreasingactiveandinvestigationalbasedlearning
v.
ensuring that all students, especially boys, have good behaviour for
learning
vi.
settingstudentstargetstoaccelerateandmonitortheprogressthey
make.
2. ImprovethequalityofteachingandlearninginKGby:
i.
consistentlyreinforcingroutinessothatchildrenarereadytolearn
ii.
ensuringthatallchildrenareactivelyengagedinlearning
iii.
delivering the curriculum to match the learning needs of young
children
iv.
providingmoreresourcestosupportlearning
v.
enabling children to learn through play and children initiated
activities.
3. Improvethe effectivenessofleadershipand management byfocusing on
thequalityofstudentslearningandprogressby:
i.
providingprofessionaltrainingtodeveloptheskillsandeffectiveness
ofleadersatalllevelssothattheycanmonitorthequalityoflessons
withaclearfocusonlearning
ii.
using focused lesson observations to set teachers targets for
improvementandmonitoringtheimpact
iii.
linking professional development for teachers to monitoring
outcomes
iv.
ensuring lesson planning addresses all elements of the identified
teachingandlearningpriorities
v.
using monitoring and assessment data rigorously to evaluate the
schoolaccurately
vi.
using outcomes from the SEF to identify precise priorities for
improvement.
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InspectionGrades

Satisfactory

Inneedofsignificant
improvement

Satisfactory

Good

VeryGood

Performance
Standard

Very
unsatisfactory

Highperforming

Unsatisfactory

BandC

Satisfactory&
Improving

BandB

Outstanding

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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