InspectionReport

CrescentInternationalPrivateSchool

AcademicYear201415

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CrescentInternationalPrivateSchool

InspectionDate
SchoolID#

29September2October2014
73

LicensedCurriculum

EnglishNationalCurriculum

NumberofStudents

366

AgeRange
Gender

3to12years
Mixed

Principal

CharmaineRaghuraman

SchoolAddress

KhalifaCityA,AbuDhabi

TelephoneNumber

+971(0)25572271

FaxNumber

+971(0)25571870

OfficialEmail(ADEC)
SchoolWebsite

Crescentint.pvt@adec.ac.ae
www.crescentschoolabudhabi.com

Dateoflastinspection 2528February2013

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Theoveralleffectivenessoftheschool
Inspectorsconsideredtheschoolinrelationto3performancecategories
BandA Highperforming(overalleffectivenessgrade1,2or3)
BandB

Satisfactory(overalleffectivenessgrade4or5)

BandC

Inneedofsignificantimprovement(overalleffectivenessgrade6,70r8)

TheSchoolwasjudgedtobe:

BANDC;

GRADE6

Themainstrengthsoftheschoolare:

the determination and commitment of senior leaders to improve the

quality of their practices and enhance the learning opportunities for all
students
theimprovingacademicprogressinKindergartenandGrades5and6
the welcoming and approachable management team who help parents
andchildrentofeelateaseandareopentosuggestions
theclean,wellmaintainedandwelldesignedschoolbuildings.

Themainareasforimprovementare:

the attainment and progress of students, especially those who speak

Englishasanadditionallanguage
the regular use of standardized assessments to identify the needs of all
students,tracktheirprogressandinformlessonplanning
thequalityofteachingsothattheneedsofallstudentsaremet
providing learning activities that improve the acquisition of the skills
requiredforlifeinthe21stCentury
enrichingthecurriculumbyincreasingthequalityandrangeofeducational
resourcesinallsubjectareas,particularlyintheKindergarten.

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Introduction
The school was inspected by a team of 3 inspectors. They observed 50 lessons,
conducted several meetings with senior staff, subject and stage coordinators,
students and parents. They analysed test and assessment results, scrutinised
students work across the school, analysed the 49 responses to the parents
questionnaireandconsideredmanyoftheschoolspoliciesandotherdocuments.
The owner, principal and viceprincipal were involved throughout the inspection
processand9jointlessonobservationswereconducted.

DescriptionoftheSchool
CrescentInternationalPrivateSchoolwasoriginallyopenedinJune1991asavilla
school and moved to the current location in Khalifa City in November 2010. The
schools mission is to develop successful, well balanced and responsible global
citizensthroughtheschoolvalues.
There are 366 students: 214 boys and 152 girls. There are 81 students in the
Kindergarten(KG).Eachyeargroupismadeupof2classes.Thereare5students
whohavespecialeducationalneeds(SEN)and10%ofstudentsaredeemedtobe
very able. Almost all students are Muslim and of Arabic heritage, and 65% are
Emirati. Other students originate from a variety of Arabic countries including
Egypt(10%),Jordan(5%),Yemen(6%),Oman(4%)andSyria(4%).
TheschoolhasintroducedtheEnglishNationalCurriculumfromtheKGtoGrade
6. At the end of the 2014 / 15 academic year, Grade 6 students will sit the
CambridgeCurriculumtestsinEnglish,mathematicsandscience.Allstudentswho
applyforentrytotheKGareadmitted.Studentswhoapplyforentryduringthe
schoolyearforGrades1to6havetositforatestinthecoresubjects.Schoolfees
rangefromAED10,500toAED14,500,whichisinthelowcategory;thisincludes
transport,booksanduniform.
There are 28 teachers including the principal and vice principal and 8
administrative staff. All teachers are fully qualified. Teachers receive 25 hours of
professionaldevelopmentannuallyandaresubjecttoperformancemanagement
review.Theschoolhasanewlyconvenedgoverningbody.

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TheEffectivenessoftheSchool

Evaluationoftheschoolsoveralleffectiveness
The Crescent International Private School is unsatisfactory and in need of
significant improvement. This judgement reflects the schools position against
international standards. The attainment and progress of the students are
unsatisfactory in all key subject areas, and a substantial number of students are
notacquiringtheskillsrequiredforlifeinthe21stCentury.Manyteacherslackthe
skills to enable a significant number of students to successfully access the
curriculum, especially those who speak English as an additional language (EAL).
Teachersalsolackafullrangeofresourcestomakelearningmoreinteresting.
Studentsattainment&progress
The attainment and progress of students in all grades is unsatisfactory. It is
improvingintheKGandinGrades5and6.Standardsremainbelowthosebothin
similarschoolsandinternationalagerelatedexpectations.
OnentrytotheKG,childrenscommunicationskillsinEnglisharewellbelowthose
expected. In KG1, children are able to indicate their age using their fingers,
recognisenumeralsupto5,countinorderandrecognisetwodimensionalshapes.
Children are developing hand control and, in both KG1 and 2, can handle
implementswithreasonableconfidence.ChildreninKG1nowmakemoreprogress
than at the time of the previous inspection because of improved teaching and
assessmentpractice.
InGrades1to6,studentsaredevelopingadequatecomprehensionandlistening
skills in Arabic. Progress in writing is unsatisfactory. For example, in Grade 1,
students are not able to write the letter s in different positions and in Grade 3
theydonotgraspbasicgrammar.StudentsinGrade5arenotabletodistinguish
between different categories of verbs. Progress in both Islamic education and
social studies is unsatisfactory. For example, students in Grade 1 are not able to
memoriseeventheshortestversesfromtheHolyQuran,andinGrade4theyare
notabletoaccuratelyreadtheHolyQuranusingtheTashkeelrulesofgrammar.
Grade 5 students are not able to name the member countries of the Gulf Co
operationCouncil(GCC).
Lessons in other subject areas are conducted in English. In Grades 1 to 4, most
students cannot access the curriculum in sufficient depth because they do not
fully understand the teacher. They are reluctant to converse in English because
theylackconfidence.InGrades5and6,studentsprogressinEnglishappearsto

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accelerate; Grade 6 students can read fluently and their creative writing
demonstratesinsightandimagination.
Attainment and progress are unsatisfactory from Grades 1 to 6 in mathematics.
Studentsprogressishamperedbythelackofmentalarithmeticskillsthatslows
the process of calculation. Progress in mathematics is also limited by a lack of
challengeandthelowexpectationsoftheteachers.InsciencefromGrades14,
students do not grasp basic scientific concepts. This is because they do not
understand the terminology and there are no opportunities to strengthen
conceptual thinking through scientific investigation. Students in Grades 5 and 6
arebeginningtounderstandandapplyscientificprinciplesandtheory.
The attainment and progress of students in other curriculum areas such as art,
French,geographyandphysicaleducation(PE)areveryunsatisfactory.Although
information and communications technology (ICT) facilities are limited, students
acquiresatisfactoryICTskills.Forexample,inGrade4,studentsproducedapower
pointpresentationthatincludedananimation.
The school has no way of accurately assessing the progress of students against
international agerelated expectations. Termly assessment results are recorded
centrally for each student but they are not standardized. Baseline or diagnostic
assessmentsarenotundertakenwhenstudentsentertheschool.Consequently,
thetrackingofprogressisnotroutineandthereislittleassessmentdataavailable
toinformlessonplanningorensurethatalllearningneedsaremet.
Studentspersonaldevelopment
The personal development made by students is unsatisfactory. In too many
lessons,inGrades1to4,littlelearningtakesplacebecausemanystudentsdonot
listen and are disengaged from learning. Girls are more likely to sit quietly and
engageinlearning,evenwhenthequalityofteachingispoor.Boysrarelysustain
theirconcentrationforlong;theyaremuchlesslikelytolistenandarefrequently
disruptive. Too many students do not treat each other with sufficient respect.
BehaviourisbetterinGrades5and6.
Boys, in particular, do not demonstrate positive attitudes to learning; they lack
the confidence to work independently, ask pertinent questions or express
opinions.Forthesereasons,manystudentsarenotfullydevelopingthesocialand
personalskillstheyneedtofacethechallengesoflifeinthe21stCentury.
TheUAEheritageisacknowledgedduringdailyassemblieswherestudentsstand
toattentionandsingquiteenthusiastically.Manyparticipateinthepresentations
andperformances.

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Thequalityofteachingandlearning
Thequalityofteachingremainsunsatisfactory,particularlyinGrades1to4.Dueto
the implementation of the Cambridge Curriculum, the resources to support
teaching and assessment have improved. Lesson planning remains limited in
scope,mainlybecauseteacherexpectationsarenothighenough.Teachersdonot
plan collaboratively and as a result, learning objectives and resources are
inconsistentlyappliedbetweenclassesandacrossgrades.
Intoomanylessons,teachingstrategiesarelimited.Prolongedquestioningslows
thepaceandcausesbehaviourtodeteriorate.Studentsdonotfullycomprehend
thelearningobjectivesorwhattheyhavetodo,duetoalackofunderstandingof
thelanguagespokenbytheteacher.Thereareinsufficientactivitiesorresources
intheselessonstoprovidethesupportthesestudentssourgentlyneed.
There are few opportunities for discussion or paired work that could help to
clarify the learning objectives. Students appear to be unable to think for
themselvesorlearnindependentlyduetooverdirectionbytheteacher.Teachers
assessprogressbyadministeringshorttests.Informationgatheredfrommarking
these tests is not used to inform lesson planning. The quality of the marking in
studentsbooksisgenerallyunsatisfactory.Therearefewcommentsmadebythe
teachersthatcouldhelpstudentstoimprovetheirwork.
Meetingstudentsneedsthroughthecurriculum
Thecurriculumimplementationisunsatisfactory.Itdoesnotmeettheneedsofall
students and does not adequately prepare them for their futures. There have
beensomeimprovementsmadetothebreadthanddepthofthecurriculumsince
the last inspection. Inthe KG, the new and experiencedcoordinator has a clear
vision for effective provision and has developed her classroom so that learning
activitiesflowmorefreely.ChildrenslevelsofdevelopmentinKG1arenowbeing
measuredagainstEarlyYearsFoundationStagelevelsandguidelines.InGrades1
to6,theintroductionoftheCambridgeCurriculuminthecoresubjectsofEnglish,
mathematics and science has provided teachers with internationally ratified
schemesofwork,standardisedassessmentproceduresandanenhancedrangeof
resources.
The needs of the large number of students for whom English is an additional
language (EAL) are still not being met. A special educational needs coordinator
(SENCO) has been recently appointed and she has established a routine of
diagnostic testing for EAL students. Individual Action Plans (IAPs) have been
written for these students but have not been implemented. There are too few
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opportunitiesforstudentstobeinventive,usecreativeideas,explore,investigate
andfollowlinesofenquiry.
The school has forged useful links with community partners and students
undertakecharitywork.Arangeofclubsisofferedweeklyincludingactivitiesfor
students to engage in Holy Quran recitation, cook, and practise their ICT skills.
Students go on a number of educational trips and visits during the year and
eventssuchasInternationalDay,MothersDayandFlagDayarecelebrated.
Theprotection,care,guidanceandsupportofstudents
The care, protection, guidance and support of students are unsatisfactory. The
schoolhasacaringenvironmentandstudentssaythattheyfeelsafe.Theschool
has established a child protection policy, trained staff and appointed a child
protection officer. There is also a behaviour policy, and staff have received
trainingonitsimplementation.Thepolicyhasnotimprovedthebehaviourofboys
sufficiently, which remains unsatisfactory. Students are not able to articulate
whatconstitutesbullying.TheschoolprovideslittleinformationtoinformGrade6
students and their parents about transition arrangements to the next stage of
theireducation.
Facilitiesthatprovidesupportandcareintheschoolarewellmaintained.Thereis
a prayer room that is used appropriately. The clinic is clean and well organized.
Medication is stored appropriately and the accompanying documentation is in
place.Recordsarekeptofschooladmission,registrationandattendance,whichis
average at 91%. The school site is secure. The required checks are made about
suitabilityandqualificationsofstaffandthesearekeptinacentralfile.
Thequalityoftheschoolsbuildingsandpremises
The school buildings are fit for purpose and provide adequate space and the
necessary facilities. The environment is light and airy. Premises are well
maintained and all the required health and safety checks are routinely
undertaken.Theschooliscleanandtidy.Theprovisionoftoiletsisadequatefor
thenumberofstudentsandtoiletareasarecleanandhygienic.
Since the last inspection, covered areas for basketball and football have been
developed. Thereissufficientoutdoorspace;largecanopiesprovideshadetothe
assemblyareaandKGplayground.Theschoolhasasciencelaboratory,alibrary,
an ICT suite and an indoor P.E. room. The laboratory and library are underused
andtheP.E.roomistoosmallforawholeclassandispoorlyequipped.

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Theschoolsresourcestosupportitsaims
Theprovisionofresourcesisunsatisfactoryinallgradesanddoesnotadequately
support the aims of the school. Teachers are sufficient in number, qualified and
demonstrateacommitmenttothestudents.Thereareclassroomassistantsinthe
KG, Grades 1 and 2 but they focus on behaviour management rather than the
supportoflearning.
Inafewclassroomsstudentsworkisdisplayed.Allclassroomsarenowequipped
with data show facilities and these are being used effectively. The science
laboratory is not fully equipped and this facility is not often used for practical
scientificwork.Theschoollibraryisnotwellresourced;therearefewbooksand
noICTstationswherestudentscanundertakeinvestigativework.Thefacilitiesfor
storageandpreparationoffoodarecleanandhygienic andsafetyrequirements
aremaintained.
Theeffectivenessofleadershipandmanagement
School leaders are committed to the school and the need to improve more
rapidly. School managers are well organised and the school runs smoothly on a
daytodaybasis.Agoverningbodyhasbeenrecentlyconvened,ischairedbythe
owner and includes parents representatives. There has been insufficient
investmentin developing the range of learning resources. Senior leaders do not
have a sufficiently accurate view of the quality of lessons and teachers
professionaldevelopmentisnotsufficientlytargetedtostudentsneeds.Overall,
theleadershipandmanagementoftheschoolremainunsatisfactory.
The schools selfevaluation form (SEF) is broadly realistic. School development
planning (SDP) requires more urgency, clarity and rigour. Performance
management procedures are not appropriately clear and rigorous and lesson
observationsarefrequentlyoverpositive.Teachersnowhaveaccesstoincreased
professional development opportunities though these are not adequately linked
to the evaluation of lesson observations in order to develop individual teacher
effectiveness.Theimpactofthisprofessionaldevelopmentremainslimited.
Theparentsquestionnaireandmeetingswithparentsdemonstratethattheyare
supportive of the school. Parents say that their suggestions are taken seriously.
Parentalcomplaints,andtheoutcomesofthese,arethoroughlyrecorded.

Progresssincethelastinspection
There have been some improvements to most performance standards since the
last inspection and many of the issues raised by the last inspection have been
tackled. These have not had a significant impact yet to enable the school to
provide at least satisfactory quality of education. Attainment and progress have
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improvedinKG1andinGrades5and6duetotheappointmentofsomeadditional
teachers. The provision of data show facilities in all classrooms has also
improvedthequalityofteaching.
The school has recently implemented the Cambridge Curriculum, which has
increased the resources available to both students and teachers. This also
provides an internationally standardised framework for assessment in the core
subjects. A child protection policy has been drafted, staff trained and a child
protection officer appointed to work closely with the school counsellor to
enhanceprotection,care,supportandguidance.ASENCOhasbeenappointedto
diagnoseandorganizeinterventionsforstudentswithspecialeducationalneeds
includingthosewithEnglishasanadditionallanguageandthemoreable.Thenew
KG coordinator has considerable experience in early years practice and has
improved provision in KG1. Although committed, the leadership would require
external support to bring about the necessary improvements in the quality of
educationCrescentInternationalprovides.

Whattheschoolshoulddotoimprovefurther:
1. Improvetheimpactofseniorleadersandmanagersbyensuringthatself
evaluationmeasurestheimpactofnewcurriculuminitiativesandislinked
toanaccurateassessmentofthequalityofteachingandlearning.
2. Ensure that all students can access lessons more effectively, particularly
EAL,SENandthemoreableby:
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.

providing targeted training to equip teachers with the range of

techniquesneededtosupportspecificlearningneeds
focusing lesson observations on the effectiveness of student
learningandunderstanding
widening assessment techniques so that they are continuous and
aremoderatedagainstastandardizedassessmentframework
using standardized baseline and attainment data to track the
progressofallstudents,sothatteacherscanplanlearningactivities
based on a more accurate knowledge and understanding of
learningneeds.

3. Enrichthecurriculumbyimprovingresourcesinallsubjectareassothat:
i.

ii.

there are more opportunities for the development of the

investigative,creative,andanalyticalskillsrequiredforlivinginthe
21stCentury
theKGcurriculumcanbedeliveredmoreeffectively.
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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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