dear star private school principal - al sharjah education zone

FINAL_Star_Private_School_Report_2014 of 12

Dear Star Private School Principal - Al Sharjah Education Zone

Following the recent evaluation visit to your school, I am pleased to enclose a copy of your report. This provides you

with an objective evaluation of the strengths of the school, comments on areas for improvement and

recommendations for future development. Also noted is our decision in respect of accreditation for your school.

I should be grateful if you would now please

Check the factual information in the report

Sign/initial each page You have 5 working days from the date of this letter to correct any factual inaccuracies. If no communication is received within 5 working days of the date of this letter, your verification of the factual information will be assumed. Also enclosed is a template to help you prepare your action plan based on the recommendations in the report. Thank you once again for taking part in the programme. Yours sincerely

Report issued in : 18-2-2014


Explanation of the judgements used in the report

Highly effective: Good outcomes or good professional practice

Effective: Acceptable outcomes or competent professional practice.

Not yet effective: Outcomes or quality not yet at the effective level. Schools will be expected to act to

improve the quality of any aspect of their performance or practice that is judged at this level.

Information about the school Star Private School is a private school, situated in Sharjah, providing education for male and female students in Kindergarten to Grade 8, aged 4 to 14 years. At the time of the evaluation, there were 1270 students on roll, of which 2% were Emirati. Star Private School was evaluated in February 2014 as part of the Ministry of Education School Evaluation Programme. Evaluators considered six key focus areas – the leadership of the school, the school as a community, the school’s approach to student learning, the classroom climate, students’ personal development, and students’ attainment and progress.

Recommendation for Accreditation Star Private School has not yet achieved the standards required and is therefore not recommended to the Ministry of Education for accreditation. Of the six focus areas that account for the recommendation, six were evaluated as not yet effective.

Focus Area 1: The leadership of the school

Aspects of the school’s leadership which were positive

The new direction of the school

The school owner and the Principal had set a clear direction for the school. The school displayed its mission and vision statements proudly in corridors, classrooms and on school documentation. Leaders were accurate in their assessment of the school’s strengths and areas for improvement. Since her arrival in September 2013, the Principal had identified precisely the actions needed to achieve education of the highest quality for the students in her school. Leaders had created a strategic and action plan with clear success criteria. They had started to implement measures to bring about improvements, particularly in teaching and behaviour management. Parents and students had commented positively about the changes which were starting to happen in the school. .

Aspects of the school’s leadership that should be improved

The impact of leadership

Too little progress had been made in implementing action plans in the areas of classroom practice and students’ behaviour and attendance. In addition, there was too little focus upon improving relationships and communications with parents. The role of the subject coordinators was not clearly defined. There was a lack of rigour in their systems to monitor lessons and to track students’ progress. Coordinators did not meet as a team and did not share good practice.

Tracking of students’ attainment and progress

Although the school carried out regular tests and assessments, leaders did not have a good understanding of the trends of progress across different subjects and grades. Planning for interventions following assessment was limited and lacked detail. This was an area school leaders were planning to address.


Professional development

Professional development was not well-planned. The school did not use information from lesson observations to plan professional development for specific teachers. Recent training and new methods introduced by the Principal had not yet improved the quality of teaching in most lessons. Some teachers were resistant to using these new teaching approaches and this was having a negative effect on students’ learning experiences. A high turnover of teachers had presented challenges to the school in developing its workforce.

Resources and accommodation for learning

Unsuitable accommodation restricted students’ learning. Small classrooms constrained the opportunities for teachers to implement active learning. There were only a few data projectors for teachers to use to add interest to lessons. Resources for learning were limited and some students did not have the necessary equipment to learn. For example, in art, there was one pencil between two students which restricted their ability to draw and shade. All students had text books and reading books but there were few additional resources to enrich their learning experiences.

Health and safety

The school had not carried out an evacuation drill for two years. It had relied upon showing students a film of an evacuation. In the outdoor Kindergarten area, broken metal play equipment, cracked masonry and a loose metal pipe were potential hazards for young children at play. Wet floors during the school day were dangerous for students moving around the building.

Overall judgement of Focus Area 1: The leadership of the school was Not yet effective

Recommendations for improvement

Accelerate the impact of leadership by:

o Developing the roles and accountability of subject coordinators o Ensuring that all leaders are proactive in implementing action plans and are held to

account for the achieving targets

Develop and embed procedures to track students’ attainment and progress to ensure that interventions are personalised and arranged promptly

Improve the quality and impact of professional development by:

o Ensuring that lesson observations inform planning for professional development o Personalising professional development to focus upon specific skills of individual teachers o Evaluating and addressing the impact of professional development upon teachers’

classroom practice and students’ learning o Developing training programmes for supervisors and coordinators to assist them in their

leadership roles o Ensuring that all teachers apply the methods introduced by the Principal to improve the

quality of teaching

Improve the quality of learning resources and accommodation by:

o Increasing the number of data projectors to enable teachers to use more stimulating resources

o Ensuring that students have sufficient resources in lessons to enable them to learn o Developing additional resources to supplement the textbook and interest students o Considering the numbers of students in each class to facilitate active learning

opportunities

Address the issues of health and safety by:

o Carrying out as a matter of urgency a planned evacuation drill involving all students o Continuing to practise evacuations at least twice a year to ensure that students

understand its importance and to speed up the evacuation time


o Immediately removing the hazards and effecting repairs in the Kindergarten outdoor play area

o Ensuring that the school is free from hazards and provides a safe environment for students and staff at all times

Focus Area 2: The school as a community

Aspects of the school as a community which were positive

Relationships in some aspects of school life

There were positive relationships in some lessons. Girls’ relationships with their teachers were often warm and respectful. Some teachers set a positive atmosphere in lessons which enabled students to relate well to each other. The school counsellor and nurse provided good quality care for students with medical and emotional needs. They had established positive links with parents and outside agencies.

Aspects of the school as a community that should be improved

The involvement of parents in school life

While the school had established a parents’ council, it was not active and many parents were unsure of its existence. Parents were not involved in decision making and did not feel consulted on the school’s future direction. Parents were eager to contribute to the life of school but their requests had not been acted upon.

Communication with parents

Parents expressed concerns about the quality and frequency of communication from the school. The school website was out of date and parents found it hard to contact the school in an emergency. Telephone calls to the school were not always answered. There were too few reports on students’ progress to parents. As a result, parents did not feel well-informed about their children’s progress and how to support them at home.

Relationships in some lessons

In some lessons in the boys’ and primary sections, teachers had not established positive relationships with students. These teachers did not use praise and did not always encourage students’ participation in lessons. As a result, some boys showed a lack of respect and were impolite to teachers.

Overall judgement of Focus Area 2: The school as a community was Not yet effective


Involve parents more actively in school life by:

o Setting up an active parents council to support the school in its work o Holding regular meetings of the parents’ council o Consulting parents regularly to seek their views o Involving parents in the life of the school; for example, by giving talks to students to enrich

the curriculum

Improve communication with parents by:

o Setting up regular communication throughout the year to keep parents informed o Updating the school website for parents to access information about day to day school life

and students’ learning o Increase the frequency of communication with parents about their children’s learning o Offering guidance to parents on how to support their children’s learning at home o Ensuring that parents are able to contact the school and speak to a member of the school

leadership team when necessary


Develop positive relationships between all teachers and students by:

o Establishing clear expectations of learning and behaviour in all lessons o Rewarding and praising students’ contributions in class o Giving students opportunities to be active and take a lead in their learning

Focus Area 3: The school’s approach to student learning

Aspects of the school’s approach to student learning which were positive

Curriculum enrichment

Curriculum planning ensured that there were opportunities for students to participate in enrichment activities every term. Students enjoyed the themed weeks for health, English, mathematics and a range of other subjects. The UAE National Day celebrations were very successful in developing understanding of the UAE for students from a range of different nationalities. Students and staff, together with some parents, enjoyed traditional dancing and craft workshops, as well as class parties. Other enrichment activities such as the competitions and debates sparked students’ interests.

Aspects of the school’s approach to student learning that should be improved

Provision for students’ different needs

Planned units of work did not include activities to challenge more able students or to support less able students. Although the curriculum matched the ages of students through the textbook scheme, the school did not adapt this to meet the range of students’ abilities. This led to a curriculum that did not match students’ needs or learning styles. There was no additional support to address any student weaknesses after formal assessments.

The curriculum in the Kindergarten (KG)

The KG curriculum provided very few opportunities for children to develop a range of skills. The narrow programme did not provide sufficient opportunities for creative and investigative development. Limited resources restricted outdoor play. As a result, children’s physical and social skills were underdeveloped. Although children were able to enjoy reading and singing, these activities were undemanding and lacked challenge.

Planning for students’ learning

The quality of curriculum planning was inconsistent across the school and focused upon teaching rather than learning. Plans focused on tasks for teachers with little attention to students’ progress. Planning provided students with too few opportunities for them to make decisions about their learning, to discuss with fellow students or to experience practical work and problem solving activities.

Overall judgement of Focus Area 3: The school’s approach to student learning was Not yet effective


Ensure that the curriculum meets the needs of individual and groups of students by:

o Planning activities that provide challenge for more able students across all subjects

o Developing research and critical thinking activities for more able students

o Providing planned support for less able students

o Supplementing the textbook with interesting resources which appeal to students’ different

learning preferences

o Arranging extra support for students where appropriate


Improve the Kindergarten curriculum by:

o Planning to develop a broad range of skills for children in KG o Designing creative, social and investigative activities which inspire and interest young

children o Ensuring that planned activities provide sufficient challenge for children o Improving the quality of outdoor learning to develop students’ physical and social skills

Ensure that curriculum planning focuses on students’ learning by:

o Planning for students’ active involvement in learning, for example, through paired discussion and problem solving activities

o Including regular opportunities for students to make decisions about their learning o Developing students’ practical, observation and investigative skills through planned

opportunities to carry out experiments in science and problem solving in other subjects

Focus Area 4: The classroom climate

Aspects of the classroom climate which were positive

Students’ attitudes to homework

Students had positive attitudes to homework and recorded it conscientiously in their planners. In the better lessons, students listened attentively to teachers’ clear guidance about homework activities. Scrutiny of their books confirmed that students completed homework regularly and that it was improving their skills. Parents were pleased about the additional worksheets which students had started to receive this year to extend and support their learning at home.

Aspects of the classroom climate that should be improved

Teachers’ knowledge of subjects and teaching approaches

The standard of teachers’ spoken English was variable. In some mathematics classes, teachers made errors in pronunciation and their intonation was weak. As a result, students often did not understand teachers’ explanations, which adversely affected their progress. The subject knowledge of some teachers in mathematics was not secure and they showed a lack of understanding of key topics. Most teachers did not understand how students learned best. As a result, they failed to stimulate students’ interests and enthusiasm for learning.

The variety of teaching methods

Teachers did not provide a variety of activities for students. Teachers talked for much of the lesson and students were therefore not actively involved in their learning. In these lessons, students lost focus and some misbehaved. Teachers rarely asked students to apply their knowledge and understanding in different contexts. They gave students answers rather than encouraging them to find out for themselves. For example, in a Grade 6 boys’ mathematics lesson, teachers gave students the total of the internal angles rather than requiring them to investigate this and discover the result for themselves. Opportunities for paired and group work were limited and this restricted students’ discussion and thinking skills.

The quality of assessment

Most marking in students’ books was superficial, simply with ticks and signatures. There was little written guidance to show students how to improve their learning. In English, some teachers offered students’ written comments with next steps guidance but this was an exception. The quality of questioning was variable in lessons and teachers did not always target questions at particular students. In some lessons, those students who shouted loudly gave the answers. Teachers used too many questions which led to students giving brief answers. Teachers did not use assessment data to plan for different needs.


Inconsistency in classroom management

Some teachers had not established clear routines and expectations for learning. In these lessons, boundaries were not clear and students took advantage of this. Poor timing and a slow pace to learning contributed to students’ restlessness and disaffection. In the best lessons, teachers’ expectations were clear and enforced, which gained students’ attention and respect. For example, in a few English lessons, teachers used humour due to well established routines and strengthen relationships. They showed respect for students’ responses and this added enjoyment to learning.

Overall judgement of Focus Area 4: The classroom climate was Not yet effective


Improve teachers’ subject knowledge and English skills by:

o Providing opportunities for teachers to improve their English language skills

o Offering regular opportunities for less skilled teachers to observe and learn from skilled

teachers in different grades and subjects

o Expanding teachers’ understanding of how students learn best so that they plan and use

a range of learning opportunities

Extend the variety of teaching and learning methods by:

o Offering teachers professional development to improve their understanding of different

teaching methods

o Expanding the methods teachers use to make lessons more stimulating and interactive

and to motivate students

o Engaging students in active learning from the start of each lesson

o Reducing the time students spend listening to the teacher

o Using structured small group and pair work to involve students in their own learning and

develop independent learning skills

o Encouraging students to engage with their learning with opportunities for investigation

and problem solving

Improve the quality of assessment in lessons by:

o Ensuring that all teachers mark students’ work regularly

o Providing written guidance on students’ work on how to improve their learning

o Developing teachers’ questioning skills to include targeted questions with different levels

of difficulty

o Using questioning skills to enable teachers to monitor the quality of learning and

challenge students’ thinking

o Involving students more actively in assessing and commenting upon their own work and

that of others

Establish a positive climate for learning in every classroom by:

o Applying school and classroom rules consistently in all classrooms

o Developing teachers’ abilities to set clear boundaries and expectations of behaviour in all

classrooms

o Establishing clear routines for learning in all classrooms

o Ensuring classrooms foster relationships based upon mutual respect where teachers and

students listen to and learn from each other

o Ensuring the consistent use of rewards in all lessons

o Celebrating students’ work through classroom displays


Focus Area 5: Students’ personal development

Aspects of students’ personal development which were positive

Students’ attitudes in some lessons

In the best lessons, students showed respect and consideration for their teachers and the views of others. They were keen to learn. In most English lessons, particularly in the higher grades, students showed a love of reading and enjoyed speaking English. Where teachers injected competition into learning, students were motivated and enthusiastic.

Students’ knowledge and understanding of the UAE and Islam

Students understood the history of the UAE and its economic growth. Students of many different nationalities had a good knowledge of Emirati landmarks and knew what made Dubai a special city. Girls showed respect for the teachings of Islam by wearing the hijab when they gathered together to read the Holy Qur’an.

Aspects of students’ personal development that should be improved

The behaviour of boys

In some boys’ classes, behaviour was discourteous. Teachers and other adults shouted too frequently, although this had little impact. Boys’ behaviour on staircases and in the playground was aggressive towards each other. This poor behaviour resulted from low and unclear expectations, together with students’ lack of self-control.

Attendance

Attendance was low overall at 92%. On day two of the evaluation, it was 89%. Punctuality in the morning was poor as some students arrived late every day.

Students’ involvement in school life

Students had limited opportunities to contribute to school life. Only thirty six students held extra responsibilities as student leaders. Girls who were student leaders were very responsible but had too few opportunities develop their role. At times, boys were too assertive as leaders in their management of the behaviour of their peers.

Overall judgement of Focus Area 5: Students’ personal development was Not yet effective


Develop more consistently positive behaviour across the school by:

o Setting clear expectations and boundaries for behaviour o Establishing a consistent whole school code of behaviour that all students respect and all

teachers apply

Raise the level of attendance by:

o Informing the parents about the importance of their children’s attendance at school o Explaining to the students the importance of attendance and punctuality o Rewarding good attendance o Introducing competition between classes and students to encourage good attendance o Encouraging punctuality by providing interesting activities before school starts

Enable more students to take responsibility in school life by:

o Asking them to share their ideas about the ways in which they can contribute to school life


o Involving them in decision making on a regular basis o Considering ways in which students from every class can take extra responsibility in

learning life skills o Developing a team spirit throughout the school o Engaging students in projects both in school and in the community

Focus Area 6: Students’ attainment and progress

Aspects of students’ attainment and progress which were positive

Students’ attainment in Arabic and progress in Islamic Studies in Cycle 1

Over the past three years, students’ attainment had improved in Arabic in Grades 1-5 in school tests. The number of students scoring 80% and above increased and this was particularly evident in Grades 1, 2 and 5. Those studying Arabic as a second language performed well in both lessons and tests. Progress in Islamic Studies was strongest in Cycle 1 where students’ average scores had improved each year for the last three years.

Students’ English speaking skills

Students’ English speaking skills were sufficiently strong to talk and discuss topics in all lessons. In addition, they used English as the language of the classroom and playground. They were confident to speak with both visitors and staff.

Aspects of students’ attainment and progress that should be improved

Students’ attainment and progress in mathematics and science

Students’ attainment and progress in mathematics was weak and this was reflected in lesson observations. For example, Grade 4 students carried out an even and odd number exercise which lacked the challenge and complexity required for this age group. In science lessons, most students made little progress.

Attainment in benchmark Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) tests

ACER benchmark tests for 2012 showed that students’ attainment in English was below the UAE and international averages. In mathematics and science attainment was below and well below the average for all Middle Eastern countries. The school used this information to assess students’ levels of attainment. However, there was little evidence that this data was used for improvement planning.

The progress of children’s skill development in the KG

In the KG, children’s creative, physical and social skills were underdeveloped. They did not initiate learning, nor were they sufficiently independent.. Although they were able to read and write simple words and letters, they rarely took initiative, explored, investigated or handled real objects

Students’ creative, independent and problem solving skills in all grades

Students did not develop their wider learning skills and as a result were not well prepared for their next stage of learning. Students in the upper grades had few opportunities to use information technology (IT) to develop research skills. In science lessons, students were not able to apply their understanding through practical investigations. They did not work independently to design and explore aspects of science. In mathematics, students did not work together to solve real life problems. Too little group and pair work limited the development of students’ thinking skills.

Boys’ progress in some lessons

Due to poor behaviour and lack of focus in some lessons, boys did not always make sufficient progress. In a few younger classes in science and English, boys lost concentration and disrupted the learning of others. As a result, their progress was too slow.


Overall judgement of Focus Area 6: Students’ attainment and progress was Not yet effective


Improve students’ attainment and progress in mathematics and science by:

o Improving the quality of teaching in all grades

o Ensuring that curriculum and lesson planning provides challenge for students of all

abilities

o Providing students with problem solving related to everyday life

o Ensuring that students have access to practical opportunities to develop their scientific

skills

Raise students’ attainment levels in ACER tests

Increase the rates of progress for children in KG by:

o Providing opportunities for children to choose their activities and initiate learning

o Ensuring that children develop physical skills in a safe, stimulating outdoor environment

o Providing practical activities which stimulate curiosity and exploration

o Offering children opportunities to be creative through painting, drawing and making

models

Develop students’ wider learning skills by:

o Planning more opportunities for students to develop IT and research skills in all lessons

o Providing practical activities for students to plan, investigate and report on experiments

o Creating more opportunities for students to reflect and discuss their views with each other

Accelerate the progress of boys in all subjects by:

o Involving boys actively in their learning

o Creating practical opportunities for students to apply their knowledge and understanding

o Setting high expectations for all students

o Insisting on high standards of respect and behaviour in all lessons


Summary of judgements

In their evaluation of the overall effectiveness of the school, the evaluation team made judgements about

the following aspects of the school’s performance.

The leadership of the school Not Yet Effective

The school as a community Not Yet Effective

The school’s approach to student learning Not Yet Effective

The classroom climate Not Yet Effective

Students’ personal development Not Yet Effective

Students’ attainment and progress Not Yet Effective

The capacity of the school to improve

The evaluation team has considered the capacity of the school leadership to act on the

recommendations in the report and to improve over the next 12 month period. The team’s confidence in

the capacity of the leadership of the school to act on the recommendations in the report and to improve

school performance in the relevant areas within the next 12 months is: MODERATE

HIGH confidence means that the evaluation team believes that the current school leadership will take a

positive attitude towards the findings of the report and will quickly act on the recommendations. The

team would expect to see significant improvements in school performance in the relevant areas well

within the next 12 months.

MODERATE confidence means that the evaluation team believes that the current school leadership will

quickly begin to act on the recommendations in the report but will need additional support to implement

them in full. The team would expect to see noticeable improvements in school performance in the

relevant areas within the next 12 months. The team recommends that the school receives support to

develop and implement its plan for improvement.

LOW confidence means that the evaluation team believes that the current school leadership does not

have the capacity to act on the recommendations in the report. Under the current leadership the team

would not expect to see sufficient improvement in school performance within the next 12 months. The

team recommends that the leadership of the school should be reviewed.


What happens next?

The school should prepare an action plan indicating how it will address the recommendations in the

report.

ACCREDITATION

The evaluation team has recommended to the Ministry of Education that the school is

not yet ready to be accredited.

As the school is judged to be Not Yet Effective it will be re-evaluated in the

next phase of the programme.

How to contact us

If you wish to comment on any aspect of this report you should contact: Hasna Bufteam on

[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

dear star private school principal - al sharjah education zone

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