The Knowledge and Human Development Authority in Dubai (KHDA) announced that new school inspection visits this academic year will focus on several important areas. In addition to the quality indicators set out in the UAE School Inspection Framework, checks will be based on four pillars:
early childhood; quality of education for Emirati students; inclusive education and academic progress of students with special needs; and Arabic language teaching and learning.
Previously, KHDA stated that inspections will use a new data-driven flexible methodology. This methodology takes into account each school's stage of development and its individual needs, paying particular attention to the impact of educational quality on student learning and daily experience.
The following aspects will be assessed as part of the monitoring. Regarding early childhood, visits will analyze the quality of care and education for toddlers, as well as clarify expectations for this crucial developmental stage.
Quality assurance teams will evaluate the quality of education provided to Emirati students, their academic performance, and the extent to which they receive educational opportunities. This aligns with the goals of the E33 Strategy to strengthen Emirati talent and improve educational outcomes.
Schools will be assessed on the quality of inclusive education provision, including specialized services for students with complex needs, in line with alternative education pathways policy. This is consistent with KHDA's priorities and its role in the Supreme Committee for the Protection of Persons with Special Needs, as well as Dubai's goals for empowering such individuals.
Inspections will also assess the quality of Arabic language teaching and the effectiveness of approaches to learning the language, including their impact on student progress in reading, writing, comprehension, and communication. Various student levels and needs will be considered during the assessment, with a special focus on early childhood.
Fatma Belrehif, CEO of the Quality Assurance and Compliance Agency at KHDA, noted that the new methodology applies artificial intelligence tools to determine the most suitable type of visit for each school.
She emphasized: 'This year's visits are designed to be more flexible and responsive to each school's needs, focusing on the student experience both in the classroom and throughout their daily school life.' She added that they will collaborate with schools to support their improvement journey through continuous partnership with schools, parents, and the wider school community.
New private schools in their first or second year of operation will undergo specialized visits from education experts to assess the quality of teaching, learning processes, and student experience, while supporting the development and refinement of the schools.
Schools entering their third year of operation will receive a comprehensive quality assurance visit covering overall school performance and the quality of teaching and learning. This visit will conclude with a detailed report and an overall school rating.
Under the updated approach, every relevant private school in Dubai will receive one of two types of quality assurance checks, determined based on submitted data and the school's stage of development.
The first type is a comprehensive review conducted by a specialized team to assess school performance, the quality of teaching and learning, and student experience. It concludes with a detailed report and an overall school rating.
The second type is a shorter, focused follow-up visit that addresses specific areas identified based on data and school performance metrics. It concludes with feedback highlighting strengths and areas for development, without issuing a new overall rating.
For the first time, schools will be notified of any type of visit no more than 24 hours in advance. This approach helps ensure that visits reflect the daily reality of school life, providing a more accurate picture of teaching, learning, student well-being, and daily operations.
Dubai private schools are rated based on overall performance on a scale: Excellent, Very Good, Good, Satisfactory, Poor, or Very Poor.
In the last cycle of school inspections, 81 percent of students in Dubai private schools received education of good or better quality. No private school in the emirate received a 'Very Poor' rating.