Six standards and seventeen indicators, in the shape used by Irtiqaa and the UAE inspection framework. The descriptions on Nahjly are original planning notes for school teams. They are not a copy of the framework book, and they are not an inspection judgement.
The scale used in these playbooks runs from Weak to Acceptable to Good to Very Good to Outstanding. ADEK has said publicly that Good is the level schools are expected to reach. The official scale also includes Very Weak below Weak; these notes focus on the five stages teams plan against.
WeakAcceptableGoodVery GoodOutstanding
UAE inspection framework (Ministry of Education PDF)Standard 1
This standard is about what students know, how far they move from their starting points, and whether they learn with independence. In Abu Dhabi private schools the reference is the authorised curriculum, including Arabic and Islamic education for the students who study them. Nahjly's notes below are planning language for school teams. They are not the official descriptor text.
Attainment · Progress · Learning skills
Standard 2
This standard covers how students conduct themselves, how they understand Islamic values and Emirati and wider cultures, and whether they contribute and innovate in real tasks. Attendance and a calm corridor matter, and so does what students do when nobody is watching the display board.
Personal development · Understanding of Islamic values and awareness of Emirati and world cultures · Social responsibility and innovation skills
Standard 3
This standard looks at whether teaching helps students learn, and whether assessment tells the truth in time to act. A polished lesson for a visitor is weaker evidence than ordinary lessons that match the work in books.
Teaching for effective learning · Assessment
Standard 4
This standard asks whether the curriculum is designed and taught as a coherent journey, and whether it is adapted so that different students can still meet a demanding version of it. Licensing a curriculum is not the same as implementing it.
Curriculum design and implementation · Curriculum adaptation
Standard 5
This standard is about whether students are safe, known, and supported. Safeguarding failures are not balanced out by strong academic results. Guidance includes the practical help students need to make the next step in school life.
Health, safety, and safeguarding · Care and support
Standard 6
This standard is about whether leaders know the school, set a direction people can follow, and run the organisation so that teaching and care improve. Governance, staffing, partnerships, and the building belong here because they decide whether plans survive contact with a Tuesday morning.
The effectiveness of leadership · Self-evaluation and improvement planning · Partnerships with parents and the community · Governance · Management, staffing, facilities and resources