KHDA INSPECTIONS

A point of interest... my understanding is that the initial funding for the group they've hired to do the inspections was 3 years so I can't help but wonder how much of the overall apparently poor performance of the majority of Dubai's private schools is in fact this group wanting to ensure that they're kept on beyond the three years! Considering the money they're on, I'm sure they go into severe depression whenever they think about the three years coming to a close!!

Mabel, actually individual teachers are rated... only to the extent that they tell the school that their teachers (in general) are or are not any good. (And this is based on a very casual judgement of each teacher at the end of each observed lesson... the inspector basically tells the teacher something like "that was a good lesson".) But I guess that's what you meant when you said that lessons are rated. You can hardly rate a lesson without rating the teacher. But you are absolutely correct that "it is not possible to make a secure judgement about individual teachers based upon observations"!! And yes, they do tell the school their rating as soon as they are finished that school's inspection but like someone said earlier, this is only provisional. However, I have to agree with tally-ho that the reports are a waste of time. I would not be surprised if a decent school like Repton got unacceptable as the criteria the inspectors use are very strange in some ways and they do things very subjectively. I know of one school where they said the level of teaching and learning was unacceptable because most of the students between the ages of 3 and 5 could not read at an acceptable level and I know, first hand, that this school has a fantastic reading programme and most of these kids can read at or above their age-level. I can only imagine that the inspectors' method of evaluation by observation is a) too subjective and b) too open to error based on student discomfort or what-have-you. Also, as I said, the criteria used are 'interesting' to say the least. For example, one of the points you are evaluated on is your use of technology and one of the sub-criterion for that is the use of whiteboards in the classroom. Well, if you have the money to have a whiteboard in every classroom and the money to fulfill various other criteria similar to this one (and there are many), then you're that much closer to being given a rating of "outstanding". Finally, the inspectors do not judge a school in terms of how well it succeeds in accomplishing ITS goals but on how well they fulfill their (the inspectors') concept of 'world's best practice'. Now, who's to say what that is??? And realistically, who's to say that every school should aspire to that? To do so would mean to necessarily charge outstanding fees and hence, make education only for the rich! They should have far more ratings, and not just the four they currently use and they should also have categories. It is not everyone who can afford to put their child in a top school and the fact is that there exist schools that do a good job of fulfilling their not-so-lofty goals. Sorry Anon, just realised I'm basically making the same point you already made! edited by m_king on 08/04/2011 <em>edited by m_king on 08/04/2011</em>

repton got unacceptable as if, lol

Beautifully and accurately expressed Mabel! A really clear explanation of the process.

The inspection report will not name individual teachers. It is my understanding that it is [i'>lessons[/i'> that are inspected and not individual teachers. On average any individual teacher may have their classrooms visited by an inspector between 2-3 times. The major part of an inspection will take place via the observation of lessons/part lessons. It is possible for a team of 5 inspectors to observe 30 lessons in a day and although it is unlikely that this level of observation would continue throughout an inspection, it is highly likely towards the start of the process. It is not possible to make a secure judgement about individual teachers based upon observations of just 3 lessons, bearing in mind that teachers may be delivering around 6 lessons a day, 5 days a week, 36 weeks of the year. However, the DSIB guidlines clearly state that all teachers may ask for feedback from inspectors about inspected lessons and that it is good professional practice for inspectors to provide it. The feedback is designed for teachers and expected to be shared with the principal and other colleagues and is separate from the final report. 2 outstanding lessons alone will not decide the final result of a report! Likewise 1 unacceptable lesson does not mean that a school, or a teacher is working at this level continually. Individual lesson feedback is not therefore confidential but needs to be dealt with sensitively. The principal and school owners are asked to sign a confidentiality clause stating that they will not share, beyond the school, the preliminary findings of the report. This confidentiality clause does not include reference to feedback to teachers about individual lessons. An outstanding lesson is something to be proud of and colleagues can share this news appropriately without revealing any information regarding the final outcome of the report. All of us will have, hopefully, experienced the joy of being taught by an outstanding teacher and know that this judgment is formed over time. Even then, that outstanding teacher is likely to have preformed under par, for one reason or another, during their career - because like us, they are only human :-).

oh I see. Does the KHDA listen to parents? One lady said earlier the school told her that her DC's teacher got an outstanding but she didn't think her DC's teacher is outstanding. Can she question the report?

So high fees = good rating over here? No, but many of the schools that are relatively inexpensive have very few resources, unqualified teachers, and huge class sizes and lack of supervision. Those factors make it difficult to get a rating of anything more than unacceptable.

So high fees = good rating over here? Not necessarily. I don't see a direct correlation between KHDA rating and fees. Although, I suppose they could use a good rating to justify any fee rises they impose.

So high fees = good rating over here?

Anon have you been involved with an unacceptable school? I am just wondering how many visits/support these schools are really receiving. No, I have not. I only read that on their website. Most of the schools with bad ratings are cheap schools. They'd have to raise their fees to get a better rating and then they'd be on par with other schools but the expats on very small salaries here would not be able to send their kids to them. Do I make sense?

Could a school be closed if they get it over and over? I have no idea. All I can say is that it must be embarassing to be the principal of a school that is unacceptable. That is very true, in industry you wouldn't get a second chance!

Could a school be closed if they get it over and over? I have no idea. All I can say is that it must be embarassing to be the principal of a school that is unacceptable.

Anon have you been involved with an unacceptable school? I am just wondering how many visits/support these schools are really receiving.

Could a school be closed if they get it over and over?

what happens if a school gets unacceptable? They'll get frequent return visits until they improve.

what happens if a school gets unacceptable?

well you'd have to be so cr@p to get it! Lol I've had too many vinos my judgements gone.

repton got unacceptable I highly doubt that.

no way, Lady Bubbles!

repton got unacceptable Really? An overall mark of unacceptable?

repton got unacceptable

So the GEMS school let it out because they got outstanding, I bet other school keep it quiet if they don't. <em>edited by dubai1968 on 07/04/2011</em>

The schools are given a general idea at the end of the inspection. They then receive the report earlier than it's published. It's meant to remain confidential, but of course, it does not.

How does a mum at GEMS know the result? Has their report been published? Do schools over here just tell parents what they got before the report comes out?

According to the KHDA website the other schools results will be published in May. Our school had about 5 inspectors and stayed 4 days so it's not difficult for them to see all the classes. What's that got to do with the price of fish? We had the Inspectors in for 4 days (lots of them) and they didn't visit every class or every subject. They would have had to be there for more than 4 days to do so and have interest in those classes.

According to the KHDA website the other schools results will be published in May. Our school had about 5 inspectors and stayed 4 days so it's not difficult for them to see all the classes.

Pakistani and Indian schools reports have been published. Maybe the OP's child is in one of those schools...

Unless the report is on the KHDA website it should not be out. Although a Gems Wellington International mum told me they had been informed they had gained Outstanding again this year.

- I had a look on the KHDA's website and the reports are not out yet. If the report is not on the website then the head has made a very big mistake as the results are meant to be confidential until they are released by the inspectors.

The KHDA reports are not worth the paper they’re written on. I don’t know anyone who takes them seriously I totally agree with you tally ho, however, if a school starts individually publishing its star performers (meaning by implication that those not named are not star performers) it becomes a very serious matter indeed and the school are using a loaded gun against their own staff. Whether the KHDA has credence or not ceases to become an issue!