Updated 30 October 2026

ADEK school ratings

How private schools in Abu Dhabi are inspected and rated, and how to read the result. For Dubai, see KHDA school ratings.

Abu Dhabi: ADEK (the Department of Education and Knowledge) inspects private schools through its Irtiqa'a programme, every two years.

It uses the same six levels as Dubai: Outstanding, Very good, Good, Acceptable, Weak and Very weak. Good is the minimum standard ADEK expects of every school.

The six rating levels

Abu Dhabi and Dubai use the same six levels. In the UAE School Inspection Framework, Good means a school meets the expectation of the UAE, Very good and Outstanding mean it exceeds it, and Acceptable is the minimum level for any school. Weak and Very weak are below expectation.

ADEK's Irtiqa'a inspections judge six standards across 17 indicators: students' achievement; personal and social development and innovation skills; teaching and assessment; curriculum; protection, care, guidance and support; and leadership and management.

Latest results in Abu Dhabi

Rating	Abu Dhabi schools (ADEK, Oct 2025)
Outstanding	13
Very good	51
Good	93
Acceptable	42
Weak	5
Very weak	0

These are ADEK's published sector results for 204 private schools.

Abu Dhabi: ADEK Irtiqa'a

ADEK inspects each private school every two years and rates it on the six-level scale. In its October 2025 results, ADEK reported that 23 schools had moved from Acceptable to Good within one academic year.

A rating has consequences in Abu Dhabi. ADEK says schools rated Acceptable or lower:

face restrictions on increasing capacity and opening new grades, lifted only after verified improvement;
cannot enrol new Emirati students until they meet the required standards.

The National Identity Mark

ADEK also gives schools a separate National Identity Mark, judged apart from Irtiqa'a. It looks at three areas: culture (including history, heritage and Arabic), values and citizenship. It has four levels: Outstanding, Good, Acceptable and Weak.

The plaque at the school gate

In June 2025 ADEK introduced School Performance Plaques at the entrances of private schools across the emirate. Each plaque shows the school's latest Irtiqa'a rating and its National Identity Mark. ADEK has said a Wellbeing Mark will be added later.

Sharjah

KHDA and ADEK do not cover Sharjah. Private schools there are evaluated by the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA). Ask the school for its latest SPEA report, or check with SPEA directly.

How to use a rating when choosing a school

Check the date. Abu Dhabi ratings come from inspections every two years, so a rating can be up to two years old.
Read beyond the headline. A school's overall rating can hide differences between phases and subjects. Ask the school for its full report and look at the parts that matter for your child.
Good is the benchmark, not a warning. It is the standard expected of every school.

Questions parents ask

What is Irtiqa'a?

Irtiqa'a is ADEK's inspection programme for private schools in Abu Dhabi. Inspectors judge six performance standards across 17 indicators and give each school one of six ratings, from Outstanding to Very weak.

How often are Abu Dhabi schools inspected?

ADEK says Irtiqa'a inspections take place every two years, so a school's current rating can be up to two years old.

What happens to an Abu Dhabi school rated Acceptable or Weak?

ADEK says schools rated Acceptable or lower face restrictions on growing their capacity and adding grades, which are lifted only when improvement is verified. They also cannot enrol new Emirati students until they meet the required standards.

What is the ADEK National Identity Mark?

A separate ADEK rating of how well a school teaches UAE culture, values and citizenship, including Arabic, history and heritage. It uses four levels: Outstanding, Good, Acceptable and Weak. ADEK started with the schools that have the most Emirati students; schools without Emirati students can ask to be evaluated.

Does KHDA rate Sharjah schools?

No. KHDA only covers Dubai, and ADEK covers Abu Dhabi. Sharjah private schools are evaluated by the Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA).

Where can I see a school's rating in Abu Dhabi?

In June 2025 ADEK introduced School Performance Plaques at the entrances of private schools, showing each school's latest Irtiqa'a rating and National Identity Mark. ADEK points parents to its website and the Rayah parent app for more information.

Sources