Al Twar located Star International School is one of a very select few schools to have improved its KHDA rating in the 2014 period, moving up to a Good rating from Acceptable.
It is also one of the smallest K-9 schools on review, with 396 boys and girls aged from three to 14 on its register (up 20 students from the previous year). Arab and Indian children currently form the largest demographic segments at the school, but over 50 nationalities are represented in total (which given the size of the student body makes this a very international school).
The school has a high teacher to student ratio of 1:10 which, in theory, should allow good one to one attention, with 38 full-time teachers (as of 2012/13), including the Principal and senior leaders.
The school follows the National Curriculum for England. In the last year (2013/14) the school has implemented the Cambridge curriculum as a means of providing more structured support for students studying English as a second language.
The school, as noted is now rated Good by the KHDA. The school has been improving – if slowly – over its recent inspections. Just six inspections ago this was an unsatisfactory school – so all involved deserve considerable credit. There has been improved attainment and progress in secondary mathematics; improved teaching, learning and assessment particularly in the secondary phase of the school; and improved planning of the curriculum in the Foundation Stage.
Key strengths of the school are the “shared responsibility for school improvement through a widely distributed leadership team; the quality of teaching and learning – [now] in all phases of the school; students’ positive and considerate behaviour, and their appreciation of the multi-cultural nature of their school; Innovation in the Foundation Stage that had resulted in an age-appropriate learning environment; as well as the expertise and support provided for students identified with special needs and their parents and teachers by the special needs department.”
Which School Advisor has had insufficient feedback from parents to comment on perceptions of academic performance, communication or discipline. However the KHDA notes parents are appreciative of the education their children receive. Almost all are confident their children enjoyed school, were well looked after and safe.
