If you have started looking at schools in the UAE, you have almost certainly seen ratings like "Outstanding," "Very Good," or "Good" attached to school names. But what do these school ratings in the UAE actually measure? Who decides them? And how much weight should you give them when choosing a school? The answers depend on which emirate the school is in, because the UAE has multiple education regulators, each with its own inspection framework, cycle, and quirks. This guide walks you through every system so you can interpret ratings with confidence rather than confusion.
This article reflects KHDA, ADEK, SPEA, RAKDOK, and UAE Ministry of Education guidance and UAE press reporting as of June 2026. The exact terms also depend on your school's parent contract. Parents should confirm specific details directly with their school and, where needed, the relevant education authority.
How UAE School Inspections Work
The UAE uses a Unified School Inspection Framework with six performance standards that apply across all regulators. Every school inspection, whether conducted by KHDA in Dubai, ADEK in Abu Dhabi, or SPEA in Sharjah, evaluates these same six areas:
- Students' achievement: academic outcomes, progress, and learning skills.
- Students' personal and social development: behaviour, attitudes, and community understanding.
- Teaching and assessment: lesson quality, differentiation, and feedback.
- Curriculum: programme design, adaptation, and enrichment.
- Protection, care, guidance, and support: safeguarding, wellbeing, and inclusion.
- Leadership and management: vision, governance, and community partnerships.
Schools receive a rating on a six-point scale: Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Acceptable, Weak, and Very Weak. Each of the six standards is rated individually, and the school receives an overall judgement. There is no published numerical weighting; inspectors use professional judgement to arrive at the overall rating.
Understanding this shared framework is important when you are comparing schools side by side, especially if you are looking across different emirates. The standards are the same even though the inspection bodies differ.
KHDA (Dubai)
The Knowledge and Human Development Authority (KHDA) oversees all 227 private schools in Dubai. Historically, KHDA conducted annual inspections and published a detailed report for every school.
The Inspection Pause (2024 to 2026)
In Dubai, KHDA paused full school inspections for 2024-25 and again for 2025-26. Only schools completing their third year of operation (those that opened in 2022) received full inspections during this period. In place of full inspections, KHDA has continued targeted visits focused on specific areas of educational quality, alongside self-evaluation forms and external benchmark assessments.
What this means for parents: the most recent comprehensive KHDA ratings date back to the 2023-24 cycle. Schools retain their last published rating, but it may no longer reflect current performance. A school rated "Good" two years ago could have improved or declined since. During your school search, treat KHDA ratings as a useful starting point rather than the full picture. A school visit is more important than ever right now.
How KHDA Ratings Affect Fees
In a normal inspection year, KHDA links a school's permitted fee increase to its most recent rating, using the Education Cost Index (ECI) as the base. For the 2025-26 academic year, the ECI is 2.35% (down from 2.6% the previous year). The rating-linked framework normally works like this:
| Rating Outcome | Allowed Fee Increase |
|---|---|
| Rating maintained | Up to 1× ECI |
| Improved by one level | Up to 2× ECI |
| Rating dropped | 0% increase |
Because KHDA inspections are paused, these rating multipliers are currently suspended. For the 2025-26 academic year, fee increases are governed by the ECI rather than by inspection-rating multipliers, so eligible for-profit schools may apply for an increase of up to 2.35% regardless of their last rating. The ECI is calculated by KHDA together with the Digital Dubai Authority, based on audited financial statements from private schools, and reflects staff salaries, support services, and rental expenses. Only for-profit schools that have operated for three or more years may apply for an increase.
ADEK (Abu Dhabi)
The Abu Dhabi Department of Education and Knowledge (ADEK) oversees around 219 private schools. Unlike KHDA, ADEK's inspection programme has remained active through the 2024 to 2026 period.
Irtiqaa Framework
ADEK uses the Irtiqaa inspection framework on a two-year cycle, with around half of the emirate's schools inspected each year. External inspection providers conduct the evaluations using the same six unified standards. The latest 2024-25 results covered 204 schools:
| Rating | Number of Schools |
|---|---|
| Outstanding | 13 |
| Very Good | 51 |
| Good | 93 |
| Acceptable | 42 |
| Weak | 5 |
Parents can access Irtiqaa reports through ADEK's website and the TAMM portal.
National Identity Mark
In addition to Irtiqaa, ADEK introduced the National Identity Mark in May 2023. This evaluates schools across three pillars: Culture (Arabic language, history, and heritage), Values (respect, compassion, and global understanding), and Citizenship (belonging, volunteering, and conservation).
The National Identity Mark uses its own four-level scale (Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, and Weak), which is separate from Irtiqaa's six-level scale. In Phase 1, 87 schools were evaluated and 8 achieved Outstanding. Results are displayed on School Performance Plaques at school entrances alongside the Irtiqaa rating.
How ADEK Ratings Affect Fees
ADEK links fee increases to Irtiqaa ratings, using the ECI as a base:
| Irtiqaa Rating | Maximum Fee Increase |
|---|---|
| Outstanding | 3.94% |
| Very Good | 3.38% |
| Good | 2.81% |
| Acceptable or below | 2.25% |
Browse schools in Abu Dhabi to see how schools in the emirate are rated.
SPEA (Sharjah)
The Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) oversees 134 private schools in Sharjah using the Itqan inspection framework.
Itqan Results 2024-25
SPEA inspected 86 schools across ten curricula in the most recent cycle. The results showed strong overall improvement:
| Rating | This Cycle | Cumulative |
|---|---|---|
| Outstanding | 0 | 1 |
| Very Good | 5 new | 14 total |
| Good | 53 | 79 total |
| Acceptable | 28 | 28 total |
| Weak | 0 | 0 |
A notable feature of SPEA's process is the scale of parent engagement: 40,838 parents, 44,810 students, and 5,698 teachers participated in surveys during the 2024-25 cycle. The historical trajectory is positive, with schools rated Good or better rising from just 8 in 2018 to over 93 by 2025.
How SPEA Ratings Affect Fees
| Itqan Rating | Maximum Fee Increase |
|---|---|
| Outstanding | Up to 5% |
| Very Good | 3.75% |
| Good | 2.5% |
| Acceptable | 1.25% |
| Weak | 0% |
Schools rated below Acceptable are not permitted to raise fees. Fee increase applications are made through SPEA's official channels on a multi-year cycle. Explore schools in Sharjah to see what is available.
RAKDOK (Ras Al Khaimah)
The Ras Al Khaimah Department of Knowledge (RAKDOK) was established in 2023 to license and regulate the emirate's 34 private schools. In 2026, the Government of Ras Al Khaimah outsourced private school quality evaluations to Etio Global, an independent international provider, with inspections conducted under the unified UAE School Inspection Framework.
In the first phase of 2026 evaluations, RAK Academy Al Hamra became the first school in the emirate to receive an Outstanding rating, a first for the emirate. Two schools advanced to Very Good and five rose to Good, with around 10 schools improving overall. Browse schools in Ras Al Khaimah to explore options.
Ajman, Fujairah, and Umm Al Quwain
In the Northern Emirates, schools are inspected by the federal Ministry of Education (MoE). Ajman's Private Education Affairs Office has launched a test website listing 46 private schools with ratings, though full inspection reports are not yet published there. Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain do not currently have a dedicated regulator or public inspection report portal.
For schools in these emirates, you will need to rely more heavily on school visits and parent networks to gauge quality. Browse schools in Ajman, schools in Fujairah, or schools in Umm Al Quwain.
BSO Inspections (British Schools Overseas)
Some British curriculum schools in the UAE also hold BSO (British Schools Overseas) accreditation, a voluntary inspection by UK Department for Education-approved inspectorates including Penta International, Education Development Trust, and ISI. BSO reports are valid for three years and operate alongside KHDA or ADEK inspections.
BSO accreditation can be a useful additional data point for British schools, particularly while KHDA ratings are paused. Reports are publicly available on the UK government's website.
How to Read an Inspection Report
Raw ratings tell you the outcome, but the inspection report tells you the story. Here is what to focus on:
Start with Standard 1 (Students' Achievement). This tells you whether children are actually learning and progressing. Look at whether achievement is consistent across all year groups or whether it dips in certain stages.
Pay attention to Standard 3 (Teaching and Assessment). A school can have impressive facilities but mediocre teaching. Look for comments on differentiation, meaning how well teachers adapt instruction for different ability levels.
Check Standard 5 (Protection, Care, Guidance, and Support). This covers safeguarding, inclusion, and wellbeing, the areas many parents care about most but often overlook in inspection reports.
Look at the trajectory. Is the school improving, stable, or declining? An "Acceptable" school on an upward trajectory may be a better bet than a "Good" school that has plateaued.
Read the recommendations. Inspectors always include areas for improvement. These tell you what the school is working on and give you informed questions to ask during your school visit.
What Parents Often Get Wrong About Ratings
Treating ratings as the only measure of quality. Ratings capture a snapshot, typically a week of observation. They are valuable, but they do not capture everything about a school's culture, community, or fit for your individual child.
Comparing ratings across emirates without context. While all regulators use the same six standards and six-point scale, inspection rigour and frequency vary. A "Good" school in one emirate may or may not be directly comparable to a "Good" school in another, particularly given different inspection cadences.
Ignoring older ratings. With KHDA's two-year pause, some Dubai school ratings are from 2023-24 or earlier. A lot can change in two years: teacher turnover, leadership changes, or curriculum shifts. Always supplement older ratings with a personal visit and current parent feedback.
Chasing Outstanding at any cost. Outstanding schools often come with the highest fees and longest waitlists. A Very Good or Good school with the right curriculum, location, and culture may serve your child better than an Outstanding school with a two-year waiting list.
Bottom Line
Inspection ratings are one of the most useful tools available to parents in the UAE, but they work best as part of a broader evaluation. Use them to create your shortlist, read the full reports for detail, and then visit your top choices to see the school in action. The right school is the one that fits your child, not necessarily the one with the highest rating.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the KHDA inspection pause?
KHDA paused its full school inspection cycle for the 2024-25 and 2025-26 academic years. Only schools completing their third year of operation received full inspections. Other schools retain their last published rating from the 2023-24 cycle, and the pause has been accompanied by targeted visits and self-evaluation forms.
Are school ratings comparable across different emirates?
All UAE regulators use the same Unified School Inspection Framework, with six performance standards and a six-point rating scale. However, inspection frequency and rigour vary: ADEK inspects on a two-year cycle, KHDA is currently paused, and SPEA runs regular cycles. Ratings are broadly comparable but not perfectly equivalent.
How do school ratings affect fees?
Each regulator links fee increases to inspection ratings. In Dubai the ECI is 2.35% for 2025-26, and with inspections paused, eligible schools may raise fees by up to the ECI regardless of rating. In Abu Dhabi, Outstanding schools can increase fees by up to 3.94%. In Sharjah, schools rated Outstanding can increase by up to 5%.
Can a school's rating go down?
Yes. Schools can be downgraded if performance declines between inspection cycles. Under the normal Dubai framework, a school whose rating drops is not permitted to increase fees, which creates a financial incentive to maintain or improve quality.
Where can I find school inspection reports?
Inspection reports are available through each regulator's website: KHDA for Dubai, ADEK and the TAMM portal for Abu Dhabi, SPEA for Sharjah, and RAKDOK for Ras Al Khaimah. BSO reports for British schools are available on the UK government website.
What does the National Identity Mark mean?
This is an ADEK initiative evaluating schools on three pillars (Culture, Values, and Citizenship) related to Emirati national identity. It uses a separate four-level scale (Outstanding, Good, Acceptable, Weak) and is displayed alongside the Irtiqaa rating on School Performance Plaques at school entrances.
Should I only consider Outstanding-rated schools?
Not necessarily. Outstanding schools typically have the highest fees and longest waitlists. A Very Good or Good school with the right curriculum, location, and culture may be a better fit for your child. Focus on the overall school profile rather than chasing the top rating alone.