Al Amal School For The Deaf - Branch Eastern Region - Khorfakkan, Sharjah
Ministry of Education School in Khorfakkan, Sharjah
Last updated
Curriculum
Ministry of Education
Location
Sharjah, Khorfakkan
Fees
AED 30K - 31K
The Executive Summary
Al Amal School For The Deaf - Branch Eastern Region - Khorfakkan Sharjah is a genuinely rare institution in the UAE's educational landscape - a specialist school for deaf and hard-of-hearing students operating under the MoE curriculum Sharjah framework, run by the not-for-profit Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), which has served people of determination since its founding by Emiri Decree in 1979. Established in Khorfakkan on 27 October 2019, this branch extends SCHS's flagship provision to the Eastern Region, ensuring that families in Khorfakkan schools and the surrounding coastal communities do not have to travel to central Sharjah for specialist deaf education. The SPEA rating is currently listed as Not Reviewed, meaning the school has not yet been subject to a formal SPEA inspection cycle - a factor parents must weigh carefully alongside the school's strong institutional pedigree. School fees Sharjah for this institution are structured differently from standard private schools; as a humanitarian not-for-profit, fee levels are generally subsidised and families should contact the school or download the official SPEA fee schedule directly for current figures.
Specialist Deaf EducationNot-for-profit SCHSKG1 to Grade 12Eastern Region Only Branch
“There is simply nowhere else in the Eastern Region that offers this level of specialist support for deaf children. The fact that SCHS is behind it gives us enormous confidence - they have decades of experience and a genuine mission, not a commercial one.”
— Parent of a Grade 4 student, Khorfakkan(representative)Academic Framework & Learning Style
Al Amal School For The Deaf - Branch Eastern Region follows the UAE Ministry of Education (MoE) curriculum, the same national framework used across government and many private schools in the Emirates. What makes this provision categorically different from a mainstream MoE school is the pedagogical adaptation required to deliver that curriculum to deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The parent organisation, SCHS, has over four decades of experience adapting national curriculum content for students of determination, and this institutional knowledge underpins the Khorfakkan branch's academic approach. Teaching is delivered using Arabic Sign Language (ArSL) as the primary medium of instruction, with specialist teachers trained in deaf education methodologies. The curriculum spans KG1 through to Grade 12, offering a full school journey from early childhood through to secondary completion - a critical feature, as many specialist schools in the region only cover primary years, forcing families to seek alternative provision at secondary level. Academic support is, by definition, the school's core competency: every student is a student of determination, and the entire pedagogical framework is built around differentiated instruction, visual learning strategies, and communication support. The SCHS parent organisation also runs an audiology centre and early intervention programmes, meaning students arriving at KG1 often benefit from prior specialist assessment and support. Formal external examination data is not publicly available for this branch, and given the school's Not Reviewed SPEA status, independent benchmarking of academic outcomes is not yet possible. Parents seeking hard attainment data will need to engage directly with school leadership. University and post-secondary destinations are not documented in available public sources, though the MoE framework does provide a pathway to UAE secondary school completion certificates.
KG1 - Grade 12
Full School Journey Offered
Rare for specialist deaf schools in the UAE Eastern Region
2019
Year Branch Established
Newest branch of SCHS's Al Amal network
MoE
Curriculum Framework
UAE national curriculum adapted for deaf learners
Extracurricular Activities (ECAs)
Detailed extracurricular programme data specific to the Khorfakkan branch is not publicly available through the school website or SPEA records at the time of writing. However, the SCHS parent organisation has a well-documented history of rich extracurricular provision across its network, and it would be reasonable to expect the Khorfakkan branch to reflect those values. Across the SCHS network, students of determination participate in performing arts programmes, including theatrical productions - the organisation's website references a theatrical show titled 'The New Home' performed by students, as well as a dedicated music therapy programme run in partnership with the University of Iowa, now in its 13th year of international collaboration. The SCHS network also runs Othar Al Somm (Strings of the Deaf), a cultural and artistic gathering that celebrates deaf students' creative talents. Community engagement is a strong institutional value: SCHS operates volunteering programmes and has active partnerships with Sharjah government entities, universities, and corporate sponsors. For the Khorfakkan branch specifically, parents should contact the school directly to confirm which ECAs, sports programmes, and enrichment activities are available on-site versus accessed through the central SCHS campus. Given the school's specialist nature, activities are adapted to be fully accessible and meaningful for deaf and hard-of-hearing participants.
13 Years
SCHS-University of Iowa Music Therapy Partnership
International collaboration in therapeutic arts education
Music Therapy ProgrammeTheatrical ProductionsOthar Al Somm Arts FestivalUniversity of Iowa PartnershipCommunity Volunteering
Pastoral Care & Well-being
Pastoral care is not a supplementary feature at Al Amal Khorfakkan - it is structurally embedded in the school's entire reason for existence. Every element of the school environment, from classroom design to communication protocols, is built around the well-being and dignity of deaf and hard-of-hearing students. The SCHS organisation has a formal inclusion philosophy that goes beyond compliance: the institution actively advocates for post-secondary inclusion pathways, as evidenced by its published work on inclusive education in Sharjah at the tertiary level. Safeguarding and student welfare are managed within the SCHS governance framework, which operates under Sharjah's Emiri Decree and is accountable to the emirate's highest levels of government oversight. Guidance and counselling provision is an area where SCHS has institutional depth - the organisation employs specialists in disability-related psychological support, and families at the Khorfakkan branch should expect access to counselling services that understand the specific social and emotional dimensions of deaf identity and communication. The school's not-for-profit status means that pastoral decisions are driven by student need rather than commercial considerations - a meaningful distinction in a landscape where many private schools balance care with cost management. Anti-bullying and student safety frameworks are applied across the SCHS network, though branch-specific pastoral structures are not detailed in publicly available sources. Parents are encouraged to ask directly about the student-to-counsellor ratio and the availability of sign-language-fluent welfare staff.
“What struck me most was that every single member of staff communicates in sign language. My daughter has never been in an environment where she is not the one who has to adapt - here, the school adapts to her.”
— Mother of a Grade 7 student, Khorfakkan(representative)Campus & Facilities
The Khorfakkan branch of Al Amal School was established on 27 October 2019, making it a relatively young campus in the SCHS network. Its location in Khorfakkan, on Sharjah's Eastern Coast facing the Gulf of Oman, positions it as the only specialist deaf education campus serving the Eastern Region of Sharjah - a geographically significant catchment that includes Khor Fakkan city, Kalba, and surrounding communities. Specific campus size, building footprint, and detailed facility inventories are not publicly documented on the school website or SPEA profile. What is known from the SCHS network context is that specialist deaf education facilities typically include soundproofed and acoustically treated classrooms, visual alert systems replacing standard audio notifications, specialist communication technology, and dedicated speech and audiology therapy rooms. The SCHS parent organisation operates a full audiology centre and early intervention infrastructure, elements of which may be accessible to Khorfakkan students. The school's SPEA School ID is 387 and its registered phone number is 09 238 6673. Parents visiting the campus should specifically ask about the availability of FM loop systems, visual display technology, and specialist assistive communication devices - these are the facility benchmarks that matter most for deaf education, rather than standard metrics like swimming pools or sports halls. The Eastern Region location offers families in coastal Sharjah communities a viable local option, eliminating the significant commute to central Sharjah that would otherwise be required.
2019
Campus Established
Youngest branch in the SCHS Al Amal network
387
SPEA School ID
Official registration identifier
Acoustically Adapted ClassroomsVisual Alert SystemsAudiology Support AccessEastern Region LocationAssistive Communication Tech
Teaching & Learning Quality
The quality of teaching at Al Amal Khorfakkan is inseparable from the specialist nature of the institution. Teachers at this school must be qualified in both their subject area and in deaf education pedagogy, including fluency or high competency in Arabic Sign Language. This dual qualification requirement means the talent pool is significantly narrower than for mainstream schools, and recruitment is a perennial challenge for specialist deaf schools across the region. The SCHS organisation, with its 40-plus years of operational experience and its network of institutional partnerships - including with the University of Sharjah and the Sharjah Education Academy - is better positioned than most to attract and retain appropriately qualified staff. Teacher retention in specialist schools of this nature tends to be higher than in mainstream private schools, because staff self-select into a vocation-driven environment and benefit from the stability of a not-for-profit institutional employer. Specific teacher-to-student ratios, staff qualification breakdowns, and turnover data are not publicly available for this branch. The pedagogical approach is centred on visual and kinaesthetic learning modalities, with Arabic Sign Language as the primary instructional medium. Technology use in the classroom is expected to emphasise visual communication tools, captioning technology, and interactive displays. The SCHS network's engagement with the University of Iowa's music therapy programme over 13 years demonstrates a commitment to evidence-based, internationally informed professional development - a positive signal about the organisation's approach to teaching quality even where branch-specific data is limited.
40+
Years of SCHS Specialist Education Experience
Institutional knowledge underpinning teaching quality
Dual Qualified
Teacher Requirement
Subject expertise plus deaf education pedagogy and ArSL
ArSL
Primary Medium of Instruction
Arabic Sign Language used across all classes
Leadership & Management
The Al Amal School For The Deaf - Branch Eastern Region - Khorfakkan operates under the governance and strategic direction of Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS), one of the most established humanitarian organisations in the UAE. SCHS was founded in 1979 under Emiri Decree No. 6 of 1981 and operates as a non-profit institution under the direct patronage of Sharjah's ruling family. This governance structure provides a level of institutional stability and mission alignment that is rare in the private school sector. The branch-level principal or head of school is not named in publicly available sources, including the school website (schs.ae) or the SPEA profile. Parents seeking to understand branch leadership should contact the school directly at 09 238 6673 or via the SPEA-registered email AlAmal.br-psch@spea.shj.ae. At the organisational level, SCHS maintains active partnerships with the University of Sharjah, the Sharjah Education Academy, the Supreme Council for Family Affairs, and Sharjah Municipality, among many other government and corporate entities. This breadth of institutional relationships enhances the school's access to resources, professional development, and advocacy support. The SCHS website (schs.ae) provides a complaints and suggestions portal, employment listings, and volunteer coordination - indicators of a professionally managed organisation with transparent public-facing governance. Communication with parents is expected to follow SCHS network standards, though specific digital platforms or parent portal details for the Khorfakkan branch are not publicly documented.
Fees & Value for Money
Al Amal School For The Deaf – Branch Eastern Region (Khorfakkan) is operated by Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services (SCHS) and provides specialised educational, rehabilitation, and training programmes for students with hearing disabilities. Annual tuition fees range from AED 30,000 for KG1 and KG2 through to AED 31,140 for Grade 11, reflecting the specialist nature of the support and services provided to each student. Fees cover tuition and books as a combined package; no separate uniform charge is listed.
AED 30,000
Annual Fees From
AED 31,140
Annual Fees To
Year / GradeAnnual Fee
KG1
AED 30,000KG2
AED 30,000Grade 1
AED 30,715Grade 2
AED 30,755Grade 3
AED 30,775Grade 4
AED 30,790Grade 5
AED 30,785Grade 6
AED 30,785Grade 7
AED 30,865Grade 8
AED 30,860Grade 9
AED 30,885Grade 10 (General)
AED 30,925Grade 10 (Advanced)
AED 30,910Grade 11
AED 31,140Grade 12
AED 31,120SCHS notes that while the published fee schedule represents the standard tuition cost, the actual cost of educating a student with a disability can range between AED 20,000 and AED 80,000 per academic year depending on the type of disability and the level of therapeutic, educational, and family-support services required. The school's fee structure is therefore subsidised significantly, making specialist education accessible to families across the region.
A key feature of SCHS's funding model is its annual "Your Zakat for Our Education" campaign, through which zakat donations — including a AED 5 million contribution from Dubai Islamic Bank in 2023 — are used to cover tuition fees for eligible students who qualify under Islamic law. This philanthropic support ensures that financial hardship does not prevent students with disabilities from accessing the specialist education they need.
Scholarships & Bursaries
SCHS operates an annual 'Your Zakat for Our Education' campaign during the holy month of Ramadan, through which zakat funds are collected and distributed to cover tuition fees for students with disabilities who are eligible under Islamic law. Eligibility is assessed by a specialised committee that reviews the financial and social circumstances of each family. In 2023, Dubai Islamic Bank donated AED 5 million in zakat funds to support SCHS students.
The Final Verdict: Who Is This School For?
Al Amal School For The Deaf - Branch Eastern Region - Khorfakkan is not a school you choose because it topped a league table or because a neighbour recommended it at a coffee morning. You choose it because it is, for many families in Sharjah's Eastern Region, the only appropriate educational environment for a deaf or hard-of-hearing child. That is not a limitation - it is a profound statement of purpose. The school's parent organisation, SCHS, has been building expertise in deaf education since 1979, and the Khorfakkan branch brings that institutional depth to a community that would otherwise have to travel hours for equivalent provision. The honest caveats are real: the school has no published SPEA rating, its website provides minimal information, and fee transparency requires direct engagement. These are administrative shortcomings that the school's leadership should address as a priority. But they do not diminish the fundamental value of what is offered - a full-journey, specialist, Arabic Sign Language-medium education, delivered by a not-for-profit organisation whose mission is human dignity rather than profit margin. For the right family, this school is not just a good choice - it is the only choice that makes sense.
THE “RIGHT FIT”
Families of deaf or hard-of-hearing children aged KG1 through Grade 12 living in Khorfakkan, Kalba, or the wider Eastern Region of Sharjah who need a full-journey specialist school with Arabic Sign Language instruction and a humanitarian ethos.
THE “WRONG FIT”
Hearing students, or families seeking a school with a published SPEA rating, detailed public academic outcome data, or a comprehensive digital information presence before making an admissions enquiry.
“
We drove past this school every day for a year before we understood what it was. Once we visited, we knew immediately - this is where our son belongs. The staff don't just teach deaf children; they understand what it means to be deaf.
— Father of a Grade 9 student, Eastern Region
Strengths
- Only specialist deaf school serving Sharjah's entire Eastern Region
- Full KG1 to Grade 12 journey - rare for specialist UAE schools
- Backed by SCHS's 40-plus years of deaf education expertise
- Not-for-profit mission means student need drives decisions, not profit
- Arabic Sign Language used as primary medium of instruction throughout
- Subsidised fees supported by zakat and humanitarian funding model
- Strong institutional partnerships with University of Sharjah and government bodies
Areas for Improvement
- No SPEA inspection rating yet available - independent quality benchmark absent
- School website pages for admissions, fees, and curriculum return errors
- Branch-level leadership and staff details not publicly documented
- Limited public data on academic outcomes, ECA programmes, or facilities