Al Istiqlal Private School - branch Muwailih
Executive Summary
Al Istiqlal Private School L.L.C, located in Muwailih, Sharjah, follows the Ministry of Education (MoE) curriculum and has been serving the community since 2005. The school received an overall effectiveness rating of Good in the 2024-2025 inspection cycle, maintaining the same rating as the previous 2022-2023 review and reflecting sustained improvement since the Acceptable rating recorded in 2018.
The school has demonstrated notable progress across several areas. Students' attainment and progress are Good in almost all subjects, with Very Good progress recorded in English and Islamic Education in Cycle 3. Personal and social development is now rated Very Good across all phases, and partnership relations with parents and the community have also improved to Very Good. Students demonstrate strong Islamic values, UAE cultural awareness, and positive attitudes toward learning, with an attendance rate of 97%.
Key areas requiring further development include improving English attainment in KG and Cycles 1 and 2, strengthening independent learning skills and ICT use, and ensuring that assessment data is used more effectively to track individual student progress and inform lesson planning. Leadership and governance remain Good overall, though self-evaluation processes need to rely on more accurate and reliable data to set measurable improvement targets.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Al Istiqlal Private School L.L.C Overall Rating
Good for 2+ consecutive years
SPEA Performance Standards
The performance standards used by SPEA to evaluate school quality across Sharjah.
The school has established systems to identify students of determination and gifted and talented students, with a special education coordinator providing individualised specialist support. However, tracking the progress of students of determination over time in lessons and intervention programmes remains an area for development. Support provision is not yet consistently effective across all classes. Students of DeterminationSpecial Education CoordinatorIntervention Programmes
Students' personal development is rated Very Good across all phases, with students demonstrating very positive attitudes, responsible behaviour, and strong interpersonal relationships. The school actively promotes healthy and safe lifestyles through events such as World Heart Day and Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Student attendance is an impressive 97%, reflecting high levels of engagement and wellbeing. Healthy Lifestyles97% AttendanceWorld Heart Day
The school participates in a range of national and international benchmark assessments including IBT, PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, Tala (Arabic Language Arts), and Mubakir (Early Arabic Reading). External IBT results indicate Acceptable attainment in English for Cycles 1 and 2, and Weak in Cycle 3, highlighting a gap between internal and external data. The school uses these results to inform curriculum planning and improvement priorities. IBTTIMSSPISAPIRLSTalaMubakir
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Very Good Personal Development
Students across all phases demonstrate very positive attitudes, exemplary behaviour, and strong social relationships, with the overall personal and social development rating improving to Very Good.
Strong Islamic & UAE Values
Students show Very Good understanding and appreciation of Islamic values and UAE culture and heritage across all phases, actively participating in national and Islamic occasions.
Improved Parent Partnerships
The quality of partnership relations with parents and the community has improved to Very Good, reflecting the school's commitment to open communication and community engagement.
Good Academic Achievement
Students achieve Good attainment and progress in almost all subjects across all phases, with Very Good progress in English and Islamic Education in Cycle 3.
Safe & Supportive Environment
The school maintains comprehensive safeguarding policies, effective supervision, and a positive school culture, with bullying incidents reported as rare and students feeling safe.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Overall student achievement is Good across the school. Internal assessment data consistently shows higher attainment than observed in lessons and external benchmark results, indicating a need for greater alignment between internal and external assessments.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The principal, Dr. Shahrazad Hawarneh, leads the school with a clear vision, combining firmness with care and a commitment to continuous professional development. The leadership team has contributed to school improvement through comprehensive self-evaluation, careful planning, and positive partnership relations with parents. Leadership at all levels is working to embed a culture of high expectations, though governance structures need strengthening to provide more effective challenge and support.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students achieve Good attainment and progress in almost all subjects across all phases, with notable Very Good progress in English and Islamic Education in Cycle 3. Improvements have been recorded in Arabic (First Language) in KG and Cycles 1 and 2, English in Cycle 3, and Other Subjects across all phases. However, a persistent gap exists between internal assessment data and external benchmark results, particularly in English, where IBT results indicate Acceptable attainment in Cycles 1 and 2 and Weak in Cycle 3.
Personal Development
Personal and social development is rated Very Good across all phases, representing an improvement from the previous inspection. Students demonstrate very positive attitudes, responsible behaviour, and strong relationships with peers and teachers. Attendance is an impressive 97%, and students show Very Good understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture. Social responsibility and innovation skills are Good in Cycles 2 and 3 but remain Acceptable in KG.
Teaching Quality
Teaching and assessment quality is Good across all phases. Teachers have strong subject knowledge and plan purposeful lessons that create motivating learning environments. Questioning techniques effectively engage students in critical thinking. However, differentiated tasks for gifted and high-achieving students are not consistently implemented, and the use of assessment data to plan lessons that meet the needs of all student groups requires further development.
Protection & Care
Student protection and care is Good across all phases. The school has comprehensive safeguarding policies and procedures shared with staff, parents, and stakeholders, and staff receive appropriate training. Regular risk assessments and fire evacuation drills are conducted. The school actively promotes healthy and safe lifestyles. Support for students of determination is provided by a special education coordinator, though tracking individual progress over time needs strengthening.
Areas for Development
- •Improve attainment levels achieved by KG and Cycle 1 and 2 students in English, and strengthen problem-solving skills, project performance, and critical thinking in lessons.
- •Improve the progress made by students of determination in lessons and intervention programmes, including tracking their progress over time.
- •Develop students' independent learning skills and their use of ICT and learning technologies to conduct research and inquiry independently.
- •Strengthen leadership oversight of the use of assessment information in lesson planning, matching learning activities to the needs of different student groups, and developing the curriculum and assessments.
- •Use accurate and reliable data in self-evaluation to better identify the school's improvement priorities and set measurable goals and targets in school development plans.