Al Mustaqbal International Private School
Executive Summary
Al Mustaqbal Private School, located in the Al Yarmouk area of Sharjah, is an American curriculum school serving students from KG through to Grade 9 (High). Following its most recent School Performance Review conducted in February 2025, the school retained its overall effectiveness rating of Acceptable - consistent with the previous review in 2023-24.
Leaders have improved some aspects of the school and maintained adequate performance. Notable improvements include higher standards of teaching, more effective learning, and gains in students' achievement in KG, Grade 9, and in science and ICT throughout the school. Science achievement is now rated Good overall, representing a positive shift from the previous cycle. Students' personal development and their understanding of Islamic values continue to be recognised strengths.
The school demonstrates an adequate commitment to safeguarding and has taken significant steps towards providing an inclusive learning environment, including new classes for students whose first language is not Arabic. Key areas requiring further development include students' attainment and progress in English and Arabic as a First Language in Elementary and Middle, support for students with SEN and gifted and talented learners, and the accuracy of the school's self-evaluation processes.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Al Mustaqbal International Private School Overall Rating
Acceptable for 3+ consecutive years
SPEA Performance Standards
The performance standards used by SPEA to evaluate school quality across Sharjah.
The school has taken significant steps towards providing an inclusive learning environment and support for students with special educational needs (SEN), including new Arabic as a Second Language (ASL) classes. However, this programme is still under development, and ASL students' basic Arabic skills in Elementary and Middle are rated Weak. Support for gifted and talented students also requires strengthening. SEN SupportArabic as a Second LanguageInclusive Environment
Students' personal and social development is rated Good overall, with positive and responsible attitudes observed across all phases. Students feel safe, valued, and supported by staff, and attendance is good at 94%. Friendly and respectful relationships between students and staff are a consistent feature of school life. 94% AttendancePositive AttitudesSafe Environment
The school participates in a range of international and national benchmark assessments including MAP, PISA, TIMSS, PIRLS, TALA, and Mubakkir. External MAP results are variable across phases and subjects, with some weak results in English and mathematics in certain grades. TIMSS results show Grade 4 students performing above the international average in mathematics, while Grade 8 science performance was below national and international benchmarks. MAPTIMSSPIRLSTALAPISA
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Science Achievement Improved
Students' achievement in science is now rated Good overall, with the majority of students making better than expected progress throughout the school - a notable improvement from the previous review cycle.
Strong Personal Development
Students' personal and social development is rated Good overall, with students demonstrating positive attitudes, respectful behaviour, and a clear understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture across all phases.
KG Attainment Gains
Children in KG show improved attainment and progress across multiple subjects including English, Arabic, science and Islamic education, with several subjects rated Good in this phase.
Successful Parent Partnerships
The school's partnerships with parents are identified as a key strength, with effective communication and engagement supporting the school community.
Safeguarding Commitment
The school demonstrates an adequate commitment to safeguarding children, with health and safety arrangements and child protection measures in place across all phases.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Students' achievement is acceptable overall. Science is a standout subject rated Good across the school. KG and High show the strongest performance. Arabic as a Second Language (ASL) is rated Weak in Elementary and Middle as the programme is newly introduced.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
The principal and senior leaders have focused on implementing the school improvement plan to raise teaching standards and improve student outcomes, with measurable gains in KG, Grade 9, science and ICT. Leaders have invested in infrastructure improvements and reduced teacher turnover significantly from 57% to 14.2%, stabilising the staffing base. However, middle managers require deeper understanding of US curriculum expectations, and the school's self-evaluation processes need to become more accurate and impactful to accelerate improvement.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Students' achievement is acceptable overall, with science rated Good across the school - a notable improvement. KG and High phases show the strongest performance, while Elementary and Middle require focused attention particularly in English and Arabic. External benchmark results are variable, with some strong MAP results in Grade 9 English and mathematics in Grades 3 and 5.
Personal Development
Students' personal and social development is rated Good overall, representing an improvement from the previous review. Students demonstrate positive and responsible attitudes, respectful behaviour, and a clear understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture. Attendance is good at 94%, and students feel safe and supported throughout the school.
Teaching Quality
The quality of teaching and assessment is acceptable overall, with Good teaching observed in KG and High. Teachers have secure subject knowledge and plan engaging lessons, though differentiation to meet the needs of all learners - particularly SEN and gifted students - is underdeveloped. The use of assessment data to inform planning and provide meaningful feedback to students requires improvement.
Protection & Care
The school demonstrates an adequate commitment to safeguarding children, with health and safety arrangements and child protection measures in place. Care and support for students is acceptable, with significant steps taken towards inclusive provision for SEN students. The school's new ASL programme and SEN identification systems are still under development.
Areas for Development
- •Improve students' attainment and progress in Elementary and Middle, particularly in English and Arabic as a First Language (AFL).
- •Strengthen the support provided for students with SEN and those with Gifts and Talents (G&T) to ensure all learners make the progress of which they are capable.
- •Develop middle managers' and teachers' deeper understanding of the expectations of the US curriculum to improve consistency of delivery.
- •Improve the accuracy and usefulness of the school's self-evaluation to more effectively drive forward school improvement planning.
- •Strengthen students' achievement in Arabic as a Second Language (ASL) in Elementary and Middle, where skills across all areas of learning are currently weak.