Al Salam Community School, Dubai

Principal Kifaya Khan, a qualified British headteacher with over 20 years of experience, has led Al Salam Community School since 18 July 2021. Her background is notably broad: originally from London, she holds a degree in Computer Engineering and a second degree in Arabic and Islamic Studies, and previously served as Principal at Rashid School for Boys in Dubai. She is also an accredited inspector for British Schools Overseas, lending her a rare dual perspective on school quality. Beneath her, ASCS fields a substantial leadership team spanning primary, secondary, pastoral and inclusion functions — among them Mohammed Shah Ali as Deputy Head of Secondary (Curriculum), who brings 18 years of teaching and leadership experience and is currently completing the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH), and Neelam Bhatti as Head of Inclusion, who holds a Master's in Applied Psychology and a postgraduate qualification in Special Educational Needs.

The school is governed by a Board of Governors and owned by Al Salam Education, with the campus built in partnership with Bin Haidar Education, a subsidiary of the Mohamed Omar Bin Haidar Group. Sue Johnston, the founder of the Al Salam education brand — now in its 37th year in Dubai — serves as ASCS Governor, providing an important thread of institutional continuity. The KHDA's 2023–2024 inspection rated leadership effectiveness Good, governance Good, and management, staffing, facilities and resources Very Good — the highest sub-rating awarded across the school's leadership framework.

One significant concern raised by inspectors warrants honest attention: almost half of all staff were new at the time of the 2023–2024 inspection, alongside many new subject leaders. KHDA inspectors noted directly that these staffing changes had affected student experiences in both Primary and Secondary phases. This level of turnover is a material consideration for parents, particularly in Primary where teaching quality was rated only Acceptable — below the Good standard seen in Secondary and Post-16. The school's own recruitment materials emphasise investment in staff development and internal promotion, and the leadership team's stated people strategy centres on culture, peer recognition and wellbeing — but the inspection data signals that embedding stability remains a work in progress.

With 130 teachers serving 1,946 students, ASCS operates at a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:15. This sits slightly above the Dubai private school average of 1:13.6 across 204 schools with available data, suggesting marginally larger class sizes than the city norm — though the gap is modest. [MISSING: staff qualification percentage data, e.g. proportion holding Masters or above]

On community engagement, the school maintains a Parent Council operating across Inclusion, Student Wellbeing, Events and Student Enrichment, as well as a dedicated Emirati Parent Group called 'Watani'. Parent and student surveys formally inform improvement planning, and the KHDA inspection rated parents and the community Good. The school publishes a newsletter at least three times per year and provides weekly updates via its website and social media. The school's vision — to nurture an inclusive learning community leading excellence with Islamic values — is visibly embedded in its structures, from the Wellbeing Award for Schools (2026–2028) and SEND Inclusion Award (2026–2028) to its BSO accreditation and status as a Google Reference School and ACER Innovative School.