Al Salam Private School

Al Salam Private School is governed by Salam Education, a family-run independent operator founded by Sue Johnston, who established the school in 1985 and served as Headmistress for over three decades. Johnston remains actively involved as Chairwoman of the Executive Committee, providing an unusual degree of founding continuity. The governance structure is notably well-resourced for an independent school of this size: the Executive Committee includes Director Taher Gharib, who has been associated with the school since 2011 and holds an M.Ed in Educational Leadership from Zayed University, alongside non-executive advisors with senior credentials in education policy, technology, and inclusion. The 2023–24 KHDA inspection rated governance Very Good and leadership effectiveness Very Good — the two highest-weighted leadership indicators in the inspection framework, both sitting above the school's overall Good rating.

Day-to-day leadership is held by Principal Tasleem Koser, an NPQH-qualified leader who joined Al Salam as Vice Principal in 2021 and was appointed Principal from the 2024–25 academic year. Koser holds a BA Hons in Educational Studies from the University of Luton and a PGCE from De Montfort University, with Qualified Teacher Status since 2001. Her prior experience includes serving as Headteacher at a junior school in Hertfordshire, England. The transition to her principalship represents a planned internal promotion rather than an external appointment — a signal of deliberate succession planning. The inspection report at the time of the 2023–24 visit listed the principal as Wendy Banks, meaning Koser's appointment as Principal is a post-inspection leadership change effective 2024–25. Parents should note this transition when weighing inspection findings against current leadership. A strong middle leadership team supports the principal, including Head of Secondary Viji Koshy, Chief Digital Officer Sabitha Varghese, and phase heads covering EYFS, Lower Primary, Upper Primary, and Arabic and Islamic studies.

The school's 76 teachers serve 1,253 students, producing a student-to-teacher ratio of 1:16. This sits above the Dubai-wide average of 1:13.6 across 204 schools with available data, meaning classes at Al Salam are, on average, somewhat larger than the city norm — a factor worth considering, particularly given KHDA's finding that teaching quality in lower Primary requires improvement. The inspection noted that a majority of teachers have strong subject knowledge, with teaching in Secondary described as very effective in mathematics and science. However, inspectors identified inconsistency in FS and lower Primary, where classroom routines are not sufficiently established and expectations are not always high enough. [MISSING: staff qualification percentage data — no figure available for proportion holding Masters or above]

On parent engagement, the inspection rated parents and the community Very Good — a genuine strength. Parents are represented on the Governors' Advisory Board, surveys are conducted regularly, and the school's open communication policy is explicitly cited as a leadership highlight. The school's ethos — encapsulated in the founding principle 'where every child is special' — is visibly embedded in its inclusion record: 241 students of determination enrolled, representing approximately 19% of the student body, supported by a dedicated SEND department and the school's SENDIA Inclusion Award. Staff development is treated as a structural priority, with the school citing internal promotions to leadership roles over the past three years and active support for NPQ qualifications — positive signals for retention, though no formal turnover data is published.