Al Shola Private School - branch Al Falah, Sharjah
SPEA Inspection Report & Ratings
Last updated
Executive Summary
Al Shola Private School is an established MoE-curriculum school located in Al Falah, Sharjah, founded in 1983. The school received an overall effectiveness rating of Good in the 2024-2025 inspection cycle, maintaining the same rating as the previous review cycle in 2022-2023, reflecting consistent performance across most subjects.
Students achieve at least Good levels across most subjects, with Very Good attainment and progress noted in Social Studies at the secondary level. However, attainment in English at the secondary cycle declined from Good to Acceptable, and writing skills remain underdeveloped across all phases. Personal and social development is rated Very Good, with students demonstrating positive attitudes, strong Islamic values awareness, and active participation in sustainability and community initiatives.
Effective school leadership, a strong open-door policy for parents, and constructive oversight from the Board of Trustees contribute positively to the school's outcomes. Key areas requiring development include improving the accuracy of internal assessment data, differentiating learning for students of determination and gifted learners, and expanding the English-language library resources.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Al Shola Private School - branch Al Falah 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 50 students of determination. While the curriculum is reviewed regularly to meet the needs of most students, it is less successful in addressing the needs of students of determination. Teachers do not consistently differentiate learning experiences sufficiently to meet the needs of students with additional learning requirements. Students of DeterminationDifferentiation
The quality of student protection, care, and support is Very Good overall. The school maintains a very safe environment with clear child protection policies understood by all staff, parents, and students. Student attendance is Good at 94%, and behaviour is managed effectively through systematic procedures. Child ProtectionSafe EnvironmentAttendance 94%
The school participates in IBT, PISA, TIMSS, PBTS, and Arabic language assessments (Tala' and Mubakkir). IBT external data indicates Acceptable attainment levels in English, while Mathematics results show Outstanding in Cycle 1 but Weak in Cycle 2 and Very Weak in Cycle 3. Science IBT results are Very Good in Cycle 1, Weak in Cycle 2, and Very Weak in Cycle 3. IBTPISATIMSSPBTS
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Social Studies Excellence
Students in the secondary cycle achieve Very Good attainment and progress in Social Studies, representing the strongest academic performance across all subjects and phases.
Personal Development
Students demonstrate Very Good personal and social development, showing positive attitudes, self-discipline, empathy, and strong understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture.
Community Engagement
Students actively volunteer in school and community initiatives including Red Crescent charity drives, elderly home visits, garden clean-up campaigns, and sustainability projects.
Strong Safeguarding
The school maintains rigorous and robust procedures for student health, safety, and wellbeing, including effective child protection measures understood by all stakeholders.
Effective Leadership
Effective school leadership, a strong open-door policy for parents, and constructive Board of Trustees oversight contribute positively to sustaining Good academic outcomes.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Internal assessment data consistently indicates higher attainment levels than what is observed in lessons and student work. The school participates in IBT, PISA, TIMSS, PBTS, Tala', and Mubakkir external assessments.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
School leadership at Al Shola Private School is effective and collaborative, maintaining consistent performance standards across the school. The principal and senior leadership team work alongside an engaged Board of Trustees to support continuous improvement. An open-door policy for parents strengthens community trust, though middle leadership capacity to drive instructional improvement requires further development.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
Overall student achievement is Good across most subjects and phases. Social Studies at the secondary level is rated Very Good for both attainment and progress. English attainment in Cycle 2 is Acceptable, and external IBT data reveals significant gaps in Mathematics and Science compared to internal assessments. Writing skills remain underdeveloped across all phases and subjects.
Personal Development
The quality of students' personal and social development is Very Good overall. Students demonstrate positive attitudes, self-discipline, empathy, and strong understanding of Islamic values and Emirati culture. They actively participate in community volunteering, sustainability initiatives, and STEAM projects. Attendance is Good at 94%, and behaviour is well managed.
Teaching Quality
Teaching and assessment quality is Good across all school sections. Most teachers demonstrate appropriate subject knowledge and use effective questioning strategies to engage students in meaningful dialogue. However, differentiation for students of varying abilities is inconsistent, and independent learning skills are not systematically developed. Internal assessment data is not always accurate or reliable.
Protection & Care
The quality of student protection, care, and support is Very Good overall. The school has clear child protection policies and procedures understood by all stakeholders. The physical environment is safe, clean, and well maintained. Healthy and safe lifestyle promotion is embedded throughout school life, and attendance and behaviour are managed effectively through systematic procedures.
Areas for Development
- •Improve attainment levels in English in the secondary cycle (Cycle 3), including expanding the English-language book collection available in the library.
- •Enhance teachers' use of internal and external assessment data in lesson planning to provide effective levels of challenge and support for students of varying abilities, particularly students of determination and gifted and talented learners.
- •Strengthen procedures to ensure greater accuracy of internal data so that it more reliably reflects students' actual knowledge and skills in each subject.
- •Build the capacity of middle leadership to take ownership of improving the quality of teaching, learning, assessment, and curriculum in line with best practices.
- •Strengthen the ability of school leadership to evaluate the quality of teaching and learning based on the impact of classroom practices on student progress over time.