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The New Filipino Private School

Curriculum
Philippines
SPEA
Acceptable
Location
Sharjah, Dasman
Fees
AED 3K - 5K

The New Filipino Private School

The Executive Summary

The New Filipino Private School in the Dasman area of Sharjah occupies a genuinely unique position in the emirate's private school landscape. As one of the very few institutions offering the Philippines Curriculum in Sharjah, it serves a tightly defined community - Filipino and broader South Asian families who want their children educated within the same national framework used back home. With a SPEA rating of Acceptable, the school sits at the minimum threshold of regulatory compliance, not a badge of distinction but a signal of functional, community-focused schooling. School fees in Sharjah rarely get more accessible than this: annual tuition ranges from AED 3,100 to AED 5,300, placing NFPS firmly among the most affordable private institutions in the UAE. For Filipino expat families navigating a tight household budget, the combination of cultural familiarity, mother-tongue instruction in Filipino, and rock-bottom fees makes this school a pragmatic and emotionally resonant choice. The school is one of the Dasman schools serving the working-class Filipino diaspora, and it does so with genuine commitment if not yet with academic excellence.
Philippines Curriculum SharjahAED 3,100 Entry FeeSPEA Acceptable 2024Filipino Community SchoolKG1 to Grade 10

“For us, this school feels like home. The teachers understand our children, they speak our language, and the fees mean we can actually afford to keep both kids enrolled without sacrificing everything else.”

— Grade 5 Parent(representative)

Academic Framework & Learning Style

NFPS follows the Philippine national curriculum as prescribed by the Republic of the Philippines Department of Education, making it one of a small number of schools in the UAE accredited directly by that body. The curriculum runs from KG1 through Grade 10, covering the full range of subjects mandated by the Philippine K-10 framework: English, Filipino, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Islamic Education (for Muslim students), Arabic as an additional language (from Grade 1), UAE Social Studies, Moral Education, character education, technology and livelihood education (TLE), and ICT. The school's own documentation emphasises a spiral progression model in Science and Mathematics, meaning concepts are revisited and deepened across year levels rather than taught in isolated units. Academic outcomes, as assessed by SPEA inspectors in February 2024, are acceptable overall but with notable variation across subjects and phases. Social Studies stands out as the strongest academic area, rated Good across Phases 2, 3, and 4, with students demonstrating clear conceptual understanding of UAE society, geography, and historical civilisations. Science achieves Good in Phases 3 and 4, with students showing well-developed observation and reasoning skills. Mathematics is the most concerning subject: attainment is rated Weak in Phase 1 and only Acceptable in Phases 2 and 3, with external ASSET benchmarking confirming weak performance in Grades 3 to 9. English is Acceptable across all phases, though PASS national testing flags weak reading and writing skills. The school uses ASSET, CAT4, PISA, TIMSS, and PASS as external benchmarking tools, providing a reasonable data picture, but inspectors noted that internal assessment data frequently does not match observed lesson reality - a significant governance concern. Teaching methodology tends toward teacher-directed instruction, with collaborative and independent learning skills described as still developing, particularly in the younger phases. There is no sixth form or post-Grade 10 provision, so families must plan secondary school transitions to other institutions for Grades 11 and 12.
Good
Social Studies Rating (Phases 2-4)
Strongest academic subject per SPEA 2024
Weak
Mathematics Attainment - Phase 1
ASSET external benchmarking also confirms weak Maths in Grades 3-9
KG1-Grade 10
School Span
No post-Grade 10 provision; families must transfer for Grades 11-12
5
External Benchmarking Tools Used
PISA, TIMSS, ASSET, PASS, CAT4

Extracurricular Activities (ECAs)

The extracurricular offer at NFPS is modest in scale but meaningful in cultural context. The school's homepage highlights scouting as an active program - an Investiture Ceremony for scouts was held on campus in 2023, signalling an organised and formally recognised scouting movement that resonates strongly with Filipino educational tradition. Basketball is a standout achievement: NFPS claimed the championship at the Sharjah Sports Tournament, a notable competitive result that speaks to genuine sporting talent within the student body and strong physical education provision at the secondary level. School trips are offered, with a documented visit to the Green Planet in Dubai providing science enrichment outside the classroom. The school council provides a formal student voice and leadership development pathway, with SPEA inspectors noting that council members confidently express their views and take pride in their school. Morning assemblies are student-led, with pupils leading confidently - a small but meaningful indicator of public speaking and leadership cultivation. Cultural celebrations are a genuine strength: Filipino Independence Day is observed as a school event, and students participate in UAE National Day activities, heritage tours, and visits to Sharjah Museum, bridging their Filipino identity with UAE civic life. Islamic Education Week is also observed. The performing arts and formal enrichment programs such as Model UN or Duke of Edinburgh are not evidenced in available school documentation, which is a gap for families seeking a broad co-curricular portfolio. The overall ECA offering is community-centred rather than comprehensive.
1st
Sharjah Sports Tournament Basketball
Championship win documented on school website
Sharjah Basketball ChampionsActive Scouting ProgramStudent Council LeadershipUAE Heritage ToursFilipino Independence Day

Pastoral Care & Well-being

Pastoral care is arguably the most credible dimension of NFPS's provision. SPEA inspectors rated students' personal and social development as Good - the highest rating achieved in any Performance Standard during the 2024 review. The inspection report describes a school where students are consistently polite and courteous, demonstrate self-discipline, and maintain relationships of mutual respect with staff. Bullying is described as rare, which in a school of over 1,300 students is a meaningful pastoral achievement. The caring ethos identified by inspectors is not incidental - it reflects the Filipino cultural value of malasakit (genuine concern for others) that permeates the school community. The school has a social worker on staff, referenced in the SPEA report in relation to curriculum planning for students with diverse needs. 21 students of determination are enrolled according to SPEA data, and inspectors noted that SEN provision has improved since the previous review, though the curriculum still requires further modification to fully meet diverse learning needs. A school council functions as a formal student voice mechanism, with members trained in promoting safe and healthy lifestyles. Student attendance is recorded at 94%, which SPEA classifies as good, suggesting students feel safe and motivated to attend. Safeguarding arrangements are in place and the school's caring culture is consistently noted as a strength. The absence of a named guidance counsellor in the SPEA quick facts is a gap that families of students with more complex emotional or mental health needs should probe directly with the school.

“The teachers genuinely care about the children here. My son struggled when we first arrived from the Philippines and his class teacher went out of her way to help him settle. That kind of warmth is hard to find.”

— Grade 3 Parent(representative)

Campus & Facilities

The NFPS campus is located in the Al Jazzat - Al Riqqa Suburb area of Dasman, Sharjah, a densely populated residential district that is home to a significant proportion of the emirate's Filipino and South Asian working community. The location is practical for families living in surrounding apartment blocks, with the school accessible by the school's own bus service - described on the website as an improved service with a monitor on board, which is a reassuring safety detail for working parents. The campus is described in the SPEA report as spacious with specialist facilities, a meaningful qualifier given the school's rapid growth. However, inspectors raised a specific concern: the learning environment is not always conducive following the significant expansion in student numbers, with some classrooms in Phases 1 and 2 described as cramped and under-resourced. This is a practical reality that prospective parents should visit in person to assess. The school references dedicated facilities including what appears to be specialist rooms for science and technology subjects, and the curriculum documentation references ICT as a taught subject, implying some level of computing infrastructure. A school bus service is available and managed through the school directly. The campus does not appear to have a swimming pool, and there is no documentation of a dedicated performing arts auditorium or extensive sports fields, consistent with an urban community school rather than a purpose-built international campus. The school's website references an affiliation section and a facilities page, though detailed specifications are not published online. Families are strongly advised to arrange a campus tour before enrolling.
1,368+
Students on Campus
Significant growth since previous review - campus capacity under pressure in Phases 1-2
4
Phases of Learning on One Campus
KG through Grade 10 all co-located
Dasman Residential LocationMonitored School Bus ServiceSpecialist Subject RoomsSpacious Campus (SPEA-noted)ICT Infrastructure

Teaching & Learning Quality

The teaching workforce at NFPS is predominantly Filipino-trained and Filipino-national, which is both a strength and a limitation. It is a strength because teacher-student cultural alignment is genuine - teachers understand the community they serve, share linguistic and cultural reference points with students and families, and bring a commitment rooted in shared identity. It is a limitation because the pool of professional development available in the UAE's broader international school sector is less accessible to a faculty trained exclusively within one national system. The SPEA report records a teacher turnover rate of 19% at the time of inspection, which is elevated. With 56% of teachers being new since the last review, the school was effectively rebuilding a significant portion of its teaching workforce while simultaneously doubling its student population - a genuinely difficult operational challenge. The teacher-to-student ratio is 1:27, which is high by international standards and consistent with the budget-tier fee structure. With 50 teachers and just 2 teaching assistants serving over 1,300 students across 11 year levels, individual differentiation is structurally constrained. SPEA inspectors noted that professional development has occurred but is not sufficiently targeted to individual teacher needs, with particular gaps identified in Phase 1 (KG), data analysis skills, and early years pedagogy. Teaching in the upper phases (Grades 7-10) is more settled, with inspectors observing better lesson quality and student engagement in Phase 4. The use of technology in teaching is present but not yet systematic, with students in Phases 3 and 4 occasionally using technology to explore information. The school's leadership monitors classroom performance through Grade Level and Subject Coordinators, which provides a structural accountability framework even if its effectiveness is still developing.
19%
Teacher Turnover Rate
Elevated; 56% of teachers were new since the previous review
1:27
Teacher-to-Student Ratio
High by international standards; reflects budget-tier fee structure
50
Total Teaching Staff
Supported by only 2 teaching assistants for 1,368 students

Leadership & Management

Principal Belinda Neustro has been at NFPS for 11 years, having served as acting principal during the previous SPEA review before being confirmed in the role. This continuity is significant: in a school that has undergone dramatic growth - nearly doubling its student population - and significant staff turnover, a long-serving principal who knows the school's culture and community provides essential institutional stability. SPEA inspectors describe her commitment as genuine and note that her monitoring of classroom performance is beginning to have a measurable impact, though the pace of improvement remains slow. The Chair of the Board of Governors is Maria Sales Ansari, and the governing body is described by inspectors as positively involved and supportive of the principal. Governors conduct regular monitoring visits, which is a governance practice that SPEA views favourably. The school operates under the oversight of SPEA and holds accreditation from the Republic of the Philippines Department of Education, meaning it must satisfy two regulatory bodies simultaneously - a dual accountability that shapes curriculum decisions and reporting requirements. Leadership communication with parents appears to operate through direct contact channels (phone, email, WhatsApp), with the school providing a WhatsApp number prominently on its website. A formal parent portal or digital communication platform is not evidenced in available materials. The school's strategic direction, as stated on its website, is oriented around equipping students with quality education and developing future leaders - aspirational language that the SPEA inspection suggests is still in the process of being operationalised at the classroom level. The school improvement plan exists and is reviewed by governors, but inspectors noted that self-evaluation does not always accurately reflect observed reality.

SPEA Inspection Results (Decoded)

The February 2024 SPEA School Performance Review awarded NFPS an overall effectiveness rating of Acceptable - identical to the outcome of the previous inspection in January 2023. Maintaining the same rating across two consecutive reviews is a mixed signal: it confirms the school has not deteriorated, but it also confirms that the significant changes undertaken since 2023 - new premises, near-doubled enrolment, 56% new teaching staff, new management structures - have not yet translated into measurable academic improvement. The school is, in SPEA's assessment, running hard to stand still. Breaking down the six Performance Standards: Students' Personal and Social Development is the clear high point, rated Good across all phases. This is the one area where NFPS demonstrably exceeds the minimum and reflects the school's genuine cultural and pastoral strengths. Students' Achievement is Acceptable overall, with Social Studies and upper-phase Science reaching Good. Mathematics in Phase 1 is rated Weak - the only Weak judgment in the report and the most urgent area for intervention. Teaching and Assessment is Acceptable, with inspectors noting that lesson quality improves significantly in the upper phases but remains inconsistent in KG and lower primary. The Curriculum standard is Acceptable, with a clear recommendation to adapt and differentiate the curriculum more effectively for diverse learners. Protection, Care and Guidance is Acceptable, with SEN provision improving but still requiring further development. Leadership and Management is Acceptable, with the principal's commitment acknowledged and governors' involvement noted positively, but self-evaluation accuracy and data-driven decision making identified as areas requiring development. The rating history shows two consecutive Acceptable judgments, suggesting the school has stabilised but has not yet found the lever for the step-change improvement that would move it to Good.
Strong Personal and Social Development
Students' personal and social development is rated Good across all four phases - the strongest Performance Standard in the school. Inspectors note positive attitudes, rare bullying, mutual respect between students and staff, and confident student leadership in assemblies and school council.
Social Studies Achievement at Good Level
Social Studies is rated Good in Phases 2, 3, and 4, with students demonstrating clear understanding of UAE society, geography, economic resources, and historical civilisations. This is the strongest academic subject and a genuine curriculum success.
Improving SEN Provision and Governance Engagement
SPEA inspectors acknowledge that provision for students of determination has improved since the previous review, and that the governing body's active involvement and regular monitoring visits are beginning to have a positive impact on school quality.
Mathematics and Early Years Achievement

Mathematics attainment in Phase 1 is rated Weak, and external ASSET benchmarking confirms weak performance across Grades 3 to 9. Phase 1 (KG) more broadly is identified as the weakest phase across multiple indicators, with learning skills also rated Weak. Targeted professional development for KG and lower primary teachers is a stated priority.

Data Accuracy and Curriculum Differentiation

Inspectors repeatedly found that internal assessment data does not match observed lesson quality - in some cases by significant margins (e.g. internal data showing Outstanding attainment where lessons showed only Acceptable). The curriculum also requires further modification to meet the needs of all learners, particularly students of determination and lower-attaining pupils.

Inspection History

2022-2023
Acceptable
2023-2024
Acceptable

Fees & Value for Money

NFPS's fee structure is the single most compelling reason many Filipino families choose this school, and it deserves to be stated plainly: these are among the lowest school fees available at any private school in Sharjah. Annual tuition starts at AED 3,100 for KG1 and KG2, rising to AED 5,300 for Grade 10. For a family with two children, the combined annual tuition bill could be as low as AED 6,200 to AED 8,400 - a figure that is simply not achievable at any curriculum-equivalent international school in the UAE. The school's own mission statement references affordability explicitly: NFPS remains committed to offering affordable, relevant and quality education. The SPEA inspection report cites a fee range of AED 5,200 to AED 8,666, which appears to reflect fees inclusive of additional charges rather than base tuition alone, or may reflect a subsequent fee revision. Parents should verify the current approved fee schedule directly with the school or via the SPEA fee download. Additional costs include books, uniform, and school bus - none of which are quantified on the school's public website, so families should request a full cost breakdown at the admissions stage. Fees are payable quarterly, either by cash or debit/credit card. There is no evidence of a formal scholarship or bursary program on the school's website. The refund policy follows Ministry of Education guidelines and is published on the school's fees page. In terms of value for money, the honest assessment is this: at AED 3,100 to AED 5,300, you are paying for community, cultural continuity, and basic curriculum delivery - not for exceptional academic outcomes, premium facilities, or a broad co-curricular program. For families whose priority is cultural alignment and affordability, the value proposition is strong. For families prioritising academic outcomes or university preparation, the value equation is less clear.
AED 3,100
Lowest Annual Fee (KG1-KG2)
AED 5,300
Highest Annual Fee (Grade 10)
Year GroupsAnnual Fee
KG1
3,100
KG2
3,100
Grade 1
3,700
Grade 2
3,700
Grade 3
3,700
Grade 4
4,200
Grade 5
4,200
Grade 6
4,200
Grade 7
5,000
Grade 8
5,000
Grade 9
5,000
Grade 10
5,300

Additional Costs

BooksVariable(annual)
UniformVariable(annual)
School BusVariable(annual)

Discounts & Concessions

No formal discount program evidenced

Scholarships & Bursaries

No formal scholarship or bursary program is documented on the school's website or in the SPEA inspection report. Families requiring financial support should contact the admissions office directly at admissions@nfps.ae.

The Final Verdict: Who Is This School For?

NFPS is a school that knows exactly what it is and who it serves - and that clarity is both its greatest strength and the boundary of its ambition. It is a community school in the truest sense: built by and for the Filipino diaspora in Sharjah, operating at a price point that makes private education genuinely accessible to working families, and delivering a curriculum that maintains continuity with the Philippine national education system. For families who intend to return to the Philippines, or who want their children to sit Philippine national examinations and maintain academic equivalency with schools back home, NFPS is the logical - and in many cases only - choice in Sharjah. The pastoral environment is warm, safe, and culturally affirming, and the school's Good rating for personal and social development is a genuine achievement that should not be underestimated. The honest limitations are equally clear. Academic outcomes are Acceptable at best, Weak in early Mathematics. The teacher turnover rate of 19% and a 1:27 ratio mean that the quality of individual teaching is variable and personalised support is limited. There is no post-Grade 10 provision, so secondary school planning must include a transition strategy. Families with high academic aspirations, children requiring significant SEN support, or those seeking a broad international co-curricular program will find NFPS structurally unable to meet those needs at this fee level. This is not a criticism - it is an honest alignment of expectations. NFPS delivers what it promises: affordable, culturally rooted Filipino education in Sharjah. The question every family must answer is whether that promise matches their child's needs.

THE “RIGHT FIT”

Filipino expat families in Sharjah seeking cultural continuity, mother-tongue instruction, and genuinely affordable private education within the Philippine curriculum framework, particularly those who may return to the Philippines and need academic equivalency.

THE “WRONG FIT”

Families prioritising high academic outcomes, university preparation for UAE or UK institutions, broad co-curricular programs, or children requiring intensive SEN support - the fee structure and staffing ratios make these outcomes structurally difficult to deliver.

“

We always knew this wasn't the fanciest school in Sharjah. But our children know who they are, they're proud of being Filipino, they're safe, and we can actually afford to send them both. That matters more to us than a ranking.

— Grade 8 and Grade 4 Parent

Strengths

  • Most affordable private school fees in Sharjah - from AED 3,100 annually
  • Authentic Philippines Curriculum with DepEd accreditation for academic continuity
  • Personal and social development rated Good by SPEA across all phases
  • Long-serving principal with 11 years at the school providing stability
  • Strong cultural identity and Filipino community environment
  • Rare bullying incidents and strong student-teacher relationships noted by SPEA
  • Basketball championship win demonstrates genuine sporting achievement
  • 94% student attendance rate reflects a safe and welcoming school culture

Areas for Improvement

  • Overall SPEA rating is Acceptable - the minimum passing threshold - for two consecutive reviews
  • Mathematics attainment rated Weak in Phase 1; ASSET scores weak in Grades 3-9
  • High teacher turnover at 19% and a 1:27 ratio limit personalised learning
  • No post-Grade 10 provision - families must plan secondary transitions to other schools
  • Internal assessment data repeatedly found to not match observed lesson reality