
Pace British School branch sharjah - Muwailih
Principal & Leadership Team
Last updated
Leadership & Governance
Pace British School LLC (Muwailih Branch) is operated by PACE Group, an established education operator managing 18 educational institutions across the UAE and India, serving over 23,000 students. Governance sits with Chair of Board of Governors Mr. Salman Ibrahim, and the school's founding vision — rooted in accessible, high-quality British education — remains central to its identity. The school was established in August 2019 and has grown rapidly to a roll of 1,284 students.
Day-to-day leadership is provided by Principal John Paul Bagust, supported by a clearly structured senior team: Vice Principal Ms. Kushwant Kaur Bains, Head of Primary Mr. Rajivsinh Jethiji, Head of Secondary Ms. Kay Turner, and Head of Pastoral Care and DSL Sue Davis. The SPEA inspection report notes that leadership at most levels is effective and collaborative, with stakeholders collectively working on shared priorities — a meaningful signal of organisational cohesion for a school still in its early years. However, inspectors also noted that leaders at all levels must take greater responsibility for driving performance to the next level, indicating that the current leadership structure, while functional, has further to go.
The school's most recent SPEA ITQAN Programme review, conducted in February–March 2023, awarded an overall effectiveness rating of Good — consistent with its prior improvement review in 2022. Among British curriculum schools in Sharjah, this places PBS within the largest rating band: 29 of 105 British curriculum schools in the city hold a Good rating, with 24 rated Very Good and 18 Outstanding. Maintaining Good across two consecutive reviews reflects stability, though the gap to Very Good remains a clear ambition for the leadership team.
Teaching staff number 95 teachers, supported by 38 teaching assistants. The main nationality of teachers is British, aligning with the school's curriculum identity and Principal Bagust's emphasis on UK-qualified staff. The school records a staff turnover rate of 10% — a relatively low figure that suggests reasonable retention and continuity in the classroom. The student-to-teacher ratio stands at 1:14, marginally above the Sharjah city average of 1:13.6 across all private schools, indicating class sizes are broadly in line with sector norms. [MISSING: percentage of staff holding postgraduate or Masters-level qualifications]
Parent engagement is supported through regular parent surveys and the Seesaw for Families app used in EYFS for home-school communication. The inspection report references partnerships with parents as part of the school's strategic planning process. Student voice is formalised through a Secondary Student Council with elected class representatives, a Chair, Vice-Chairs, and dedicated special interest groups covering inclusion, UAE culture, Islamic values, and diversity — reflecting a leadership culture that extends beyond the senior team. School attendance stands at a healthy 94%, and the school supports 135 students with special educational needs, underscoring a genuine commitment to inclusive provision.