Salman al farsi school, Sharjah

Salman Al Farsi Private School follows the UAE Ministry of Education (MoE) curriculum delivered entirely in Arabic, covering Islamic Education, Arabic Language (as a first language), Social Studies, English Language, Mathematics, Science, and elective subjects including Physical Education, Art, and ICT. The school serves Grades 1 through 12 across three cycles: the primary cycle (Grades 1-5), the intermediate cycle (Grades 6-9), and the secondary cycle (Grades 10-12). External examinations are conducted through the MoE for Grade 12, and the school participates in international benchmarking through TIMSS, PISA, and the IBT (International Benchmarking Test), though participation among students in external assessments remains limited to a small cohort. The SPEA inspection found that attainment and progress across all subjects and all three cycles is rated Acceptable - meaning students are broadly meeting curriculum benchmarks but not consistently surpassing them. Internal school data suggests higher performance levels in some subjects, particularly in Arabic Language and Mathematics in the primary cycle, but inspectors noted a persistent gap between internal assessment data and what was actually observed in lessons and student workbooks. This discrepancy is a concern that leadership must address through more rigorous internal moderation. In Islamic Education, students across all cycles demonstrate knowledge of Islamic principles and apply them to daily life, with secondary students able to discuss contemporary issues through an Islamic lens. However, students in the upper cycle show limited ability to support their opinions with Quranic verses and Hadith evidence. In Arabic Language, primary students develop solid reading comprehension and can identify literary devices and apply grammar rules, but extended writing skills and fluent oral expression remain underdeveloped across all cycles. In English Language, primary students engage with phonics activities and digraph recognition, while secondary students apply English to 21st-century skills contexts, though extended writing in the middle and upper cycles needs significant strengthening. In Mathematics, primary students show appropriate number sense, and intermediate students can recognise patterns and represent geometric shapes, but computational thinking for problem-solving is inconsistently developed. In Science, students can describe motion, explain photosynthesis, and apply Newton's law of gravity, but laboratory report writing lacks scientific rigour in the intermediate and secondary cycles. Learning skills overall are Acceptable. Students generally display positive attitudes toward learning and respectful interactions with peers and teachers. However, they are overly reliant on teacher direction, rarely express ideas with confidence, and have limited opportunities to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and independent inquiry skills. The school does not currently offer a Gifted and Talented programme of substance, and provision for Students of Determination - while present - requires more precise identification and targeted support.