Salman Al Farsi Private School is a MoE-curriculum Arabic-medium school located in Al Qadisiya, Sharjah, established in 1981 and serving over 2,200 students across Cycles 1, 2, and 3. The school's overall effectiveness has been rated Acceptable in the 2024-2025 inspection cycle, maintaining the same rating as the previous review cycle in 2022-2023.
Most students achieve attainment levels within the expected range of the applied curriculum across all subjects and cycles. Cycle 3 students demonstrate Good progress in Mathematics, Science, Arabic, and ICT, and their personal development is rated Good. Students' understanding and application of Islamic values in daily life is rated Very Good. Teaching and assessment quality, as well as curriculum quality, remain at the Acceptable level, with teachers focusing more on curriculum content delivery than on developing students' higher-order skills.
School leadership and management is rated Acceptable. Newly appointed senior leaders demonstrate commitment to school development, and as a result of a continuous professional development programme, student achievement in core subjects in Cycle 3 has risen to Good. Key areas for improvement include raising attainment across all subjects and cycles to at least Good, improving teaching quality through better use of assessment data, and more precisely tracking student progress to inform lesson and curriculum planning for all student groups.
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Acceptable
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Salman Al Farsi Private School Overall Rating
Acceptable for 3+ consecutive years
The performance standards used by SPEA to evaluate school quality across Sharjah.
The school identifies students with special educational needs and follows appropriate procedures, with teaching staff involved in identifying students who may need additional support. However, staff are not fully qualified to carry out this role effectively, and gifted and talented students are not always identified or provided with sufficient challenge to reach their full potential. Students of DeterminationGifted and Talented
Students demonstrate positive attitudes and responsible behaviour, developing increasing independence particularly in Cycle 3. Student attendance is 92%, which is acceptable, though a minority arrive late to school. Healthy lifestyle promotion is present but not consistently embedded, with some students consuming unhealthy snacks and not always tidying their spaces after break times. Positive BehaviourStudent Attendance
The school participates in international benchmark assessments including IBT, TIMSS, and PISA. IBT 2024 results for English and Mathematics indicate attainment below the Middle East regional average across all cycles, and TIMSS 2023 results for Grades 4 and 8 were also below the Middle East regional average. There is a notable gap between internal assessment results and external benchmark outcomes. IBTTIMSSPISA
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Student achievement in core subjects (Mathematics, Science, Arabic, and ICT) in Cycle 3 has improved to a Good level, reflecting the positive impact of the newly appointed senior leadership team and the continuous professional development programme.
Students demonstrate a strong and deeply rooted appreciation and understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture across all cycles, rated Very Good. They actively participate in Quran and Sunnah forums, weekly Emirati craft sessions, and various national celebrations.
Newly appointed senior leaders have had a positive impact on school development, demonstrating commitment to improvement and an acceptable capacity for further development.
Students exhibit good behaviour inside classrooms and throughout the school, maintaining respectful and courteous relationships with adults and peers. Their positive attitudes towards learning are a consistent strength across all cycles.
The school maintains appropriate health and safety procedures, child protection policies, and a supportive pastoral system. Positive partnership relations and health and safety measures provide a safe environment for students within school buildings.
Overall student achievement is Acceptable across all subjects and cycles. Internal assessment data consistently shows higher results than what is observed in lessons and student work, indicating a significant gap between internal and external assessment outcomes, particularly in Science, English, and Mathematics.
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
The newly appointed senior leadership team demonstrates commitment to school development and has had a positive impact on improving student outcomes, particularly in Cycle 3 core subjects. Through a continuous professional development programme, teaching quality has been supported, though the use of assessment data to guide differentiated instruction and track individual student progress remains an area requiring significant improvement. Leaders have an acceptable capacity for further development and are focused on raising attainment across all cycles to at least a Good level.
Overall student achievement is Acceptable across all subjects and cycles. Cycle 3 students demonstrate Good progress and attainment in Mathematics, Arabic, Science, and ICT. Most student groups achieve expected progress rates, though high-achieving, gifted, and talented students do not always receive sufficient challenge to reach their full potential. There is a notable gap between internal assessment results and external benchmark outcomes (IBT, TIMSS, PISA).
Personal development is rated Good overall. Students demonstrate positive attitudes, responsible behaviour, and respectful relationships with peers and adults. Their understanding and application of Islamic values and UAE culture is rated Very Good. Social responsibility and innovation skills are rated Acceptable, with community service participation being inconsistent, particularly in lower cycles. Student attendance is 92%.
Teaching and assessment quality is Acceptable across all cycles. Teachers have good subject knowledge, but planning quality and effectiveness are inconsistent between cycles. Differentiated teaching strategies to meet the needs of different student groups are still being developed. Teachers do not consistently use assessment data to guide instruction, and opportunities for students to develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and independent learning skills are insufficient, particularly in Cycles 1 and 2.
The school has appropriate health, safety, and child protection policies and procedures in place, with all stakeholders demonstrating awareness of relevant protocols. The school maintains updated health and safety records and the clinic is adequately equipped. Healthy lifestyle promotion is present but not consistently embedded. School transportation supervision and punctuality procedures need further improvement.