Sunaa Al Ghad School
Executive Summary
Sunaa Al Ghad School is a private Arabic-medium school located in Al Azra, Sharjah, following the UAE Ministry of Education curriculum from KG1 through Grade 12. The school was established in 2013 and serves 1,169 students across all phases. The most recent SPEA inspection, conducted in February 2025, rated the school's overall effectiveness as Good - a notable improvement from the Acceptable rating recorded in the previous review cycle.
The quality of students' outcomes is rated Good overall, with improvement observed across most subjects since the last inspection. Students demonstrate positive attitudes toward learning and show a strong understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture and heritage, rated Very Good in Cycles 2 and 3. The quality of teaching, assessment, and curriculum has improved from Acceptable to Good. Social studies remains a particular strength across all phases, and student behaviour and personal development are consistently good.
Leadership at all levels is rated Acceptable, with a focus on strategic planning that involves all stakeholders, resulting in improved student outcomes. The school maintains good partnership relations with parents, and the Board of Trustees provides effective support. Key areas for further development include raising student achievement to at least Very Good across all subjects and phases, and strengthening the impact of leadership on student results.
Overall School Performance
Outstanding
Very Good
Good
Acceptable
Weak
Very Weak
Sunaa Al Ghad School Overall Rating
Good
SPEA Performance Standards
The performance standards used by SPEA to evaluate school quality across Sharjah.
The school has established procedures for identifying and supporting Students of Determination, with 11 students currently identified. However, individual learning plans are not always taken into account during curriculum planning, and gifted and high-achieving students do not consistently receive sufficiently challenging tasks to maximise their potential. Students of DeterminationIndividual Learning Plans
Student care, wellbeing and safeguarding are rated Good overall. The school provides a safe, clean learning environment with effective supervision throughout the day, including on school buses. Students demonstrate a good understanding of healthy and safe lifestyles and participate in awareness events such as 'Diabetes Day' and 'Heart Day'. Student attendance is good at 95%. Safe EnvironmentHealthy LifestylesChild Protection
Students' understanding of Islamic values and awareness of UAE culture and heritage is rated Very Good in Cycles 2 and 3, and Good in KG. The curriculum is well-aligned with UAE cultural themes, and students actively celebrate national occasions and demonstrate strong knowledge of UAE history, traditions, and leadership. IBT and TIMSS results show mixed performance relative to national benchmarks. Islamic ValuesUAE CultureEmSATIBTTIMSS
Key Highlights
Standout achievements identified by the inspection team that distinguish this school.
Improved Overall Rating
The school improved its overall effectiveness rating from Acceptable to Good since the previous inspection in 2023, reflecting meaningful progress across most performance standards.
Strong Student Attitudes
Students across all phases demonstrate positive attitudes toward learning, show responsibility for their own progress, and behave respectfully toward staff and peers.
UAE Values & Heritage
Students' understanding of Islamic values and awareness of UAE culture and heritage is rated Very Good in Cycles 2 and 3, representing one of the school's strongest performance areas.
Effective Safeguarding
The school implements effective student safety procedures, with all staff trained in child protection policies. Safeguarding arrangements are well-organised and shared with parents and students.
Curriculum & Teaching Improvement
The quality of teaching, assessment, and curriculum design has improved from Acceptable to Good, with stronger lesson planning and better use of technology to support student engagement.
Academic Performance Breakdown
Overall student achievement is rated Good in the 2024-2025 inspection, an improvement from Acceptable in 2022-2023. Social Studies and Islamic Education are consistent strengths. Internal assessment data consistently overstates performance compared to classroom observations. Extended writing skills across all phases and independent scientific investigation remain key areas for development.
Leadership & Management
Effectiveness of school governance, strategic planning, and leadership capacity to drive continuous improvement.
Leadership Approach
School leadership focuses on inclusive strategic planning that engages all stakeholders, which has contributed to measurable improvement in student outcomes since the previous inspection. While senior leadership demonstrates commitment to the school's vision and the UAE National Agenda, the impact of middle leadership on teaching quality and student achievement requires further development. The school's daily management is effective, and partnership with parents and the Board of Trustees is a noted strength.
Inspection Findings
Students' Outcomes
The quality of students' outcomes is rated Good overall, representing an improvement from Acceptable in the previous cycle. Social Studies and Islamic Education are the strongest subjects across all phases, while extended writing skills and independent problem-solving remain areas for development. Internal assessment data consistently overstates performance compared to what is observed in lessons and student work.
Personal Development
Personal and social development is rated Good overall. Students demonstrate positive attitudes, respectful relationships, and good self-discipline. Their understanding of Islamic values and UAE culture and heritage is rated Very Good in Cycles 2 and 3. Attendance is good at 95%, and bullying incidents are rare. Social responsibility and innovation skills are Good but could be further developed.
Teaching Quality
The quality of teaching and assessment has improved from Acceptable to Good. Teachers have sound subject knowledge and plan engaging lessons, with Islamic Education and Social Studies teachers using particularly effective strategies. However, questioning techniques tend to be closed, differentiation for high-ability and gifted students is inconsistent, and the use of assessment data to inform lesson planning needs to be more systematic across all departments.
Protection & Care
Student protection and care is rated Good. The school implements effective safeguarding procedures, with all staff trained in child protection policies each term. Students are supervised effectively throughout the school day including on buses. The school environment is safe, clean, and well-maintained, with regular safety inspections recorded accurately. Arrangements for student arrival and departure are well-organised.
Areas for Development
- •Raise the quality of students' achievement in all subjects and across all cycles to at least Very Good.
- •Improve the quality of teaching and the use of assessment data, and align the curriculum to meet all students' needs and enable effective learning.
- •Strengthen the impact of school leadership and management on improving student outcomes across all phases.