Al Choueifat International School - Sharjah Industrial Area 6 logo

Al Choueifat International School - Sharjah Industrial Area 6Principal & Leadership Team

Curriculum
SABIS
SPEA
Good
Location
Sharjah, Industrial Area 6
Fees
AED 21K - 37K
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Leadership & Governance

Good
SPEA 2024 Inspection Rating
Up from Acceptable in 2022–23; among 83 Good-rated schools in Sharjah
1:20
Student-to-Teacher Ratio
Above the Sharjah/UAE private school average of 1:13.6 — larger class loads than city norm
3%
Annual Teacher Turnover Rate
Exceptionally low — signals a stable, experienced teaching workforce
98%
Student Attendance Rate
Rated Outstanding by SPEA inspectors in the 2024 review
Wissam Malaeb
Principal
Credited by inspectors with driving improvement from Acceptable to Good in one cycle
SABIS NetworkGood Leadership3% Staff TurnoverActive Governance98% Attendance

Al Choueifat International School - Sharjah Industrial Area 6 is led by Principal Wissam Malaeb, whose appointment has been a defining factor in the school's recent trajectory. The 2024 SPEA inspection credited the new principal with establishing a strong and effective leadership team focused on strategic planning, describing the leadership as inspirational and very effective — one of only six key strengths singled out across the entire review. Governance is overseen by a Board of Governors chaired by Rami Malak, with inspectors rating the quality of active governance as a headline strength. The school is operated by SABIS, one of the world's largest private education networks, and has been part of that system since opening its doors in 1976 as the first SABIS school in the UAE.

The most significant leadership story here is one of rapid improvement. In the 2022–23 review, the school was rated Acceptable; by the 2024 review, it had risen to Good — a meaningful step up achieved within a single inspection cycle. Inspectors attributed this directly to the principal's strategic focus and the engagement of all stakeholders in the school improvement plan. For parents, this upward momentum is arguably as important as the rating itself: it signals an institution with clear direction and the capacity to keep improving.

Staffing data reinforces this picture of stability. The school employs 177 teachers supported by 31 teaching assistants, with a teacher turnover rate of just 3% — an exceptionally low figure that points to a settled, experienced workforce. The main nationality of teachers is Irish. The school's student-to-teacher ratio stands at 1:20, which is notably higher than the Sharjah and broader UAE private school average of 1:13.6 — meaning each teacher carries a larger class load than the city norm. Parents should weigh this against the school's large enrolment of 3,566 students, which brings economies of scale but also places demands on individual attention. [MISSING: staff qualification percentage — proportion holding Masters or equivalent not disclosed in available sources]

On teaching quality, the 2024 inspection found that while teaching meets expectations at the Good level, raising it further across all subjects and phases remains an explicit area for improvement. The review team conducted 218 lesson observations, 43 of which were carried out jointly with school leaders — a sign of active instructional leadership. Parent engagement is referenced within the inspection framework, with parent surveys conducted as part of the SPR process, though detailed satisfaction scores are not published. The SABIS Student Life Organization provides a structured vehicle for student voice and community participation, and inspectors noted very good personal and social development across all phases, with student attendance rated Outstanding at 98%.