Not-for-profit Sharjah school scores high

Sohaila Ahmed, Staff Reporter

Sharjah English School (SES), a not-for-profit school, has received a glowing report from a team assigned to inspect accredited British Schools Overseas (BSO) by the UK Department for Education.

The BSO report characterised SES as an outstanding school, stating that it is very effective and standards across all areas are high.

Commenting on the report, SES Principal John Nolan said: “We are very proud that the BSO team from the UK Department for Education has recognised the extremely hard work of our staff, pupils and families, who have created a truly unique educational experience.

“Sharjah English School is one of a few not-for-profit schools in the UAE, and we aim to foster a true community environment where pupils feel happy and thrive.

“The report comes on the back of our record-breaking GCSE and A Level results in 2018, that is the best in Sharjah and the Northern Emirates, and it is another milestone in our efforts to create excellent opportunities for all our students,” Nolan said.

The report highlighted the high level of academic attainment, and the inspectors were particularly impressed to find that students are disciplined, confident and articulate, noting that even the youngest students behave responsibly. The leadership was described to be effective and distributed with an outstanding principal, who has succeeded in creating a small school ethos with a strong community feel.

Overseas schools that describe themselves as British are subject to the British government’s voluntary inspection scheme.

The UK Department for Education (DfE) inspects schools based on a common set of standards that British schools overseas can choose to adopt.

Parents of students at British schools overseas can see how the schools’ standards measure up to the standards for independent schools in England.

Inspection teams approved by the DfE and monitored by Ofsted are available to inspect British schools overseas; the inspectors produce inspection reports that are made available to parents and prospective parents.

SES has been included among the top British schools in the UAE by The Telegraph among the likes of Repton School and Jumeirah College and has been described as the main choice for British expats in Sharjah.