Sharjah Private School Ratings (SPEA Itqan): How to Check

Quick answer

Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) rates private schools through its Itqan programme. After the 2025-26 cycle, Sharjah24 reported 127 private schools: 1 Outstanding, 19 Very Good, 77 Good and 30 Acceptable, none Weak. SPEA publishes each school's performance report on spea.shj.ae.

Who rates Sharjah's private schools

Private schools in Sharjah are reviewed by Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA) under its Itqan programme. This is separate from Dubai's KHDA. A school's Itqan result is published as a performance review report on the SPEA website. For example, SPEA's January 2026 report on Sharjah British International Private School (Muwaileh) shows an overall effectiveness of Good, the same as its previous review in 2023-24.

What the latest results say

• 2024-25 cycle. Gulf News reports that SPEA assessed 86 schools across 10 curricula that charge less than AED 35,000 a year: 5 were rated Very Good, 53 Good and 28 Acceptable, and none Weak or Very Weak. Dubai Eye reports that the number of Very Good private schools in Sharjah overall reached 14 in 2025, up from one in 2018.
• 2025-26 cycle. Sharjah24 reported on 2 July 2026 that, after the fourth Itqan cycle, Sharjah's 127 private schools stood at 1 Outstanding, 19 Very Good, 77 Good and 30 Acceptable, with none Weak or Very Weak. It says 31 schools were reviewed in this cycle, including 5 that moved up to Very Good, and that 86% of schools have raised their level since 2018. The same article gives pupil totals that do not match each other, so we do not quote them.

These counts describe different groups of schools (all schools versus schools under AED 35,000), so do not compare them directly.

Ratings and fee rises

SPEA announced in 2023 that schools could raise yearly fees by up to 5%, with the share tied to rating: 5% for the top rating, 3.75% for Very Good, 2.5% for Good and 1.25% for Acceptable, and no rise for schools below Acceptable. Schools that qualify could raise fees every two years. That announcement was for 2023-24. We have not confirmed the rule for 2026-27. One school, Scholars International Academy, said in May 2026 that it would keep fees unchanged for 2026-27 even though SPEA allowed adjustments.

How to check a school before you apply

1. Search the school's name on spea.shj.ae and read its latest performance review report, not just the headline rating.
2. Ask the school for the current fee sheet. Gulf News advises parents to also count transport, uniforms, books, meals and activities.
3. Check the school's location against your commute. See our Muwaileh and Al Nahda guides for area context.
4. Plan the dates: Gulf News reports the 2026-27 private school year starts on 31 August 2026 and ends on 1 July 2027.

What we could not confirm

1. Each school's full report. Our list of schools by rating and curriculum gives the SPEA directory rating for every school, but read the school's own report before you apply.
2. The fee-increase rule for 2026-27.
3. Fee levels for individual schools. We do not list them because schools publish their own fee sheets and they change.

Frequently asked questions

Who rates private schools in Sharjah?

Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), through its Itqan programme. Dubai's KHDA does not cover Sharjah schools.

What do the rating levels mean?

SPEA's framework, as reported in 2023, uses Outstanding, Very Good, Good, Acceptable, Weak and Very Weak. Schools rated below Acceptable were not allowed to raise fees under that framework.

Are cheaper schools lower quality?

Not necessarily. Gulf News reports that several schools rated Very Good or Good for 2024-25 charge under AED 35,000 a year. Check each school's own report.

When does the 2026-27 school year run?

Gulf News reports SPEA's calendar for private schools starts on 31 August 2026 and ends on 1 July 2027.

Sources

1. Gulf News: Top Sharjah schools combine strong ratings with moderate annual fees
2. Sharjah24: Itqan results for the 2025-2026 academic year (2 Jul 2026)
3. Dubai Eye: 14 Sharjah schools ranked Very Good for 2025
4. WAM: SPEA approves maximum fee increase for 2023-2024
5. Gulf Today: SPEA fee increase tied to school rating (2023)
6. Gulf News: Sharjah private school calendar 2026-2027
7. SPEA: Example school performance review report (Sharjah British International Private School)

Sources were consulted in November 2026. Figures from third parties are shown as reported and may differ between sources.