Sharjah English School

What Sharjah English School does

Sharjah English School (SES) is a private, not-for-profit British international school established in 1974 and operating from a purpose-built ~100,000 square metre campus next to University City on Meliha Road, Sharjah, UAE. The school delivers the National Curriculum of England and Wales from Foundation Stage 1 (age 3) through Year 13 (A-Levels), serving approximately 1,000 students drawn from over 50 nationalities, with 147 total staff including 54 predominantly British-trained secondary teachers. SES is governed by an independent Board of Governors and operates without external shareholders; the land for both its original and current site was donated by the Ruler of Sharjah. The institution holds a British Schools Overseas (BSO) 'Outstanding' accreditation from the UK's Department for Education (most recently renewed 2024) and is the first UAE school accredited under the Curiosity Approach for early years education.

The school's product is a unified British curriculum organised into Primary (ages 3-11) and Secondary with Sixth Form (ages 11-18), supplemented by I/GCSE and A-Level examination pathways, peripatetic instrumental music lessons, an extensive after-school ECA programme, and bus transportation operated by Combinestar Transport under a 13-year partnership. Academic outcomes are a key selling point: SES ranked in the top three UAE schools for GCSE results in 2022, with 89% of students securing their first-choice UK university placement. The school also offers dedicated Higher Education coordination and supports applications to Oxbridge, Ivy League, and other top-tier institutions worldwide.

Revenue is generated almost entirely from recurring termly/annual tuition fees that scale by year group from 28,420 AED at FS1 to 72,765 AED at Y12-13, with a 10% sibling discount for the eldest child in families of three or more, plus ancillary recurring fees for music lessons and bus transport. Admissions follow a sales-led funnel: online enquiry, campus tour, online application via the Engage/AMAIS platform, assessment, offer, and acceptance. Marketing relies on the school's 50-year heritage, word-of-mouth, parent testimonials, and active organic social media (Instagram, LinkedIn, Facebook) rather than paid acquisition.

Name

Sharjah English School

Legal name

Sharjah English School

Website

https://sharjahenglishschool.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Sharjah English School is a not-for-profit British international school in Sharjah, UAE, delivering the National Curriculum of England from age 3 to 18 to approximately 1,000 students of 50+ nationalities on a 100,000 sqm BSO 'Outstanding' accredited campus.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 Private International Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Language Immersion & Bilingual Private Schools (EDAJABAL), Charter Language Immersion & Bilingual Schools (EDAJACAI), Private/Independent Online K–12 Schools (EDAJADAC)

Keywords

• British international school
• K-12 education
• IGCSE A-Level program
• Early years education
• University preparation

Headquarters

HQ city

Sharjah

HQ country

United Arab Emirates

HQ region

Middle East

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Primary revenue stream from termly/annual tuition fees charged across all year groups from FS1 through Year 13. Fees vary by year group, with higher fees for older students. Discounts offered for families with 3+ children.
2. Peripatetic Music Lessons: Optional instrumental music lessons offered during school hours for additional fees charged per term.
3. Bus Transportation: School bus transport services operated by Combinestar Transport with separate transportation fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Sharjah English School is a not-for-profit private British international school delivering the National Curriculum of England and Wales from Foundation Stage 1 (age 3) through Year 13 (A-Levels). It sells tuition-based educational services across three divisions — Primary (FS1-Year 6), Secondary (Years 7-11) and Sixth Form (Years 12-13) — supplemented by peripatetic music lessons, an extracurricular activities (ECA) programme, university placement support, and bus transportation through partner Combinestar Transport.

Product overview

Sharjah English School offers a British international curriculum as a single unified educational program, spanning Foundation Stage 1 (age 3) through to Year 13 A-Levels. The school is organized into three main divisions: Primary School (ages 3-11), Secondary School (ages 11-18), and Sixth Form (Years 12-13). Core subjects are enhanced by specialized departments including Music, Sports/PE, Drama, and Art. The product portfolio includes peripatetic music lessons, an extensive ECA (Extra-Curricular Activities) program, I/GCSE and A-Level examination programs, and school bus transportation services. The school operates on the AMAIS education platform and is accredited by the British Schools Overseas (BSO) Inspectorate as 'Outstanding'.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Primary School Programme Primary education programme for children aged 3-11 (FS1 through Year 6), delivered following the British National Curriculum with specialised departments for music, sports, and enrichment. Includes the Curiosity Approach-accredited Foundation Stage.
• Secondary School Programme Secondary education for students aged 11-18 (Years 7-13), following the British International School system with I/GCSE and A-Level programmes. Accredited by BSO Inspectorate as 'Outstanding' in 2024.
• I/GCSE Programme International General Certificate of Secondary Education programme in Years 10-11 following EDEXCEL and AQA examination boards, preparing students for A-Level study. SES achieved top 3 GCSE results in the UAE in 2022.
• A-Level Programme Flexible Advanced Levels programme in Years 12-13 with options including Art & Design, Business, Chemistry, Computer Science, Drama, Economics, English, French, Geography, History, Mathematics, Physics, Psychology, and more. Includes enrichment through EPQ, Ivy House Award, and SES Diploma, with 89% of students securing their top-choice UK university placement.
• Peripatetic Music Lessons Optional individual instrumental lessons available during school hours for Piano, Voice, Guitar, Drums, and Violin, offered for an additional fee charged per term.
• ECA (Extra-Curricular Activities) Programme Wide-ranging teacher-led extracurricular activities covering sports, fitness, mindfulness, creative and performing arts, literature, programming, science, and academic societies, offered Monday to Thursday after school.
• School Bus Transportation Bus transport services for students operated by Combinestar Transport Services under a 13-year partnership with SES. Services available to families across Sharjah, Dubai, and Northern Emirates areas, with buses compliant with government regulations and equipped with CCTV cameras and seat belts.
• Admissions Application Service Structured admissions service delivered via the Engage online platform for student enrolment from FS1 through Year 12, including enquiry handling, eligibility checking via Admissions Calculator, campus tour booking, online application submission, assessment booking, offer communication, and acceptance registration.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Combinestar Transport ServicescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCombinestar Transport Services operates school buses for SES with a 13-year partnership history. They provide transportation services for families across Sharjah, Dubai, and Northern Emirates. Contact: [email protected] or +971 4 424 2011. Buses comply with government regulations and are equipped with CCTV cameras and seat belts.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Dubai College: Premium British-curriculum K-12/13 school in the UAE delivering I/GCSE and A-Levels with strong university placement. Directly comparable as a UK-style sixth-form school targeting expatriate and local families seeking top-tier British international education.
• Brighton College Dubai: Premium British-curriculum school in Dubai based on a well-known UK independent school brand. Similar to SES in that it markets UK heritage, BSO-style quality assurance, and premium tuition pricing to expatriate families.
• Repton School Dubai: Premium British-curriculum K-12 school in Dubai following the National Curriculum of England with I/GCSE and A-Levels. Comparable in brand heritage (UK Repton), premium positioning, and target expatriate family segment.
• Dubai English Speaking College (DESC): British-curriculum secondary and sixth-form school in Dubai with corresponding DESC primary feeder. Comparable to SES in serving UAE families seeking I/GCSE and A-Level pathways to UK universities, at premium fee points.
• Jumeirah English Speaking School (JESS): Long-established premium British-curriculum school in Dubai with primary and secondary campuses serving UAE-based expatriate families. Directly comparable as a not-for-profit/independent British international school with strong outcomes track record.
• Raha International School: IB-curriculum premium school in Abu Dhabi. Comparable to SES as a UAE premium international school serving expatriate families, though it offers IB rather than British curriculum; useful boundary peer given shared territory and customer pool.
• Cranleigh Abu Dhabi: British-curriculum premium school in Abu Dhabi operating under a UK independent school brand. Comparable as a BSO-eligible premium school in the UAE delivering I/GCSE and A-Levels to expatriate British-curriculum families.

Broad incumbents

• GEMS Wellington International School: Large GEMS-managed premium school in Dubai offering a UK/IB pathway. Comparable as a major UAE premium British-curriculum incumbent with similar target families but is part of a multi-school chain vs SES's independent not-for-profit governance.
• Taaleem (UAE Schools Group): UAE-listed operator of premium British/IB international schools across Dubai and Abu Dhabi. Comparable as a competitor for the same premium expat family segment, though operating multiple campuses versus SES's single-site not-for-profit model.

Others

• AMAIS / Engage Education Platform: Ed-tech platform provider whose Engage system powers SES admissions and portal operations. Comparable as an adjacent/infrastructure vendor in the UAE premium-school stack; not a competitor but a relevant ecosystem participant.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SharjahEnglishSchool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sharjah-english-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/sharjahenglish_school

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sharjah English School