Sharjah English School

Sharjah English School (SES)
SES Emblem. Tower surrounded by palm trees, displaying name & slogan. SES Emblem
Location
Sharjah University City Sharjah United Arab Emirates
Information
Funding type	Private
Established	1974
Founder	Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi
Chairperson	Khalid M. Al Amiri
Principal	John Nolan
Grades	K-12
Gender	Co-ed
Enrollment	500
Number of students	500
Sixth form students	60
Average class size	approx. 20
Language	English
Houses	Burton      Doughty      Lawrence      Wentworth
Colour(s)
Sports	Rugby Union Football Cricket Netball Volleyball Basketball
Rival	Dubai College Jumeirah College
School fees	AED 21,000 - 70,000 /-
Website	http://www.sharjahenglishschool.org
240px The flagship SES campus at Sharjah University City

Sharjah English School (SES) is a private, not for profit, coeducational school in Sharjah that follows the British Curriculum. The school provides primary and secondary education for English-speaking children between the ages of 3 and 18, preparing them for the British GCSE and A Level qualifications. Situated on a purpose-built site adjacent to Sharjah University City, the school's founder and patron is Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi, the ruler of Sharjah.

SES has been included among the top British schools in the UAE by Telegraph among the likes of Repton School and Jumeirah College and has been described as the main choice for British expats in Sharjah, while Khaleej Times reviewed the school as "one of the leading educational institutions in the Emirates", while boosting the "finest facilities of any school in the UAE". It is also the home to one of the country's finest campus libraries. Through the recent years, the school's alumni have been accepted at places at top institutions in the world among the likes of Brown University, Imperial College, Exeter, Edinburgh and Royal Holloway, University of London.

History

A group of British companies wishing to provide educational services of the their employees' children opened the school in 1974. In 2005 the secondary school opened. Years 7-10 were established in September 2005 and Year 11 opened in September 2007. In 2008 the sixth-form college opened, and the school had its first graduating class in 2010. The school has grown to provide education to more than 500 students, the majority of whom are British in classes averaging twenty in number.

Admissions and academic performance

File:Ses lib.jpg

The senior library at SES

Admission to Sharjah English School is extremely competitive and is entirely based on a student's academic achievement and merit. Priority is mainly given to UK nationals and families of the school's sponsoring companies. The fees range from AED 21,000 (Foundation stage) to 70,000 Dirhams (Sixth form).

The school has come at the top in the UAE for GCSE and A Level results. At GCSE, 42 per cent of grades were at A* or A in the academic year 2010, with 94 per cent of pupils achieving five or more A*-Cs, including English and maths, and 88 per cent gaining eight or more passes at A*-C. A wide range of subjects are offered both at Key Stages 4 and 5 from the examination boards of Edexcel and AQA.

Sharjah English School students has gained acceptances to international academic institutions belonging to the Ivy League, Russell Group, and 1994 Group. Destinations for the class of 2011 included elite universities such as Brown University, the University of Manchester, Warsaw University of Life Sciences and many others. The school also held considerable success in the university acceptances for the graduating class of 2012 where students received offers from top UK universities, most notably Durham, Edinburgh, Imperial, Exeter and the University of London colleges such as Goldsmiths and Royal Holloway.

Campus

File:Sescommonroom=P.jpg

Upper sixth (grade 13) common room

The school's flagship campus in Sharjah University City houses a range of facilities with a separate sports gym, swimming pool, two secondary blocks and one primary block. Facilities include both outdoor and indoor sports pitches, music rooms, a range of specialist classrooms such as science labs and Design and Technology workshops. One of the main features of the secondary section are the two sixth form common rooms which include separate computer and ICT clusters, learning resource centers, dining facilities, separate spaces for independent learning and generic furniture for student activities and socializing.

The school also has a performing arts center which was officially opened by Sultan bin Mohamed Al-Qasimi in May, 2012. The theater includes seating facilities for over 400 people with comparable sound and lighting equipment.

Primary Education

The primary school which was established in 1974, includes the two Foundation Stages and extends to grade 6 and takes pupils in September after their fourth birthday. The primary school has around 350 students from Foundation 1 to Year 6.

Secondary Education and sixth form

The secondary section caters for years 7-13. In grades 10 - 11, students are prepared for their GCSE examinations . A Levels are taken in grades 12 and 13 and the sixth form center hosts a wide range of separate facilities including study rooms, ICT suits, common rooms for both grades 12 and 13, a purpose built library and specially equipped science labs. The average class size for sixth form pupils is about 5 students per class, which give them a more liberal and independent approach towards their study. Sixth form students are also supported throughout their university applications cycle and given help with personal statements, admission inquiries, university interviews and visa application procedures.

Student body

As of 2010 the school had 500 students.

External links

• Sharjah English School's official website