At a glance
- Regulator
- Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA)
- Private schools (2026-27)
- 135 licensed, more than 204,000 pupils
- School week
- Monday to Thursday; Friday, Saturday and Sunday off
- Main board
- Cambridge IGCSE, with some Edexcel and UK GCSE
- 2026-27 start
- 31 August 2026 for September-start schools
What is different about IGCSE in Sharjah
Two things set Sharjah apart from Dubai and Abu Dhabi. The first is the regulator: SPEA licenses and reviews private schools under its own quality framework, Itqan. Its latest review covered 127 schools teaching 9 curricula and 213,223 pupils, and found 87% of those pupils in schools rated Good or better, up from a small minority when the baseline was set in 2018-19. The second is the week. Since January 2022 all Sharjah schools have run Monday to Thursday, with a three-day weekend from Friday to Sunday, so the teaching week is compressed into four days.
Many of Sharjah's British schools are in the Muwaileh school zone and along Maliha Road near University City. Several run all the way from FS1 to Year 13, so students take IGCSEs at the end of Year 11 and stay on for AS and A Levels.
Sharjah schools teaching IGCSE: six examples
Curriculum and area from school profiles and the schools' own sites. Confirm the board for each subject with the school.
| School | Area | What it teaches |
|---|---|---|
| Sharjah English School | Maliha Road, opposite University City | English National Curriculum, GCSE and A Level |
| Wesgreen International School | Muwaileh Commercial | Cambridge IGCSE, AS and A Level |
| GEMS Cambridge International Private School | Muwaileh school zone | IGCSE, AS and A Level |
| Scholars International Academy | Near University City | IGCSE and GCE |
| Brilliant International Private School | Muwaileh | IGCSE (British) |
| Providence English Private School | Muwaileh | IGCSE (British) |
SPEA publishes Itqan review results; school profiles on Edarabia list each school's current SPEA rating.
IGCSE exam basics for Sharjah families
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Which board? | Mostly Cambridge IGCSE in Sharjah's British schools, with some Edexcel International GCSE and UK GCSE |
| When are the exams? | Cambridge: May/June main series and October/November. Edexcel: May/June, plus January for some subjects |
| Where are they sat? | At the student's own school, which is the registered centre |
| How are they graded? | Cambridge A* to G in most syllabuses, 9 to 1 in some; Edexcel and UK GCSE 9 to 1 |
| What decides the top grade? | Tier entry: Core or Extended (Cambridge), Foundation or Higher (Edexcel) |
How online lessons fit a four-day week
The compressed week changes the tutoring pattern. Monday to Thursday are full school days, and many Sharjah families also face the evening drive back from work in Dubai, so a weekday lesson often lands late, at 7pm or 8pm GMT+4. The three-day weekend is the real opportunity: Friday afternoon, Saturday or Sunday morning gives time for a full 60-minute lesson without a school day before or after it.
Many Sharjah families settle on one weekend lesson for the hardest subject and, closer to exams, a short weekday lesson focused on past papers. Online lessons avoid the drive entirely, which matters in an emirate where an in-person tutor may be coming across from Dubai at rush hour.
What an IGCSE tutor does in lessons
First the tutor confirms the syllabus code and tier, then sets a short diagnostic on the shared whiteboard to find the topics that cost marks. Lessons then stay one or two weeks ahead of class. Because Sharjah students have four school days to absorb a week's teaching, many arrive at the weekend with a backlog of half-understood topics; a Saturday lesson that clears that backlog keeps them in step. From Year 11, the tutor switches to past papers from the correct board, marked against the official mark schemes.
Common questions
Who regulates British schools in Sharjah?
The Sharjah Private Education Authority (SPEA), which licenses private schools and reviews them under its Itqan framework. KHDA and ADEK only cover Dubai and Abu Dhabi.
Do Sharjah schools really have a four-day week?
Yes. Since January 2022 all Sharjah schools have run Monday to Thursday, with Friday, Saturday and Sunday as the weekend. Check your school's daily timings.
When are IGCSE lessons usually booked in Sharjah?
Most families use the long weekend: Friday afternoon or Saturday and Sunday mornings. A short weekday lesson at 7pm or 8pm works for past-paper practice before exams.
How much does an IGCSE tutor cost in Sharjah with LiveTutor?
$15 a lesson for every subject and tier. Plans run from 1 to 5 lessons a week, billed monthly, and your first lesson is a free trial.
Sources
Dates and figures on this page come from these official and published sources. Always confirm deadlines on the official page before acting on them.
- Gulf News: Sharjah private schools prepare for 2026-27 with 204,000 pupils and six new campuses
- Sharjah24: Itqan improved 86% of Sharjah private schools (July 2026)
- Gulf Today: all Sharjah schools to have Friday, Saturday and Sunday as weekend
- Edarabia: schools in Sharjah by curriculum and area
- Edarabia: Sharjah English School profile (GCSE and A Level)
- Edarabia: Wesgreen International School profile (IGCSE, AS and A Level)
- Edarabia: GEMS Cambridge International Private School Sharjah profile
- Scholars International Academy, Sharjah (IGCSE and GCE)
- Cambridge International: Cambridge IGCSE