Happy Home Private School is a KG1 to Grade 6 school which follows the National Curriculum for England. The school is also known as Happy Home English School or HHES.

The story so far . . .

Happy Home Private School, also known as Happy Home English School (HHES), was established in 1985 with the aim to provide “an affordable but rigorous British curriculum in a happy, stimulating environment where children will recognize their potential [sic] contributing their best to the society”.

This is a primary school that strives for academic excellence along with strong moral values, encouraging the qualities of hard work, sincerity, teamwork, and functional learning. HHES’s mission summarises the school’s ultimate goals:

“To provide a safe and supportive environment where personal identity is embraced and where technology facilitates creativity and critical thinking and engages students in a personalised yet collaborative approach to self-directed learning.”

The school’s principal, Mr Anjum Naseer, is “especially motivated to sustain the positive culture of kindness within our building”, believing that this atmosphere will help to ensure that students are “engaged in an environment focused on high expectations reflecting academic, social and emotional development”.

HHES’s core values include: Honesty, Compassion, Explore, Diversity, Innovation, Dedication, Excellence, Team Work, Tolerance, Critical Thinking, Leadership, and Respect.

In order to instil these values in every student, HHES relies on “highly educated and experienced teachers that are sincerely dedicated to educate our children whole heartedly”. The principal’s message of kindness and positivity within the school seems to be further reflected in its staff, who “strive to instill [sic] in all students a culture of compassion” and “a positive attitude toward lifelong learning to support genuine personal growth to face the future”.

The HHES campus has separate blocks for Boys and Girls, but is currently using a combination of Distance Learning and Blended Learning due to Covid-19. All students have been allocated to one of these two modes of teaching (although there is no explanation on the school website as to how the school determined which stream to allocate students to). The school has also created a special Covid-19 Task Force, to ensure the safety of any students studying on-campus.

What about the Curriculum?

HHES follows the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) and more widely the National Curriculum for England.

While the curriculum is modelled on a British system of education which leads to Cambridge University IGCSEs, it is specially designed for each year group; the school explains that in tailoring the curriculum in this way, it allows students who may wish to pursue other systems of education to prepare and move without being restricted by the British system.

This flexible curriculum is “transmitted by a team of qualified and experienced teachers using traditional as well as modern methods of teaching to stimulate and motivate each child”. To this end, the daily focus within the school is the activation of young minds within a culture of curiosity, through a combination of core subjects, extra-curricular activities, and annual events.

Starting in KG1, students focus on the core subjects of English and Maths, supported by General Knowledge lessons and specialist sessions including Phonics, Rhyme Time, and Story Time. The school has also made sure to include Student Interaction periods and PE/Warm Up sessions in the daily timetables, to ensure pupils are still receiving adequate social and physical stimulation while undertaking Distance Learning during Covid-19.

This timetable continues into KG2, and at this stage the National Anthem and School Prayer (which start each day) are joined by Quran study, in accordance with the UAE Ministry of Education (MOE) requirements.

Subjects in Grades 1 to 6 focus on preparing students for secondary education, building a strong foundation in English, Maths, and Science, while also branching out into Humanities, through lessons in Art and Urdu/Hindi. As well as mandatory PE sessions, students also take MOE required subjects, which include Arabic, Quran, Islamic/Ethics, and Social Studies.

Outside of daily lessons, HHES offers a range of extra-curricular activities, which the school believes “are vitally important in encouraging different skills in areas of individual interest. They develop personality strengths which prepare students for the real life situations as they grow”. In order to support the all-round development of each child, HHES offers activities including: Arts & Crafts; Model Making; Elocution/Debate; Singing; Drama; and a selection of Games/Sports.

Students are able to challenge themselves further through various competitions and events run by the school, such as Sports Days, inter-house competitions, Qirat competitions, Project Exhibitions, and Spelling Bees. HHES notes on its school website that creative art works, cultural programmes, talent contests, and field trips are organised on a regular basis; the school gallery includes photos of events such as Earth Day, World Health Day, Mother’s Day, Global Recycling Day, World Book Day, and International Mother Language Day, as well as a programme called Community Helpers.

What about Inclusion?

There is no mention of any Special Educational Needs provisions on the school website.

What about Academic Achievement?

Like most schools in Sharjah, HHES does not publish any records of student achievement.

The only mention of assessment on the school’s website is the login portal for the 2019 IBT results; the IBT is a computer-delivered test which measures the key four academic English skills (reading, listening, speaking, and writing). However, there is no further information on these assessments, and access to results is not available for non-students.

What the Inspectors Say

Unlike schools in Dubai and Abu Dhabi, Sharjah schools have not participated in regulatory inspections on a regular basis; while there were a few instances of inspections being undertaken by the Ministry of Education, schools did not generally publish the outcomes. With the initiation of SPEA (Sharjah Private Education Authority), the intention is that schools will be inspected using the common framework already in place in Dubai and Abu Dhabi.

However, SPEA has decided to seek a collaborative approach with the schools for this process, and although we understand that initial inspections did take place prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, results of these inspections have not been published.

As a result of the pandemic, Sharjah schools have participated in Distance Learning Evaluations, implemented by the Ministry of Education throughout the UAE (these results have been published). In its most recent Distance Learning Review Report (2020), HHES’s implementation of distance learning was rated as Developed.

Inspectors were impressed with the school’s approach to continuing operation during the Covid-19 pandemic:

“Students’ attendance and participation is actively encouraged which allows students to maintain momentum with their learning. Students have access to the resources necessary to allow them to learn. They are supported in their online learning by a dedicated wellbeing team.”

They also praised the actions of school’s teachers, feeling that “planning of lessons is developed well and allows for assessment of the students’ work”. Inspectors felt that communication was continuing to be upheld, with learning outcomes and helpful feedback being regularly shared with students.

Finally, the review noted that HHES “communicates effectively with stakeholders to ensure they are engaged with the distance learning process” and that resources at the school were being “managed well to ensure access to the provision”.

In terms of areas for development, the evaluation focused on the approaches being used to deliver content, and the school’s long-term plans for the potential continuation of distance learning.

Inspectors suggested the school provide a “wider range of learning opportunities within live lessons to provide students with a more diverse approach to distance learning”, and asked that the school produce further detailed and structured documentation about the implementation of continued distance learning. Given the lack of certainty around the pandemic and how long its effects may last, it’s important that schools are prepared for the possibility that students will continue to do much of their learning at home, and have plans in place for how to support this.

If you would like to read the full inspection report – which we strongly advise you to do in order to understand the reasons behind the ratings – you will find it here.

What about Facilities?

While the school website does not give a detailed description of the facilities available at HHES, it does mention that in addition to brightly coloured classrooms, students have access to a computer lab, a well-equipped library, a fully-functional clinic, and outdoor play areas.

According to the website, there is a new campus under construction in Al Manzil, on Dhaid Road. However, neither the school website nor further searches offer information on this.

The Buzz

WhichSchoolAdvisor.com has yet to receive feedback from parents, teachers, or students at HHES.

If you are a parent, teacher or senior student at HHES, please share your experience with other potential members of your school community by taking part in our survey.

What about Fees?

Fees at HHES start at AED 4,300 for KG1/FS2 and KG2/Year 1. This then increases to AED 4,500 for Grade 1/Year 2 through to Grade 6/Year 7. Fees are paid in three instalments and do not include uniform costs.

The school uniform can be purchased from Blossom Uniforms Trd. Sets for both girls and boys range from AED 220 to AED 330, although items can also be bought separately. Information on the Blossoms Uniforms Trd. shop and a full price list can be found on the school website.

Transport costs are also not included in the tuition fees, and are paid monthly. HHES runs bus services for Sharjah (AED 240 per month) and Ajman (AED 280 per month).

HHES is a selective school, with entry requirements for all year groups. Students applying for KG1/FS2 undergo an interview, while students applying for all other year groups are required to pass a written entry test. Full syllabi for each year groups’ entry exams are available on the school website.

Are you looking for a place for your child, and want help from our school consultants? If so, click on the link below, and we will forward your request for information to the school or schools of the same type that we are confident have availability. This is a free service for our readers. Request Information