Al Sahwa Schools

Al Sahwa Schools opened in September 1993 and consists of a kindergarten, boys' school and girls' school in custom-built accommodation on a single site in a pleasant residential area of Muscat. The schools are jointly owned and funded by the Royal Oman Police and the Royal Office and were established as selective, fee-paying day schools to provide a bilingual, science-based education for Omani Muslim boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 18. Class sizes do not usually exceed 25 students and Al Sahwa has been designed and extended to cater for a total of 850.

The Al Sahwa Schools school day is from 07:30-14:00 hours, Saturday to Wednesday in the main school, and from 07:30 to noon in the kindergarten. Students in Grades 4-12 may also join a range of activities running from 14:05 to 15:00 hours which offers sports, top-up academic classes and clubs. The school year extends from late August to mid-June and is divided into two semesters separated by a two-week break in January.

Al Sahwa Schools is equipped with 42 air-conditioned classrooms, four science laboratories, art and music rooms, two computer rooms, vocational education rooms, a gymnasium/sports hall, library, clinic, dining rooms and swimming pool in addition to an auditorium, mosque and grassed soccer field.

Although Al Sahwa emphasises the positive features of a traditional Islamic education, the staff come from a varied international background that gives the schools their distinctive ethos and character. The aim is to build on the firm foundations of the local culture while broadening students' horizons so they may become confident citizens of our future global community.

Islamic Education, Arabic and social studies are taught in Arabic following syllabuses prescribed by the Ministry of Education and leading to the Omani Certificate of General Secondary Education. English , maths, science and information technology are taught in English throughout the school, based on best British practice and materials. Art, music, vocational education and PE are taught by English and Arabic speaking staff.

Al Sahwa Schools is moving towards the introduction of IGCSE examinations, from summer 2006, and A/AS-levels thereafter.