It was difficult enough to attempt to do justice to 22 years of Mr Abdel Karim in a few sentences. No less so to acknowledge a further 22 years of service by Mr Trevor Clark who leaves us after this immense period to join his wife and family in their new home in the USA. Mr Clark’s life has been so closely entwined with the development of The Sultan’s School. Having arrived as a young, fresh-faced teacher from the north of England via Kuwait, he has seen and played a huge part in all the change witnessed by Mr Abdel Karim. With his wife Judie, he raised his three sons, probably the only triplets born to expatriates in Oman. Mr Clark taught Maths with great success before taking over the Maths Department and preparing it for IGCSE and IB. He then more recently stepped into the role of Head of Secondary and over the last two years has helped me immensely to cope with all the transitions necessary to bring the school to its present stage. Apart from his huge input professionally, it is almost certainly for all his other contributions that he will be best remembered by both staff and students. If something was taking place off campus with either staff or students, Mr Clark was there sharing his unique knowledge of the country gained over many personal expeditions. His boat trips are legendary. His contributions to the sporting life of the school too vast to list. He leaves full of anticipation at being re-united permanently with his family but also with sadness at leaving his other family behind. We can but thank him sincerely for a very, very special commitment and many fond memories before wishing him a bright new chapter in his life in the States.

Ms Fatmah is an institution within the Elementary section of the Sultan’s School, having been with us for the awe-inspiring period of 21 Years! Having known her for only the last three, I cannot go anyway towards doing her justice for the immense contribution she has obviously made in that time. She doesn’t just meet her students with their parents at parents evening but regularly meets her students as parents on such occasions! As a teacher, she is firm and fair, demanding yet supportive, organised and effective. It was not surprising that in her final year she assumed the important role of Head of Year for the Upper Elementary and has proceeded to make it a key component of the Primary School machine. She leaves us after a lifetime’s work to join her husband Mr Abdel Karim in a new challenge outside Oman. We wish her every future success and happiness and thank her sincerely for giving us a big part of her life.

Mr Abdel Karim has devoted 22 years to The Sultan’s School having arrived from Jordan with his family in 1984. During this extensive period he has overseen the provision of Arabic and Islamic Studies plus Social Studies, preparing students with great success for the Al Thanawiya examinations. In more recent years he has introduced IGCSE Arabic and led the department into its first year of IB. Prior to the current pastoral system in the school, Mr Abdel Karim was a very active and passionate Head of Hawk House. His energetic encouragement as he ran alongside his team members in the annual cross country will remain for long in my memory. 22 years are impossible to encapsulate in a few brief comments. Mr Abdel Karim has seen the school emerge from a few isolated buildings set in barren surroundings to the lush, green complex of facilities it is today. In that time, his family has grown also and embarked on careers elsewhere. We all owe him a huge debt of gratitude for his leadership throughout this period and wish him every success as he moves to pastures new.

Zulfa Al Barwani (Kindergarten), Stephen Martin (Head of Music), Rose and Peter Dixon (Lower Elementary), Margaret Ross (Upper Elementary), Phil Sangster (Learning Support Coordinator), Kath Simpson (Head of Lower Elementary), Fatmah Tarawneh (Head of Year Upper Elementary), Allan Woods (Business Studies), Joanna Ransome (Art), Phil Reid (Maths), Arfaan Hanif (Maths), Chris Cook (Economics), Richard Jozefek (Maths), Raschid Salliou-Diallo (Physics), Sandra Scotland (Head of PE), Tom Vignoles (Head of English), Joy Bowker (English), Kevin Bowker (Head of Maths), Alan Jones (Physics), Carol Williams (English and Head of Years 11 & 12), Abdul Karim Tarawneh (Head of Arabic) and Trevor Clark (Head of Secondary).

I am pleased to confirm that excellent replacements have been recruited for these staff and although we will miss familiar faces, we look forward to greeting new ones in August.

J Birchall
Principal