Firstly, may I say what a pleasure and privilege it is to be the new Head of Secondary at such a prestigious school as The Sultan’s School, Oman. I must also thank all those parents, students and staff who have made my wife, Sandy and I, feel so very welcome. We are both struck by how friendly and supportive The Sultan’s School community is and we look forward to a long and happy association.

Sandy and I arrive after ten years in Indonesia, where we both taught at the British International School Jakarta. Indeed we leave behind a daughter who is also a teacher at BIS and there was a time when we considered the British School a family business! Having arrived in Oman from one of the wettest places on the planet, Sandy and I have thoroughly enjoyed all the blue skies and bright sunny days.

As Head of Secondary I am aware of the many significant changes that have occurred in recent years, not least the introduction of the International Baccalaureate and IGCSE programmes. Indeed, our current Grade 12 students will be the first Sultan’s School students through this demanding, well respected course of study, and I wish them every success in next year’s examinations.

My role will be to manage those changes that are necessary to support the recent innovations and to ensure that the reputation of The Sultan’s School continues to grow, both within the region and worldwide.
Finally, may I wish everybody a most enjoyable and successful academic year.

I was pleased to be able to address our parent body at the Parents’ Open Evening, 18th September 2006. I was impressed by the number of parents that attended the function and it was obvious to me that our parents take a keen interest in their childrens’ schooling.

The theme of the evening was ‘Assessment’ and Mr. Jones, Head of Elementary and I explained the nature of assessment in both the Elementary and Secondary sections of the school. The gist of my presentation was that within the Secondary School, assessment is not just about quizzes and tests (summative assessment) but also about ongoing assessment in the classroom (formative assessment). In other words, assessment for learning, not simply the assessment of learning.

What this means in practice is that teachers need to ensure that their students are aware of the learning objectives of each lesson. That success criteria are made explicit and that examples of standards to be achieved, are available to students through wall displays etc. Teachers should be regularly assessing student progress through skilled questioning techniques, allowing students to assess their own work and giving both oral and written feedback to their students. Whilst tests and quizzes reflect the attainment level that a student has achieved, assessment for learning provides a means by which teachers can support their students to the next level of attainment.

Leigh Smith
Head of Secondary