The Arabic faculty in the secondary school is one of the largest departments with regard to the number of staff and the number of students taking Arabic at IGCSE and IB levels. The faculty follows three types of curricula during the six years students spend at the secondary level from year 7 to year 12. During year 7 and 8 students study the Omani National Omani Curriculum in Arabic, Social Studies and Islamic Studies. Years 9 and 10 follow the IGCSE curriculum in addition to the Omani Curriculum in Islamic Studies. In years 11 and 12 students follow the IB programme in addition to the Omani syllabus in Social Studies and Islamic Studies. Last academic year was the first year for the The Sultan’s School students to navigate their way through the IB exams. Their achievements in Arabic were outstanding. This result coincided with the 100% pass rate of our students in Arabic IGCSE. Students’ hard work, teachers’ dedication and the faculty’s thoughtful planning significantly contributed to such remarkable achievements.

The faculty also saw a great increase in in-house training where teachers exchanged ideas and expertise. The IGCSE and IB material was well developed to meet the Exam bodies’ requirements and regulations. Regular contact with the relevant departments in the Ministry of Education in seeking advice and ideas helped in enhancing students’ performance in Social Studies and Islamic Studies, as well as their Arabic language.

The faculty welcomed two new teachers this year Mrs Ruwada and Mr Abdul-Hakeem, to bring the number of the dedicated teachers to 10.