Having recently moved to a brand new, purpose-built campus, this well-established Indian-curriculum school now offers a range of high-tech learning tools and educational resources.
FACILITIES AND CAMPUS HIGHLIGHTS
Our Own English High School — Sharjah, Boys (OOB) offers numerous resources across its campus that greatly benefit student learning. The school library is spacious and well stocked, catering to all age groups. It also features an integrated audio-visual suite with internet facility to complement students’ research activities.
State-of-the-art labs for General Science, Maths, Physics, Chemistry, and Biology are provided in concurrence with CBSE norms, while all classrooms and ICT labs are equipped with Clevertouch smart boards. OOB is also a Microsoft School, with MS applications utilised across all teaching-learning processes.
The ICT laboratories are equipped with computers and several peripherals to ensure each student can work independently on their own machine.
Sports facilities include indoor sports areas for KG and Primary, as well as badminton, basketball and tennis courts, and a mini soccer field. OOB also has a dedicated art room with smart board and internet access, with students encouraged to explore their creative talents and showcase their work, while the music room houses a variety of instruments including guitars, keyboards, drum sets, harmoniums, and tablas. The school also has a health unit, manned by two full-time doctors and qualified nurses. Students undergo regular medical check-ups and a health record is maintained for each child. OOB also boasts a colourful, relaxing cafeteria that offers a range of healthy snacks and beverages throughout the day.
STUDENT AGES AND CURRICULUM
OOB has students from KG1 right through to Grade 12 and offers a curriculum designed and developed by the National Council of Educational Research and Training, New Delhi. OOB prepares students for the All India Secondary School Examination (AISSCE) at the end of Grade 10, and the All India Senior School Certificate Examination at the end of Grade 12 conducted by the Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE), New Delhi, India. Lessons are taught in English and special emphasis is placed on the teaching of both written and spoken English at all levels.
After successfully completing the AISSCE, students are eligible for admission to global universities and higher education colleges. Students find placements in professional, technical, and general education courses in India and internationally.
International Tests and Examinations offered include Cognitive Abilities Test Fourth Edition (CAT 4), Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA), Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS), Pisa Based Test for Schools (PBTS), and Assessment of Scholastic Skills through Educational Testing (ASSET).
SENIOR LEADERSHIP TEAM
Srivalsan Murugan has been the school’s principal and CEO since April 2014 and has over 30 years experience in the field of education, having served in institutions including The Lawrence School, Lovedale, The International School, Bangalore, and SelaQui School, Dehradun. He is a fellow of the Royal Geographical Society, London.
Headmistress Sindhu. P. Nair has been in the teaching profession for more than 17 years. She joined the GEMS Education Group in 2000 and her journey as a teacher has been laced with accolades, notably winning the GEMS Teacher Award twice, as well as becoming GEMS Trainer accredited.
SCHOOL MISSION
The vision of the school is to turn out good role models, better human beings, and the best among scholars. To realise this, OOB focuses on excellence in education through child-centred interactive learning with special emphasis on life skills; fostering a spirit of healthy competition and team work through nurturing of hidden potential; implementing the four core values of GEMS Education – global citizenship, growing by learning, pursuing excellence, and leading through innovation – which are integrated into the curriculum; and creating dynamic thinkers ready to take on global challenges.
EXTRA-CURRICULAR OPPORTUNITIES
OOB students are encouraged to participate in various extra-curricular activities encompassing art and culture, science, and sports. The school conducts regular events at an inter-school and inter-house level. Competitions cover elocution, debating, recitation, dramatics, quiz, essay writing, yoga, and music.
Through the school’s Leadership Education and Development Programme (LEAD), students take on leadership roles, and every student has an opportunity to hone their leadership qualities, which has seen many serve on the Prefectural Board and Student Council, assisting teachers and the administration to run the school smoothly.
Complementing classroom teaching with real-life experiences, students undertake field trips on a regular basis. Visits to museums, factories, and wildlife centres form part of a structured programme of tours and trips that offer pupils an opportunity to balance theory with practice.