More than 200 senior leaders from the world’s international schools and education organisations convened at International School Leader Magazine and ISC Research‘s 2019 International School Awards, held in London recently.

“It is wonderful for our whole school community, not least our amazing students”

The various awards categories received more than 230 nominations this year.

“In recent years, British School Muscat has been going from strength to strength due to the dedication and commitment of our talented teaching team, supported by our parents, governors and partners locally and further afield,” Kai Vacher, principal of British School Muscat, said.

“It is wonderful for our whole school community, not least our amazing students, to see our progress validated with this prestigious award,” he noted.

The school was also the recipient of the Strategic Leadership Initiative Award, and Vacher said that British School Muscat’s employment strategy was vital to attract colleagues who “will enable students to leave prepared to be best for the world”.

“We have worked creatively to overcome the increasingly prevalent teacher recruitment crisis to attract, develop and retain the right team for our school,” he said.

The strategy includes an internship program for local Omanis to work as teaching assistants at the school, with the prospect of permanent employment for those who “have shown particular aptitude and capability for the role”.

“As the teacher recruitment crisis becomes more acute over the next few years with the rapid growth of international education, we expect to expand our programs to grow more of our own teachers from our local talent base,” Vacher noted.

Seven of the winners were COBIS member schools, and CEO Colin Bell said the organisation is “taking the lead in encouraging and supporting all our members to achieve excellence”.

“COBIS is absolutely thrilled that so many of our member schools received top accolades in the prestigious International School Awards across such a broad range of categories – including winning the overall International School of the Year Award 2019,” said Bell.

“One of its initiatives to help members achieve excellence is the COBIS Patron’s Accreditation scheme, which supports the highest standards of communication, child protection and individual pastoral/academic support”, he added.

The list of winners includes:

• Outstanding Inclusion Initiative – The International School Kuala Lumpur.
• Outstanding Teaching Initiative – Dulwich College Seoul.
• Outstanding Community Initiative Award – British International School Riyadh.
• Initiative to Support Wellbeing Award – GEMS Jumeirah Primary School, Dubai.
• Strategic Leadership Initiative Award – British School Muscat.
• Creativity in Learning Award – Dulwich College Beijing.
• Outstanding Pastoral Initiative – Alice Smith School, Primary Campus, Kuala Lumpur.
• Innovative Technology Through the School Award – JESS Dubai.
• Digital Technology in Learning Award – British School New Delhi, India.
• Outstanding Initiative that Supports Students’ Pathways to Higher Education – Shrewsbury International School Bangkok.
• International Impact Award – The British School in Tokyo.
• Individual Achievement Award – Anuradha Monga, Head of Bangalore International School in India.
• Community Initiative Award – Corona Secondary School in Nigeria.
• International School of the Year 2019 Award – British School Muscat.