Executive Summary. The World Academy. Mr. Will Fraser, Principal 7082 Bay la Sun Juman Street, Unit 1 King Abdullah Economic City

Transcription

1 Mr. Will Fraser, Principal 7082 Bay la Sun Juman Street, Unit 1 King Abdullah Economic City Document Generated On October 10, 2015

2 TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction 1 Description of the School 2 School's Purpose 3 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement 4 Additional Information 5

3 Introduction Every school has its own story to tell. The context in which teaching and learning takes place influences the processes and procedures by which the school makes decisions around curriculum, instruction, and assessment. The context also impacts the way a school stays faithful to its vision. Many factors contribute to the overall narrative such as an identification of stakeholders, a description of stakeholder engagement, the trends and issues affecting the school, and the kinds of programs and services that a school implements to support student learning. The purpose of the Executive Summary (ES) is to provide a school with an opportunity to describe in narrative form the strengths and challenges it encounters. By doing so, the public and members of the school community will have a more complete picture of how the school perceives itself and the process of self-reflection for continuous improvement. This summary is structured for the school to reflect on how it provides teaching and learning on a day to day basis. Page 1

4 Description of the School Describe the school's size, community/communities, location, and changes it has experienced in the last three years. Include demographic information about the students, staff, and community at large. What unique features and challenges are associated with the community/communities the school serves? Introduction celebrates the holistic vision for King Abdullah Economic City to be the single greatest enabler of social and economic growth for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. is at the center of the KAEC community, providing families with a friendly, healthy environment and welcoming parents and students alike. The school is in its fourth year of operation. Location is located in King Abdullah Economic City. The city is located on the beautiful coast along the Red Sea, 100 kilometers north of Jeddah which is the commercial hub of Saudi Arabia. The city is located in between the Islamic holy cities of Mecca and Medina. The city itself is 66.8 sq. miles in development and is one of only five economic cities in Saudi Arabia. The city aim to have the largest port in the Middle East and one of the largest ports in the world. The city is known by the residents as KAEC. History is the first school to be established in King Abdullah Economic City. The school is in its 4th year of operation. The school began with only 30 students in its first year. In just three years, we have grown from 30 students to this year's enrollment of 432. The school began offering elementary grades and each year has added additional school year subjects to the curriculum. Presently, we serve pre-school to Grade 11 students. We are adding a daycare facility and Grade 12 in The daycare was in response to the needs of the community. The school is owned by EMAAR and managed through GEMS Education in Dubai. EMAAR are the master developers of the city. The school is licensed by the Ministry of Education of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. The school has additional capacity to grow student numbers in line with the city's vision or to expand to offer boarding facilities to future students from within the Kingdom. We are an American Curriculum School, but we are supported by strong Islamic and Arabic ties which anchor our students and staff in an approach to life while embracing Islamic Values. Students The student population is mainly children of local young professionals. The majority of students come from Rabigh, which is mainly Saudi and very low levels of spoken English and Petro-Rabigh, which is a gated compound that deals with the local refinery. Petro-Rabigh has seen an influx of Venezuelan students which are also low-level English speakers. Because we have such a vastly diverse population, our need for ELL has grown faster than we predicted, and that is one of our greatest challenges. We have 172 girls and 256 boys. Our student population is comprised of students from 27 nationalities. Only 9% are native English speakers. Teaching Staff The teaching staff at are highly trained and truly international. The staff comprises of teachers from 12 nationalities. Page 2

5 School's Purpose Provide the school's purpose statement and ancillary content such as mission, vision, values, and/or beliefs. Describe how the school embodies its purpose through its program offerings and expectations for students. Mission and Vision is committed to academic rigor, a liberal ethos, and the values of an American international curriculum. We strive to provide the highest quality, balanced education to internationally minded students in a supportive environment. We inspire our students to fulfill their potential as responsible global citizens. Our mission is to Inspire, Educate & Enlighten Inspire - Motivate students to meet all challenges with confidence and enthusiasm. - Encourage students to become passionate life-long learners. Educate - Provide students with equal educational opportunities. - Nurture empathetic and student-centered learning in an increasingly connected globalized world. Enlighten - Enlighten student to become critical thinkers and diverse learners. - Empower students to be successful in our ever-changing dynamic world. - Engage the community in a meaningful and integrative partnership. We know academic performance is important because academic qualifications are the passport to accessing a good university but we believe a values-based education is of equal importance. GEMS values-driven education is expressed through our four core values which are woven into every curricula offered by GEMS Schools and are at the core of our DNA. They are not symbolic, we live and breathe them. They are: Leading Through Innovation, Pursuing Excellence, Growing by Learning, Global Citizenship. Through our values we encourage independent learning, empowering students to take on responsibility. Students learn to celebrate diversity in a spirit of understanding and tolerance and develop a positive regard and awareness of other people. Page 3

6 Notable Achievements and Areas of Improvement Describe the school's notable achievements and areas of improvement in the last three years. Additionally, describe areas for improvement that the school is striving to achieve in the next three years. Notable Achievements During the 3 year history of we have strived to make continuous improvements and enhance the education provision for our students. Like all schools we have faced challenges but would like to highlight our most recent achievements as a new school. -Our curriculum subject options have increased in line with our growth and American curriculum requirements through the introduction of Business, D&T, Physics, Chemistry and enterprise education. -Class facilities have been improved to allow world class education (Science labs, D&T suite) -Curiculum Coordinators have been appointed to oversee and implement standardised quality American curriculum. -Contextualised learning improved to include first international trip, entrepreneurship visits, University visits and careers advice. -All grades are taught inage appropriate year levels. -Specialist teachers have been appointed within the primary school. -Pastoral care system has been setup aligned with tutor groups allowing a point of contact for each student. -All policy documents have been written and are being embedded. -A healthy meal service is available in the school canteen during the day. -Health education is provided through the clinic and is a first aid facility for the student. -Identified the need for standardised assessments and trained staff in their us. -PM Benchmark is used across the school as a standardised tool to track student ability in English Language. -Assessment and reporting caendar has been published. -Gifted and Talented programme vailable for high achieving students. -A high school graduation pathway is communicated to stakeholders. -An active Parent-Teacher Association has been established. -Increased community links and involvement. -More accessible CPD for all staff within and outside the Kingdom. -Key members of staff have been part os and external Review Team with AdvancED. -Sporting fixtures have been formalised and students participate in evens at TWA and outside. -An active Student Council meets regularly. Areas for improvement -Improve the speed and efficiency of obtaining work visas. -Improve the provision of ELL. -Increase enrolment numbers. -Increase the provision of Technology for learning across the curriculum. Page 4

7 Additional Information Provide any additional information you would like to share with the public and community that were not prompted in the previous sections. The growth of the city and school improvements are directly linked. City numbers determine the make up of the students attending the school and their individual needs are not always forseen. The large influx of Venezuelan and non English speaking Arabic students has been a major challenge for the school. This makes future recruitment strategy very difficult. Page 5