Seashell Primary School is situated in the HAS (Hay Al Sharooq) Housing Complex in Sur, Oman and
is an OLNG company owned International Primary School.
History
The OLNG Seashell Primary School originally opened in August 1997 in a large villa in Sur Town to
meet the needs of the families of construction engineers involved with the building of a gas plant in
Sur, Oman. It differed from most other primary schools in that all of our parents were working for
the gas industry. Consequently, once the construction families left, the intention was to close the
school. However, due to new developments and an increase of families with primary aged children,
the school remained open. Later, a new residential compound was built and with it the building of a
new school. The new Seashell Primary School was officially opened on 31 st August 2002. All of our
children’s parents work for OLNG or one of their contractors.
Location:
Seashell Primary School is situated on the Hay Al Sharooq Housing Complex (HAS) which
accommodates the employees of Oman LNG. The entire complex was newly built in May 2002 and
contains 150 villas, a large recreation club, 2 swimming pools, a multipurpose sports hall, sports
fields, gym, commercial centre, clinic, mosque, Seashell School and HASIS International School.
The HAS complex is a fifteen-minute car ride from the centre of Sur Town, which itself is a two
hour drive from the capital, Muscat.
School Set-up:
Seashell Primary School is purpose built and is big enough to cater for up to 50 pupils. The school
contains:
 six classrooms ideally suited to help provide a perfect learning environment.
 an entrance hall that contains an interactive whiteboard and space for all the children to
get together for assembly.
 Staffroom / Kitchen
 Head Teacher’s Office
 three toilet / washbasin areas
 covered bicycle parking
 a large shaded playground
Role/Classes/Staffing
Over the last 4 years, our numbers have fluctuated between 14 and 43 children. In the 2014 – 15
school year, we expect to have 36 children from 17 different nationalities. We admit children to
pre-nursery the term in which they become 3 and they children can stay with us until the year in
which they become 13. We have 4 classes (EY/MP1/MP2/MP3). We have 5 class teachers and a
teacher who teaches French. We also have a learning assistant who supports an individual child.
The staff come from Ireland, The Netherlands, Oman, New Zealand and the UK. Our teachers
work incredibly hard but find both the children and the location very rewarding. Teachers have
stayed with us for between 2 and 10 years! Families tend to stay between 3 and 4 years before
moving on, although some families have extended their contracts for up to 8 years as they love
school, the community and living in Oman.
Curriculum
We believe we are a truly learning focused school and put learning at the heart of everything we do.
We use aspects of the English National Curriculum for English and Maths and the International
Primary Curriculum for all other subjects. In January 2013, we were awarded Mastering Level by a
team of accreditors from the IPC – the school community is very proud of this and our challenge
now is to both sustain this and move beyond.
Our Core Values
Mission Statement:
Seashell Primary School is an international learning community. It values differences and
similarities and strives to provide a supportive setting where all children are given the opportunity
to be life-long learners and positive contributing members of society.
Vision Statement:
Seashell Primary School will, through excellent teaching and organisation, maximise children’s
learning in a way which enables them to achieve high social, personal and academic standards, enjoy
learning, adapt to other educational systems and develop both a national and international
perspective.
Definition of Learning:
Learning is a lifelong journey triggered by curiosity. To learn we gather knowledge and skills then
apply them to new experiences.
International Mindedness Definition:
At Seashell School, we are Internationally Minded because we know that we are all different from
each other but we respect, value and appreciate these differences and have the desire to learn
from them.
Definition of the Characteristics of a Seashell Child:
At Seashell School we are working to develop happy, confident and independent children who are
internationally minded and exhibit the attributes we have identified as valuable qualities required
for their life long journey in an ever changing world.
The Position
We wish to recruit an enthusiastic teacher to join our small team from early February until
the end of the school year at the beginning of July.
Sur
Sur is a quiet fishermen's town on the east coast of Oman – 200km south of the capital. In the past
Sur was known for its Dhow building allowing Oman to trade with East-Africa. A few dhows are still
being built in Sur today. It’s nice to wander through the streets, visiting the souk, fort, castle,
museum, port and sea front.
Sur is the capital of Ash Sharqiyah Region. Historically the city is known for being an important
destination for sailors. Today the sea still plays an important part of life in Sur – you often see the
fleet of fishermen heading off to fish or returning with their catch and fish caught around Sur is
transported across Oman. The city itself has an attractive corniche, two forts, a busy souq as
well as the Dhow museum. Nearby there are some beautiful beaches to explore. Sur is a also a
great place to start for day trips to Wadi Tiwi and Wadi Shab and the turtle reserve at Ras alJinz. It is around a 90 minute drive to Sharqiya Sands – the start of the Empty Quarter so
overnight camping and desert trips are popular excursions.
Oman
The Sultanate of Oman is a beautiful country and we all feel very privileged to work and live here.
The Omani people are warm and welcoming. The current head of state is His Majesty Sultan
Qaboos bin Said. He is well liked and respected by the people and has been in power since 1970.
The capital of Oman is Muscat and the main towns are Nizwa, Salalah, Sohar and Sur. The current
population is around 3.5 million – a fifth of the populations are expatriates.
People and history
Most inhabitants of Oman live along the northern coast in the area called the “Batinah Region” from
Sohar to Muscat. The second largest concentration of population occurs in the Dhofar region in the
South, around Salalah.
Oman has had an exciting history and has gone from being a major trading nation and imperial power
to a poor and isolated country back to being the modern, international country we know today. The
official language of Oman is Arabic but many Omanis also speak very good English. Most road and
shop signs are written in both Arabic and English – although the further away you are from the
capital, the less English you see and hear.
Geography
The Sultanate of Oman covers 309,500 km2 with a coastline of around 1,700 km. With the huge
changes in temperature and geography it’s a great place to head off road and explore. It’s a great
place for camping, trekking, hiking and desert adventures. From mountains to deserts, and wadis to
beaches, you’ll find something to interest you.
Muscat is a modern capital with plenty to see and do and with a wide range of international
hotels, shopping malls etc. Muscat is a two hour drive from Sur.
Further information will be provided if you are invited for a telephone interview, but
if you would like to learn a little more about our school before the interview, please
have a look at our website:
http://www.hasis.edu.om/Seashell/Index.aspx
Salary and benefits for teachers
• Tax Free Basic salary of 1,260 OR a month
• School provided furnished accommodation in Sur town
• Utilities allowance of 40 OR per month
• Plane ticket
• Medical Insurance (basic coverage); staff may apply for dental and ophthalmic coverage
with the medical company and pay the premium accordingly
• Transportation to and from school daily
If you would like any other information, please contact:
[email protected]