1.      Please mention about the school and its mission/vision and various infrastructural facilities.

VISION

At Paradise Valley Private School, we aim to provide an excellent, holistic and inclusive learning environment where children can maximize their full potential to discover the genius within themselves, enabling them to become caring and responsible global citizens.

MISSION

Paradise Valley Private School’s endeavor is to provide a comprehensive international inclusive education that encourages students to be compassionate, responsible and inquiring life-long learners, with a global perspective.  Engaging learning experiences and purposeful assessment are facilitated through innovative learning and teaching practices which serve to empower students to live in, and contribute to, a changing society. The school seeks to emphasize the importance of the cerebral, emotional, ethical, physical and social areas of a child’s development. The Paradise Valley environment is one where all are respected and where we seek to understand and celebrate diversity. 

OBJECTIVES

·         To meet the demand for quality international education for Omanis and expatriates

·         To run an inclusive bi-lingual private school offering the IB curriculum

·         To provide a holistic learning environment for all students including those with special needs.

2.      Kindly mention about the prominent personality of the school and his/her role in the development of the school.

The President of the School Management Committee, Mr. Mahesh Verma had earlier served on the Board of The American International School of Muscat (TAISM) for four years and later on the Board of Governors of the Indian Schools in Oman for three years. Having realized that the Sultanate needed a world class inclusive school in Muscat, he got in touch with Mr. Arun Kapur, a passionate educationist with a track record of establishing schools of excellence. The meeting of two minds led to the germination of an idea that became Paradise Valley Private School.

Mr. Verma found like-minded partners and started a company called Paradise Sprig Investment Management Company LLC, which teamed up with Pallavan Learning Systems, an education research organisation headed by Mr. Kapur. The formal contract was signed in April 2018 but the actual idea was mooted in 2015. The governance of the Paradise Valley Private School is vested in the School Management Committee which reports to a distinguished Board of Directors whose Chairman is Al Sayyid Talal bin Badar bin Saud Al Busaidi.

3.      Kindly describe about the various courses offered by the school and their salient features.

Paradise Valley Private School, powered by Pallavan Learning Systems is a new inclusive school of the highest educational standards where all students are nurtured to achieve their best, regardless of their background or levels of ability.

An independent, co-educational day school, it is under the supervision of the Ministry of Education in Oman and governed by the School Management Committee reporting to a distinguished Board of Directors. The school has started with the IB Primary Years Programme from September 2019, and we are accepting students from KG1 to Grade 4. The school will strive to grow into a full-fledged school offering the Middle Years, Diploma and Career Programmes, and as of January 2020, Paradise Valley Private School is now a candidate school for the Primary Years Programme (PYP). The school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World School shares a common philosophy-commitment to high quality, challenging, and international education- that we believe is important for our students.

As an International Baccalaureate candidate school our students learn through the study of units of inquiry where subjects are blended into our programmes.  Students enjoy the study of music, visual arts, dance, drama, maths, science social and cultural studies and languages in a cross-curricular approach.  The Inclusion Team support the learning with Global, Targeted and Individual therapy sessions to meet all identified needs.

4.      Please mention what steps are you taking beyond the traditional curriculum to ensure overall development of the students?

With a focus on holistic development, we believe that social and emotional needs are as important as the academic needs. Systems for compassionate responses to these needs are therefore an integral part of the school’s culture. Ensuring social-emotional well-being of everyone in the school leads to a healthy learning environment and each child can grow up to the best that he or she can be.

The school follows an inclusive school culture and every member has to be always vigilant to ensure that we maintain the highest standards for fostering a child-friendly learning environment that provides equal opportunity and access for all students. Every student in the school is the collective responsibility of all teachers and staff; and their education and safety are our prime concern.

All students are placed in the homerooms under the care of the homeroom teachers. Special educators and other specialists support the homeroom teachers and co-teach whenever necessary. Homeroom teachers and specialist teachers work collaboratively to identify each learner’s style; they scaffold their learning, ensure appropriate accommodations, and differentiate instruction and assessment so that each child may learn and grow to reach his/her full potential.

Paradise Valley Private School believes that all students should have access to an appropriate education that affords them the opportunity to achieve their personal potential. Some students may not always meet the goals of mainstream education; however with support and encouragement many children with special needs can be successfully mainstreamed.

The inclusive classrooms use differentiated instruction, with staff collaborating on the implementation of appropriate instructional strategies to meet students’ needs and provide appropriate challenges.

Inclusion is an ongoing process that aims to increase access and engagement in learning for all students. This is accomplished by identifying and removing barriers and creating a school culture that is fully participatory, collaborative, and respectful of diversity and differences that gives a sense of belonging to all students.

5.      What steps does the school take to motivate and develop the students’ interest towards education?

Parents and students are very involved in goal setting, with Individual Learning Plans being collaboratively established for any students with individual learning needs.  The Inclusion faculty consists of a Special Needs Coordinating teacher, a physiotherapist, a speech and language therapist and an occupational therapist who provide support for teachers, students and our families. With an emphasis on the five areas of development (physical, social, ethical, cerebral emotional) within a child-centered inquiry based curriculum, students are highly engaged.

6.      How are you providing financial assistance to the students in need?

Paradise Valley School, despite being a start-up, does not turn away an applicant because of their inability to meet the fees. The Management discusses with the parents their budget and plan out a payment plan that suits them. We aim to provide quality education at affordable prices.

7.      Please enlighten us about the school’s major awards/achievements, its           accomplished/renowned alumni, remarkable collaborations, and major accreditations.

Our academic partners are Pallavan Learning Systems based out of New Delhi in India, and their Founder-Chairman Mr.Arun Kapur was also the Founder-Director of the renowned Vasant Valley School in Delhi and the Royal Academy of Bhutan in Bhutan. Starting in September 2019 as an applicant for candidacy of the Primary Years Programme, Paradise Valley is striving to grow into a full- fledged school offering the Middle Years, Diploma and Career Programme and as of January 2020, the school is now a candidate school for the Primary Years Programme (PYP). This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. IB World Schools share a common philosophy- a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education- that we believe is important for our students. As an IB PYP candidate school, our students learn through inquiry, where the learner is at the centre of all curriculum foci.  A common language supports each academic program and sees life-long learning as being imperative for students, parents, and staff.

8.      Kindly elaborate about the future plans of the school in the same.

We are in the process of finalizing our location for having a state of the art purpose-built campus which should be ready within the next three years. The School has opened its doors at its temporary premises near the Al Mouj Complex. The school serves the needs of the local Omani community as well as the demands of an expanding expatriate population for a quality education system and academic facilities, while laying special emphasis on promoting local language and culture.

We will continue to work towards becoming a certified IB Global School within the next two years.