ISG - Sara Village School
International Schools Group is proud to welcome Sara Village School (SVS) as our seventh school in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia. SVS will open its doors in August of 2010. A complete listing of key dates and proposed calendar for the 2010-2011 academic year are included below.
PLEASE NOTE THAT THE SARA VILLAGE SCHOOL IS FOR BAE SYSTEMS AND MoD EMPLOYEE FAMILIES ONLY. Parents seeking a British curriculum school may contact ISG staff at Dhahran British Grammar School.
Situated on BAE’s purpose–built compound, the new campus will have an enrollment capacity estimated at 160 students, serving Foundation Stage through Year 6.
Mr. Mark Wootton will serve as Headteacher for Sara Village School. He brings over 23 years experience in educational leadership, a thorough working knowledge of the National Curriculum of England and an accomplished background as both a teacher and skilled musician. Most recently, Mr. Wootton served as the Headteacher for ISG Jubail, overseeing the prior British and American curriculum schools and their transition to an International Primary Curriculum (IPC) system.
Below is a welcome message from Mr. Wootton:
Hello everyone and a warm welcome to the newest flower in the ISG bouquet: Sara Village School. Serving the BAE community, this Primary school opens to students for the first time in late August 2010. It will be the first time for a very long time that I have been one of the “new kids” too. After 23 years of living and working in Jubail, my wife Sandra and I have made the short trip down to Al Khobar to be a part of the challenge of creating a new school. We are both nervous and excited at the same time! This is a wonderful opportunity and a serious undertaking which we are confident will prove rewarding. We both look forward to working with the children and their parents as we look to establish ourselves and our role in the life of this new community.
I will have many new names and faces to become familiar with and hope that mine will become familiar soon too. The new staff has been carefully chosen and represents both internationally and locally-recruited professionals, whom IGS feel can quickly become a strong team. A blend of youth and experience has been assembled that I am really looking forward to working with. I want SVS to be a place where learning is great fun for everyone. I shall be making that a focus in the first few weeks as we settle into our first year together. Do stop in to see us – the doors will always be open and I hope be able to say “hello” in person very soon.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
For a listing of questions and responses, on everything from attendance to uniforms, please consult the attached SVS Newsletters prepared by the BAE Systems Liaison Officer following discussions with parents and staff:
FACULTY AND CONTACT INFORMATION
SARA VILLAGE SCHOOL IS FOR BAE SYSTEMS AND MoD EMPLOYEE FAMILIES ONLY.
A system is under development for direct communication between SVS and parents. Moodle will serve as the Virtual School platform. As communication systems are being established and to assist parents in getting to the right staff member, please consult the below listing of staff contacts and staff summary information:
- Please direct all general inquires to Mr. Mark Wootton, SVS Headteacher at mwootton@isgdh.org.
- Questions regarding specific BAE Systems policies and fees should be directed to the SVS Liaison Officer, Ms. Lorraine Crook at lorraine.crook@baesystems.com
SVS Staff Listing – June 2010- For questions regarding the ISG District and employment opportunities, please consult the ISG District Administration Personnel listing at http://www.isgdh.org/htm/district_info.htm or contact District Offices by telephone at +966.3.330.0555 or by email at info@isgdh.org.
- ISG Appoints Mark Wootton as Headteacher for Sara Village School – ISG Administrative Announcement, November 2009
As Sara Village School is new, many of the primary communication systems (eg: staff email addresses, complete school website, etc..) and the typical schedule of events are a work in progress. As Headteacher, Mr. Wootton will work closely with parents, staff and our BAe partners to address remaining considerations.
On June 17, 2010, ISG and BAE Systems partnered to sponsor an open house. Headteacher Mark Wootton, ISG Administrative staff and appointed SVS staff met with parents and students to address questions from the community. Brainstorming sessions explored preferences for after-school activities; identified additional resources (volunteer and staff-related) in the community; and gathered input to begin formulation of a mission statement to guide Sara Village School.
SVS Parent Involvement and Communications Survey – parents who were unable to attend the June 17th open house are encouraged to provide their input by submitting the above survey to the BAE Systems Liaison Officer or drop it off at the school site at their earliest convenience.
POLICIES AND HELPFUL INFORMATION
August 16, 2010 is the first day of school for staff while August 24, 2010 is the first scheduled day for students. Please refer to the proposed SVS Calendar for the 2010-2011 academic year.
- Sara Village School Parent Handbook – a working draft [to be posted shortly]
- Please refer to the above listed SVS Newsletters, prepared by the BAE Systems Liaison Officer, for other helpful answers to common questions.
After-School Activities
A complete listing of after-school activities will be developed in partnership with SVS staff at the beginning of the school year and in concert with the interests of SVS student and parents as well as the capacity and skills of SVS staff. A survey will be conducted during the June 17th open house to assess particular areas of interest and to identify resources in the community to help support school related activities. Parents are encouraged to complete the attached SVS Parental Involvement and Communications Survey to communicate their preferences and those of their children.
SVS Mission Statement
During the open house on June 17th Headmaster Mark Wootton will gather input from parents to begin developing a mission statement for Sara Village School. The actual Mission Statement will be developed at the beginning of the school year in partnership with the community. A graduate profile will be developed later in the year.
SVS is the seventh and newest member of the International Schools Group (ISG) District. For information regarding the approved Mission and Graduate Profile statements for the ISG District, please consult the following attachments:
| Sara Village School – opening in August 2010 | |
| Website: | A Sara Village School website will be developed early at the start of the 2010-2011 academic year. |
| Geographic Area: | South of Dhahran, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia |
| Headteacher: | Mr. Mark Wootton |
| Teaching Staff: | Under development – please refer to the current staff listing posted above. |
| Enrollment: | Capacity of up to 160 students. Please note that Sara Villlage School is for BAE Systems and MoD Employee Families only. |
| Levels of Education: | Foundation Stage through Year 6 |
| 2010/2011 Calendar: | 16 Aug - First Day of School for Staff 18 Dec - 5 Jan - Winter Break |
| 2010 - 2011 Tuition/fees: | |
| Foundation - (Year 6): | Sara Village School is contracted through ISG by BAE Systems therefore all benefits are a product of BAE Systems policy. Please contact the above listed BAE Systems SVS Liaison Officer with any questions. |