Cheltenham Muscat

The education that College has offered for 180 years has many aspects which have been consistent, but any outstanding institution needs to adapt and move forward and as such in September 2021 Cheltenham College opened its first international sister school in Muscat, Oman. I have the great privilege to be the Founding Head of Cheltenham Muscat, a 3-18 school for boys and girls. Our vision is simple: to lead educational standards in Oman. Cheltenham Muscat will be the first premium British Independent school to open here and as such we have a fantastic opportunity to bring the all-round education that has served Cheltonians so well for the past 180 years to Muscat, and to make a real difference.

Many UK Independent schools have ‘franchised’ and given their name to international schools but College was always clear about striving for a better model which would create real educational opportunities for both pupils and teachers. The relationship between Cheltenham College and Cheltenham Muscat will be considerably closer than many of those organisations who have just lent their name to international partners. The pupils and teachers in both schools will gain enormously from working alongside one another to learn more about the international nature of the world the children from both schools will graduate into.

A global pandemic is not the easiest scenario to begin an overseas school project and as such the time to get everything up and running has been tighter than one would have hoped for, but it is amazing what a positive mindset and some good advice can do. Equally as a result of the pandemic teachers and pupils have seen how technology can genuinely enhance learning and as such, we know that both schools will be able to exploit those gains in the coming academic year with screens

in both schools to remind everyone of the partnership, teachers able to plan lessons together and pupils able to learn alongside one another. Knowing and understanding fellow Cheltonians in different continents will only improve the education for all.

One definite advantage to opening a new school is that the buildings are brand new. Whilst College’s facilities are amazing, the upkeep of a 180 year old school requires constant attention and care whereas when everything is purpose built it certainly makes planning considerably easier. The specialist teaching rooms, amazing sports facilities, and communal areas will be the envy of many schools across the Gulf region. We are also incredibly fortunate to have a wide range of spaces where we can gather the school together and help create a real sense of community which is one of the hallmarks of a Cheltenham College education.

Whilst Cheltenham Muscat will not be a boarding school (in the first few years at least) it will embody all of the values that makes Cheltenham College such an amazing school. Nicola Huggett was very clear with me that when she came to visit Muscat she wanted the school to feel like a Cheltenham school, and it is that special sense of community, alongside a desire to provide the best education for young people that we are striving for from the outset. The success of a school is dependent on the staff it employs. We have been able to recruit an outstanding group of founding staff with a wonderful blend of British and Arabic teachers, all with a wealth of experience and a desire to do what is needed to make the school the best. The recruitment process only confirmed for me the high regard in which Cheltenham College is held in across the world; we had over 1,500 applications for teaching positions. Muscat has proved to be an inspired choice to create the first Cheltenham international school. Oman is a country that believes strongly in education and so many Omani prospective parents that I have met have been educated in the UK and want that standard of education for their children. Oman has developed a strategic plan for the development of the country: the 2040 Vision. Education is the primary focus of that plan which affords us the opportunity to be at the forefront of providing the best for the Muscat community. The relationship between Britain and Oman has been incredibly strong for some time, not least through military links and Cheltenham is ideally placed to build on that relationship. We have been very fortunate to have a number of Cheltonian families in Oman who have helped us establish the Cheltenham name here. Oman is a beautiful country; considerably greener than one might imagine and Muscat is surrounded by the warm Arabian Gulf on one side and the Hijar mountains on the other. It is a stunning scenery. Different from the Cotswolds, but there are similarities in the nature of both locations. I won’t deny that in the summer it is hot, but there is so much to explore and enjoy here and the Omani people are wonderfully welcoming and hospitable.

I am hugely excited to have welcomed our founding pupils and families into the school in September. I look forward to ensuring that the Cheltenham name continues to be revered across the world and to establishing a special relationship between the schools which carry the same name and the same values. Labor omnia vincit!

Crispin Dawson, Founding Head Cheltenham Muscat and former Senior Deputy Head Cheltenham College