Our Own English High School

Our Own English High School
Location
Dubai Other Branches: Abu Dhabi Al Ain Fujairah Sharjah United Arab Emirates
Information
Motto	Lead Kindly Light
Established	1968
School board	CBSE (Central Board of Secondary Education)
Grades	Kindergarten to Grade 12
Website	www.gemsoo-dubai.com

Our Own English High School is a chain of schools started by the Varkey Group of Schools across the cities of the United Arab Emirates. The first Our Own school was started in 1968 in Dubai.

Dubai branch

Our Own English High School Dubai initially started with 27 students and 3 teachers. Since then, it has mushroomed into one of the largest educational institutions in the UAE, with over 11000 students and 350 teachers. Till 2005, it followed a split shift pattern, with girls and the kindergarten attending school in the morning and the boys attending the school in the afternoon. At the beginning of the academic year 2005 (i.e. March 2005), the boys' school shifted to Al Warqa'a. This allowed the boys' school to be run in the morning. Since then, the Al Warqa'a branch has been semi-autonomous of the main branch, with its own principal. Also in September 2007 the boys' school of shj shifted to their new location near AUS.

Mr. Madhav Rao has since then been appointed as Chief Academic Officer and has passed over the position of Executive Principal to Mrs. Shobana Varghese.

Curriculum

The school has classes from Kindergarten to XII. The curriculm followed until Grade VIII allows students to then follow any syllabus which leads to a Public Examination, including Indian, British, American, Sri Lankan or from Pakistan. Throughout the school, the medium of instruction is English. Pupils complete their secondary education at the end of Grade X and a specialised, senior secondary level certification by the end of Grade XII. Both levels sit for public examination by the Central Board of Secondary Education, Delhi to which the school is affiliated.

Administrative structure

The Headmistress of this school is Mrs. Lalita Suresh.The principal is subordinated by a headmaster. Below the headmaster are seven supervisors, one each for two grades (for instance one for grades three and four). Supervisors and headmasters are appointed from within the staff.

The Executive Principal is Mr.Aziz Akhtar.

The Principal (of the Our Own High School) is Mr. Neville de Noronha.

Other Branches

• Abu Dhabi
• Al Ain
• Fujairah
• Sharjah

House system

The School has a house system that fosters competition among its students and prepares them for the rigours of Inter School Level Competition.

The Houses are: Neptune, Saturn, Jupiter, and Mars.

Each house has a motto:-

1. Neptune (Green) - Truth Will Triumph
2. Jupiter (Blue) - Labour With Consistency
3. Saturn (Yellow) - To Greater Heights
4. Mars (Red) - For Honour We Strive

Annual Days

The Annual Prize Day celebration showcases the best of talent, skill and effort of both the teachers and student community. The Annual Sports Day forms a platform for the selection into Inter-School Athletics and CBSE meets.

Sports

Teams from every aspect of sports activity, whether indoors or outdoors, are present. Coaching and initial training are provided for Basketball, Football, Table-Tennis, Badminton, Volleyball, Swimming, Cricket, Baseball and all track events.

Notable alumni

• Roshni Chopra donkey of the school

External links

• OOEHS Dubai website
• OOHS Al Warqa'a website
• Schools in Dubai — comprehensive list for Dubai and other Emirates.