ASSESSMENT POLICY

Amaad Private School aims for its students to be ready to live and work in a world where cultures, races, religions and beliefs interact; where environmental issues are inherent in every decision; where creativity is as important as content knowledge; where ability to think critically (eg. think of ‘fake news’) and adaptability to rapidly changing situations are paramount. APS is determined to equip its students to thrive in this world by developing these skills and encouraging their natural curiosity. We want to help them to learn where to look, not tell them what to see.
Teaching and learning at Amaad Private School is based on the philosophy stated in the school’s vision, mission and guiding statements.
Students at Amaad Private School are expected to be brilliant students, but we do not believe that brilliance is necessarily reflected in top academic exam results. Brilliance in a person can also include their kindness, creativity, willingness, abilities in other areas (sports, dance, technology etc) and general attitude to life. As a school we do value academic excellence, but not at the expense of children’s wellbeing.
Our teaching methods encourage children to try things. Mistakes in school work are expected. Albert Einstein said wisely, “A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new.”
Tests – these are as much, or more, about seeing if the teaching has been done well. If test results are not good, teachers need to re-consider their methods. All assessment results should be used to inform teaching. Low test results are not always a sign of a lack of intelligence or capability.
The formal school classroom is not suited to everyone - Albert Einstein did not do at all well at school. Neither did Bill Gates, or Walt Disney, or Richard Branson, but they all did well in life.
In every classroom, every day, the teachers monitor their students. Ongoing assessment is taking place all of the time, and alterations and adaptations made to school work or expectations according to the need of the students. This is assessment for learning.
Summative assessment is that given at the end of a period of study, whether in the form of a test, or conversation, or project. This is assessment of learning.
Currently, the school is adhering to the requirements of the MoE in Oman with regard to classroom assessment tasks, but additional assessment of students and their progress and abilities is also being noted.
A combination of all of these factors will contribute towards the students’ report cards.