G.E.S. – how times have changed! 

The history of G.E.S. extends more than 25 years! Back in September 1980, Gulf English School first opened its doors to 150 students aged from KG to Year 8. Located in Salwa, the school comprised two villas, one of which was used as the teachers’ accommodation, and a sand pit for use as a playground. Along with locally-recruited Arabic staff, ten new teachers arrived from the U.K. to begin their new teaching posts.

However, the opening of the school was delayed by two weeks because the site was not ready for occupation. When the school did open, children, wearing their new yellow and brown uniforms, and teachers shared the villa with the builders who were still busy installing fire escapes, plumbing and A.C., fitting doors and painting walls.

Teaching proved to be a bit of a challenge! Basic stock had not arrived, so teaching resources consisted of several packs of plain paper, piles of pencils and a few reading books. Classroom furniture was limited to children’s tables (but no chairs), a blackboard and a few cupboards.

However, things began to improve! By half term, stock had arrived, the remaining holes in the walls had been filled and G.E.S. began to grow. At the end of that first year, the school roll increased, the sandpit playground had a new surface and the teachers had to move out of their accommodation, in the other villa, to make way for extra classrooms. G.E.S. was on the map, and the rest, as they say, is history!