The International Schools Conference Oman (ISCO) is a platform that brings together educators, leaders, and school staff from across the Sultanate to engage in meaningful professional learning, collaboration, and shared practice.

Founded by ABA Oman International School, ISCO was first hosted in 2024, welcoming over 600 educators and establishing a strong foundation for sector-wide connection and growth. In 2025, the conference expanded significantly under the joint hosting of Cheltenham Muscat and Downe House Muscat, drawing just under 1,000 participants and further strengthening collaboration across Oman’s international school community.

ISCO returns to ABA in 2026 with the theme “Connected Practice: From Vision to Impact.” The conference will focus on practical, teacher-led sessions that showcase real-world application and measurable impact in classrooms and schools.

Alongside ISCO, ABA Oman International School will host a broader professional development offering asuite of International Baccalaureate (IB) workshops running across November 5 and 6, providing program-specific professional learning across the PYP, MYP, and DP.

 

Registration Information

Date: Thursday, 5 November 2026
Venue: ABA Oman International School
Registration Fee: OMR 25 per person for the full day
Registration Deadline: Tuesday, 13 October 2026, or earlier if capacity is reached.

School-Based Registration

If you are a faculty or staff member at one of the schools listed below, please DO NOT complete the form directly. Instead, please speak with your school’s dedicated ISCO Point of Contact, who will coordinate registration on behalf of your school.

- ABA Oman International School
- Al Batinah International School
- Al Sahwa Schools
- Ruwad Muscat International School
- British School Muscat
- Cheltenham Muscat
- Downe House Muscat
- Hay Al Sharooq International School
- International School of Oman
- International French School of Muscat
- Jebel View International School
- OurPlanet International School
- Royal Grammar School Muscat
- International Digital Private School

Individual Registration & Group Registration

If you would like to attend the conference or present a workshop, please follow the instructions below and register through the form below.

If you would like to register more than 10 participants, please contact the ISCO team directly at isco@abaoman.org, and we will be happy to assist with the registration.

If your school is not listed here, please follow the registration process below:

1- Complete the registration form below with the requested information.
2- Once your registration has been submitted, you will receive an invoice for OMR 25 per participant.
3- Once payment has been confirmed, you will receive an ISCO 2026 Welcome Email containing important information about the conference and everything you need to know for the day.
4- Where multiple faculty and staff members from the same school register, one consolidated invoice will be issued to the school for all registered participants.

Please note: Registration will close on Tuesday, 13 October 2026, or earlier if capacity is reached. Your registration will be confirmed once payment has been received.

We look forward to welcoming you to ISCO 2026 at ABA Oman International School on Thursday, 5 November 2026.

 

Presenter Expectation

ISCO is built on a schools supporting schools model, with educators sharing their knowledge, experience, and good practice with colleagues from across Oman. To support this model, schools must ensure that approximately 10% of their registered ISCO attendees contribute as presenters. For example, a school registering 30 participants should provide approximately 3 presenters. Presentations may be delivered individually or collaboratively. Schools will be asked to identify their presenters as part of the registration process.

 

ISCO STRATEGIC TRACKS

1. Leadership Connecting Strategy to Reality

Focus: Moving from strategic plans to lived experience

  • Translating mission, vision, and values into daily practice
  • Aligning leadership teams around non-negotiables
  • Avoiding initiative fatigue and fragmentation
  • Case studies: when strategy fails vs. when it stick

Outcome: Leaders leave with a clear model for operationalizing strategy schoolwide

2. Teaching & Learning: Coherence Across the Student Experience

Focus: Ensuring alignment from classroom to classroom, division to division

  • Curriculum alignment (PYP → MYP → DP or equivalent pathways)
  • Consistency in instructional quality
  • Data-informed teaching that actually informs
  • Student experience as the ultimate KPI

Outcome: Reduced variability in student experience; stronger academic outcomes

3. Safeguarding, Wellbeing & Duty of Care in Practice

Focus: Connecting policies to real-world action

  • Safeguarding systems that actually work under pressure
  • Staff training → behavioral change → student protection
  • Mental health systems that move beyond awareness
  • Crisis response alignment across teams

Outcome: Schools that don’t just have policies; they can execute them under stress

4. AI, Technology & Ethical Integration

Focus: Moving from curiosity to controlled implementation

  • AI policies that are usable, not theoretical
  • Classroom integration that enhances—not replaces—teaching
  • Managing risk: bias, misuse, academic integrity
  • Operational efficiencies through tech

Outcome: Schools confidently using AI with guardrails and purpose

5. Operational Excellence & the Hidden Systems That Make Schools Work

Focus: The “backbone” of successful schools

  • Admissions, HR, finance, and facilities alignment to strategy
  • The “Teacher Time Economy” → protecting instructional time
  • Vendor management, outsourcing, and risk exposure
  • Data dashboards for decision-making

Outcome: Leaders understand that operational systems = educational outcomes

6. Culture, Inclusion & Belonging in Action

Focus: Moving beyond statements to lived culture

  • Building inclusive environments that are visible and felt
  • Addressing gaps between stated valuea and daily experience
  • Student voice and agency as drivers of belonging
  • Navigating cultural complexity in international contexts

Outcome: Authentic, measurable progress in DEIB—not performative efforts

 

Keynote Speaker

Erin Kent is the founder of EKC Literacy, a global consultancy established in 2016 to provide tailored literacy solutions and professional learning experiences for international schools. Drawing on her experience as an Elementary School Literacy Coach and later a PK–12 Director of Curriculum and Instruction, she recognized the need for learning experiences that are responsive to the unique context, needs, and goals of each school community.

Today, Erin leads a network of more than 45 literacy consultants who support hundreds of schools worldwide in seven languages. Through innovative online and on-site professional learning, EKC Literacy partners with educators around the globe to develop customized, cutting-edge literacy programs, resources, and strategies that advance literacy learning in diverse international school settings.

At ISCO 2026, Erin will deliver the keynote address - ‘The Global Landscape of Literacy.’

Where We Were. Where We Are. What's Next.

Something big is happening in literacy across international schools. Long-held practices are being questioned. New research is reaching classrooms. Schools are making major shifts in how they approach reading and writing. So what happens when we zoom out?

Drawing on EKC's work with over 600 international schools in more than 80 countries, Erin Kent will take us inside the shifts happening across our global community. Which ideas are gaining ground? What's driving schools to change? Where and why are different parts of the world moving in different directions? And what are we learning as those changes play out? Because when we can see what others are learning, we get clearer about what comes next for our own learners.

Sponsorship Opportunities

 

Get Involved: We welcome the opportunity to partner with organizations that share our commitment to advancing education.

Why Partner with ISCO?

  • ISCO operates on a voluntary service to the international education community.  The overarching ethos is one of transparency, ethical conduct, and accountability in all endeavours. The focus is on learning and professional development, with no individual or organisation pursuing financial compensation or promotion beyond covering event costs.
  • Access to a highly targeted audience of educators and decision-makers
  • Position your organization within a trusted, professional learning environment
  • Build relationships across a connected and growing education network in Oman
  • Align your brand with innovation, impact, and educational excellence

Get in Touch:

Laila Al Maawali, ISCO Coordinator

Email: admin@abaoman.org