OUR CORE VALUES

Sri Ara students are guided to:

Be able to distinguish right from wrong
Have moral integrity, honesty and sincerity
Have care and concern for others
Be able to make friends and get along with others
Be alert and have a lively curiosity about things
Be enterprising and innovative
Be able to think for and express themselves confidently
Possess a broad based foundation for further education
Take pride in their work
Cultivate healthy and hygienic habits
Have an appreciation for culture and aesthetics
Love, honour and believe in their country

OUR MISSION

To develop each student to his/her fullest potential by producing an educated and caring individual who is innovative, adaptable, and creative with a zest for living a full, productive and meaningful life whilst contributing his/her best to family, community and country.

We encourage the children to be active, responsible and also to take leadership roles in the student body. The Students’ Representative Council is the body to oversee the welfare of the students community as well as plan certain events for the students in order to make the school an enjoyable place for every individual to thrive in.

OUR HISTORY

The school was formed due the overwhelming support from expatriate community and Malaysian parents who had been with our Chairman, Puan Nooraini Mohd. Yasin, since she was heading the previous Tun Dr Ismail International School of Johor.

Ara is the Malay name for the Ficus Benjamina tree, commonly known as the Weeping Fig or Benjamin’s Fig. This tree is found all over the area of the school compound. The school is set in an exclusive residential area amidst luscious greenery conducive for a unique educational environment providing peace, serenity and tranquillity.

Ara is also the second name of Pn Nooraini’s grandmother, Ungku Fatimah Ara Ungku Ahmad, wife to HH Tunku Aris Bendahara Tunku Abu Bakar Ibni Sultan Ibrahim and elder sister to HRH Highness Sultana Ungku Tun Aminah Ungku Ahmad.

The premises comprise several colonial bungalows commissioned by the late Sultan Sir Ibrahim in the 1930s for his granddaughter Tunku Zahrah Molek Tunku Abu Bakar to be used by senior British Administration officers. These colonial bungalows bring a special character and feeling to the school environment. The bungalows are spread across a few acres of low density greenbelt near to the central business district of Johor.

Courtesy of Yap Hanzhen.

A Message From Puan Nooraini Mohd. Yasin, Chairman of Sri Ara Schools

It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our school.

At Sri Ara Schools we believe that every child is a unique individual with the potential to become a leader and that it takes a community to develop each child. We also believe that every child will develop at his or her own pace and that at Sri Ara Schools, we provide a conducive environment for the holistic development of each child. We take pride in our happy and homely atmosphere, where we advocate the importance of social skills, friendship, respect, trust and good values. We take pride in providing an environment where students are happy and achieve their individual best.

Our low student to teacher ratio provides us with the ability to know each and every child, their strengths and also weaknesses.

The school was established 10 years ago rising from the ashes of the previous school of almost 10 years that was known as the Tun Dr Ismail International School, so our core group of dedicated staff and experienced teachers have been with the school for many years.

Over the past 13 years our results have excelled and we have achieved a track record of 95% to 100% pass rates for the IGCSEs with numerous A and A*s both under then Cambridge International Examinations and the National Curriculum. This stands as testimony to the excellent teachers we have and the standards we maintain.

A further plus point is that the students who have come from all over the world and did not speak a word of English were brought up to a level of English ability such that they were promoted 2 levels up when they returned to international schools in other parts of the world. Many of our students have gone on to renowned institutes of higher learning and prestigious universities all over the world and are now leaders in their chosen fields.

Our emphasis, however, is not just academic prowess of which we are certainly most proud of, it is also of the type of child that develops into a young adult having gone through the school. I have always received feedback on the exemplary behaviour of our students and of their impeccable manners, attitude, confidence, creative abilities and of  the innate care and concern for they have for each other that stretches beyond their individual levels.

It is these soft skills that are important for the generation of the future and this is what I am most proud of in our students. This I know is not found anywhere else.

We encourage our students to be adventurous too. Having ventured into the jungles of Taman Negara, explored Endau Rompin, climbed Gunung Ledang and delved into the caves of Gua Tempurung, Perak, Sri Ara students have proven that learning is not only confined to the 4 walls of a classroom. I am so very proud of them.

It is a well-known fact that just because one can do well in academics, this does not mean that one can succeed in life. It takes something called grit as evident in the research done by Dr. Angela Lee Duckworth, a renowned professor of psychology. It is this grit factor that ultimately leads to success and achievement. And this is what we at Sri Ara Schools are proud to say we have carefully weaved into what makes the essence of character of many of the students who have gone through our corridors.

Compassion and care are also core strengths of Sri Ara students who have actively raised funds for tsunami victims, donated items for the Children’s Surgical and Cancer wards in the hospital, gone on clean-up campaigns and have always offered themselves for community service projects wherever needed in Johor.

I have seen with my own eyes over the years many students develop the confidence in themselves to stand up and speak fluently with composure in front of a crowd of people whom they do not know. It is this “fearlessness” and “grit” that I am proud to say we encourage and inspire in our students.

Besides this, nurturing creativity, developing good social skills, and inculcating a strong sense of empathy with community spirit are requirements nowadays in becoming a global citizen.

This is what I can sincerely and proudly assure you, Sri Ara Schools does for its students.

FACULTY

At Sri Ara Schools, we have a team of keen, dedicated and experienced teachers and support staff that is able to encourage your child to stretch and discover his or her potential, through his or her own achievements; thereby enabling him or her to gain self-confidence to step into his or her  adult life and equip them to handle whatever comes their way.

Our teachers fully realise that each child is unique, and are trained to handle each child as an individual with special talents of their own. We encourage the children to be active, responsible and also to take leadership roles in the student body.

In selecting a school, every parent should consider the following :-

• Philosophy of the school and its staff, the duration of key staff in the school and their experience.
• Followed by the curricula and the examination boards the students will sit examinations under.
• A good and sound track record of strong academic results.
• Check that the school has no or near zero cases of bullying or disciplinary problems.

In addition to this :-

When selecting a school for your child priority concern should be in finding out whether the school is licensed by the MOE.  This is to ensure that the school is in compliance with rules and regulations stipulated by the authorities.

The law applying to schools includes legislation specifically about education, employees and most important, that of health and safety standards.

Proper licenses assure one that stringent standards set by the government especially in terms of the quality of teachers, specifications on space and fire and safety issues have been met and complied with.

Licensed schools will mean your children will be able to sit for examinations under a recognised board and receive proper school leaving certificates from an authorised school when they complete their school education, provided all terms and conditions are fully complied with.

Sri Ara Schools is a registered school of Cambridge Assessment International Education, the only exam board wholly owned by a world-leading university, the University of Cambridge. Cambridge International qualifications prepare students for life, helping them develop an informed curiosity and a lasting passion for learning. They are recognised by universities and employers around the world.

Students are prepared for the Cambridge Primary Programme Checkpoint Examinations be the end of their Primary Education and the International General Certificate for School Examinations at the end of Year 11.

Our Cambridge Pathway gives students a clear path for educational success from age 5 to 17. Schools can shape its curriculum around how they want students to learn – with a wide range of subjects and flexible ways to offer them. It helps students discover new abilities and a wider world view, and give them the transferable skills they need for life, so they can achieve at school, university and work.

Every year, nearly a million students from 10 000 schools in 160 countries prepare for their future with Cambridge programmes and qualifications. Success with Cambridge often gives students admission to the world’s best universities – in the US, the UK, Australia, Canada, Germany and beyond.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Sri Ara and the school environment equipped me with vital skills that were instrumental in my personal career development. The small class sizes and the close knit relationship within the school helped form meaningful friendship and bonds that still stand today. Several ex schoolmates have gone on and made quite a name for themselves in fields ranging from artist, lawyer, film maker and successful business owners.

After I got back from Australia I’ve since started my own company and we’re involved in International trade in the FMCG industry, Industrial Sanitation Chemicals and recently we have diversified into F&B. Our global partners span from China, Japan, Korea, Indonesia and Singapore.”

Melvin Timothy Soh

“I studied at Sri Ara School for 5 years; I started my studies there at the age of 12, finishing at the age of 17 in 2016. It’s easy to say that I was a different person when leaving the school. In my opinion I am a better person. Sri Ara had not only impacted my academics, they helped me to become more social, responsible and increased my confidence dramatically.

Sri Ara always felt more like a family than a school. Every student knew and respected each other. The teachers were there to guide the students, the older students look after the younger ones and the younger ones look up to their elders. It was a great atmosphere and there could not be any other place I wish to have spent my five years at.”

Muhammad Farhad Alam

“How does “amazing faculty” explain the teachers who are willing to not only invest extra time and effort in their students but also invest in their students emotionally; becoming more than just mentors and guides? How can “a tightly knit student body” describe the brotherly bonds that bind us together like family? How could a successful extra- curricular program” do justice to the overflowing trophy cabinets and the long list of societies full of passionate people? How can “competent administration” describe the people who lose sleep over your problems and treat you like their own children?

So perhaps the only thing I can say about Sri Ara Schools is that it is an experience like no other and that coming here was quite simply a gift and I hope that you will be able to say the same. “

Student 2010-2016

Muhammad Ali Alam

“ I enjoyed my time in Sri Ara very much. The school itself is environmentally friendly with lots of green. I enjoyed most my art classes where we get to create our artwork around nature. I have expanded my creativity well and learnt to think out of the box. Lots of co-curricular classes to choose from to keep us active while we explored our potential. Thank you Sri Ara, although I left to study abroad I never forget to visit whenever I am free.”

Christine Ler

Our Achievements

We are very proud of our students who have been accepted and gone on to study in prestigious institutes of higher learning all over the world such as Singapore Institute of Management University, Gakushuin University in Japan, University of Melbourne and University of New South Wales in Australia and recently two of our top students were offered places in Harvard, just to name a few.

Besides this, we also also pleased to say that our achievements are:

• Our students are global citizens who are creative, confident, resilient, well -mannered, responsible and caring with strong leadership qualities;
• We have zero bullying and disciplinary problems;
• Our strong track record of excellent academic results with a 95% pass rate and a track record of innumerable A and A*s in Cambridge IGCSE International Examinations and SPM examinations over the past 10 years;
• Our students were awarded the Top Student in Malaysia for IGCSE Environmental Management examinations for two consecutive years by leading examinations board, Cambridge Assessments International Examinations.