Parent's Review of British International School of Jeddah in Jeddah
What is the name of your child's school? (Please report on one school per survey.)
British International School of Jeddah
In what town or city is this school located?
Jeddah
How would you describe this school? (i.e. American, British, International, Local, etc.)
International/British
What grade levels are represented at this school?
Nursery - IB
How do most children get to school everyday? (bus, train, walk, etc.)
Private drivers or compound buses. There is a large compound next door, so those students walk.
How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?
The facilities are great. Extra-curricular activities are somewhat limited, but what is available is very well run. There is a shaded swimming pool, heated in the cooler months, indoor sports facilities, climbing wall, squash courts, etc.
What has this school done to help your child transition from the curriculum in your home country into the curriculum in your new country? Are there programs to prepare your child for repatriation?
Most teachers are quite accommodating of new students, and their various needs, although if English is not your first language it can be a problem in the higher grades.
How would you describe the social activities available for parents through this school? Are there parent-teacher organizations?
There are not really any social activities for parents through the school, but as most people live on compounds in Jeddah, the large compounds tend to be the hub of activity.
There really aren't any parent-teacher organizations, and although individual teachers are quite willing to talk about your particular child, there doesn't seem to be any real desire for parent input. At the moment that isn't a huge problem as it is a very well run school.
What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling their child in this school?
This is a great school. I would strongly recommend it. If your child has any learning difficulties I would suggest you have a report from a Educational Psychologist with recommendations before you arrive, and as long as the difficulties aren't severe, the school does have a very positive attitude about accommodating such students. I would specifically ask that my child be placed with a teacher who is geared towards this however, as some are definitely better than others.
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Comments about this Report
guestTeachers are not that good. Some teachers teach because they have to, not because they want to. Some of the fees you pay are invested into questionable stuff such as building a smoking room for the teachers.
guestI have an MBA & a Ph.D & I lecture Economics, HRM, Research methodology & various other management science disciplines at a university in Jeddah. I'm wondering what salaries are like at this school. Harry harry.errols@hotmail.com
guestIn general teachers at the school are ok, but then there are always the exceptions. my son went into upper school this year and has really had trouble with all these 'research' and 'poster' things that they send as homework,another parent just put me onto the 'autology personal learning' website and its been a great help to him,especially all the online textbooks. i wish the teachers at school had told us about it.
CdninSaudiThis is a very fair review. Overall it is a good school, but parent involvement is often unwelcome, and the school management has made it clear that it is strongly opposed to any kind of parent association. As at any school, some teachers are better than others, but there has definitely been higher turnover of staff over the last few years which does make one wonder. Still, there are many wonderful teachers and my children have had some really wonderful years at this school.
guestTo say the school has a positive attitude towards learning difficulties is incorrect. Although my children where graded as being above average in thier school in the UK the deputy head mistress said that she thought their level of attainment was disgraceful and that only the very best students would be taken on. I suggest that you definately get your children to do the entry exam before bringing them to Kingdom to prevent disappointment.
guestwhat comound is next door?
guestwhat comound is next door? Al Basateen Village
guestI used to work at the school for two years (2005 - 2007). The teachers were good, but administration were quite the opposite. I left the school due to issues resulting in, what I felt, were racism against the Muslim staff... Although, due to a recent change of Headmaster, things may be better for the staff who remain there. For the students, the conditions were good, as the teachers had genuine concern for the pupils, and with the correct direction they tended to perform well. Thanks... Ex JPGS Teacher.
