One of the biggest decisions you’ll make as a parent when moving to Riyadh is which school to send your kids to. Luckily for you, the Saudi capital has some of the most highly regarded schools in the whole Middle East.
If your little angels are too young for big school you can find a great selection of nurseries, kindergartens and Montessori here.
Should they be a little older and you’re arriving from an Arabic-speaking country and your child is fluent in Arabic, you might want to plump for one of the many public schools here in Riyadh.
However, if you’re not from the MENA region it is likely you will send your little ones to an international school.
The choices on offer can seem a little daunting, especially when you have different curricula to decide between, too.
Here’s a quick overview of some of the international school options in Riyadh.
International pre-schools
Deciding where to send your littlest ones to start their educational journey can be pretty tough but depending on whether you want nursery, kindergarten or Montessori-style teaching you can immediately cross off many options. Here are a few of the international pre-school options in the city.
Blossoms International School
A great choice for the Indian and American expat families, Blossoms can really help your mini adventurers to, well, blossom. Its ethos will resonate in most of us parents in that Blossoms aims to be a ‘friendly and fun filled environment where [children’s] growth, development and well-being can be naturally promoted’. With age groups going right up to Grade 3 (eight to nine) if your kid settles here nicely at pre-nursery level, there’s no reason why they can’t continue to flourish for many years more.
Fees vary. Villa No.9, Mohammed Ibn Uthaimain Street, Rawdah 3, http://www.blossomsksa.com/ (11 214 6665).
Bright Schools Montessori
Thoroughly tuned in to Maria Montessori’s vision of how early years education should be, Bright Schools gives your child the chance to freely explore what makes them tick. Founded by a mum struggling to find a suitable outside outlet for her own child’s bright mind, this place promises to nurture the inquisitive and sociable side of your bright young thing. Its ever-changing curriculum is tapered to each kid’s needs, with a penchant for technology and language just two of its primary goals.
Fees vary. Arizona Compound, 7661 Ibrahim Mubarak Said Ad Dusari, Ash Shuhada; and Hamra Compound, Ext.# 417-404, Prince Saudi Ibn Muhammad Ibn Muqrin Rd, Qurtubah, https://www.brightschoolsmontessori.org/ (054 324 1355).
Home Sweet Home
Offering early years education up to the age of six, Home Sweet Home has a simple mission: ‘to care for and educate our children and their families through establishing secure, supportive and creative learning environments’. For its youngest of pupils, this means developing their love for learning and natural curiosity while bringing on their cognitive, language, motor and social/emotional skills. Who doesn’t want that from their little learners?
Fees vary. 7105 Abdullah Al Baihaqi, Al Mohammadiyyah, https://www.hsh.edu.sa/ (053 553 1863).
Little Angels Montessori Preschool
With a proud record of propelling its pupils to some of the top international schools in Riyadh, Little Angels endeavours to give your teenie weenies wings with which they can fly high. In short, Little Angels strives to provide a stimulating environment that will help your young’uns develop the ‘habits, attitudes, skills and ideas essential for a lifetime of creative thinking and learning’. No arguments from us, then.
Fees vary. Ishbilia Compound, King Abdullah Road East, Exit 10, Ishbilia District, http://littleangelsriyadh.com (054 449 2428).
International Schools
So, you’ve live-streamed your entire family footage of their ‘graduation’ from nursery and therefore it’s time to pack them off to junior school. With relief for some, and reticence for others, now is the moment for your kids to truly discover themselves (and potentially beat you at Scrabble sometime soon). International school awaits, and here’s where you might think of sending them…
Al Yasmin International School
For many Indian expat families, this is the go-to when it comes to secondary education. Following the Central Board of Secondary Education’s well-rounded curriculum, Al Yasmin provides pupils with the chance to truly express themselves while becoming, as it says, ‘emotionally intelligent, intellectually competent, spiritually stable, socially sensitive and professionally competent global citizens’. All tremendous traits, we’re sure you’ll agree.
Fees vary. Ibn Faris Street, near King Abdullah Park, https://alyasmin.edu.sa/ (11 476 3859).
American International School
The school bell first rang here in 1963 and ever since, AIS has proved prolific in teaching kids the American way. Wholly determined to help its pupils ‘think creatively, reason critically and communicate effectively’, this stalwart of Riyadh’s expat education system attracts its fair share of Saudi students (some 17 percent of the school at the last count). From kindergarten upwards there are 1,425 keen minds on its campus at any one time, but rather than letting them be small fishes in a big pond, the pastoral care at AIS ensures everyone can flourish here.
From SAR42,114 a year. Prince Saud Ibn Abdullah Ibn Jalawi, Al Aarid, https://www.aisr.org/ (11 459 7500).
The British International School
Founded in 1979 this stellar school might have ‘British’ in its title but that belies the fact only half of its students are from Blighty while the rest originate from some 52 other nations. Truly international, but geared mostly towards the GCSE and A-Level syllabus, this co-educational school has a varied, co-corricular programme. It encourages its pupils to get involved in sporting as well as academic pursuits and allows them to explore its holistic approach to education.
From SAR46,059 a year. 2786 -7693 Ibrahim Mubarak Said Ad Dusari, Riyadh 13241, https://www.bisr.com.sa/ (9200 33963).
The KAUST School
Should you want your kids to take the International Baccalaureate and let them have a more varied education than the more old-school paths, the King Abdullah University of Science and Technology’s younger unit will let them unleash their passion for knowledge. The facilities here are quite bewildering and by encouraging its pupils to be free-thinking, KAUST nurtures all types of student – from the scientific to the sporty, musical to mathematical.
From SAR83,000 a year for secondary school. King Abdullah University of Science and Technology, Thuwal, https://tks.kaust.edu.sa/ (12 808 6803).
Be the first to get all the latest Riyadh news, reviews and deals into your inbox by signing up to our free newsletter, click here to sign up.
