Al-Kon (Global) International School was established in 2000 in the Al-Ruwais area of Jeddah. The school offers both US and British curricula.

The story so far...

Al-Kon (Global) International School is, somewhat confusingly, also referred to as GIS, referencing the translation of its name from the Arabic to either Global or Universal. It was previously known as Al-Kon Al-Mutawah School and refers to itself with the abbreviated Al-Kon. 

The school provides little information about its ownership, leadership or origins, despite a lengthy section on its website devoted to its History.

The school Motto is ‘Today’s Learners Are Tomorrow’s Leaders’.

Its Vision statement is ‘Al-Kon (Global) International School aims to build a positive, safe, and stimulating learning and teaching environment that overcomes challenges and adapts flexibly to changes through applying continuous professional development, nurturing learners’ 21st-century skills, and empowering them with a passion for learning and being lifelong learners’.

Its Mission statement is ‘Al-Kon (Global) International School is committed to delivering high-quality education that empowers learners with profound knowledge and builds up their various skills, strengths, and character necessary to succeed in a technologically advanced and diversified future. All stakeholders are committed to building ambitious, confident, innovative, and passionate members of society’.

The school provides little information about its teachers or students’ nationalities and numbers.

What about the curriculum?

Al-Kon is accredited to teach both the US curriculum and the English National curriculum.  For the US curriculum (although the school gives no specific details of which US state curriculum it follows), it is an accredited member of the Northwest Accreditation Commission (NWAC), one of the three School and College accreditation boards which make up COGNIA.  It is also a certified SAT test centre.

For the ‘British’ Curriculum (in reality there is no such thing – with Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales and England each having separate national curricula), the school follows the National Curriculum for England (NCfE).  The school is recognised by the British Council in KSA as a test centre and is a certified Cambridge International Exam Board and Oxford AQA Exam Board IGCSE, AS and A-Level test centre.

The school is divided into sections which are separated between US and British curriculum.

All students begin their education in the pre-school section of KG1 at 3 to 4 years of age, joining KG2 from 4 to 5 years.  Students who plan to follow the British curriculum join the Reception Year (RY) from age 5 to 6 years, whilst US curriculum students join Grade 1 for the start of their Elementary education at this age where they continue to Grade 5.  

The Middle school operates from Grades 6 to 8 across both curricula, and students continue through separated US and British sections for Secondary school from Grades 9 to 12. 

The focus in the KG section is to provide children with a wide vocabulary experience while developing their academic skills in pre-reading, pre-writing, pre-math, pre-science and arts and crafts. Children are introduced to English through play, stories, arts and crafts, action songs and rhymes, activity centres and theme work.  Student progress is constantly monitored. Additional subjects include Arabic, Qur’an, Computer, Swimming, P.E and Library.

Students who join the Reception Year are encouraged  to develop confidence in using English with a focus on the development of verbal, social, emotional and academic skills and emphasis on fine motor skills, reading skills, writing skills, oral language, conceptual math and Science. RY students also study French in addition to Arabic, Qur’an, Computer, Swimming, P.E, and Library.

The school provides some information about the subject and course goals for each section of the school on its website.  In Elementary/Middle school in the US section, students focus on Language Arts, Math, Science, Arabic, Social Studies, French, Computer Studies, Islamic Studies, History, Geography, PE and Arts. In the Middle School, Science subjects are broken into separate Biology, Chemistry and Physics classes. 

Few details are available about the Secondary school and subjects offered for both SAT and IGCSE/A Levels.

The school offers a limited range of after school activities including Swimming, Football and Gymnastics. The school calendar also includes a range of competitions such as spelling bee and Vocabulary days and also health and wellbeing associated programmes, including Diabetes Awareness, Mental Health and Electronic games Awareness, and Career and Culture days.

GIS has a full-time counselor and social workers, dedicated to dealing with emotional, behavioral, social and psychological issues. The school counselor and social worker are among the first resources available to students who wish for support in terms of their future study or career direction. An Exam Counselor facilitates the Exam Registration Procedure, providing details of requirements for . IGCSE, AS and A Level registrations as well as SAT examinations, books, dates, fees, and the registration process.  

What about academic achievement?

No information is provided about students' achievements at either IGCSE, AS or A Level. No High School profile is provided which would record students' achievements at SAT or their college entries. 

What about the Facilities?

The school says that it offers four full size gymnasia, two Olympic swimming pools, 11 computer labs, 5 robotics labs, 5 science labs, 5 libraries, 4 Music rooms, 4 art rooms, 1 Montessori room, and 9 internal/external play areas.

The Buzz

Al-Kon (Global) International School is a moderately priced school.  The school website is not particularly detailed - much of the information is included in the Student-Parent Handbook rather than on the website itself.  Accordingly, information is limited and there is no obvious feedback from parents or students.

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What about the fees?

Fees at Al-Kon International School range from 13,000 SAR in pre-KG, rising to 15,000 SAR in KG1 and 17,000 SAR in KG2. Fees for students who join the Reception Year are 18,000 SAR.  Elementary school fees range from 20,000 SAR for Grades 1 to 3 to 21,000 SAR for Grades 4 to 6. Fees for Grades 7 to 10 are 22,500 SAR, and fees for Grades 11 and 12 are 27,500 SAR.

All students are billed an additional 1,000 SAR for unspecified miscellaneous fees.  New students are required to take an entrance exam the non-refundable fees for which are 200 SAR for KG and 400 SAR for other grades.  There is also a non-refundable registration fee of 1,000 SAR and a deposit of 4,000 SAR. Parents will also pay an annual re-registration fee of 2,000 SAR. 

All fees are subject to 15% VAT. 

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