Jeddah Knowledge International School Review
The story so far…
Jeddah Knowledge International School (JKS) was the first IB Continuum School in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia authorised by the Saudi Ministry of Education and the International Baccalaureate Organisation to offer the three principal IB Programmes: Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and Diploma Programme. Upon graduation, all students receive an accredited American High School Diploma and/or IB Diploma Certificate or IB Diploma.
In addition to the International Baccalaureate Organisation, JKS is also accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and by NEASC (The New England Association of Schools and Colleges), thus ensuring that students’ Diplomas are recognised internationally. JKS is also a member of Middle East IB Association (MEIBA), European Council of International Schools (ECIS), Association for Supervision in Curriculum Development (ASCD), Near East South Asia Council of Overseas Schools (NESA), and Overseas Association for College Admission Counseling (OACAC).
The school is led by Executive Director, Mrs. Elham Al Fadli, supported by a professional leadership team including Head of School, Mrs. Yasmin Suliman. Since its opening, the school says it has graduated over 1,840 students.
In 2022, JKS is understood to have approximately 2,200 students of 24 different nationalities. Class sizes are relatively small, with 20 students in Primary and Upper School and 10 per class in the IB classes. Students are segregated by gender from Grade 4.
JKS does not provide detailed information about its staffing, but says that its “professional academic staff consists of qualified, experienced and highly dedicated teachers representing 20 different nationalities.” The school provides maximum opportunities for continued professional development through IB workshops worldwide, in addition to in-house workshops run by qualified IB leaders.
The school motto, a philosophy – that according to JKS is truly believed by its faculty and staff - is ‘dedication to academic excellence’.
JKS staff including administrators and faculty seek to create a warm and nurturing professional learning community in which students may flourish. Exemplifying JKS’s commitment to internationalism, academic excellence and belief in the importance of a well-rounded education, the academic curriculum is integrated with the development of lifelong skills, values and attributes so as to nurture the well-being and holistic development of students.
What about the curriculum?
JKS offers the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP). Students may also earn a NEASC accredited US High School Diploma.
In the interests of the holistic development, JKS offers numerous extra-curricular and co-curricular activities throughout the year which promote physical, emotional and social growth. The school offers an extensive After School Activity Programme.
What about Academic Achievement?
The school does not publish its IB Diploma results - something that we at WhichSchoolAdvisor.com have long encouraged schools to do. Whilst results should not be and are not the be-all and end-all of education, they are an important factor in school choice.
JKS also encourages students to participate in a range of standardised tests and pre-college examinations. By the end of Grade 11, all students are required to sit the SAT I (English and math) and during Grade 12, students take the SAT II as per their university requirements. Students are required to complete a range of prescribed internal examinations and standard examinations (e.g. PSAT), and are encouraged to take other English proficiency tests such as IELTS and TOEFL to be eligible for graduation.
What about the facilities?
JKS’ buildings were built according to international specifications on a 40,000 square meter plot of land. They are fully air-conditioned, and equipped with security cameras throughout the classrooms and campus, a fire alarm system, intercoms and a paging system. The campus is divided into five buildings including Pre-primary and Primary Girls (Nursery – Grade 5), Primary Boys (Grades 4-5), Upper School Girls (Grades 6-12), and a Boys’ Building (Grades 6-12). Wireless internet connection covers every office and classroom in the school. All classrooms are equipped with interactive whiteboards.
The specialist facilities include 2 Multi-purpose Auditoriums, 12 Specialist Science Laboratories, three Laboratory Preparation Rooms, six Computer Laboratories, an Auto-Engineering Room, a Robotics Room, two Design Technology Rooms, six Art Rooms, five Performing Art Rooms and a Film Studies Room. There are also two School Libraries and four Cafeterias.
Recreation areas include four Outdoor Covered Play Areas, two Indoor Air-conditioned Play Areas, and a Sand Room.
Sports Facilities include four Air-conditioned Basketball Courts, two Green Pitches, a 25m Covered Swimming Pool, and a 15m Covered Swimming Pool, three fully-equipped Gymnasiums and a Fitness Room.
The Buzz
A long established school in Jeddah, which appears to have expanded to serve the international community in addition to its original Saudi base of students, the decision to offer the most internationally accepted of all curricula is something we applaud. We would like, however, to see transparency around the achievement of JKS' students in this context.
If you are a parent, teacher or senior student at Jeddah Knowledge International School, please share your opinions and experience with other potential members of your community and complete our Survey.
What about the fees?
Fees range from 29,000 SAR in pre-KG (both boys and girls), rising to 45,300 SAR in Grade 1 and to 61,053 SAR in Grade 12 in the boys' section. Fees for female students start at 44,352 SAR in Grade 1, rising to 59,552 SAR in Grade 12. Fees are quoted without VAT.
There is a registration fee of 3,000 SAR for KG students which rises to 5,750 SAR for students joining the school from Grade 1 upwards. There is also an Entrance exam fee of 575 SAR (non-refundable assessment fee).
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