Staff & Students 2000-2001 Academic Year

Class in Prince Sultan Park

The Hospital School

The School was established in 1995 to educate the children of expatriate hospital employees.  In the 2001/02 academic year the English National Curriculum was introduced.  The School is licensed by the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education.

Children are enrolled from Junior Kindergarten to Grade 8 giving them a British-style education from the age of 4 years to 13 years.  A standard academic calendar is followed with 185 teaching days.  All children are taught in English.  For children who join the School unable to speak English, special provision is made.

The School follows the English National Curriculum as far as possible. The English-language immersion programme is highly successful.  All children study Arabic, either as a foreign language or to maintain their home language.  Islamic Religion is taught in English and Arabic. Reports are issued at the end of each term and follow-up interviews are held to ensure that parents are fully informed of their children’s progress.

Special activities are run throughout the year. A merit scheme is used and a house system operates.   A forty-minute eight period day schedule is used and the school day runs from 7:30 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.  The timings are adjusted during Ramadan.

The School’s capacity is 100 students although the current enrolment is 70 representing a dozen nationalities.

The school is a purpose-built construction, standing in its own grounds, which houses classrooms, office and staff areas.   In addition to regular class rooms there are specialist rooms for teaching Arabic and Islamic religion.  Other facilities are the mosque, library, science laboratory, juniors’ activity room, computer room, art room, performing arts room, a multi-purpose hall and resource storage rooms.

A crèche service is attached to the School in its own building, and separately staffed.

In addition to the Principal there are ten teachers on staff.  Recruitment is from Britain, South Africa and Egypt.   Staff are recruited on the basis of qualifications and experience.  All are university graduates and most hold post-graduate diplomas and/or higher degrees. 

Although it is a very small school, it has the educational resources and academic results which are the envy of many larger schools.