Post by Baileydoodle on Aug 17, 2013 9:39:02 GMT
This is for families who are considering a job offer in Udhailiyah and are wondering about high school/boarding school options. The Udhailiyah school finishes at GR 9 (Year 10 in British type systems) The high school in Dhahran, at ISG schools, is NOT an option for students in Udhailiyah. It takes about 2 hours to get there and is not a daily commutable distance. The closest option is The Bahrain School where students can come home on the weekends- the school provides a van to Udhailiyah for this purpose. The website is www.bahr-ehs.eu.dodea.edu. This is a US Dept. of Defense school with an American curriculum and AP and IB course options. Keep in mind that they do not have 'rolling' admissions, students must be admitted and start school either at the start of the school year (Aug/Sept) or the second trimester (Jan). This can be tricky depending on when your contract with Aramco starts. In some cases, families may want to consider mom/kids staying at current home to complete the school year if the transition will come at a time other than the start of the year or start of second semester. Also keep in mind that all schools will have to have available space, so the sooner an application is made, the better. All boarding students must apply to the school through the BISA dorm. You can find the link on the list of choices on the left on the main website.
The next closest option is King's Academy in Jordan. This is also a US curriculum school located outside of Amman. Again, they accept new students only at the beginning of each semester. www.kingsacademy.edu.jo
Apparently there is a British curriculum boarding school in Dubai called Repton Academy, but I don't have any knowledge of that school. www.reptondubai.org
Families sometimes come to Udhailiyah and ask for their child to repeat GR 9 in order for the family to stay together for the year. This is not an option, either.
The most important thing for families to do is PLAN ahead. Make sure Aramco shares with you your EAP benefits (what they will pay for tuition, airfare etc. for boarding school) based on your payroll designation. It is a flat amount, and it is up to parents to find a school they can afford, or to pay the difference). There is a 3rd party option, where they will pay a lesser amount for tuition and living costs if the child is going to live with a relative for example.
Most commonly students attend boarding schools in the US and Canada. Some go to the UK/Europe, India or other countries. If you have to choose a boarding school before coming to Udhailiyah, you many want to consider hiring an educational consultant in your region to help you. Some helpful websites for boarding schools:
www.boardingschoolreview.com
www.andersoneducation.co.uk (free consulting service for UK boarding schools)
www.boardingschools.com
www.educationalconsulting.org
www.admissionsquest.com
It is a difficult decision for families to send their child to boarding school, but a reality if you accept a job in Udhailiyah with teenaged children or have kids in middle school who will shortly be high schoolers.
Best of luck!
The next closest option is King's Academy in Jordan. This is also a US curriculum school located outside of Amman. Again, they accept new students only at the beginning of each semester. www.kingsacademy.edu.jo
Apparently there is a British curriculum boarding school in Dubai called Repton Academy, but I don't have any knowledge of that school. www.reptondubai.org
Families sometimes come to Udhailiyah and ask for their child to repeat GR 9 in order for the family to stay together for the year. This is not an option, either.
The most important thing for families to do is PLAN ahead. Make sure Aramco shares with you your EAP benefits (what they will pay for tuition, airfare etc. for boarding school) based on your payroll designation. It is a flat amount, and it is up to parents to find a school they can afford, or to pay the difference). There is a 3rd party option, where they will pay a lesser amount for tuition and living costs if the child is going to live with a relative for example.
Most commonly students attend boarding schools in the US and Canada. Some go to the UK/Europe, India or other countries. If you have to choose a boarding school before coming to Udhailiyah, you many want to consider hiring an educational consultant in your region to help you. Some helpful websites for boarding schools:
www.boardingschoolreview.com
www.andersoneducation.co.uk (free consulting service for UK boarding schools)
www.boardingschools.com
www.educationalconsulting.org
www.admissionsquest.com
It is a difficult decision for families to send their child to boarding school, but a reality if you accept a job in Udhailiyah with teenaged children or have kids in middle school who will shortly be high schoolers.
Best of luck!
