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Original poster

HELP! British School of Riyadh Vs London day school

37 replies

LondontoRiyadh · 17/02/2021 14:35

Hi Anyone Out There
My husband has just been offered dream job and would be going to Riyadh this spring. Both kids are at London day schools 13 and 10 years old. I have just heard bad things about the differences between Riyadh British school and London schools. They are not super academic but managed to get into their respective schools just and I worry that if they go to Riyadh they won't be able to come back easily and navigate the UK system. Should I stay here to keep kids in good school and go out there on holidays or should we risk it and just hope the British School is going to get them into a good University when the time comes.
Any thoughts would be incredibly gratefully received.
Thank you!

OP posts:
LIZS · 17/02/2021 14:37

If it is indefinite contract you heed to consider affordability of uni fees as an overseas student.

HoneysuckIejasmine · 17/02/2021 14:39

Are either of your children girls?

DorotheaDiamond · 17/02/2021 14:43

Remember they need to be resident here for 3 full academic years to qualify as home students for university

Original poster
LondontoRiyadh · 17/02/2021 19:37

Oh those are good points - we were thinking of bringing them back after 2 years ... The London school said they will have a hard time getting the same academic level if they do come back then ..

OP posts:
Original poster
LondontoRiyadh · 17/02/2021 19:38

One is a girl

OP posts:
LIZS · 17/02/2021 19:40

Most gcse courses start in year 9 or 10. It would be a risk moving between then and start of year 12 as exam boards and curriculum may differ.

fitzbilly · 17/02/2021 19:44

Don't do it. Don't move your DCs there. Especially unfair in your dd.

I say this as someone who lived in SA as a child.

I know things have changed, but not that much.

Original poster
LondontoRiyadh · 17/02/2021 19:45

Thank you - yes this is what I'm worried about..it is a really important time ..

OP posts:
dublingirl66 · 17/02/2021 19:45

Sorry do not do it

Please don't !!!!

Can you look at options for staying in London please ??

Original poster
LondontoRiyadh · 17/02/2021 19:46

It's bad as a child even if you are in a compound or especially? I know so little - this is so helpful to know how you dealt thank you!

OP posts:
MolyHolyGuacamole · 17/02/2021 19:55

I wouldn't move there. Not just the school thing. The whole life thing.

GwendolineWindowlene · 17/02/2021 19:59

I couldn’t move a child to somewhere they were defined as inferior due to their sex.

dublingirl66 · 17/02/2021 20:10

Follow your gut
Listen to us here too

Please keep them in London.
Can your husband go and fly back for holidays!?

Original poster
LondontoRiyadh · 17/02/2021 20:12

Yes we were discussing doing that and I just didn't know what people think about it and wow - it's pretty universal. Jeez. I heard that it's ok on the compounds but now it seems not at all. Thank you all x

OP posts:
HoneysuckIejasmine · 17/02/2021 20:30

Even if it is ok on compounds, what kind of life is that for a teenager? Escorted from armed compound to, if they are lucky, another armed compound?

Stay in London.

TierFourTears · 17/02/2021 20:49

Not Ryiadh, but we lived in KSA until 2019.
We came back for (state) secondary for the oldest.
The opportunities for socialising becomes limited for teens. Many send kids to boarding school, so you dont get the breadth of options. For example, our primary was full, but the secondary school it fed to was of very similar size, and much easier to get a place in (assuming you passed the assessment).

The after school activities on offer were phenomenal, but the teaching is no better than our (Ofsted good) primary. Our secondary is a highly regarded local comp, and so far I'm not disappointed- but I never saw Saudi secondary teaching.
I would say moving as a family is worth considering with mid primary and lower. I wouldnt go with teens.
DM me if you want to chat.

Insert1x20p · 19/02/2021 02:17

I don't think the compounds are "bad" but it's a certain lifestyle and somewhat claustrophobic. I wouldn't do it with secondary age kids. Might do it just me and DH for a couple of years but it would have to be very compelling financially. Compared to living in London as a teen, no contest in terms of opportunities. And the London day schools are hard to beat anywhere tbh.

I think TierFour has also really nailed it in terms of the Year 9 exodus and this holds true for international schools everywhere. I live in HK and the expat population massively declines post Year 6 and Year 9. It kind of becomes self-perpetuating (people with teens leave because there aren't enough other people with teens so things like team sports lose strength in depth) but also a lot of parents want to ensure continuity for the secondary years and insure against having to change schools in case of possible job moves/redundancies. In HK, the international schools are popular with, and can accept local students, which keeps them full and academically better than they'd otherwise be, frankly, but in places where they can't it can lead to international schools basically taking anyone/ overlooking behavioural issues to keep the numbers up and remain financially viable.

Insert1x20p · 19/02/2021 02:19

sorry - to clarify- a lot of people leave back to home country for secondary, and where people stay, a high percentage of those send children back to home country to board. Net result= not that many expat teenage kids compared to primary age kids.

Original poster
LondontoRiyadh · 21/02/2021 21:34

Thank you all so much -great to know all this! Xx

OP posts:
habibihabibi · 03/03/2021 11:37

My children are enrolled at BISR . It has been closed since March since 2020 due to Covid. Other international schools in KSA have managed to open up to 50% capacity since Sept. BISR keeps plugging away at how good they are. It is in my opinion, has been terribly mismanaged and is held to randsom by staff who are 'stuck' all over the world. The role is dipping low so they will take anyone who will pay the fees. We are sending ours boarding as soon as possible.

Original poster
LondontoRiyadh · 03/03/2021 13:13

Hi there - thank you so much for this. It sounds like it hasn’t been good at all and I’m so sorry to hear. We are going to school them here. I have heard the American International School is good though, do kids go there? Good luck with the move! X

OP posts:
habibihabibi · 04/03/2021 03:30

I think the American School has better leadership. On all accounts BISR had a better reputation when it was led by the previous head who sadly past away.

Original poster
LondontoRiyadh · 22/03/2021 23:48

This is so interesting as we are considering the AISR school for my primary aged boy thank you x

OP posts:
Normaigai · 24/03/2021 06:03

I am in the GCC and KSA is off my list because of the lack of decent secondary options (and other things but the lack of secondary is one of the biggest factors). I would keep them in their London schools without a question.

Pinknelly · 30/03/2021 20:16

Agree totally with habibi. The school has been awful this past year. I would tell anyone thinking of coming here, don’t, simply because the children are stuck with online learning.