AL RAJA SCHOOL

Al Raja School is a private, bilingual, coeducational, multicultural non-profit K-12 institution in the capital city Manama, in the Kingdom of Bahrain. It is accredited by Cognia (previously AdvancED) & the North Central Association Commission on Accreditation and School Improvement. The school is approved by the College Board to offer Advanced Placement Courses

Curriculum: In the Arabic medium subjects, the curriculum is based on the Bahrain Ministry of Education’s curriculum, supplemented with the Lughati Farahi curriculum and resources from Lebanon, one of the most popular curricula in the MENA region.

English medium subjects follow an American curriculum, and textbook resources are drawn largely from American textbook publishers, with supplemental material drawn from a variety of resources.

Language of instruction	Arabic and English
Age range	4 – 18 years
Native English teachers	Yes
Uniform required	Yes
Allows Late or Midterm Enrollment	Yes (in limited circumstances)
Transportation	No
Year of Establishment	1899
Annual Fees	BD 1,347 – BD 2,675
Student Population	667
Number of Staff	94
Extracurricular Activities	Basketball, Volleyball, Football, MUN, Eco Club, Student Council, School Newspaper, Drama, Quiz Club, Friends Club, World Scholarship Cup, Games Club, Lego League, Fly High

Admission Requirements:

All new students are required to sit for an entrance test to check their math and language skills and may be asked to take part in an interview with a senior administrator.

If space permits and the student meet the expectations of the school, parents will be notified of their child’s acceptance. At this point a non-refundable registration fee must be paid to secure the place. If there is no space in a class and the student meets the expectations of the school, parents will be notified that their child has been placed on the waiting list. Only when a space opens is the registration fee to be paid.

Parents who enroll their child in the school agree to accept school policies. Application forms will be accepted during the month of February, but no decisions will be made regarding acceptance until the registration period has been completed for students already enrolled in the school.

Gulf Insider contacted this school to provide useful information that will help you navigate through the educational system in Bahrain.

What is the range of your virtual classes / learning?

We offered virtual classes for all students from KG1 (4 years old) to Grade 12. Students watched videos recorded by school faculty, completed activities online and at home, submitted assignments through the portal, and received custom feedback from their teachers.

What are the facilities available in your school? Please distinguish between Ministry mandated facilities and extra facilities.

The school is equipped with spacious classrooms, a full sized gym that can also be used for events, a brand new sound system for performances, a secure central court yard that provides safety for students of all ages, 3 fully equipped science labs, 3 fully equipped computer labs, home economics facilities, and a library with over 13,000 titles in English and Arabic.

Do you offer any scholarships or student discounts? If yes, please elaborate.

Scholarship Fund

The Scholarship fund covers the cost of tuition and is specifically for students whose families cannot afford a private school education (and are currently enrolled in a government school). It is open for one student each year entering Grade 9 and whose families meet the financial criteria outlined in the application form.

Financial Aid Fund

The Financial Aid fund is specifically for the families who currently attend Al Raja School. Families who are facing an extraordinary financial circumstance may apply to the school for Aid. Submitting an application is not a guarantee for aid to be awarded. Aid will be awarded based on the need of the family and availability of funds.

What coronavirus (COVID-19) initiatives have you implemented?

We immediately moved online and have used our platform with PlusPortals to deliver lesson content. Teachers uploaded bespoke videos for their students, led lessons using Zoom, utilized Google Suites to communicate and engage with students, and utilized online platforms such as Flipgrid and Padlet.

Staff immediately moved online, working in a remote environment. All visitors to the school must have their temperature taken, and plastic barriers have been put up to protect staff that regularly sees parents and other visitors. Staff maintains social distancing protocols in school.

How can parents ensure that their children are safe in school?

Al Raja School has been considering a number of facilities renovations and equipment changes in the case that the school is reopened next year. Some of these changes will include reduced number of desks in the classroom to maintain appropriate distancing, temperature readings, touchless facilities in the bathrooms, and touchless water dispensers (whereby we only allow non-disposable water bottles in school).

If the Ministry of Education declares schools reopened, plans are in place to ensure that students are delivered a high-quality curriculum in a socially distanced, clean environment that helps to protect all students and staff on campus.

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