British International School Riyadh

Focus

Educating global citizens 

Day fees 2024/25

$12,500–$28,100

Pupils

3,000

Ages

3–18

Spear’s Review

The British International School Riyadh (BISR) educates over 3,000 children from more than 90 different nationalities across a number of campuses in Riyadh and beyond. The school focuses on three key areas: learning, well-being and enrichment, based on the belief that students who are happy learn more effectively. Early years students follow a play-based approach to learning, while older pupils follow an enhanced version of the UK national curriculum, including GCSE and A-Level examinations. 

Founded in 1979, the school has three campuses for Sixth Form students across Saudi Arabia: Al Waha, Al Hamra and the Diplomatic Quarter (DQ). Each campus offers students a distinct pathway of study for the IB programme, A-Levels and BTEC examinations. 

BISR has cemented itself within the expatriate community, and while the student population is suitably diverse, approximately 50 per cent of pupils hold a British passport. 

Academics

43 per cent of GCSE results are grades 7–9 (as an average across the Al Hamra campus and DQ campus).

40 per cent of results at A-Level are A* or A. 

University and college destinations

The majority of students attend universities in the UK and US, but other destinations include the UAE, South Africa, Ireland and Bahrain. 

Head teacher

Helen Olds, director of schools for the BISR group, has worked across British schools in Asia including Jerudong International School in Brunei, British School Jakarta in Indonesia, International School Park City in Malaysia and the British School Manila in the Philippines. She joined BISR in Saudi Arabia as principal in August 2019 and aims to provide an ‘oasis of learning in the desert’.

Admissions

The admissions process at BISR involves completing an online application and submitting recent school reports. Applicants undergo an assessment to evaluate their ability to access the curriculum, including English proficiency. BISR accepts applications year-round, with priority given to siblings and certain nationality groups.

Accessibility

King Khalid International Airport: 20 minutes 

Location

Click for more information about the research process and expert insight behind the Spear’s Schools Index.