British International School Riyadh (BISR)
Reviews & Information

The most frustrating thing for me is lack of discipline and consequences for kids who bully, are racist and disruptive. Time and time again I hear the same complaint from other parents. Families leave because of the issues and the school just plucks another kid from the wait list charging 30,000 SAR just to join. They actually make more money when victims are turned over so clearly its not worth the effort of enforcing bad behaviour.

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BISR management has little regard for parents aside having them pay fees . Complaints are not addressed and frankly dangerous student behaviour is brushed under the carpet. Do not expect British standard discipline or manners. The Al Hamra campus resembles an run down juvenile correction facility but the wardens, sorry teachers, have no power over those students who continually offend with the current governance and management.

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The school has extremely poor teachers and getting a good teacher is like winning the lottery. Administrators are rude and disrespectful and a lot of the teachers and headmistress are racist, Islam a phobic and homophobic. The way the school runs is incompetent, school starts in less than a week and the timetables published have gaps (the teacher was written as unknown) and the school posted a insta story saying they were looking for a new teacher - keep in mind this was a few days before school starts. The headmistress said there was going to be new uniform but has not yet released it (similar thing happened last year and for the first half of the year no one had correct uniform). The school in itself if the level of a public school in the uk, which does not at all justify the ever increasing price. This year the school fees increase and the teachers salary has been cut so they can build a new school (I find this extremely annoying as it will be finished in 5 years once the majority of those paying have already graduated).

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The school exists purely for teachers to make money. As recruitment and retention is so difficult in the country teachers definitely come first - so great if you're a teacher, less so as a student or family who come a definite second. While many of the teachers are genuinely nice people the attitude of the school is very much that they have a captive audience so they can charge and act how they wish, and any British/English speaking children are used to market the school and help other nationalities.

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The schools vision is unclear and there is poor communication about finances and strategic plans. The fees are higher than other much more well regarded schools in the region. What is the most telling is many teachers and board members educate their own children elsewhere, the Principal of the school is unmarried and childless and the new Head of Primary has arrived without his family. Not really "doing it for the kids " in my opinion.

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