St Christopher’s is a thriving school where we Educate People for a Shared Humanity. Starting from modest beginnings in 1961 in a villa, it now provides an exceptional education to over 2,300 children and young adults, aged 3 to 18 from 70 nations.
Our dedicated staff of almost 400 caring people ensure that every day is a special day for the children at St Christopher’s. We encourage the notion that personal improvement and development is always possible, and our highly professional teachers and teaching assistants will use the best pedagogical strategies to raise the achievement of all children.
St Christopher’s strives for the highest possible standards and is continuously looking for better, smarter and more effective ways for people to learn. This has been recognised over the years through its British Schools Overseas (BSO) inspections, most recently gaining the highest rating in all eight BSO categories, achieving the ‘Gold Standard’ that only a handful of British international schools across the world have reached.
Finally, beyond the most quoted measure of a school – its first-class examination results – we pride ourselves on maintaining a warm and mutually respectful atmosphere, where our children leave fully prepared and confident to meet head-on the challenges and vagaries of life in our rapidly changing world.
| Number of students |
2300 |
| Number of nationalities represented in the school |
70 |
| Most common nationality |
British but we also have staff and students from: Algerian, American, Australian, Austrian, Bahraini, Bengali, Bangladeshi, Barbadian, Belgian, Brazilian, British, Bruneian, Bulgarian, Canadian, Columbian, Croatian, Greek Cypriot, Czech republic, Danish, Dutch, Egyptian, Emirati, Finnish, French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Indian, Iraqi, Irish, Italian, Japanese, Jordanian, Kenyan, Lebanese, Libyan, Malaysian, Maltese, New Zealander, Nigerian, Norwegian, Pakistani, Pilipino, Polish, Portuguese, Qatari, Russian, Saudi, Singaporean, South African, South Korean, Spanish, Sri Lankan, Sudanese, Swedish, Swiss, Syrian, Thai, Tobagonian, Trinidadian, Tunisian, Turkish, Ukrainian, and Zimbabwean. We are immensely proud of our multicultural community and consistently celebrate this diversity through our curriculum. |
| Ratio of local students to international students |
25% local : 75% international |
| Native English speaking teachers |
Yes |
| Additional language classes offered by the school |
Arabic, French, Spanish, Italian, Mandarine |
| Max. number of students per class |
Class sizes seldom exceed 24 in the primary age range, or the low 20’s in the
|
| Average number of students per class |
24 |
| Does the school employ teaching assistants? |
Yes |
| Use of technology in the classroom |
The school employs technology throughout the school |
| Is the school ready to use virtual classrooms when needed? (e.g. teaching lessons online if the school is closed, e.g. during COVID-19 closures) |
Yes |
| Do students practice religion at the school? What religion? |
Islam, prayer rooms are available for all students |
| How does the school accommodate non-religious students or students of a different religion? |
We have students of many faiths but the school is non-denominational |
| External examinations or assessments available |
IGCSE, A Levels, IB Diploma, BTEC |
| Results in these examinations |
Outstanding results year on year |
| Do teachers assign homework to their students? |
Yes |
| Percentage of students who pursue further education post-graduation |
98 |
| Dedicated staff/programs for students with special learning needs |
Learning Support |
| Learning support offered |
Learning Support programmes support pupils who need a little extra assistance to help them fully access the curriculum. Specialist teachers and Learning Support
|
| Entry evaluation for students |
Assessment |
| Brief description of entry evaluation required |
Nursery and Reception children are, where possible, observed on the school's premises.
|
| Waiting list |
Yes, at some grade levels. |
| Deadline for registration (new academic year) |
The school offers rolling admissions. |
| Students can join after academic year begins |
Yes, in some cases. |
| School start time |
KG1: 8:00
|
| School finish time |
KG1: 12:15
|
| School bus service available |
There are several third party bus transport companies for the Senior School. |
| School provided lunches |
No |
| Uniform required |
Yes |
| Extracurricular activities or clubs offered |
Over 100 different activities are currently offered, varying seasonally and with interest expressed by staff and pupils. There is no charge for the vast majority of ECAs (eg Crafty Creations, Cricket, Computer Graphics and Lego Robotics) however, some may involve a fee for additional costs, to cover specialist materials or external tuition (eg horse riding, ice skating, Junior Masterchef). |
| Sports activities included |
Physical education, Swimming |
| Sports teams or sport competitions available for students |
Yes - our very successful competitive sports team participate in a multitude of local and international competitions every year. |
| Facilities at the school |
Libraries, science labs, computer labs, design technology spaces, specialized drama facilities, art studios, instrumental music program studios |
| Sports facilities at the school |
Primary campus: sports hall, playground, shaded play area, sports field, temperature-controlled indoor swimming pool.
|
| Qualities and characteristics best defining the school |
St Christopher’s is a world-class, award-winning school based in Bahrain. It boasts a diverse student population with an emphasis on academic rigour balanced with a varied and robust extracurricular offering. |
| Teaching approach of the school |
St Christopher's School encourages the notion that personal improvement and development is always possible – no matter how high the current level of achievement and success. In line with this philosophy, the teachers use innovative as well as traditional methods. |
We believe our role in the Infant School is to instil in our children a deep love of learning and equip them with a solid foundation of essential skills. Our British-based curriculum is rich and varied, using a play-based approach to inspire and engage our children to be creative, explore ideas and think critically.
The Infant School provides an exceptionally well-planned and extensively-resourced programme of learning which enables each child to make outstanding progress through a ‘continuous provision approach’. This approach is research-backed and renowned across the world as a leading way to ensure children achieve their best academically and holistically.
As children progress through Junior School, the emphasis is placed on the further acquisition of skills and understanding in all curriculum areas.
Our creative and integrated curriculum is underpinned by a structured approach to teaching the core subjects of English, Mathematics, Science and ICT and a commitment to high standards. Cross-curricular links are made, where appropriate, to make the learning meaningful and relevant.
We hold true to the overarching principles of the English National Curriculum which provides a framework for our key teaching and learning intentions, we firmly believe that equipping our young 21st-century learners with the relevant skills and knowledge.
The Senior School provides students with a genuinely welcoming start to secondary education. The special atmosphere and style of the Senior School is difficult to define but is ever-present: academic certainly, but thoughtful and sensitive; competitive but good-humoured; capable of inspiring passion and skill in the arts; with a certain independence of spirit but set in a strong sense of community.
Academically, students attain very high standards at all ages. However, success is measured not only in academic achievement, but also in terms of growth in maturity, the development of social awareness, self-discipline and motivation, and a respect for the individual.
Students can choose from the following Post 16 Study Routes:
• A-Levels
• International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
• BTEC courses, either stand-alone or in combination with A-Levels
St Christopher's School is spread over two campuses.
Check out the facilities in this interactive virtual tour.
We are delighted that you are interested in St Christopher’s School.
Choosing the right school for a child of any age is an important decision. We are always happy to receive visitor enquiries. We can arrange a school tour to enable prospective pupils and parents to experience our welcoming environment for themselves.
Please call or email our Admissions team, with any questions.
We’re looking forward to answering all of your questions and welcoming your family to our school.
