Swedish Kunskapsskolan Education Group is set to open its first K-12 international school in Saudi Arabia this autumn.
The dual Arabic-English curriculum will train students towards a Cambridge International programme (IGCSE) certificate using KED’s unique personalised education teaching model.
Based in Jeddah, the Nün Academy will be established through a partnership with Altfouk Almarefi Al-Ahleyahh Schools and begins classes in September.
The school “aims to provide a bilingual program that challenges the students to discover their full potential and prepare them for the best universities in the world, yet still have them grounded in their religious, linguistic and cultural heritage” the group said in a statement this month.
The dual Arabic-English curriculum will train students towards an IGCSE using KED’s unique personalised education teaching model
In the KED programme, students set their own learning objectives and work individually with tutors to achieve their academic goals. Students study according to different lesson formats, ranging from lectures and workshops to seminars and laboratories.
All assignments, texts, exams are available on the school’s online learning portal that connects parents, students and teachers with the students’ progress.
The school buildings, designed by architect Kenneth Gärdestad, are also central to the concept, creating learning spaces and breakout rooms rather than traditional classrooms connected by corridors.
To adhere to Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Education guidelines, Arabic and religious subjects will be taught in the early stages of the Nün Academy with increasing English tuition as students progress.
KED currently operates 43 schools, catering to 15,000 students across three continents.
According to the ISC Research, part of the International School Consultancy, there are 239 English medium international schools in Saudi Arabia, 11% of which are bilingual.
Some 265,000 students are enrolled at the international schools with the majority found in Jeddah (87) and Riyadh (80).
Most (54%) teach a US curriculum either fully or partly while a UK curriculum can be found in 27% of schools.
