FAQs

SABIS^® is a global education network with a long history that dates back to 1886. Today, SABIS^® schools are present in 20 countries, on 5 continents, and educate over 70,000 students in both the private and public sectors.

SABIS^® schools are dedicated to providing students with a top-quality international education through the implementation of the SABIS^® Educational System, a 360 ̊ approach to education that places students on the path to success and allows them to be accepted in top universities worldwide.

The SABIS^® educational philosophy is based on three important tenets. We believe that:

• A university education should be accessible to almost all students, not just a select few.
• Admission to any SABIS^® school should be conducted through a non-selective admissions process.
• The success of a school should be measured by the value it adds to each student.

Our core values support the achievement of high standards. We value:

• Practicing Honesty and Integrity
• Upholding Our Principles at All Costs and at All Times
• Continually Improving and Never Becoming Complacent
• Emphasizing Quality at All Times
• Making a Difference
• Recognizing and Rewarding Efficiency, Loyalty, and Commitment

The SABIS^® Educational System has proven itself over the past 135 years and is built on 6 important pillars:

1. The Curriculum:
   Students in SABIS^® schools follow a dynamic, rigorous, international curriculum that gives them the strong foundation of knowledge and skills they will need to achieve future success.
   The curriculum is aligned to national and international standards and prepares students for local as well as internationally recognized standardized examinations, such as the American-based Advanced Placement^® (AP^®) or the British-based IGCSE, as well as AS and A Level exams. This allows our students to apply to local universities as well as international universities around the world.
2. SABIS^® Book Series:
   Students in all SABIS^® schools use books that have been specifically created and developed for them. This allows students to follow a natural, sequential progression as they build their knowledge base.
   The SABIS^® Book Series is specifically tailored for every grade level and subject and is aligned with national and international requirements, effectively preparing students for a wide range of international standardized examinations.
   The SABIS^® Book Series includes over 2,500 titles in both electronic (e-books) and traditional formats.
   Students in Grade 2 upwards will have access to our book series in an electronic, interactive format, allowing them to use the technological systems to improve their learning in and outside of school.
3. Teaching Methods:
   Teachers in all SABIS^® schools deliver their lessons using the SABIS Point System^® of instruction, which is a proven instructional method that keeps students engaged and learning efficiently, through the use of interactive flipcharts, paced content, and the Integrated Learning System (ILS).
   Every instructional period has distinct learning objectives to be met and includes opportunities for students to work independently and in groups under their teacher’s guidance.
4. Testing and Monitoring:
   SABIS^® schools use regular assessment to help students build a solid foundation of knowledge, particularly in the subjects of English, math, and science. What we teach in one week, we test in the next.
   Informative and summative examinations occur regularly throughout the school year, mainly AMS, Periodic, and Homework exams. Exams are generally computer-based, using the SABIS^® Integrated Testing and Learning (ITL).
5. Follow-up and Support:
   The progress of every student is continuously monitored through a series of regular tests. In addition to praise and encouragement, students are given the support they need. All available means are used to help those students who fall behind. Students are advised on study techniques, motivated by the academic staff, and encouraged by receiving help from peer tutors or teachers.
6. SABIS^® Student Life Organization (SLO):
   Students in SABIS^® schools are encouraged to take an active part in their school and lead an engaging and meaningful social life. This is done through the SABIS^® Student Life Organization (SLO), which is the beating heart of every SABIS^® school.
   Through the SLO, students benefit from many opportunities for academic, emotional, social, and moral growth. Students also develop essential 21^st century skills through real-life experiences.

The International School of Choueifat – Manama (ISC-Manama) first opened its doors in 2006 to students in Kindergarten to Grade 8. Today, we have approximately 1,600 students from KG 1 to Grade 12.

ISC-Manama is a non-selective, co-educational, independent, English-medium day school that welcomes students aged 3 to 18+.

Our school offers the world-class SABIS^® education to its students from Kindergarten to Grade 12, which is a top-quality, international, and trilingual education (English, Arabic, and French).

ISC-Manama adopts an international academic calendar, whereby the academic year starts in August and ends in June. It covers around 185 days instructional days spread over 3 terms. Each term has End of Term summary academic results

The ISC-Manama school campus includes state-of-the-art facilities that provide students with the perfect setting to learn and grow.

Our campus houses computer and science laboratories, a theater, a large computerized exam hall, and a cafeteria. In addition, indoor and outdoor sports facilities complement the extensive sports program offered and include a gymnasium, swimming pools, basketball courts, as well as a football field and running track.

For the little ones, there are dedicated facilities tailored to their specific needs. The KG section is usually situated in a separate building, where the youngest learners have access to their own heated pool, as well as indoor and outdoor play facilities. One highlight is the car track for child-friendly carts, where children will be taught about traffic laws in a playful way from an early age!

Students at ISC-Manama have meaningful experiences with cutting-edge methods and technologies used to enhance the learning process, improve outcomes, and challenge the boundaries of traditional learning environments.

Information Technology is one of the main components of the SABIS^® Educational System that infiltrates every aspect of the ISC-Manama school life. Examples of technology used by students on school premises include E-books, Smart Screens and accompanying lessons, tablets, and computerized examination halls.

Every student at ISC-Manama is treated the same way regardless of their nationality, race, or gender. Opportunities are offered to all students, which support them tremendously when engaging in the local habits, culture, and language.

We believe everyone is part of our school community. Consequently, we work effectively to integrate every member equally. There are many activities and events that support this environment, and our SABIS^® Student Life Organization (SLO) makes sure of all that.

We are very keen on keeping high standards of security and safety on our campus and we take the needed measures to ensure the well-being of our students and staff. Security guards are placed on all main gates 24/7.

ISC-Manama students are not allowed to leave the school campus for any reason without the approval of the Administration. Parents wishing to pick up their children before the end of the school day must submit a request in advance. Students leaving early have to be collected by a pre-approved person assigned by their parent/guardian.

As the world becomes more and more competitive, parents are more aware than ever of the importance of choosing the right school for their children. By choosing ISC-Manama, parents can rest assured that they have chosen a school that is committed to providing a top-quality education that helps all students achieve their full potential.

ISC-Manama will offer your children an international education in a safe and nurturing environment. Our curriculum follows the local Bahraini education regulations, offering a fully integrated international and Bahraini program that allows students to choose to go to university locally or abroad.

In an effort to facilitate all operations without the need for parents to physically visit our school premises, we have put in place an effective procedure to complete the registration process online.

If you are interested to learn more about ISC-Koura, please fill out this online Interest Form.

Once you have made the decision to register your child, you will need to fill out this online Application Form.

We have an intensive language program that helps students to develop their language skills within their proficiency level. Based on the results of their diagnostic tests, we will engage them on the path they need to improve as fast and as efficiently as possible through intense support within the classroom or pull-out lessons.

The SABIS^® curriculum adopted at ISC-Manama is well structured, comprehensive, and rigorous. It is aligned to cater for national requirements and international standards.

The SABIS^® way of teaching in class, which is called the SABIS Point System^®, is an interactive step-by-step teaching method that ensures that all students are engaged and active participants in class. In addition, it allows teachers to detect gaps and make sure that students reach mastery of every concept taught.

Frequent testing allows us to monitor student performance and pinpoint any gaps that need to be filled – this SABIS^® approach ensures targeted student support. Testing serves as a learning process that develops the student’s ability to focus and sustain concentration for increasingly longer periods, and prepares students to successfully tackle difficult situations under pressure in university and beyond.

The SABIS^® Student Life Organization (SLO) is a student-led mini-society that is the heart of every SABIS^® school and a main pillar of our Educational System. Through the organization’s nine departments, students have the power to make a real difference in their school and their community.

SLO students at ISC-Manama have the ability to organize academic and social events, host games and challenges, plan athletic activities, participate in the Yearbook preparations, explore new skills, help academic standards, start clubs, raise awareness on important subjects, stand up for important causes, and much more.

By taking on this active role, our students gain essential 21^st century skills such as leadership, problem-solving, critical thinking, independence, communication, teamwork, and many more. Through the SABIS^® SLO, students acquire and refine the skills, attitudes, and attributes that give them a huge advantage in college and beyond.

ISC-Manama offers a variety of interesting extracurricular activities, including swimming, art, computing, football, basketball, tennis, ballet, gymnastics, piano, etc. Some students have the opportunity to participate in school teams, representing the school in regional and international competitions.

Through these enriching activities, our students learn many new skills, challenge themselves, and have lots of fun!

ISC-Manama is a caring community that strongly believes in the principles of respect, responsibility, and accountability. The goal of the school disciplinary code is to foster future citizens of the world, who respect themselves and others and who are responsible members of society.

Our educational experience has shown us that, without structure and discipline, learning would become very difficult and not as beneficial.

Throughout the academic year, ISC-Manama holds a wide range of lively events that students may join and even organize, in order to feel as an integral part of the school community. Our main annual school events include KG Shows, KG Fun Day, Concerts, Talent Shows, Local/Regional Sports Tournaments, Poetry Night, Musical Performance, SABIS^® STARS, and many more.

Our students also benefit from both educational and recreational trips to touristic sites, camp areas, historical attractions, natural resorts, and more.

Daily study is an essential part of our curriculum. It is vital to do a daily revision of what has been taught during the school day.

If any learning gaps form, students are given the needed assistance through additional support channels at their school. These channels include teacher-led study groups, peer tutoring, power study sessions, on-demand tutoring videos, and more.

In our school, Academic Quality Controllers (AQCs) will meet and discuss student progress and development with parents, as AQCs have a complete, objective, and impartial picture of all aspects of the child’s life at school. This is achieved through the AQC’s frequent class visits, automated analysis of full reports from all sides, and regular teacher meetings.

Parents can also directly monitor their children’s academic and behavior progress through the SABIS^® Digital Platform, an in-house application that displays up-to-date information about their children’s progress at any time, and which provides both parents and students with the latest school announcements, material, timetable, video tutoring, school calendar, academic performance, and more.

Yes, university counselling begins in Grade 9. With the support of our dedicated and highly skilled university counselors, we make sure our students have access to their universities of choice.

The university counselors at our schools help students:

• Understand national diploma equivalence requirements
• Create a superior high school résumé featuring academic achievement, extracurricular activities, etc.
• Select the most suited university and navigate the college application process
• Use the SABIS^® Online University Application, Common App, UCAS, OUAC, and other platforms to apply to universities locally and abroad
• Develop college application essays and personal statements
• Complete application requirements (letters of recommendation, etc.)
• Prepare for standardized college entrance exams including ACT, SATs, TOEFL, IELTS, etc.

Our students have been accepted by and succeeded at universities around the world, mainly in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom and the rest of Europe, the Middle and Far East, and Australia.

Our students have a long track record of acceptance to top and prestigious universities worldwide. In 2020, SABIS^® schools around the world graduated over 2,100 students, who received more than 6,000 offers from colleges and universities in 45 different countries.

Most of the international universities work on a semester basis and consequently have their admissions process every semester. Our academic calendar is split into three terms, the first ending by December, which allows prospective students to send updated grades should these be requested. Based on that, our calendar allows our students to participate in the universities’ admission process as any other student would, no matter where they attend school.

When the pandemic hit, all schools around the globe shut down suddenly, and over 1.5 billion students found themselves confined to their homes in the middle of the academic year.

SABIS^® seamlessly shifted to its full-fledged E-learning solutions, which included live virtual lessons, a student learning environment, teaching videos, and more. Today, as countries began to reopen, SABIS^® schools implemented a hybrid model that allows students to study online and on campus. Regardless of their physical location, SABIS^® students—from the youngest preschoolers to the graduating seniors—are continuing their education without missing a beat.

School closures caused by the COVID-19 pandemic disrupted the education of close to 1.5 billion students globally in the 2019-2020 academic year. As a result, many external exams that determine university acceptances for students around the world, such as AP^®, SAT, and A-Level exams, were either cancelled or conducted under unusual conditions.

Despite the disruption, over 2,100 students graduated from SABIS^® schools across the network in the summer of 2020, and received over 6,000 university offers from 45 countries around the world.

The SABIS^® E-learning experience:

• Encourages independence
• Increases retention
• Improves technology skills
• Allows for continuous learning
• Has proven effective results

Despite the current pandemic and subsequent disruption, and regardless of their physical location, SABIS^® students are continuing their education without missing a beat, thanks to:

• The right infrastructure at SABIS^® schools
• The SABIS^® approach to teaching
• State-of-the-art education technology
• The SABIS^® Digital Platform and other E-learning solutions
• Continuous staff training