Under the umbrella of the Abdulrahman Award Programme (AKA), two million US dollars has been invested over 12 years on scholarships for twelve student’s university costs. This keenly sought-after award has seen students attending Universities as far afield as Stanford, Notre Dame and elite UK Universities.
In 2020 the school achieved the highest IB grade in the Kingdom (40 points) and this year, six students within the 2021 graduating class received above 40 (points) in the IBDP- the largest number of students in the schools’ 24-year history. In parallel and over the last two years the number of students entering IB and IGCSE has increased. The school has seen Cambridge IGCSE results increase over the past 2 years, with 30% of the 2021 cohort awarded A* to A grades and 79% (included within the 30%) of all students awarded A*-C grades
**ARKIS registration has shut for this academic year as per the MOE guidelines for school intakes (Sept 15th, 2021) **
The last two years (Covid 19) have impacted the Education sector and this has seen many schools deliver activities, teaching, and support in unique ways- Abdulrahman Kanoo International School is no exception. When the call came from the Ministry of Education and the countries task force to have students commence virtual learning, the school was ready the very next day. Not one day was dropped from the school calendar. This was due to the foresight of the then Vice Principal, now Principal Ms. Kate Moskwa (Sept 2021), who back in 2019 knew that the school could be providing a better academic experience by upgrading to use Google Education, and had all staff (academic and operational) complete at least Level 1 Google Educators courses. It was this perceptiveness that ensured a smooth transition during a very stressful global pandemic.
Other than operational processes, the school set into place many other initiatives to enhance learning and support in the school community. These included support for parents, such as electronic tutorials and further platforms to facilitate effective communication between them and the school. Safeguarding, Child Protection, and wellbeing for staff and students, became an even more important focus over the last two years with strategies to enhance these areas not limited to but including surveys and feedback, workshops, mindfulness activities, Growth Mindset implementation, and virtual counseling. An exciting, bespoke coding and programming IT curriculum was created by the IT staff for students. Staff were given flexibility with their work timings and an electronic HUB was created to facilitate information, resources, and updates. Students have been supported through the schools Guidance and Homeroom teams and we are continuing this as they return to school, this academic year. In addition, with support from Staff, our Senior students have set up “Growth Mindset” support groups to help younger students develop their confidence and mindset after a very difficult two years.
The prowess and excellence procedures from the School Clinic have seen no cross-infection during the 18 months of either Covid from staff or students. ARKIS was one of few schools that did not experience this and was personally applauded by both the MOE and Assistant U/Sec of Public Health.
A new Strategic Plan was initiated back in March 2020 with the support and inclusion of staff and parents. Once again, the new direction encompasses the school’s four pillars:
and the school’s core values, whilst being inclusive of innovation and embedding continuous improvement- staying true to the late Founders vision for his school. In accolades to all staff, and in terms of local governance and observation, ARKIS gained 11/11 in all categories from the Education and Training Authority in Bahrain (BQA) in Feb 2021 during the review for “Exceptional Circumstances”. During this period the Student Support Department was established, staff were promoted to various leadership roles, external online courses were made available and the inaugural and annual Abdul Rahman Principal Award was established and awarded. In terms of the staff population, schools within Bahrain are governed by the Ministry of Labour (LMRA) who sets the school target for the percentage of staff that are Bahraini (35%). As of the 2020/2021 academic year, ARKIS staff population has just under half of its staff being Bahraini nationals- many of whom hold Head of Department Roles within both the academic and operational functions within the school.
From a student life perspective whilst things changed for them, they continued to push through with the support of parents and staff to bring home incredible accolades across all three schools. The school’s core values of Excellence, Integrity, Respect for persons & the environment, Internationalism, and Service were upheld, despite the difficulties of the pandemic. Our graduations continued during both years with a “Drive-Thru” event hosted at Bahrain International Circuit (BIC) which was also made accessible via the school’s YouTube channels.
Our community engagement efforts continued with support from the whole community for activities such as recycling campaigns, blanket drives, and a “virtual marathon relay”, with all the school’s usual awareness activities continued, but virtually. The next academic year will see the start of the 25th Anniversary, a further legacy of our Founders dream of providing “a school to the country and society where the generation is conscientious, open-minded and educated,” of which he devoted all his effort, thoughts, and wealth to see this dream materialize into reality.
Abdul Rahman bin Jasim Kanoo built and financed, at his own personal expense, the Abdul Rahman Kanoo International School in 1997 in Zinj. The school was then moved in 2005 to the Salmabad Area with a modern fully equipped campus- one of the first private schools in Bahrain. In 1999, His Highness Prince Sheikh Khalifa bin Salman Al Khalifa- Prime Minister of the Kingdom of Bahrain, appointed him as a member of the Supreme Council for Youth and Sports. In 1992 he was awarded the State Prize for National Action. He died in 2007 and his legacy continues in the formation of the Abdul Rahman Kanoo Group in which the school is one of many philanthropic activities.
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