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St Christopher's School

Bahrain, Manama

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The school at a glance
Instructs in English
Fees BHD 2,007 - 8,826
Ages 3 - 18 years
Pupil numbers 2300
Type Co-educational
Opened 1961
Bus Service No
Academic offering
Curriculum British Curriculum, IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), IGCSE Curriculum, A-Levels Curriculum, BTEC Curriculum
Taught languages Arabic
Typical class size 22
Strengths BSO Outstanding, Spears Top 100 (4 years), Founded 1961, GCSE/A-Levels/IB, Not-for-profit, Steven Gerrard Academy, Future Ready Curriculum
Clubs SPARTA Sports & Arts Academy, Steven Gerrard Football Academy, Dance, Drama, Music, House system
Stages Pre-School, Elementary, Secondary
Introduction

St Christopher's School is a leading British international school in Bahrain, established in 1961. A not-for-profit school across multiple campuses, it offers GCSE, BTEC, A-Levels, and IB Diploma with BSO Outstanding rating, Spears Top 100 status (4 consecutive years), and the Steven Gerrard Football Academy through SPARTA.

Building 119, 841 Rd No 4109, Isa Town, Bahrain

The Essentials

St Christopher's School has 2,300 pupils, typical class sizes of 22, instruction in English.

Location
St Christopher's School Bahrain operates across two campuses in Bahrain: the Infant and Junior campus in Muqabah (Gate 790, Road 1322, Muqabah 513) and the Senior campus in Isa Town (Building 119, Road 4109, Isa Town 841). A new Senior School facility is planned for spring 2026 at a site in Al Raffa. The postal address is St Christopher's School, PO Box 32052, Isa Town, Kingdom of Bahrain.

Stages
The Infant School and Junior School portion serves children from Nursery to Year 6 (ages approximately 3–11) on the Saar/Muqabah campus. The Senior School serves students from Year 7 to Year 13 (ages approximately 11–18) at Isa Town, with a Sixth Form component within the Senior School.

Type
Co-educational day school; it does not publish a boarding provision.

Pupil Nationality Mix
Approximately 70 nationalities are represented at the school; the most common nationality and the local-to-international ratio are not published.

Additional learning support
The school maintains a Learning Support Department to assist students with learning challenges, aiming to contribute to the progress and inclusion of learners across the Senior School.

Country affiliation
Kingdom of Bahrain

Religious affiliation
No formal religious affiliation; the school emphasises Education for a Shared Humanity and an inclusive environment.

School day structure
Nursery operates with a flexible option: register 07:45–08:00, with half-day finish at 12:15 or full-day finish at 14:25. Reception to Year 2 start at 07:45–08:00 and finish at 14:25. Junior School (Years 3–6) runs from about 07:40–08:10 start with a 14:25 finish. Senior School starts with 07:10–07:50 AM language options, registration 07:50–08:10, and a regular school day typically running from 08:10 to 14:00, with lunch 11:05–11:45 and periods continuing to 14:40 (Enrichment Day may finish at 14:40).

Bus service
A dedicated in-house bus service is not listed publicly. Public transport serves the area, with bus lines 15 and 19 stopping near Isa Town; nearest stops include Isa Town Terminal and Sacred Heart School/Isa Town.
Diving Deeper

Boarding Arrangements
Boarding is not offered at St Christopher's School Bahrain. The school operates as a day school for pupils aged 3 to 18 across two campuses. An International Baccalaureate listing notes 'Boarding facilities: DAY', indicating there is no on-site boarding provision. Families relocating should arrange accommodation off campus.

Uniform Requirement
St Christopher's has a formal school uniform. Uniforms can be purchased at Zaks Store Bahrain in Nakeel Centre, Kukri via the Kukri website, or Cafe 61 on both campuses. The PE uniform is ordered separately from Kukri.

Food Options
Cafe 61 operates on both Saar and Isa Town campuses, offering homemade, healthy snacks and drinks in line with the school's healthy eating policies. It provides a take-away option and encourages eco-friendly practices such as reusable cups. The Saar Campus cafe operates 07:00–16:00, Sunday to Thursday.

House System
The House System comprises four houses named after birds of prey: Falcon (red), Kestrel (blue), Merlin (green) and Osprey (yellow). Family members are placed in the same House as their siblings. Students wear their House colours at events such as Sports Days and Swimming Galas and can earn House Points for effort, achievement and good behaviour.

Governance and Ownership
St Christopher's School Bahrain is governed by a Board of Governors consisting of representatives from the founder Companies and from the parent body. The Board also includes the Dean of St Christopher's Cathedral and may include co-opted members for specialist knowledge. The school identifies itself as a not-for-profit institution.
Fees

Annual tuition at St Christopher's School ranges from BHD 2,007 to BHD 8,826 for 2026/27.

Application and Registration Fees

- Application fee (non-refundable): BD 100 per child.
- Registration fee (one-off, non-refundable): BD 1,250 per child (payable if an offer of a place is made).

Tuition fees (per term and per annum by year group)

- Nursery (12:15 finish): BD 669 per term — BD 2,007 per year.
- Nursery (14:25 finish): BD 1,032 per term — BD 3,096 per year.
- Reception: BD 1,577 per term — BD 4,731 per year.
- Year 1: BD 1,577 per term — BD 4,731 per year.
- Year 2: BD 1,577 per term — BD 4,731 per year.
- Year 3: BD 1,753 per term — BD 5,259 per year.
- Year 4: BD 1,753 per term — BD 5,259 per year.
- Year 5: BD 1,753 per term — BD 5,259 per year.
- Year 6: BD 1,753 per term — BD 5,259 per year.
- Year 7: BD 2,136 per term — BD 6,408 per year.
- Year 8: BD 2,136 per term — BD 6,408 per year.
- Year 9: BD 2,569 per term — BD 7,707 per year.
- Year 10: BD 2,569 per term — BD 7,707 per year.
- Year 11: BD 2,569 per term — BD 7,707 per year.
- Year 12: BD 2,942 per term — BD 8,826 per year.
- Year 13: BD 2,942 per term — BD 8,826 per year.

Additional and optional fees

- Examination fees (GCSE, A-Level, IB): charged in addition to tuition; typically amount to several hundred BD depending on subjects and exam entries.
- Optional extras charged separately where applicable: instrumental tuition, English as an Additional Language (EAL) support for specific students, out-of-hours lessons, and similar activity-based charges.
- Uniform: official uniform must be purchased from the listed suppliers (Zaks Store Bahrain, Kukri online store, and Cafe 61 on campus); uniform costs are payable by parents and vary by item and year group.

Boarding

- St Christopher's operates as a day school; there are no full or weekly boarding places or associated boarding fees.

Billing schedule and payment terms

- Fees are charged termly or annually (termly is the standard billing cycle).
- Fees must be paid by the last day of the preceding term. Late payment may result in temporary exclusion of the student until payment is made; persistent late payment may lead to cancellation of enrollment.
- Bank charges are the responsibility of the payer.

Refunds and withdrawal

- If notice of withdrawal is given at least two weeks before the start of term, a full refund will be provided for the relevant fees.
- No refunds are provided for absence due to sickness or other reasons, except in specific withdrawal circumstances as noted in the school's fees regulations. Fees are otherwise non-refundable.

Fee payment methods and bank details

- Accepted payment methods: bank transfer (National Bank of Bahrain/NBB), cheque, and cash (cheque and cash accepted at the Saar Campus Accounts Office).
- Bank details provided for transfers:
- Account name: ST CHRISTOPHERS SCHOOL.
- IBAN: BH61NBOB00005000103453.
- SWIFT: NBOBBHBM.
- Make sure to include your parent reference on the transfer and send proof of payment to accounts@school.st-chris.net.

Regulatory and other notes about fees

- The school is not-for-profit and fee income is reinvested into school operations. Fees are approved by the Ministry of Education.

(End of fees overview)
Academics

St Christopher's School teaches British Curriculum, IB (PYP), IB (MYP), IB (DP), IGCSE Curriculum, A-Levels Curriculum, BTEC Curriculum for students aged 3 to 18.

Curriculum
St Christopher's Bahrain operates a Future Ready Curriculum across the Infant, Junior and Senior sections, designed to develop six competencies: Academic, Metacognition, Service, Enterprise, Digital, and Wellbeing. The Infant School uses the UK Early Years Foundation Stage framework with a play-based approach that emphasises communication, language, physical development, and early literacy and numeracy, with specialist Arabic, PE, Music and swimming. From Year 7 to Year 9, the curriculum follows the English National Curriculum (adapted to the local context); Years 10–11 offer GCSEs with broad subject choices, and Post-16 provides either A-levels or the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. In the Sixth Form, students can study A-levels, the IB Diploma Programme, or BTEC courses (stand-alone or in combination with A Levels), with entry requirements and university guidance provided by the school. The Arabic department delivers Arabic, Islamic Studies and Bahrain Citizenship under the Bahraini MOE curriculum, with non-Arabic-speaking students able to study Arabic as a second language and GCSE Arabic as a Second Language where offered.
Wellbeing

Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
St Christopher's Bahrain integrates wellbeing into everyday school life to support students academically, socially, and emotionally. The core values guiding this approach are Caring, Honesty, and Mutual Respect. A dedicated counselling team provides proactive support across all phases, addressing emotional, social, and behavioural challenges with tailored interventions. Wellbeing is embedded in the curriculum, co-curricular programmes, and school events, with staff across form groups and subject areas sharing responsibility for students' welfare. The Wellbeing Framework focuses on Balance, Resilience, Belonging, and Self-Regulation to promote healthy habits, resilience, and positive mental health.

Special Educational Needs (SEN)
St Christopher's Bahrain offers Learning Support via a dedicated department staffed by specialist teachers and learning support assistants. The department provides targeted in-class support, small-group interventions (LS Clubs), and short one-to-one sessions, with withdrawal groups to help students access the curriculum with greater independence. Senior School also provides in-class support and targeted withdrawal sessions as needed to foster inclusion across the curriculum. The Learning Support team works in close partnership with families, the school counselling team, class teachers, and outside agencies to deliver an integrated service across the school. Specific categories of Special Educational Needs (SEN) supported are not itemised publicly on the site, and it is not described as a specialist SEN institution.

English as an Additional Language (EAL)
English is the language of instruction at St Christopher's Bahrain, as reflected in external programme profiles. EAL support is referenced in the Fees schedule as an optional extra for specific Infant students. Details about staffing or formal EAL programmes beyond this note are not publicly listed on the site.

Mental Wellbeing
Mental wellbeing is supported through a robust counselling provision and comprehensive wellbeing procedures. The counselling team offers specialised support across all phases and works proactively with students, families, and staff to address emotional, social, and behavioural challenges. Wellbeing is a cornerstone of the school's strategy, integrated into classroom practice, co-curricular activities, and school events. The Wellbeing Framework emphasises Balance, Resilience, Belonging, and Self-Regulation to help students develop healthy habits, cope with challenges, and engage confidently with the school community.

Safeguarding
St Christopher's Bahrain is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children and young people in its care. The school follows safe recruitment practices, and appointments are subject to vetting including reference checks, identity verification, and criminal record checks. The safeguarding ethos is reinforced across the school's policies and staff practices, with explicit safeguarding statements appearing in the school's recruitment and employment materials. External indicators of safeguarding focus include regular inspections and accreditations that emphasize child protection and welfare.
Parent Experience

History
From modest beginnings in a villa in 1961, St Christopher's has grown into a large, not-for-profit, internationally renowned school at the heart of the community. It now educates over 2,300 students from more than 70 nations. The founders were the fourteen sponsor companies who took over management in 1975; the number later rose to eighteen in 1995, with the constitution requiring that between five and eight founder companies be represented on the Board of Governors. Current founder companies include ALBA, BAPCO, Bank ABC, British Airways, Gulf Air, HSBC, Investcorp, Unilever Bahrain and YBA Kanoo Holdings. The school operates across two Bahrain campuses—Infant and Junior on one site and Senior on Building 119 in Isa Town—with a New Senior School planned to open in spring 2026.

Community
The school has a diverse international community with students from more than 70 nations. The school hosts a range of community events that bring families together, including School Productions, the Performing Arts Festival, the Festive Fayre, and Young Musicians of the Gulf, as well as Iftar in the Park and various sports competitions. An active Alumni Programme is being developed to reconnect graduates and support the St Chris community. Parents participate through the Parent Teacher Organisation (PTO) and related activities, fundraising, and volunteering opportunities.

Parent Teacher Association (PTA)
The school's Parent Teacher Organisation (PTO) is the formal parent body that supports and strengthens St Christopher's School Bahrain's community life. Historically, the PTO has organized the Festive Fayre and many other community events, as well as in-school activities such as School Productions and Bahrain Day across the Primary and Senior Schools. A key focus of the PTO is fundraising, leveraging support from local businesses to extend school life beyond its normal scope. There are multiple ways for parents to get involved, including leadership roles, PTO Committee membership, or volunteering on projects, with involvement tailored to each family's availability. To participate, parents can submit the volunteer information form at stchris.online/PTOVolunteerInfo or contact pto.stchris@gmail.com. The PTO is fundamental to a cohesive and thriving school community and we hope that many of you will choose to join us.
Facilities

Facilities Overview
St Christopher's School Bahrain operates across two campuses: the Primary campus (Infant and Junior) in Muqabah and the Senior School in Isa Town, with a new New Senior School campus planned to open in spring 2026. The New Senior School is designed to be state-of-the-art with modern technology and sustainable design. SPARTA provides a Sports and Arts Academy Programme with facilities including a FIFA-standard artificial grass football pitch, a fully shaded 7-a-side pitch, and a heated indoor pool. Libraries across campuses include an infant/junior library space in Saar, plus a Senior Library with digital resources and a Post-16 area, and Accelerated Reader with over 7,000 quizzable books. Drama and music are supported by a dedicated Drama Hall with lighting and sound, two smaller studios, and a large music program offering hundreds of one-to-one lessons and ensembles.

Sports Facilities
SPARTA facilities include a FIFA-standard artificial grass football pitch and a fully shaded 7-a-side pitch. The indoor pool is heated and air-conditioned, providing space for swimming lessons and the Sharks elite squad. SPARTA Athletics offers competitive leagues and obstacle-based events for younger and older students. SPARTA Dance provides classes with IDTA and RAD qualifications, from recreational to competitive levels, across age groups. SPARTA Swimming, Tennis, Volleyball and Gymnastics are available as part of the overall SPARTA programme.

Academic Facilities
The Science Department operates twelve fully equipped laboratories with up-to-date data-logging equipment. The Drama Department uses a dedicated three-space setup: a fully equipped Drama Hall with theatre lighting and sound and two smaller studios. Design and Technology facilities include CAD/CAM capabilities and access to smart materials. Libraries across campuses support learning with a Primary library in Saar, a well-resourced Senior Library with digital resources and a Post-16 area, and an Accelerated Reader program that supports reading development with thousands of quizzable books.

Extra Curricular Facilities
The school's music program offers over 400 weekly one-to-one instrumental lessons, a full symphony orchestra, multiple ensembles, a large choral program, and music theory classes. A robust drama program features annual whole-school productions and KS3 performances, along with drama and dance clubs. SPARTA provides a broad range of sports and arts activities, including athletics, football, tennis, swimming, gymnastics, volleyball, and dance. Cafe 61 and other campus facilities support community events and family engagement.
Extra-Curricular Activities

Academic & Intellectual
The school provides education from Nursery through Sixth Form, with an Infant School, a Junior School, a Senior School, and a Sixth Form. It offers a British curriculum with multiple pathways including BTEC, A Levels, and the IB Diploma Programme.
Languages

Language Provision
The school uses English as the language of instruction and follows the English National Curriculum in Years 7–9 and I/GCSEs in Years 10–11. Arabic is taught as a specialist subject in the Infant School from Reception and continues through the primary years. French is taught as a specialist subject in the Junior School. In the Sixth Form, French and Spanish are offered as International Baccalaureate subjects, including Ab Initio options.
Reputation

Awards
Top 100 Spear's; TES 2024 Curriculum Initiative of the Year; BSO Outstanding; BQA Outstanding

Accreditations
BSO Outstanding; BQA Outstanding in all categories; Spear's Top 100 Private Schools (global ranking); TES Award 2024 – Curriculum Initiative of the Year
Admissions

Admissions
1. Enquiry and campus visit. The school offers British-style education for children aged 3–18 and has been rated Outstanding by the British Schools Overseas (BSO) and Bahrain Quality Assurance Authority (BQA) for four consecutive years. Prospective families visit the Saar Campus for Infant/Junior and the Isa Town Campus for Senior to experience facilities, with the Admissions Team guiding the process. 2. Application submission. Complete the online pre-registration form; an application fee of BD 100 per child applies. Submit required documents (passports, CPRs, recent school reports, vaccination records) with requirements varying by year group. 3. Assessment and offer. Applicants undergo age-appropriate assessments (play-based observations for younger children; formal tests for older students). An offer pack is issued by email, and the non-refundable registration fee of BD 1,250 must be paid with acceptance. 4. Age-specific admissions details. Nursery (Age 3) may offer half-day or full-day options, with SPARTA sessions for full day and on-site play-based assessments; Reception to Year 2 (Ages 4–7) use play-based assessments focusing on social, emotional, and early academic skills; Years 3–6 (Ages 7–11) assess English, Mathematics, and general ability with possible interview and review of previous reports; Years 7–13 (Ages 11–18) involve formal testing in core subjects and general ability with consideration of prior records and potential interviews. 5. Placement timing and contacts. Applications are accepted up to one year in advance of entry, and placement depends on assessment outcomes and available places.

Scholarships
St Christopher's offers three scholarship categories: academic, sport, and music. Scholarships are awarded by the Scholarship Committee, which comprises three Board members, the Principal, and the Head of Senior School, to ensure transparency and fairness; families receiving fee reductions are not entitled to additional financial gain. Scholarships may be available to current students or to students from other schools, with renewal contingent on maintaining high standards. Fee reductions awarded range from 0% to 20% and may include waivers of some participation fees (e.g., music or sport). Information regarding opportunities for the 2026/27 academic year will be released in early 2026.
School Events
The school has not added events
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