Joining a British school in Riyadh mid-year: a guide for families moving from the UK

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Mid-year entry at a glance

Who can join mid-year

Every year group, open for admission all year round with no closed periods[1]

Places

Subject to availability; some year groups may have a waitlist[1]

Response time

Admissions enquiries are answered within 48 hours[1]

Ages

3 to 14: Nursery and Reception, Key Stage 1, Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3[6]

Curriculum

Aligned with the English National Curriculum; EYFS with the IEYC in the Early Years; Cambridge pathways from Key Stage 3[5]

School year

Three terms on the English model: Term 2 of 2026–27 starts Sunday 10 January 2027, Term 3 Sunday 18 April 2027[4]

Assessment

English and Mathematics, benchmarked against UK standards, plus previous school reports and references[3]

Back to the UK

Recognised transfer pathway to Aldenham School UK, with priority consideration as a transfer student[3]

Continuity, in a world that keeps moving

Families move more often than they used to, and every move asks a child to start again. A school that has taught on the same site since 1597 understands continuity better than most.[7]

Aldenham School Riyadh is a genuine, owner-operated extension of Aldenham School in England, not a franchise, and its curriculum is written by Aldenham UK. A child who joins here joins the actual Aldenham, so the standards, the values and the pathway back to England travel with them.[7]

How mid-year applications work

The admissions journey is the same at any point in the year: an enquiry, a school tour, registration and an age-appropriate assessment, then a formal offer and acceptance.[2]

Applicants complete assessments in English and Mathematics benchmarked against UK standards; from Key Stage 2, nationally standardised assessments are also used, and previous school reports and references are reviewed to build a picture of the child's learning so far.[3]

Relocation paperwork often runs late. Where some documents are still in progress, they can be submitted later and will not disadvantage the application.[2]

If your child has learning support or special educational needs, the Admissions Team asks you to contact registrar@aldenhamprepriyadh.com for tailored information.[2]

Settling in after a move

Once a place is offered, the school provides tailored transition support so that every pupil begins confidently, and the school is there every step of the way:[3][1]

An Experience Day: a trial day on which your child spends time in school and gets a taste of the Aldenham journey before starting.[1]

An Aldenham buddy: a classmate who looks after your child on their first day.[1]

Parent check-ins: for the first few days, parents are welcome to check in while their child settles.[1]

Pastoral care is part of daily school life: pastoral mentoring, wellbeing guidance, behavioural support, learning support where appropriate and close collaboration with families, with teachers, pastoral leaders and senior staff working together to identify concerns early.[8]

Every member of staff is safeguarding trained, safeguarding leadership is trained to Level 3, and Designated Safeguarding Leads are in place across the school.[8][9]

More than 125 free co-curricular activities a week, from 3.00pm to 4.00pm, give a new pupil an easy way to make friends beyond their class.[7][9]

Why the British curriculum makes the move easier

A child arriving from a UK school keeps the same framework: the Early Years follow the UK EYFS statutory framework with the IEYC, and the later years are aligned with UK National Curriculum expectations and mapped to the progression pathways of Cambridge Assessment International Education.[10][5]

The curriculum, AldenhamPlus, is designed with Aldenham School UK's senior academic teams, so its content and standards follow the school in England.[11][3]

If the family moves again, the link continues: pupils have a recognised transfer pathway to Aldenham School UK, with priority consideration as transfer students rather than joining a general waiting list.[3]

Frequently asked questions about joining mid-year

Next steps: how to apply mid-year

Send an enquiry or book a school tour, then complete Formal Registration online with your child's nationality and passport copies, vaccination certificate and latest school report.[14][15]

Questions about a mid-year start: registrar@aldenhamprepriyadh.com or +966 11 826 5411 (ext. 102). Admissions enquiries are answered within 48 hours.[2][1]