Departments and Subjects

The Elementary School Program

Kindergarten to Grade 4
The Elementary School program at Al Khaleej National School is offered from Kindergarten to Grade 4 for students from 3 to 9 years. Students grow and develop in an environment which encourages them to learn a variety of skills both academically and socially. Our approach is completely child-centred and the curriculum is planned in a way that enables children of various abilities to learn as a group, as well as individually.

Our Kindergarten program includes songs, rhymes, art and craft, pictures and stories to enable students to learn new skills such as phonics, numbers and conversation. We focus on an activity-based approach where learning and social development through field trips and structured games form an integral part of the curriculum.

From Grades 1 to 4 the students build on their foundations in reading, writing, science, ICT and a structured physical education program. The students in the Elementary Department are encouraged to develop the skills and abilities that they need to interact and integrate effectively in today’s world.

A child’s progress is of greatest importance and every support is given to help children achieve their full potential. We offer an ESL program that has been effectively integrated into the regular classroom from Grade 1 to 4. This has enabled students with language difficulties to reach a satisfactory standard of English appropriate to their grade level without actually disrupting their regular schedule.

At the completion of Grade 4, apart from developing skills in reading, writing, science, mathematics and ICT, students will also have developed an appreciation for their culture and community, an understanding outlook towards fellow human beings and love for the world in which they live.

The Middle School
Grade 5 to 8
The Middle School Program consolidates and reinforces the educational foundations established in the Elementary School. The learning process in the Middle School focuses on individualized student needs and extends academic expectations. Students are encouraged to take greater responsibility for their learning as they mature and they will be expected to work with increasing independence.

The Academic Program at Middle School

Core Program	Enrichment Program
English	Physical Education
Mathematics	Music
Science	Art
Social Studies
Arabic
Islamic Studies
Computer Studies

The High School Program
Grade 9 to 12
Students graduate from school with a High School Diploma upon satisfactory completion of a specific number of courses.  Students are usually graded from A to F in each course they take on the basis of performance in tests given at intervals through the year, participation in class discussions and completion of written and oral assignments and end-of-the year examinations.

Students receive reports four times per year. These indicate the marks students have received in each of the subjects they are studying.  High School maintains a school ‘transcript’ which summarizes the courses taken and the grades obtained by each student. A copy of the transcript is normally submitted to colleges when a student applies for a place.

High School Credit System
Eight semesters, two semesters each year for four years of full time attendance in High School are required.  Students at school following the American System complete their High School diploma when they have accumulated a certain number of credits, sometimes called Semester hours/units.  To be eligible for graduation from Al Khaleej National School, a minimum of 320 credits must be earned.

English	56 credits
Mathematics	48 credits
Arabic	56 credits
Islamic Studies	26 credits
ICT	16 credits
Science	60 credits
Social Sciences	30 credits
Electives Course & Activities	28 credits
Total	320 credits

High School Courses and Credits

Gade 9	Credits	Grade 10	Credits	Grade 11	Credits	Grade 12	Credits
English	14	English	14	English	14	English	14
Maths	12	Maths	12	Maths	12	Maths	12
Arabic	14	Arabic	14	Arabic	14	Arabic	14
Islamic Studies	8	Islamic Studies	6	Islamic Studies	6	Islamic Studies	6
ICT	4	ICT	4	ICT	4	ICT	4
Social Studies	10	Social Studies Accounting	8	Social Studies Economics	6	Social Studies Business	6
Science	14	Science	14	Science	14	Science	14
P.E.	4	P.E.	4	P.E.	4	P.E.	4
		Electives	4	Electives	4	Electives	4
	Total Credits		Total Credits		Total Credits		Total Credits
	80		80		80		80
TOTAL OF 320 CREDITS

Grading System
Al Khaleej National School employs a system of continual assessment and assigns grades for each course taken. Almost everything a student does for a class will influence his/her final grade.  Examinations and tests, essays or written assignments, laboratory work and reports, class attendance and class participation may all be used to determine the student’s final grade.

Universities, colleges and other institutions of higher learning, particularly in U.S.A., will specify attainment or minimum GPA’s of grade point averages to gain admission.

Grades – Percentages and Grade Points
High School [9-12] Grading System

Letter Grades	Percentages	Grade Points
A+	98 - 100	4.33
A	93 -97	4.00
A-	90 - 92	3.67
B+	87 - 89	3.33
B	83 - 86	3.00
B-	80 - 82	2.67
C+	77 - 79	2.33
C	73 - 76	2.00
C-	70 - 72	1.67
D+	67 - 69	1.33
D	63 - 66	1.00
D-	60 - 62	0.67
F	< 60	0.33
FA	Failure by Absence	0.00
I	Incomplete	0.00

Final Academic Standing

Academic Standing	GPA	Percentage Average
Excellent	3.67 - 4.33	84 - 100
Very Good	2.67 - 3.66	76 - <84
Good	2.00 - 2.66	68 - <76
Satisfactory	1.67 - 1.99	60 - <68

GRADE POINT AVERAGE [GPA]
Each student completes the semester with a grade point average (GPA). A cumulative grade point average for the whole year is calculated at the end of each year by accounting for the GPA at each semester.