The English School

What The English School does

The English School (TES) is a not-for-profit, co-educational K–11 British-curriculum school in Salmiya, Kuwait, founded in 1953 under the auspices of the British Embassy. It currently enrolls approximately 710 students drawn from 53 nationalities, supported by 70 teaching staff across Pre-Prep (KG–Year 2), Prep (Years 3–8) and the newly launched Upper School (Year 9 from September 2025, with Year 10 announced for 2026). The school follows the Foundation Stage and National Curriculum for England, prepares students for IGCSE, and operates world-class physical facilities — a 600-seat Performing Arts Centre, a 6-lane 25 m swimming pool, three science labs, three ICT labs, music suites and 2024-opened Science and Technology building — wired with a fiber backbone, BYOD Chromebook programme from Year 3, VR/AR-enabled design projects and 3D printing.

TES monetizes primarily through recurring annual tuition set by year band (KG 1,741 KD; Reception–Y2 2,735 KD; Y3–6 3,135 KD; Y7–10 3,435 KD), payable in three installments, plus a non-refundable 75 KD assessment fee per application, a 100 KD registration fee credited against the following year's invoice, and ancillary revenue from the Lunch Club (KD130/term), EDUcamp holiday programme, uniform shop sales, and a third-party bus service contracted through Delta Star with BatOnRoute tracking. Distribution is direct-to-consumer: families apply through an in-house iSAMS-hosted online portal and coordinate with current schools for overseas assessments, with no third-party agents or referral fees. Demand generation relies on word-of-mouth within the expatriate community, parent testimonials, alumni referrals, and an active Parent Association running community events.

Ownership sits entirely within the Al-Bahar family (Mr. Emad Mohammed Abdulrahman Al-Bahar, with Ms. Muneera Al-Bahar in a leadership role), with no external equity or venture financing; all fees are recycled into school operations. The school holds BSO, IAPS, BSME and COBIS accreditation, is inspected triennially by the UK-based Independent Schools Inspectorate (receiving 'Excellent' in 2025), and is one of only six schools globally to hold GL International Centre of Excellence status based on its use of the full GL assessment suite (CAT4, NGRT, PTE, PTM, PTS).

Name

The English School

Legal name

The English School of Kuwait

Website

https://tes.edu.kw

Company type

Private

Founded year

1953

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

The English School (TES) is a not-for-profit, family-owned K–11 British-curriculum school in Salmiya, Kuwait, founded 1953, serving 710 expatriate students across 53 nationalities with tuition, assessment fees, EDUcamp and ancillary care services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

K-12 British Curriculum Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

Keywords

• British curriculum education
• International primary education
• Secondary IGCSE education
• Private K-12 schooling
• Expatriate family education

Headquarters

HQ city

Safat

HQ country

Kuwait

HQ region

Middle East

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Annual tuition fees paid per student with options for 3 equal installments (due September, December, April). Core revenue stream for the not-for-profit school.
2. Assessment Fees: Non-refundable assessment administration fee of 75 KD per application covering administrative costs
3. Transportation Services: Bus services provided through partnership with Delta Star. Fees dependent on area of residence and one-way/two-way options. Includes CCTV, chaperones, and real-time tracking via BatOnRoute app.
4. EDUcamp Holiday Program: Holiday camp program for children KG to Year 9 during school breaks. Pricing based on number of days with sibling discounts (10% for 2nd child, 25% for 3rd). Optional early/late club for additional fee.
5. Lunch Club: Extended care service for KG parents at KD130 per term for children remaining after 12:15pm dismissal
6. Uniform Sales: On-site uniform shop sales with opening hours Sunday/Thursday 7:15-8:15 and Tuesday 13:15-14:45. Accepts KNET and credit cards only.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

The English School is a not-for-profit co-educational day school in Kuwait delivering British curriculum education from Kindergarten (age 3) through Year 11, structured across Pre-Prep, Prep, and Upper School divisions. It follows the Foundation Stage and National Curriculum for England, supported by supplementary services including TES EDUcamp holiday programmes, Extended Stay and Lunch Club after-school care, school transportation, and on-site uniform sales. The school operates on tuition-based annual subscriptions with fees paid in three installments per academic year.

Product overview

The English School offers a comprehensive K-12 British curriculum education from Kindergarten (age 3) through to Year 11, structured across Pre-Prep (KG to Year 2), Prep (Years 3-8), and Upper School (Years 9-11). The core educational programmes follow the Early Years Foundation Stage and National Curriculum for England. Supplementary offerings include TES EDUcamp holiday programmes, Extended Stay Club after-school care, Lunch Club for KG, and the Parent Portal digital service. The school operates a Chromebook BYOD Programme from Year 3 and integrates GL Assessment testing throughout. STEAM education, ICT & Computing, and extensive Extra Curricular Activities complement the academic curriculum.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Prep Education Programme (KG - Year 2) Early years and Key Stage 1 British curriculum education for children aged 3-7, following the Early Years Foundation Stage and Key Stage 1 of the National Curriculum for England, with weekly swimming lessons and core subjects including English, mathematics, science, history, geography and PSHEC.
• Prep Education Programme (Years 3-8) Key Stage 2 and Key Stage 3 British curriculum education spanning Years 3-8, following the National Curriculum for England with specialist teaching in art, computing, design & technology, music, PE, science and French, plus Arabic language instruction.
• Upper School Education Programme (Years 9-11) Secondary education programme for Years 9-11 covering Key Stage 4 curriculum with preparation for IGCSE examinations, designed to prepare students for further secondary schooling in Kuwait, the UK, and worldwide.
• TES EDUcamp Holiday Programme

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Delta Star Bus ServicescoreOthersPartnership with Delta Star for comprehensive bus services covering most areas in Kuwait. Buses equipped with CCTV, female chaperones, and real-time tracking via BatOnRoute application for safety and parent peace of mind.
• GL EducationcoreTechnology or IntegrationAssessment partnership for full suite of GL assessments including CAT4 (cognitive ability), NGRT (reading), PTE/PTM (English/maths progress), and PTS (science). School awarded 'GL International Centre of Excellence' status, one of only 6 globally.
• Independent Schools Inspectorate (ISI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK-based inspection body providing rigorous accreditation and regular inspections. School has achieved 'Excellent' ratings in learning and achievement and personal development.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• The British School of Kuwait: A direct competitor in Kuwait offering a British curriculum education to expatriate and local families. Comparable in target segment (English-speaking families), curriculum (British), and pricing tier, making it the closest like-for-like peer.
• Kuwait English School: A long-established private English-curriculum school in Kuwait serving a similar expat family base. Direct competitor on curriculum, geography, and student demographic.
• New English School (NES) Kuwait: Another established private English-medium school in Kuwait serving expatriate families. Directly competes for the same British/English-curriculum-seeking customer segment.
• Gulf English School: Kuwait-based private school offering English-language education comparable to TES in curriculum and target customer segment. Direct competitor for expatriate family enrollment.

Regional players

• The British School Al Khubairat: Premier British curriculum school in Abu Dhabi serving a similar English-speaking expatriate community in the Gulf. Comparable in curriculum, mission, and family demographic, but operates in a different national market.
• British School of Bahrain: British curriculum school in Bahrain serving international families. Similar in offering (British National Curriculum) and expat customer segment, providing a regional comparable for tuition and operating model.
• Dubai British School: British curriculum school in Dubai serving expatriate families. Comparable in offering (British National Curriculum) and customer profile (English-speaking expatriates), while providing a regional benchmark for tuition and operations.
• St Christopher's School: Long-established British curriculum school in Bahrain serving the English-speaking expatriate community in the Gulf. Comparable in heritage, mission, and educational offering, providing a regional benchmark for premium British schools.

Broad incumbents

• The American School of Kuwait: Larger, well-established international school in Kuwait offering an American curriculum. Competes for the same premium expatriate family segment but with a different (US) curriculum framework.

Emerging players

• Jumeira Baccalaureate School: Premium international school in Dubai offering British curriculum pathways, including IGCSE. Overlaps with TES in the British curriculum space and serves a similar expatriate family demographic, though in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/teskuwait
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheEnglishSchoolKuwait
• Instagraminstagram.com/tes_kuwait

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The English School