Schools Research Hub
Schools Research Hub
8
Schools
5
Countries
2
Regions
Executive Summary
🇧🇭 ASB Bahrain
Strengths
Best faculty data of any school researched — 80 teachers with full bios, nationality, and education. Strong IB results. Closest to home. Smaller, more personal community than ASD.Considerations
Smaller school and city may limit extracurricular breadth. Less international prestige than ASD or the UK options. Bahrain's expat community is smaller than Qatar or Riyadh.
🇶🇦 ASD Doha
Strengths
Largest and highest-rated GCC school (8.6 verdict). Massive, diverse student body. Strong governance (Board of Trustees includes Sheikh Faisal Al Thani, Brig. Gen. Clayton). Well-resourced.Considerations
Faculty data hardest to obtain — no public teacher directory. School does not publish a staff list, making transparency harder to assess. Very large school may feel impersonal.
🇸🇦 AISR Riyadh
Strengths
Founded 1963 (60+ years). State-of-the-art campus (130 classrooms, 12 science labs, 700-seat theatre). IB 100% pass rate (2021). $5.5M in scholarships. Destinations: Yale, Stanford, MIT, Princeton. 46% US + 24% Canadian faculty.Considerations
IB specific scores not published. Ultra-premium tuition (SAR 117K+ for non-Saudi). No swimming pool. Riyadh's social environment is more restrictive. Mixed teacher reviews (one Reddit 4/10).
🇪🇸 ASB Barcelona
Strengths
Strong IB results (avg 35, top 44/45). 67% bilingual diplomas. Integrated Spanish/Catalan programme. All facilities built or renovated in last 10 years. Acceptances at Brown, Stanford, MIT, Oxford. Most affordable European option.Considerations
Not centrally located (Esplugues de Llobregat, ~10 km from city centre). €6,000 non-refundable capital levy is steep. Some parent complaints about admissions communication. No boarding.
🇬🇧 ASL London
Strengths
Ofsted Outstanding across all categories (2023). 93% AP pass rate. Ivy League + Oxbridge placements (Harvard, Yale, Princeton, Oxford). 25m pool, makerspace, 450-seat theatre. 225+ students on financial aid (25–99%).Considerations
Most expensive school on the list (£46,428/yr for HS incl. VAT). Campus described as a "maze" with limited outdoor space. Long waitlists. ~70% US passport holders — less internationally diverse than others. No IB option.
🇬🇧 TASIS England
Strengths
Only school offering both AP and IB. Beautiful 46-acre campus (17C manor house). Strong pastoral care — "home away from home." Boarding from Grade 8. No nationality exceeds 12%. Acceptance rate ~64% (less selective, more accessible). 6:1 student-faculty ratio.Considerations
Smaller school (~660) may limit course breadth. 45 min from central London. Historical Ofsted issues (2016, since resolved). Some parents question academic rigor vs. top-tier UK independents. Higher boarding cost (~£67K).
🇬🇧 MCS Oxford
Strengths
Elite academics: 61% grade 9 at GCSE, 81% A*-A at A-Level, ~25% to Oxbridge/Ivy. Founded 1480. Exceptional music (450+ weekly lessons, Magdalen College choristers). First female Head in 540+ years. Competitive fees for its tier (£29K). Going fully co-ed.Considerations
Currently mostly boys (co-ed Sixth Form only until 2034). British curriculum — not American, no IB. High-pressure environment ("don't go unless very bright and robust"). Some junior school bullying reports. Day only, no boarding. Limited international diversity.
🇬🇧 St Clare's Oxford
Strengths
England's oldest IB school (since 1977). Highest IB average on the list (35.1). Extraordinary nationality density (46 in 262). Non-selective admissions. Classes of 8–10. ISI Excellent + Ofsted Outstanding (boarding). First-name basis, no uniforms. Lowest day fee on the list (£23.6K).Considerations
Sixth-form only (15–19) — no continuity for younger children. No on-site sports (uses Nuffield gym). Distributed campus across separate Victorian buildings, not a traditional school campus. Small school limits subject breadth. 85% boarders — day students may feel peripheral.Research Dashboards
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All Schools Overview
All Regions 8 schools
Interactive gallery of all schools under consideration, with filterable cards, age timeline, and comparison table.
- Card profiles with key stats
- Filter by region, boarding, curriculum
- Side-by-side comparison table
- Age coverage timeline
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GCC Schools Comparison
GCC ASB • ASD • AISR
Deep-dive comparison of three American international schools across Bahrain, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia.
- 5 Chart.js visualizations
- Verdict scores: ASD 8.6, ASB 8.2, AISR 7.8
- 150 staff profiled across 3 schools
- Faculty Directory with gender/origin analysis
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European Schools Research
Europe ASB Barcelona • ASL • TASIS • MCS • St Clare's
Comprehensive research on 5 European schools — UK and Spain. Leadership teams, academic results, tuition, and parent sentiment.
- ASL (London), TASIS (Surrey), MCS & St Clare's (Oxford), ASB (Barcelona)
- 30+ leadership roles identified across 5 schools
- IB/AP/A-Level results & university placement data
- Parent sentiment from Ofsted, ISI, Good Schools Guide, Mumsnet