Interview with Jeddah Knowledge School

Welcome to Expat.com danielspaniel!

I wish you good luck in your projects.

Harmonie.

Have you checked for information on DavesESLcafe, the teachers forum?  You should do that since it's a forum just for teachers.

Good luck!

thanks Alliecat. will try that now

Hey, Did you accept the job at Jeddah Knowledge?  I accepted an offer earlier this week as a PYP teacher.  Start on the 25th of August 2012.  Let me know if you accepted and we can get excited together!!! :-)

Hi Clairey. Di you have to have PYP experience for the job?

I ask because I start at an international school in Tabuk, North of Saudi Arabia. However they do not do PYP/IB, focusing instead on the British curriculum.However, my plans are to hopefully get into a PYP school after this gig.

Thanks.

I don't have any PYP experience!

Cheers.

I will be putting that school on my next shortlist. You excited about the move to Saudi?

Yes, very.  although I have heard mixed reports but I am going to go with an open mind and hopefully I will feel I have made the right decision.  Are you a primary or secondary teacher?

You have the right attitude. Jeddah seems to be a good city to be in if living in Saudi Arabia. Is it your first teaching job abroad?

I am a Primary Teacher.

@ Clairey5
Welcome to Jeddah. Would like to seek advice for one of my friends who is also interested to apply in the same school. Rest I can help you to have any other suggestion for life in Jeddah.

Best Regards!

Yes it is my first job abroad as a primary teacher but I have taught english abroad and travelled alot so i am quite looking forward to a new challenge.  have you been teaching abroad for a while?

Well, it is my first job abroad after doing my teacher training in the UK. However, I taught in South Korea and Thailand for 7 years before returning home to do the PGCE.

I just wanted to ask, did you guys apply through their application form on their website?

Just been offered a job at JKS too...has happened so quick and haven't had hardly any time to research! Any of you guys have useful info on the place to help me make up my mind!?!?!

Yes Gregs, be very careful..... take it as one who rushed in and repented at leisure! Do you own research.

1967tazz wrote:

Yes Gregs, be very careful..... take it as one who rushed in and repented at leisure! Do you own research.

Wow, tazz.. what happened?

Hi Alliecat,
Long story, all fine now changed school to a British School still in Jeddah. Lets just say that as an educator I believe in enabling my pupils to be independent thinkers. Sadly the school did not desire to allow me the same priviledge, I refused to teach from pre printed scripts, and to tipex Israel out of the school atlas....

Hmmm what went so wrong???

ohhh not ideal...apart from that whats the life style etc like in Jeddah?

Hi Greg, I have many friends happily coming back to Jeddah to JKS, just as I said for me it was not a good school... Maybe I am to independent minded. Jeddah is amazing, we came out, self, wife and 2 teenage kids last August, and decided to stay this summer, so that our 2 older girls could come out and experience Jeddah also. Weather great, food, friends, sun, and Sharbatly all amazing. We have settled really well and enjoy life and the pace here, having taught in UK for last 12 years the slower pace, and different attitudes to learning is a real pleas sure. You have to make up your mind, not listen to us sad oldies here, but just go on sites and check out what people are posting about JKIS. What are you going out to teach.

Hi and thanks. I will be teaching Drama. The complex and all of the benefits sound and look fantastic, and I really need a new experience and to get away from the UK for a while. Everyone seems to speak fairly highly of Jeddah. I'm just feel I need a chance and this has come at a perfect time.

Well go for it, we are sitting around the pool area now, drinking and chatting with friends, it's gone 8 pmand still near 100 degrees, so can't be to bad, could be back in 'sunny' England. The current drama teacher is also called Greg, a S African.

Yeah not to bad at all! Seems like your living the dream an all that! Also don't know if you can help with this, but they have offered me a 24 month contract, was looking for a 12 month contract. If I didn't want to stay after the first 12 months, could I get out the contract? or would there be a big problem?

gregs87 wrote:

Yeah not to bad at all! Seems like your living the dream an all that! Also don't know if you can help with this, but they have offered me a 24 month contract, was looking for a 12 month contract. If I didn't want to stay after the first 12 months, could I get out the contract? or would there be a big problem?

A 24 month contract is the norm here, for your initial contract, from what I have seen this year, if you are not happy and wish to leave after a year it does not seem to be a problem. You simply need to give the school enough notice, what will happen is that you will forfeit your end of service bonus. It is more an issue with school letting people go, ie 'sacked' this has happened to a few this year, some seemed to know it was coming others got a surprise with a Wednesday know on the classroom door at the end of the day telling them they were booked on a flight home that night. Officially you have a 90 day probationary period when both parties can say 'goodbye' after which you are officially 'committed' till the end of the 2 year period.

Hello all

I am also having an interview for the Jeddah Knowledge School...

What position are you applying for?

I am going for Art/Design secondary.

Any information regarding children going over and whether contracts include schooling would be much appreciated.

I am currently thinking of accepting an offer as PE teacher in PYP, Greg how are you finding it? Textiles? Did you get a job?

Hey everyone,

I know this blog is quite old now but have just received news that I have an interview with JKS this Saturday. Was wondering if anyone out there had any advice? Also keen to hear from others considering the move this summer.

Speak soon !

Hey,

What position are you interviewing for

L

Hey,

I am getting interviewed for a primary teacher.

Tommy

Hello Claire,

I read your post about getting a job at JKS and really wanted a true and current employee's point of view on working there. I've read some great reviews and some really REALLY bad ones too. Is it really that unprofessional and disorganised? Are management, pupils and parents really unsupportive and abusive? I know there are a lot of posts on this school already but I really want to hear what it is like now, from a teacher who is currently working there.

Hope to hear from you soon. Thank you!

I too am interested in teaching at JKS.   Looking the hear an updated version of how things are at the school and on the compound.  Any information would be great!

Hi Si04,

Welcome to Expat.com.

Since you posted on an old thread, you may not have many replies.

For better visibility,  I invite you to start a new discussion on the Jeddah forum.

Please feel free to post any questions related to the Jeddah Knowledge School.

Best of luck,

Hasnaa
Expat.com Team

Si04 wrote:

I too am interested in teaching at JKS.   Looking the hear an updated version of how things are at the school and on the compound.  Any information would be great!

HI compound is really great and has good facilities which you can use and most of them are free e.g. gym, squash, tennis courts, basket and football pitches.

I don't to slate the school off as I don't want to bite the hand that feeds me but I think you should read the reviews on international school reviews and than decided for yourself. All am gona say is that they are true.

Wow, ok.  So if all the things that I have read are true, how do you get by teaching at this school?  I not concerned about the classroom management so much.  Boys will be boys.  Everyone has their strategies and you have to adjust until you find something that is working.

What about the things I have read about the supplies and state of the classrooms?  That could be the deal breaker.  If I dont have the support of management while teaching and in the face of abusive parents, I could see how some teachers would bail.

You do currently teach there now?  I understand you dont want to say anything bad.  How about running us here on the thread through a typical day for you and what thats like?

Thanks for the info!

What does PYP stand for?

What are the pros and cons about working at this school?

your not teaching your baby sitting. PYP stands for primary years program

The salary at this school is quite low.

Hi Claire can I email you off board with some questions thanks