Cities / Kuwait City / New English School
New English School
NES is Kuwait's oldest private co-educational British-curriculum school, founded in 1969 in Jabriya and serving around 2,000 students from 50+ nationalities through KG to Year 13. IGCSE and A-levels follow the English National Curriculum; the school holds BSO, BSME, and…
In brief
Kuwait's oldest British curriculum school, founded in 1969 by Tareq and Jehan Rajab and still run by the Rajab family. Large, established, with a long alumni track.
NES has occupied its Jabriya campus since 1974 and runs around 2,000 to 2,200 students from age 3 to 18+, split evenly between boys and girls. The curriculum follows the National Curriculum of England through to IGCSE, AS and A Level, with Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, Oxford AQA and AP options. BSME and BSO accredited.
The 2023 BSO inspection rated behaviour excellent and praised the school's identity and pastoral culture. IGCSE pass rates run in the mid-90s and A Level pass rates close to the top of Kuwait. Teaching staff are predominantly British. Parents value the long history, the stability and the discipline; common complaints centre on cost, the high number of holidays, and occasional inflexibility on uniform. NES is the natural pick for families wanting an established British school with a long alumni network, and competes head-on with KES for that profile.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 3 | Annual | KWD 1,733 |
| Reception - Year 2 | 5 | Annual | KWD 2,678 |
| Years 3-6 | 8 | Annual | KWD 2,977 |
| Years 7-9 | 11 | Annual | KWD 3,510 |
| Years 10-11 | 14 | Annual | KWD 3,510 |
| Years 12-13 (A-Level) | 16 | Annual | KWD 4,430 |
| Assessment fee (non-refundable) | One-time | KWD 25 |
Reviews
- Long-standing position as one of the schools Kuwait expats and Kuwaitis name first, alongside KES and BSK. One parent listed it among the three British schools in Kuwait a real factor, with everything else "run for the hills".
- Academic intensity is part of the brand. The Good Schools Guide describes a school strong on academics with a culture of sustained study, and notes it is "not an easy environment for the less confident".
- Discipline is strict. Parents describe a zero-tolerance code where small lapses can lead to suspension.
- Teaching staff are largely British, after-school clubs sit inside the fee, and parents say their children look forward to coming in. One ex-student wrote that teachers "propelled me towards the heights I aimed to achieve".
- A removed Reddit thread from a parent who had a poor KG admissions experience signals that the gatekeeping at entry is hard, and complaints exist around how the school handles disappointed families. Glassdoor staff reviews echo a culture that prioritises fee-paying parents and protects management.
- A minority of parents flag that bullying does happen and that the school has tried to handle issues quietly rather than escalate, with one parent saying support from leadership was thin when they pushed back.
Head of school
Richard Marchant
Richard Marchant has been the School Principal of the New English School since September 2018, having previously served as the Secondary Headteacher starting in September 2017. He has a long history with the school, joining in 2001 as a Teacher of Chemistry and progressing through roles such as Head of Year, Deputy Headteacher for KS3, and Deputy Headteacher for Assessment, Development, and Learning. He holds a B.Sc (Hons) in Biochemistry from the University of Leeds, a PGCE from Roehampton University, an M.A. in Applied Educational Leadership and Management from the University of London, and the NPQH.
Accreditations
- British Schools in the Middle East accreditation 01
- British Schools Overseas (DfE) 02
Academic results
- A-Level A*/A (2025) 45%
- IGCSE A*/A (2025) 52%