Cities / Kuwait City / The English Academy
The English Academy
TEA is a private British-curriculum school on Ahmad Ibn Tolon Street in Hawalli, offering KG to Year 13 with IGCSE, AS, and A-levels through Cambridge and Edexcel. Founded in 1993, it holds BSME accreditation and BSO status, and is a…
In brief
A private British school in Hawalli, founded in 1993 in Jabriya and moved to a purpose-built Hawalli campus in 2013. BSO recognised, mid-sized, Cambridge and Pearson IGCSE pathway.
TEA runs from KG to Year 13 with around 600 students, age 3.5 to 18. Curriculum is the English National Curriculum through to IGCSE and A Level, with Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel and Oxford AQA exam routes. The school sits inside the Association of British Schools Overseas and has gone through repeated BSO inspections since 2012, including a 2023 inspection.
The Hawalli campus is one of the newer purpose-built British sites in Kuwait, and parents who chose TEA over the larger British schools cite the smaller scale and the building. Reviews are mixed: some families and current students praise the teachers and the British structure; alumni voices have flagged that the school can feel rule-heavy and that university preparation varies by department. Fees sit mid-range. TEA fits families who want a British pathway in a smaller setting in Hawalli rather than the bigger institutions in Salwa or Jabriya.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten | 3 | Annual | KWD 1,513 |
| Reception | 5 | Annual | KWD 2,150 |
| Years 1-2 | 6 | Annual | KWD 2,257 |
| Years 3-6 | 8 | Annual | KWD 2,506 |
| Years 7-9 | 11 | Annual | KWD 3,002 |
| Years 10-11 | 14 | Annual | KWD 3,002 |
| Years 12-13 | 16 | Annual | KWD 3,713 |
Reviews
- TEA Kuwait sits in the second tier of British-curriculum schools in the country by online consensus, with one comparison placing it under "Satisfactory British Schools" alongside Cambridge English School Hawally and Oxford Academy.
- Parent feedback is split between strong praise for individual teachers and complaints about strict rule enforcement, lack of student freedom and high fees relative to provision.
- Some reviews flag differential discipline between boys and girls, with one parent saying teachers treat students in a "sexist" way.
- The school operates the English National Curriculum with Arabic, Islamic studies and Kuwait social studies threaded in to meet ministry requirements, and it has run since 1993 in Hawalli.
- Specific parent signal is low, with most comments coming from broad school comparisons and a small number of forum mentions.
Head of school
Stewart J Cowden
Stewart J Cowden serves as the Principal of The English Academy. He is dedicated to fostering a supportive and happy environment where every student is encouraged to reach their full potential. With a focus on traditional values such as determination, respect, and high standards of behaviour, he aims to prepare students for the challenges of the 21st century. He believes in a personalized approach to education, ensuring that no student is left behind, and maintains strong communication between the school and home to support student success.
Accreditations
- British Schools Overseas (DfE) 01
- British Schools in the Middle East accreditation 02
Academic results
- iGCSE 2023 average 83.5% 5 A*-C including mathematics and second language English
- A Level 2023 average 77% A-C