Cities / Cairo / Modern English School Cairo
Modern English School Cairo
One of Cairo's blue-chip British schools, opened in 1990 and now sitting on a 32,500-square-metre purpose-built campus in New Cairo with around 2,000 students from FS1 to Year 13.
In brief
One of Cairo's blue-chip British schools, opened in 1990 and now sitting on a 32,500 square metre purpose-built campus in New Cairo with around 2,400 students from FS1 to Year 13.
BSO Outstanding, COBIS, BSME and a CIS member, with secondary running parallel pathways: British GCSE and A Level, US High School Diploma, and the IB Diploma. Strong Durham Value Added scores and an active PTG that runs the welcome side for new expat families. Facilities are at the upper end for the city, with two heated pools, a 400-seat theatre and three libraries. Oversubscribed at most year-group entry points.
Most parent feedback is warm on primary teaching, communication and the breadth of enrichment. Where complaints cluster is the high school: inconsistent teacher quality across departments and management style. Teacher turnover and workload come up too. For families set on a top-tier British primary in New Cairo at a more reasonable fee than the very top of the market, MES still earns its place on most shortlists.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| KG1 | 3 | EGP 80,000 |
| KG2 | 4 | EGP 93,000 |
| Grade 1 | 5 | EGP 119,000 |
| Grade 2 | 6 | EGP 119,000 |
| Grade 3 | 7 | EGP 131,000 |
| Grade 4 | 8 | EGP 131,000 |
| Grade 5 | 9 | EGP 131,000 |
| Grade 6 | 10 | EGP 131,000 |
| Grade 7-12 (American Diploma) | 11 | EGP 161,000 |
| Grade 7-12 (British / IB) | 11 | EGP 185,000 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Transport (annual, approx) | EGP 10,400 |
Reviews
MES sits at the top of the New Cairo British-school conversation and has done for years. The 2025 BSO inspection landed in the outstanding range across curriculum, teaching, pastoral care, welfare and premises, and the school clears the British Schools Overseas standard. Families describe a settled, family-feel community with a long-serving director and multi-generational alumni, and academic results sit comfortably above UK averages at IGCSE, A level and IB Diploma. The picture parents push back on is the price tag and a sense that the upper school can be uneven across teachers and departments.
Positives
- Academics and results. IGCSE attainment runs above UK averages despite students sitting the boards a year early. A levels also surpass UK benchmarks, and IB Diploma cohorts score two to four points above the global average with a full pass rate. Three secondary pathways under one roof: British (IGCSE and A level), American High School Diploma, and IB Diploma.
- Leadership and stability. Inspectors describe leadership and governance as exemplary, with strong oversight from the proprietor and a clearly communicated strategy. The school director is long-tenured and the staff body is unusually loyal, which gives the place an institutional steadiness rare among Cairo internationals.
- Pastoral care and community. Pastoral provision is a clear strength. Peer mentoring, on-site psychologist, secondary counsellor and an open-door culture in primary mean concerns tend to get picked up early. Families talk about a warm, settled community feel, often spanning siblings and generations.
- Campus and facilities. Purpose-built campus south of the Police Academy in New Cairo with subject-specific classrooms, three age-banded libraries, Mac lab, swimming pool, gym, athletics track and football and netball facilities. Recent works include refurbished bathrooms, resurfaced gym flooring and upgraded courts.
- Holistic programme. Broad co-curricular spine: Model UN, debate, house competitions, International Award, the Pioneers leadership programme, residential trips to Italy, Spain and Cyprus, and a 24-Hour Run for the children's cancer foundation. PRIME Time and Unifrog underpin careers and UCAS guidance in the senior years.
Considerations
- Fees. Sits among the most expensive seats in New Cairo, and the cost is the headline gripe in parent chatter. Annual fee uplifts in a high-inflation EGP environment have created friction between families and ownership in recent years.
- Upper-school consistency. Even sympathetic parents flag that high school can feel less consistent than primary, with variation in how individual teachers manage classrooms and stretch the most able. The BSO team itself notes scope to push student-led learning and feedback consistency further across phases.
- Egyptian-majority intake. Around 2,400 pupils, overwhelmingly Egyptian nationals. The British curriculum is delivered through that lens, with Arabic and Egyptian religious studies running alongside. The mix reads as a strong fit for Egyptian families wanting a UK pathway from home, and a softer expatriate feel than the more international-staffed Cairo schools.
Leadership
Mrs. Melanie Jane Midwood
Mrs Melanie Jane Midwood serves as the School Director at Modern English School Cairo. She is an experienced international educator and school leader who emphasizes a mission of "Leadership Through Education: Care, Challenge and Inspire." She oversees the school's diverse curriculum pathways, including British, American, and International Baccalaureate programs, and is actively involved in professional development and team building for the school's leadership.
Accreditations
- Cognia 01
- British Schools Overseas (DfE) 02
- Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools 03
Academic results
- A-Level pass rate 100% (2018)
- IGCSE results Above UK national average (2018)