FAQs: Your Frequently Asked Questions Guide

There are several places to learn Arabic, one of them being Berlitz. However, on-campus if there is collective interest, classes may be arranged with the Special Arabic teachers.

As a benefit for working at Al Hekma, Berlitz Language Centre is offering a 10% discount for our staff when you register as a PD staff member (speak to Professional Development Team).

If you are interested in taking advantage of this offer you can contact Berlitz on the below details:
BERLITZ
Flat No.11, Building 256A Road 3605, Area 336, P.O. Box 15342, Manama
Phone: +973 17 827 847
Fax: +973 17 723 449
berlitz@berlitz-bahrain.com
http://www.berlitz-bahrain.com

Americans, Canadians, Australians, and British are permitted to drive in Bahrain with an international driver’s license. Once you have received your residence permit you are able to apply for a Bahraini driver’s license without sitting for a driving exam, you will need to pay a nominated fee for the license and undergo an eye examination. Other countries are required to make an appointment and sit an exam at the Traffic Directorate in Isa Town. Once your residence permit has been issued you must be holding a Bahraini driver’s license to be legally driving in Bahrain.

We recommend that you bring an unlocked mobile phone that is tri-band or more. Upon arriving at the airport you will be able to purchase a sim card for a minimal fee (minimum $15 USD). If you do not have a compatible mobile, one may be purchased at the airport, prices vary.

The Gulf in general is a region rich in culture and traditions. Other cultures are welcomed and appreciated. People living in the Gulf are both accommodating and friendly. English is widely spoken and understood. For more information on the culture, events and lifestyle see www.Timeoutbahrain.com or www.clickbahrain.com

After submitting your documents to the Ministry of Labor, the issuance of a work visa is anticipated to take anywhere between 1-3 months after arriving in Bahrain. Certain religious holidays such as Ramadan and Eid may delay the processing times. The flow of arrivals in Bahrain will also play a determining factor in the length of processing time (e.g. end of summer is busier, therefore, may take longer).

There are no vaccination requirements to enter the country. Before and after entering Bahrain you will be required to complete a medical check-up in order to attain your work permit.

Most of the provided accommodation of staff is within walking distance from the school campus. Later on, you can either hire a car, carpool with friends or arrange a driver.

Yes, there is a $200 USD (75 BD) relocation allowance per person upon arriving in Bahrain (this is issued only once upon arrival and does not apply when the employee leaves for vacation or leaves the country either to return to their origin country or otherwise). In addition to the allowance, the school provides you with a fully furnished flat. Some necessities will be provided at the flat to make settling in as smooth as possible. We will then provide you with an orientation schedule which includes taking you shopping for groceries and other needs.

Employees will receive their tickets 2 weeks prior to their arrival or departure.

Salaries are issued on the 7th of each month. After an account is opened with a local bank this money will be directly deposited into your account. If the 7th lands on a weekend or a public holiday, the money will be deposited on the next business day.

Yes, upon completing an academic year you will be paid for summer vacations and breaks.

As representatives of the school and role models to their students, teachers and staff members are required to maintain high standards of appearance, personal hygiene, and grooming. Appearance at school and school functions should be smart and professional (attire, footwear, hair color, and accessories). No visible tattoos or body piercing is allowed and also teachers are not to dye their hair with unusual colors such as pink, blue, purple…etc. The host country’s culture asks that you cover your upper arms, your thighs, and chest. By doing this you show respect for the local culture. Jeans, tank tops, flip flops, and shorts are not acceptable. Students, on the other hand, have a mandatory uniform. For more detail see the Faculty Handbook.

NOTE: teachers should wear their shirts, tie, suits, formal clothing when attending parent meetings.

The recruitment process or employment, positions or workload may change due to unforeseen circumstances such as a change in the number of registered students. However, we plan to inform all our staff in due time of the changes and will give optimal preparation time.

Yes, internet and intranet access is available to all staff on campus for educational as well as professional development purposes. However, chatting as well as personal email has been restricted; we encourage our staff to leave chatting and personal emails to the comfort of their own home at their leisure.

AHIS pays for all expenses including airfare, accommodation and PD fees for courses outside Bahrain as well as per diem if the attendee is recommended and the PD workshop is approved by the school. If however, the Professional Development takes place in Bahrain, only the course fees will be paid for.

Teachers: Sun-Thurs. 7.00 am – 3.00 pm

Admin: Sun-Thurs. 7.00 am – 4.00 pm

Building No.1962, Road 4363, Sanad 743. Find us on the map from here!

Various extra and co-curricular activities such as Model United Nations (MUN), Young Leadership Conference (YLC), Economic and Career Education (ECE) program, Junior Ambassador Conference (JAC), Student Council, Sports Day and the Bahrain Young Entrepreneurs (BYE) are just some examples. Some of these programs require after school or weekend attendance.

Al Hekma is an educational institute which offers its employees and students many amenities as do other schools, however, it differs in its community and familial atmosphere. A strong sense of community, interaction and helping one another prevails.

We provide tickets for the expat employee. Tickets for family members if arranged by the school must be paid by the employee upfront.

Fundraisers and community sponsorship are sought after. The school also sponsors employees on a case to case basis and for professional development.

We encourage students to either pack a healthy lunch or purchase from our canteen.

Yes, they can.

No.

No.

Yes, employees receive a 40% discount on tuition. Books, uniforms, transportation, yearbook, application fee are to be paid separately. Discount does not apply to Kindergarten students.

Ship to the following address and address to:
c/o Operations Department PO BOX 26489,
Adliya, Kingdom of Bahrain

For Delivery:
Building No.1962, Road 4363
Sanad 743
Kingdom of Bahrain

You are required to take care of the payment on your end, however, we ask you to hold on to your receipts if you require reimbursement. Al Hekma will reimburse up to a total of $200 USD (75BD).

Healthcare is provided as a benefit for the expat employee only. The policy includes visits to the doctor, radiology, lab tests, medicine, procedures, and does not include pre-existing medical conditions. The coverage is provided worldwide excluding Canada and the US (in the case you have an emergency while in the US or Canada, the insurance company will reimburse you on a case to case basis). The employee will be requested to pay 5 B.D deductable.

American and European products (ranging from food to toiletries) can be found in supermarkets such as Jawad, Al Osrah and Waitrose. The prices of these products are pricier than local goods (local goods are of equal quality and lower in prices).

Two or three employees will share (2-3 bedroom) flats but each will has his/her separate bedroom. All the other areas of the flat will be shared. The following are items that you can expect to find in your apartment upon arrival: some basic groceries to get you started, a fridge, washing machine, bed and mattress, cupboard for clothing, sofa set, coffee table, television, satellite dish, bed sheets, towels, some cutlery and glasses, iron, iron board, and drinking water cooler/heater.

Upon arriving in Bahrain teachers will be taken to grocery stores and shopping malls. The orientation of the school and its amenities will also be provided.

Internet is not included in the school housing. A list of internet providers will be given upon request.

Staff entering Bahrain will arrive on a work permit. The school arranges for a multi-entry/exit to facilitate smooth traveling during the year. Therefore, our staff will be able to freely tour neighboring countries and return home on vacations with ease.

Although our housing is in a prime location, close to work and other necessities. We do recommend purchasing or renting a car as public transportation may pose an inconvenience.

One of the many benefits included in our staff packages includes annual roundtrip airfare to and from your home country which the school will arrange for your convenience.

If any changes occur in terms of providing cash as ticket allowance for the return ticket, the Human Resources department will inform employees of it.

No. However, you may purchase medical insurance for a reasonable rate from our insurance provider for the rest of your family.

The 1% Gosi deducted as an unemployment insurance that was introduced by the government in 2008.

Bahraini labor law grants up to 15 paid, approved sick leaves at full rate, and 15 days at half rate. You have scheduled holidays based on the annual activities calendar which are also a paid leave.

This depends on which passport you hold and the ability to apply for a visa. For example, American passport holders may travel within the GCC excluding Saudi Arabia with their Bahrain employment visa, however, some of these countries may require purchasing a visa upon arrival. Contact your embassy for more information.

You will need to complete a Resource Order form, state the reason and submit to your academic department. Major resources ordered from the US will be processed in August, December and June of each year.

Al Hekma is an international school with a wide array of cultures, however, our students are primarily ESL students. Thus, differentiation in the classroom, instructional activities, and alternative assessment are all essential in optimizing students learning experience.

Approximately 55% of students are locals and the remaining are international students. The breakdown of our international student body is primarily from the Middle East, however, there are a number of students from Canada, New Zealand, England, and the USA.

Al Hekma offers smart boards, individual laptops for students, wireless internet access, multimedia projectors, intranet, internet, Elmo (Doc Camera), Video and digital cameras to name a few of our technological tools.

Staff is encouraged to participate in school activities as they promote the school community. However, if there are extraneous circumstances that prevent you from attending an event your supervisor is to be informed.

• Know your students.
• Provide role modeling and guidance for your homeroom students.
• Confront your homeroom students with any academic or behavioral concerns you may have.
• Provide accurate reporting data to parents.
• Communicate with students what is happening and changing in the school. Read the
• students their student announcements.
• Collaborate with colleagues to assist them and your students for success.
• Collaborate with the discipline supervisor concerning your homeroom students and their needs.
• Bond your students to the school and the curriculum.
• Take daily attendance.

Teachers offer remedial classes, tutoring, and social workers as well as counselors to help reach out to struggling students. Differentiations and IEP plans are also developed to assist in the learning process.

Ongoing alternative and formal assessments in addition to a summative final exam at the end of each semester.

An American curriculum which emphasizes Bahraini culture, civics, religion and Arabic language. In addition to International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) which is an educational program for students aged 16 to 19.

Teachers will enjoy a great deal of autonomy. However, in applying autonomy, teachers must maintain our academic standards and promote life-long learning skills, be effective in the classroom, support decision makers, promote leadership skills and are to provide effective instruction for all students. Our instruction requires meeting specific standards such as differentiating instruction and assessments (formative, summative and alternative), integrating technology and linking subjects.

After your probation period, based on your evaluation, surveys, and SWG (school-wide-goals) your coordinator and the PD team will research appropriate courses/training to suit your purposes and contact you.

There are various approaches, some are presented during orientation. Several other forms are specifically tailored to teaching strategies which would be presented in professional development.

Yes, we encourage all staff and students to take advantage of our facilities.

Teachers must abide by censorship laws stated by the Ministry of Education and the government. Therefore, teachers have to acquire approval of the school administration before using any teaching materials not introduced by the school such as worksheets, citations, and videos. Teachers must also seek approval if the topics are not included in the curriculum.

Our admin team will provide training during the induction week explaining the HR rules and regulation and this will include the reporting process in the school. If you have a concern, you should discuss it with your direct supervisor first before seeking further help. Following the proper channels for communication will facilitate the process of implementation.