Online tutoring for families in Saudi Arabia

Curricula, cities and the Riyadh clock

Families in Saudi Arabia usually ask about a British curriculum, the IB Diploma, CBSE, or an FBISE textbook. CBSE is the request we hear most often by name, especially once Maths and Science, and later Physics, follow the class book. We do not replace that book with a Cambridge chapter because the titles look alike. If the school is British, we ask whether the papers ahead are GCSE, IGCSE or A Level, and which examination board and course the school follows. IGCSE and O Level stay separate. A Level is not the IB Diploma. We teach from Grade 6. In a British school that is usually Year 7. Year 6 is earlier, and exam courses are not described as starting in Grade 6.

Riyadh and Jeddah share Arabia Standard Time, UTC+3, one hour behind Dubai and Muscat, and the same hour as Doha, Manama and Kuwait City. A 5 pm lesson in either Saudi city is 6 pm in Dubai. Each city has its own page because the schools in the messages are not the same, even when the currency is. The school week ends in the afternoon, and families usually want a lesson soon after, while the chapter is fresh. The diagnostic is a free call of about 20 minutes. A paid lesson is agreed, and the invoice is sent, before that hour is reserved.

The published prices are SAR 51 for an expert teacher and SAR 101 for the Head of Academy, each one to one. They are the riyal amounts for the same two lessons as the dirham prices. There is no group price. The note after class is for the family, in English, and it is not sent to the school.