King's Academy (Arabic Translation: "كينغز أكاديمي") is an independent,

co-educational Mixed-sex education, also known as mixed-gender education, co-education, or coeducation (abbreviated to co-ed or coed), is a system of education where males and females are educated together. Whereas single-sex education was more common up to t ...

boarding and day

school A school is an educational institution designed to provide learning spaces and learning environments for the teaching of students under the direction of teachers. Most countries have systems of formal education, which is sometimes compuls ...

for students in grades 7 through 12 in

Madaba Madaba ( ar, مادبا; Biblical Hebrew: ''Mēḏəḇāʾ''; grc, Μήδαβα) is the capital city of Madaba Governorate in central Jordan, with a population of about 60,000. It is best known for its Byzantine and Umayyad mosaics, espec ...

-Manja,

Jordan Jordan ( ar, الأردن; tr. ' ), officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,; tr. ' is a country in Western Asia. It is situated at the crossroads of Asia, Africa, and Europe, within the Levant region, on the East Bank of the Jordan Rive ...

. It is named in honor of King

Abdullah II of Jordan Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein ( ar, عبدالله الثاني بن الحسين , translit=ʿAbd Allāh aṯ-ṯānī ibn al-Ḥusayn; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of t ...

and seeks to fulfill His Majesty's vision of producing "a new generation of enlightened and creative minds." King Abdullah attended high school at

Deerfield Academy Deerfield Academy is an elite coeducational preparatory school in Deerfield, Massachusetts. Founded in 1797, it is one of the oldest secondary schools in the United States. It is a member of the Eight Schools Association, the Ten Schools Admissi ...

in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

as there was no school of comparable standing in Jordan when he was a boy, but his son Crown Prince Hussein enrolled in the new school's second incoming class (2008). The school's first headmaster, Dr. Eric Widmer, was a past headmaster of Deerfield. The primary language of instruction at King's Academy is English. Both Arabic-speaking and non-Arabic-speaking students are required to study Arabic. The academy is a member of the

G30 Schools G30 Schools, formerly known as G20 Schools, is an informal association of secondary schools initiated by David Wylde of St. Andrew's College, Grahamstown, South Africa and Anthony Seldon of Wellington College, Berkshire, United Kingdom in 2006. A ...

group.

Location and campus

The King's Academy campus was designed by an Egyptian architect and Director of the Prince's School of Traditional Arts in London Khaled Azzam. The campus and buildings are constructed on a 575-dunum (144-acre) site and comprise some 35 major buildings.

Athletic facilities

The athletic facilities include a semi-Olympic swimming pool,

tennis Tennis is a racket sport that is played either individually against a single opponent ( singles) or between two teams of two players each ( doubles). Each player uses a tennis racket that is strung with cord to strike a hollow rubber ball ...

court,

squash Squash may refer to: Sports * Squash (sport), the high-speed racquet sport also known as squash racquets * Squash (professional wrestling), an extremely one-sided match in professional wrestling * Squash tennis, a game similar to squash but pla ...

court,

handball Handball (also known as team handball, European handball or Olympic handball) is a team sport in which two teams of seven players each (six outcourt players and a goalkeeper) pass a ball using their hands with the aim of throwing it into the g ...

and

basketball Basketball is a team sport in which two teams, most commonly of five players each, opposing one another on a rectangular Basketball court, court, compete with the primary objective of #Shooting, shooting a basketball (ball), basketball (appr ...

courts, and cardio and weight training facilities. There is also an outdoor sports stadium that includes a full-size

football Football is a family of team sports that involve, to varying degrees, kicking a ball to score a goal. Unqualified, the word ''football'' normally means the form of football that is the most popular where the word is used. Sports commonly c ...

field, two additional football fields, and a track.

King Abdullah II Spiritual Center

The

King Abdullah II Abdullah II bin Al-Hussein ( ar, عبدالله الثاني بن الحسين , translit=ʿAbd Allāh aṯ-ṯānī ibn al-Ḥusayn; born 30 January 1962) is King of Jordan, having ascended the throne on 7 February 1999. He is a member of t ...

Spiritual Center is a multi-faith spiritual center that is available for use to all members of the school community, regardless of their faith. Both the indoor prayer room and the open-air courtyard are available for use at all times by students, faculty, staff and campus visitors.

The Abdul Majeed Shoman Auditorium

The Abdul Majeed Shoman Auditorium holds 700 people and is the location of both school and community events including concerts, student recitals, plays and dance performances. Students and faculty members gather here for weekly school meetings.

The Sheikh Jabir Al-Ahmad Al-Sabah Building

The building has a total area of 2,200 square meters and houses the Middle School, the Office of the Headmaster, and the Office of Admissions. The Middle School comprises 10 classrooms, two fully equipped science labs, an art wing, a study lounge and a large multipurpose room, in addition to the dean's office and the school counselor's office. The building is fully accessible with an elevator and additional ramps.

The HRH Sheikh Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Library

For use by students, faculty, staff and guests of King's Academy, the HRH Sheikh

Mohammed Bin Rashid Al Maktoum Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum ( ar, محمد بن راشد آل مكتوم, links=no; ; born 15 July 1949) is the Prime Minister of the United Arab Emirates, vice president, prime minister, and minister of defence of the United Arab Emir ...

Library holds 50,000 volumes. The building is outfitted with wireless internet, reading tables and study spaces, including a circular reading room (a rotunda) that overlooks the campus.

Student body

The King's Academy campus was built to accommodate both day and boarding students, the latter comprising about 70 percent of the student body. For the 2022-2023 academic year, 570 students were enrolled at the school, representing some 40 countries in the

Middle East The Middle East ( ar, الشرق الأوسط, ISO 233: ) is a geopolitical region commonly encompassing Arabian Peninsula, Arabia (including the Arabian Peninsula and Bahrain), Anatolia, Asia Minor (Asian part of Turkey except Hatay Pro ...

and around the world. Of these students, 45 percent are female and 55 percent are male. Approximately 43% of students receive financial aid.

Academics

The school's curriculum is based on the American

Advanced Placement Advanced Placement (AP) is a program in the United States and Canada created by the College Board which offers college-level curricula and examinations to high school students. American colleges and universities may grant placement and course ...

(AP) program, and the Middle School curriculum is based on the

College Board The College Board is an American nonprofit organization that was formed in December 1899 as the College Entrance Examination Board (CEEB) to expand access to higher education. While the College Board is not an association of colleges, it runs a ...

’s QUEST framework for teaching and learning. Students intending to attend a Jordanian university or gain certain professional licenses in Jordan can obtain a certificate of Tawjihi equivalency in lieu of taking the nationa
Tawjihi
examination. The primary language of instruction at King's Academy is

English English usually refers to: * English language * English people English may also refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * ''English'', an adjective for something of, from, or related to England ** English national ide ...

, but the study of Arabic is required of all students throughout their years at King's. King's Academy is accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges
NEASC
. It is a founding member of

Global Online Academy Global Online Academy (GOA) is a nonprofit organization which provides online classes, workshops, and other educational resources for students and teachers. Accredited courses for middle and high school students are offered through GOA by a consor ...

GOA
, a member of the G30 Schools group, and is
Round Square
school.

References

External links

King's Academy Website

Arabic Year at King's Academy Website

Jordan Times, July 23, 2004 {{Authority control International schools in Jordan Boarding schools in Jordan Private schools in Jordan High schools and secondary schools in Jordan Educational institutions established in 2007 Gifted education 2007 establishments in Jordan Bahrain–Jordan relations Round Square schools