Frequently asked questions

How many students are at the school?

The school has a student population of approximately 1380.  Of these, 335 are in the Junior School, 325 in the Middle School, 444 in the Upper School and 276 in the Sixth Form.

How many students board?

Currently, the Boarding House has space for approximately 225 students.  Most of these students come from Kuala Belait or Seria (Brunei), Miri and Labuan.  We offer boarding from Monday to Friday only.

When was the school founded?

The primary sector of Jerudong International School opened in January 1997.  The secondary sector opened six months later in July, 1997.

What is the admissions criteria for your school?

All students seeking to enrol in the school must complete an assessment.  While the school has a learning support faculty, the educational support that we offer is limited.  Students are expected to be able to access the mainstream curriculum. Entry to the Sixth Form and the Upper School is determined by academic ability and examination grades.

Can students enrol at anytime during the year?

All enrolments to the school and the boarding house are subject to availability. Enrolments into the Junior School and Middle School can take place throughout an academic year. Late entry to Year 9 is determined by the performance on the assessment test. Entry to Year 10 and the Sixth Form closes four weeks after the commencement of the course. We do not enrol into Year 11 or Year 13 at any time.  Students of this age are required to begin their GCSE or GCE courses again and so are placed either into Year 10 or Year 12.

When should I submit an application form?

Where possible, application forms should be submitted at least six months in advance.

How many teaching staff does the school employ and what nationality are they?

The school employs approximately 150 teaching staff.  Most staff are British, with others recruited from Australia, Europe, Africa, Malaysia, the Philippines, Canada and New Zealand.

What year levels are offered?

Currently, we offer tuition to students from Kindergarten (2 years old) to A-level.

Which curriculum do you follow?

The school follows the English National curriculum.  Students in the Junior School follow the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). Students in Year 2 and Year 6 complete the end of Key Stage 1 and Key Stage 3 assessment tests respectively. In Year 11, the students complete GCSE examinations while in Year 13 the students complete their GCE A-level examinations.

What are your results like?

A-LEVEL

The 2008-2009 A-level results saw almost a third of entries result in A grades and the percentage of A or B grades rise to 61.9% (from 61.1% in 2008). The overall A-level pass rate (A-E) was 99.2%. For the second year running, 100% of Further Mathematics students gained A grades. In Spanish, 100% of students gained A grades this year. High percentages of students gained either A or B grades in Music (100%), Music Technology (100%), Economics (89%), Mathematics (78%), Accounting (77%), English Literature (75%), History (75%), Art & Design (67%), Physics (65%), Biology (64%), Chemistry (57%), Psychology (52%) and Sport & PE Studies(50%).

GCSE

15% of GCSE entries were awarded A* in 2008-2009. The A*/A pass rate was 37.5%, up from 36.3% last year, and the A*/C pass rate was 88.4% (up from 86.2%).  In many subjects, A*/A percentages were very high: Music (100%), Foreign Language Chinese (91%), Statistics (87%), Spanish (62%), First Language Chinese (50%), Economics (49%), Art & Design (47%), Chemistry and Foreign Language Malay (46%), History (45%), Mathematics (44%), Physics

(43%), Geography (42%) and Biology (41%).  

What is the structure of your school year?

Our academic year commences in the last week of August and ends around the first week of July.  The year is divided into three terms.

What is the pastoral care system like?

The school is divided into four ‘schools’: Junior School, Middle School, Upper School and Sixth Form.  Each syndicate has its own Head of School. Junior School class teachers and Middle School, Upper School and Sixth Form tutors report any concerns or issues directly to these personnel.

In the Junior School the class teacher supervises all aspects of a student’s academic progress and pastoral care.  In the secondary school, students are allocated to a tutor group. The tutor oversees the student’s academic progress and pastoral care.

What languages do you teach?

Language is compulsory until Year 11.  In the Junior School students choose between Foreign Language Mandarin, Foreign Language Malay, Bahasa Melayu, First Language Urdu and French.

Middle School students can choose from Bahasa Melayu, Foreign Language Malay, Foreign Language Chinese and French.

Upper School students can choose from Bahasa Melayu, Foreign Language Malay, Foreign Language Chinese, First Language Chinese and French.  It is possible to study Spanish from Year 9 (depending on demand).

What is your music programme like?

All students up to Year 9 study Music as part of their core programme.  The school has an extensive Instrumental Music programme.  Students receive tuition in a particular instrument of their interest.  The lessons are conducted during the school day.  The costs for these lessons range from $15 per lesson (shared lesson) to $30 for an individual lesson.  The music programme also operates during our After School Activities, where students can join a  range of bands, choirs and ensembles to further develop their musical skills.  Instrumental students are expected to participate in one of these. Students can be entered to take Trinity Guildhall examinations in their chosen instrument.  These examinations take place every May and November.

What is your sports programme like?

All students from Kindergarten to Year 13 participate in Physical Education classes.  As a specific subject of study, it is compulsory up until Year 9. Students from Year 10 to 13 are able to select it as one of their elective subjects.

The school has a range of sporting clubs and teams, ranging from football (soccer), swimming, squash, badminton, basketball and netball.  There is limited opportunity for students to participate in sporting competitions across Brunei, but the school endeavours to arrange competitive matches against other schools and participates in the annual FOBBISEA competition against schools in the South East Asian region.  The school also organises its own soccer, swimming and netball competitions and invites schools across Brunei to join.  Internally, the school conducts its own swimming and athletic carnivals.

What activities are offered after school?

Students can sign up for a range of After School Activities.  These range from sports teams, musical groups to games and hobbies.  The activities change every term, although a number of offerings remain consistent over an academic year. 

When is the school open?

The school operates from Monday to Friday.  Students are expected on site by 7:30am in readiness for registration at 7:40am.  The school day ends at 2:15pm for Junior School students (Reception and Kindergarten children have different hours). Students in the Middle School, Upper School and Sixth Form work until 2:15pm on Tuesday; 3:00pm on Monday and Wednesday and 2:30 on Thursday and Friday.  The school is closed on Saturday and Sunday.

When do I pay the application fee?

The application fee of $200 is paid when the application form is submitted. This can be paid by cash or cheque. All other fees are billed in the first week of commencement or by arrangement with the accountant. For more information, contact Lim Choon Ling on ext 1311 or office@jis.edu.bn.

What are the additional costs besides school fees?

There is a $1100 (refundable) deposit required.  For the second child this fee is reduced to $825 and $550 for third and subsequent children. There is a facility fee of $200 (Junior School) and $300 (Year 6-13) per year. These are billed in the first week of commencement along with the tuition fees. Uniform, stationery and textbooks are purchased separately.

Does my child require a Student Pass?

Expatriate students require a Student Pass to study in Brunei. The form may be obtained from the Admissions Office.   You need to submit this form to the Student Pass Unit at Block 2J, 9^th floor, Ong Sum Ping Condominium, Jalan Ong Sum Ping.

Is there a school bus?

The school operates buses that travel to and from Kuala Belait, Seria and Miri each weekend for our Boarding House students. There is an additional fee for this service. All other transport is by private arrangement.

Is there a school uniform?

All students of the school follow a dress code. The uniform is available for purchase on site at our Uniform and Stationery Shop.

Is there a parent group?

The PTCG is a fundraising organisation made up of volunteer parents and teachers.  In the past, its fundraising efforts have been put towards purchasing equipment for the school and sponsoring some of the school’s activities and publications.  The Junior School has established a Parent Liaison group which assists with the induction of new families to the school.