In developing our curriculum content and approach, we started with the question: “What should a Misk Schools graduate look like?” 

Our answer was that students will leave us prepared to lead with purpose because they are passionate learners, critical and creative thinkers, and globally-minded citizens who strive to learn what it means to live life well and assume responsibility for making the world more habitable and humane.

Misk Schools Graduate Profile

Possessing the cognitive and intellectual habits of mind that reflect mastery in all core disciplines, graduating university ready and worldly.

Self-directed, reflective and mindful, able to manage goals, time, work and wellness.

Capable, humble and compassionate, lead by example and inspire others.

Analytic and synthetic thinkers, inquisitive and open-minded, able to come up with novel solutions to problems; able to generate new methods, ideas and products.

Globally minded by virtue of internships and study abroad.

Ecologically literate and leaders of thought and action for responsibility to our shared planet.

Working backwards from this graduate profile, we designed the Misk Schools Diploma – a carefully curated, balanced and holistic curriculum that is underpinned by personalised learning and delivered using our own, unique, Misk Schools High Performance Learning (MSHPL) programme, developed in partnership with Professor Deborah Eyre, Founder and Chair of High Performance Learning.

MSHPL is based on the premise that all students can achieve high levels of academic performance – once seen as the domain of the very few – and that they are equipped with the values, attitudes and attributes that will serve them well at university, and as future leaders.

Our Curriculum Map summarises the Misk Schools learning journey from PreK to graduation

The Seven Pillars of High Performance


The Misk Schools Diploma comprises four key elements:

Academic
We offer an international curriculum that is based on global best practices and customised to fit our specific needs. Our students prepare for IGCSEs in Grades 9 and 10 and then follow an international A-level or BTEC pathway during Grades 11 and 12. We can offer the Advanced Placement (AP) for students who are committed to applying to US universities from an early age. Throughout their school career, Misk students are encouraged to compete regularly in local and international competitions and Olympiads.

We are an accredited examination centre for both Cambridge International and Pearson Edexcel and prepare our students for US university admissions tests (SATs) as well as for Saudi Arabia’s Qudrat/Tahsili. We are experienced in UCAS, the UK's online admissions system, and offer English language qualifications (IELTS) as well as specialised clinical aptitude tests for medical degrees. We support student applications to the universities of their choice anywhere in the world.

Internship
Whether it is work experience, community service or volunteering, all Misk Schools internships provide valuable, practical, hands-on learning opportunities, resulting in exceptional personal growth aligned to specific interests and career goals.

Working with individual mentors, students identify long-term self-development and career goals. Results of this process inform decision-making on the kind of internship they will benefit from most. All placements are bespoke. Internships are undertaken by all students in Grade 9 and above.

National Identity Subjects 
This important programme is delivered within the Ministry of Education’s framework, using the best pedagogy and practices.

It comprises Social Studies, Islamic Studies and Arabic Language and is designed to strengthen national character and develop citizenry, equipping learners with the ability to make ethical evaluations of challenges, opportunities and endeavours – and to communicate these to the world using sophisticated Arabic language.

Leadership
One of our most important goals at Misk Schools is to give our students the competencies and confidence they need to lead with purpose. 

We do this through partnerships with prestigious leadership and management organisations including Misk Foundation and the Chartered Management Institute (CMI) among others, and by infusing leadership lessons into every aspect of school life. Whether it’s a science class or a team sport, a presentation or a competition, we treat every interaction as an opportunity to coach students to recognise and emulate positive, principled leadership – of themselves, of others and in their area of expertise.

The Interdisciplinary Learning of Leadership in the High Performance Learning Philosophy