Amman - School Report Question and Answers
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Having talked to parents at other schools, we are happy with our decision to send our kids to ACS. It is a great school. While not perfect, I think it is the best option in Amman. - Jul 2022
Even though the school is close, traffic is terrible. Anything after school requires budgeting a lot of travel time. Also, many guest speakers, orientations, parent meetings, etc. were scheduled in the day. The schools seems to have a very traditional view of family life, so the assumption is that there is a stay at home mom who can come to school for a PTA coffee, mid-morning on a Tuesday. The idea that both parents work or that there is a single parent is not considered when scheduling parent events. Permission slips had to be signed by mother and father and when I signed alone, it was returned to me for completion (what about single parents?). Jordanians are a friendly and well-educated people, but this is coupled with a mindset that is 2-3 decades behind mainstream American life at this school. Having lived in Turkey, we just assumed this would be a child-centric society too, but were surprised by how limited activities were for kids, both from the school and life in general. - Feb 2021
It's a British system, and one thing you should know is that parents don't just "pop in" during the day to go have lunch with their kids. I thought this was a little strange coming from an American school the previous year, but I got used to it and accepted it. At the end of the day, I like the mentality of the British system that says, "drop off your kid, and we'll take it from there." It seems like there is less drama, fewer problems, more inclusion, etc. because the school takes care of it in the nurturing environment. We love ICS and do not regret for a minute that we chose this route. Do your homework. - Sep 2019
You will be out of pocket for King's Academy (the Embassy pays about 75% of the bill), but it is well worth every extra penny you can spend for your child if he or she is a little more academic than the average Embassy family. We feel that it is worth the investment with what she gets in return. The faculty are the best of the best from very high-level universities, and it is evident upon first look at the school. We are moving our daughter from a day student to a week-day border because she has really excelled in the academic climate and could use the week day to focus more on her studies. (We are cutting out the 40-minute bus ride which is doable, but our daughter has proven to us that she is ready for the week-day boarder life. It's crazy that I'm even writing this, but I am. Amazing school!!!!) - Nov 2018
When you go to ICS, you will notice that it doesn't have the bells and whistles that other schools might have, but it has been the best choice for us at this post. Don't let other schools tell you that they only have "20%" Jordanians at the school because many children have US passports and were only in the US as a baby (so that they could get their US passport). I would shop around if you are trying to avoid rich, spoiled locals. With that being said, many families are happy with ACS, but I would just shop around for your own sake. - Feb 2018
Kings is expensive. Even if you are with the US Embassy, you will pay all costs above what is charged at ACS and that price tag went up significantly for day students beginning 2017-2018. The increase seems to be part of a not so subtle nudging towards more full-time boarders. Kings is about a 30 minute drive from West Amman but traffic is never that bad so it hasn't been a problem for us although it makes for a long day. Kings was the right choice for my particular kid, his personality and his interests. - Apr 2017
