Shaikha Hessa Girls' School

Shaikha Hessa Girls' School was established in 2001 as the first private, all-girls school in Bahrain. It operates as a private, non-profit national school with an international environment and a bilingual Arabic-English program. The school offers an international curriculum including IGCSE and the IB Diploma, and has grown to serve pre-school through Grade 12. It is recognized by the Ministry of Education, accredited in 2007 by the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools, and has been a full member of the Council of International Schools since 2011; SHGS is noted as the first IB Diploma World School for Girls in Bahrain. The school teaches in English and Arabic, with French offered as a foreign language from Grade 4 to Grade 8.

SHGS gathers students from more than twenty-four nationalities, creating an international community anchored in Arabic and Islamic values and global citizenship. The school provides bilingual education in Arabic and English, with French taught as a foreign language from Grade 4 to Grade 8. Community life includes Think Pink Week for breast cancer awareness (2013) and student programs such as SHGS MUN conferences, Quran competitions, and Sports Day, with graduations attended by families. Graduations are held annually, and notable ceremonies have involved royal and government figures, such as the 16th graduation in 2023 attended by Princess Sabeeka bint Ibrahim Al Khalifa and other officials.

The school identifies itself as a private, non-profit institution that emphasizes a home-school partnership and ongoing parent communication, rather than listing a formal PTA on its site. Parent engagement is described as part of daily school life, with the principal noting the importance of parent collaboration in a “home-joint school” model. Parents participate in major events such as graduations, which are publicly publicized and attended by families and officials (for example, the 2020 graduation and the 2023 graduation). The calendar includes community events and student programs such as SHGS MUN, Quran competitions, Think Pink weeks, and Sports Day, which often involve parent involvement and support. The school is governed by a Board of Directors; public details about a separate PTA are not listed on the site, and current PTA specifics can be obtained from the school administration.