Bhagyata adds it up!

TALENTED British School of Bahrain (BSB) pupil Bhagyata Kinger is embarking on a new chapter of her life at university in the UK after having spent her entire education at the same school.

From kindergarten to sixth form, Indian expat Bhagyata,18, has seen the school change dramatically over the years, growing from a small villa in Adliya to its multi-million dinar campus in Hamala.

Bhagyata, from Jasra, said: “The BSB feels like my home. When I walk through the corridors, it feels like I belong.

“I was in Year 10 when we moved campus. It was a mixed bag of feelings because on one hand it was sad to leave that small campus we had been at since the beginning, but also a sense of pride about the new campus which meant we did not have to take a bus for PE anymore!

“The most amazing part of the BSB has always been the close-knit community feeling, which has not been lost.”

Thanks to her impressive A’level exam results which include A* grades in Economics, Mathematics, Further Mathematics and an A in Government & Politics, she will soon be leaving Bahrain to study BSc Mathematics (Hon) at the Imperial College, London.

The maths-mad youngster’s siblings Bhanavi, 16, Kaviesh, nine, and Krishiw, six, have also been at the school for the duration of their education. And, it seems that brains run in the family as Bhanavi recently achieved a whopping nine A*s in her GCSEs. However, recently Bhanavi enrolled at St Christopher’s School to take her A’levels.

Proud parents, sales manager father Ramesh, 52, and mother Anupam, 45, believe BSB played an important role in their children’s success. Anupam said: “It gave stability and a familiarity with the teachers and the system.”

The transient nature of the kingdom’s expat population has meant that many of Bhagyata’s friends have come and gone over the years. However, the gifted student remains unfazed and sees the experience as preparation for her university experience.

She said: “Luckily, thanks to technology it has become easier to keep in touch with friends. I have to say that I have met many people of different nationalities, which means the multi-cultural aspect of university does not seem daunting at all.”

While she is excited about her new life in London, she says that Bahrain is her home and she will miss it.

“From my amazing school teachers who have had a huge role to play in the person I am today, to my friends and, of course, my family, especially my two naughty brothers, Kaviesh and Krishiw and loving younger sister, Bhanavi. Having them at the same campus extended the family feeling and added to the kitty of memories.

“While I was at BSB Mr Bluett and Mr Batty kindled my love for the subject I love now, maths. I was in Year 10, yet Mr Bluett would gladly help our ‘freak-out’ sessions at break-time. I don’t think there is any door knocked on as much as Mr Batty’s and he always helped.”

Besides consistently achieving high grades, Bhagyata has also received a number of awards for overall achievement including the Dhow Award, which is the highest award in the school, recently presented by GulfWeekly Editor Stan Szecowka at a special ceremony. Annually, only one student from each school, Senior, Junior and Infant receives this award for excellence.

Head of Sixth Form, Nick Atkins, said: “Bhagyata has always been the exemplary student and attended our school since a very early age, in kindergarten. 

“I first taught her in Year 4 and I cite her hard work, kindness and intellect as some of her many attributes. Bhagyata was the sort of solid, well-rounded person we at the BSB hold in very high regard and her often selfless work in so many areas over the years has been a pleasure to see. I am very proud of her starting at Imperial College London and know she will be as outstanding there as she was here.”

The BSB opened in 1995 and in 2007 Esam Yousif Janahi, chairman of Gulf Finance House, took over its ownership and merged it with Al Ruwad School. Its modern campus opened in September 2008 and will be expanding over the coming months.

The school currently has 1,585 students, aged from three to 18, and the development plan is to increase the number of places to 2,300, making it the largest English-curriculum international school on the island. Dr Charles Wall was recently appointed as head teacher.