Compare Malaysian Curriculum International Schools in Brunei

Bandar Seri Begawan, Negara Brunei Darussalam. The campus is located at Simpang 396-48-3, Jalan Kebangsaan, Kampung Sungai Akar, BC4115, Brunei. It sits in the Sungai Akar area of Brunei's capital region with access via the main roads serving Kampung Sungai Akar. The Brunei address places the school within the Brunei-Muara district and the Bandar Seri Begawan area.

The school operates three core levels: Early Years, Primary, and Secondary. The Early Years includes Pre-Kindy (KG1) and Kindy (KG2), followed by Reception and Year 1, then Year 2–4, and finally Year 5–9.

Co-educational (mixed gender).

Public materials do not list a dedicated SEN department or provisions. The school emphasises a safe, secure and supportive community and personalised learning as part of its core approach under The Miftah Way.

Brunei (Negara Brunei Darussalam).

Islamic. The school is an Islamic international school and includes Arabic and Islamic Studies within its curriculum.

The school week runs Monday to Friday. Daily start and end times vary by year group: Pre-Kindy/Kindy 7:45am–11:45am (Mon–Thu) and 7:45am–11:30am (Fri); Reception & Year 1 7:30am–1:30pm (Mon–Thu) and 7:30am–11:45am (Fri); Year 2–4 7:30am–2:15pm (Mon–Thu) and 7:30am–11:45am (Fri); Year 5–9 7:30am–3:15pm (Mon–Thu) and 7:30am–11:45am (Fri).

A dedicated school bus service is not publicly advertised. Admissions can discuss transport options. The school's address is in Kampung Sungai Akar, Bandar Seri Begawan, and Brunei has bus services in the capital area, including routes serving Kampung Sungai Akar.

Uniform is required for all pupils. Early Years may wear either the regular uniform or the PE uniform with comfortable footwear. From Year 1 to Year 8, students wear the regular uniform daily (PE uniform on PE days); tudong is mandatory for girls from Year 2, with purple hijab for Years 2–6 and plain black hijab for Year 7; plain black shoes/trainers and black socks are required, with a Miftah jacket allowed if needed and no other outerwear.

Healthy Eating Policy governs food in the school. The school provides healthy food options in the cafeteria, vending machines, and at events, and will accommodate students with allergies or dietary requirements. Nuts are not allowed, and water is encouraged; celebrations avoid junk food, with guidelines for home meals and snacks.

The school is governed by a Board of Governors. Patrons include Her Royal Highness Princess Hafizah Sururul Bolkiah and Yang Amat Mulia Pengiran Anak Haji Muhammad Ruzaini bin Pengiran Dr Haji Mohd Yakub, who are listed as founders. Ownership and whether the school is part of a group are not stated on the site.

Miftah An-Nur Islamic International School uses the British National Curriculum for core academic subjects, with SPN21 Malay and IQRA International for Arabic and Islamic Studies. The Early Years curriculum is play-based and child-centered, with routines such as morning dhikr and daily duas to foster a sense of belonging. In Primary, learning is organized around a big idea each half-term, with year-group themes that integrate English, Science, Geography, History, Art and Design & Technology, and a Bruneian context. The Secondary program builds on the primary curriculum with subject-specialist teachers and places a strong emphasis on Islamic values and character development. Current provision runs from Pre-Kindy (KG1) to Year 9; the academic year runs from August to July and placements align with International and UK standards.

The school appoints a Head of Wellbeing and a Head of Inclusion to support student welfare and inclusive learning. The leadership and core values emphasize Islamic values and global citizenship, supporting holistic development including social and emotional skills. The Anti-Bullying Policy aims to create a safe, inclusive environment and includes strategies to address bullying, including Kelso's Choices. The Educational Visits Policy includes inclusion of SEN and ensures the same level of support on visits as during the school day, promoting social participation. The Behaviour Policy emphasises respect for self and others and positive interactions consistent with the school's values.

The school has a Head of Inclusion (Makayla Carty) indicating leadership for SEN and inclusion. The Educational Visits Policy states that all students, including those with SEN or other needs, will receive the same support during visits as in school. Publicly available materials do not specify which kinds of SEN the school can support or whether it is a specialist SEN institution. The inclusion leadership and policy presence suggests a structured approach to SEN, though explicit details are not provided in the available materials. The inclusion framework appears to be integrated into school life, with inclusion highlighted in policies and leadership roles.

The school is multilingual and offers English, Malay, and Arabic as part of its language provision. An explicit EAL program is not described in publicly available materials. The presence of a Head of Inclusion supports inclusive language learning within the schooling framework. The secondary language offerings include Arabic, French, and Spanish as second languages, indicating a breadth of language options. Language support specifics beyond the multilingual offerings are not detailed in the sources available.

There is a dedicated Head of Wellbeing (Hasnain Ali) on the leadership team. The school publishes safeguarding and wellbeing-focused policies to protect and support students. The About Us section describes a holistic approach to development, including spiritual, emotional, physical and intellectual faculties. The Secondary curriculum includes a Wellbeing Curriculum, reflecting formal Wellbeing provision. Overall, wellbeing is supported through leadership roles and formal welfare policies.

The school publishes a Child Protection & Safeguarding Policy outlining aims, scope, reporting procedures and safeguarding contacts. A Designated Safeguarding Lead and named safeguarding contacts are provided for reporting concerns. The Safer Recruitment Policy sets out recruitment practices to safeguard children, including police checks and safeguarding-focused screening. The safeguarding framework requires staff training and adherence to procedures for handling concerns. The school's safeguarding framework is designed to ensure a safe and secure learning environment.

No scholarship program is listed on the admissions or fees pages.

The school publishes rolling admissions, accepting applications throughout the year and admitting students at any time. There is no published waitlist or pool system.

SMSIS is located at Spg. 340 Jalan Gadong, Kg Mata-Mata, Bandar Seri Begawan BE 1718, Negara Brunei Darussalam. The address places the campus in the Gadong area of Brunei's capital, accessible by road. The school serves expatriate families alongside Bruneian residents.

SMSIS provides Early Years (EYFS) through Primary education. The Primary curriculum runs on the Cambridge Primary Programme for core subjects (English, Mathematics, Science and ICT Starters), and Kindergarten 1 to Year 6 are the listed year levels.

SMSIS operates as an international day school and is co-educational. The admissions policy indicates a focus on expatriate and Bruneian families, implying non-segregated gender provision.

SMSIS provides a Health Clinic with a school nurse to support student health and safety. There is a designated Student Support Unit for learning-support needs. Public details of specific SEN provisions are not published on the site.

No formal country affiliation is published for SMSIS. The curriculum uses the UK-origin Cambridge Primary Programme for core subjects and Brunei's SPN 21 for local subjects, reflecting a dual-framework approach.

There is no explicit religious affiliation stated for SMSIS. Brunei's SPN 21 curriculum includes Islamic Religious Knowledge for Muslim students as part of the national framework, but the school itself is described as international and non-sectarian.

SMSIS uses a two-session day structure: a Morning Session and an Afternoon Session. The exact start/end times are not published in accessible text.

Public information about a school bus service is not published on the SMSIS site. Families should contact the school to discuss transport arrangements. Contact details are available through the school's Contact Us page.

Uniforms are compulsory for all students. School and PE uniforms are available for purchase from Bajoo Boutique, the official uniform supplier located at Unit No. C4, Ground Floor, Warisan Mata-Mata Complex, Jalan Gadong, Bandar Seri Begawan.

SMSIS has an on-site tuck shop run in partnership with SMSS Secondary, located near the book shop and following Brunei's Ministry of Health canteen guidelines. The tuck shop sells healthy items and is operated by a Nyonya Restaurant offering options such as fresh fruits, sandwiches, burgers, porridge, noodles and rice.

SMSIS is governed by a Board of Governors (BoG) that works with the school leadership to guide the school's purpose, policies and strategic direction. The BoG comprises volunteers from the school community (parents, teachers and staff) and prominent local experts, and acts as steward to ensure sustainability, standards and legal compliance.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) is used for the youngest learners, delivered through a thematic approach with prime areas (Personal, Social and Emotional Development; Communication and Language; Physical Development) and specific areas (Literacy, Mathematics, Knowledge and Understanding the World, Creative Development) to support school readiness. In Primary, Cambridge Primary Curriculum covers English, Mathematics, Science and ICT Starters, providing a solid foundation and integrated assessment. Cambridge Primary provides progression-based assessment, including Cambridge Primary Progression Tests (Stages 3–6) to monitor progress and Cambridge Primary Checkpoint, generally taken at the end of Stage 6. Non-core subjects follow the UK National Curriculum in England (PSHE, Social Studies, Music, Physical Education, Art and Design). Brunei's SPN 21 framework applies to MIB, Bahasa Melayu and Islamic Religious Knowledge and is compulsory for local and expatriate Muslim students. Bahasa Melayu is taught from Kindergarten 2 through Year 6, and Mandarin is offered as an elective foreign language.

SMSIS supports Social and Emotional Learning through a Guidance and Counselling Programme aimed at holistic student development via activities, interventions, and positive discipline. The school operates a Student Transition Program to help new students and families prepare for the move with individualized support. The Homeroom Programme strengthens classroom communities, with class teachers meeting students Monday to Thursday for 25-minute sessions covering health and safety awareness, student-led conferences, and life guidance, while fostering self-awareness, empathy and respect for diverse cultures. The Learning Support Unit provides supplementary teaching for students with learning difficulties in literacy and numeracy, and Learning Differences ensures SEN students have access to the full curriculum. An English Learners Language Program supports students whose English is not yet proficient to acquire and improve English over time.

SMSIS discloses a Learning Support Unit and Learning Differences as means to support students with learning difficulties in literacy and numeracy and to enable access to the full curriculum. The English Learners Language Program provides EAL support. Published materials do not indicate other specific SEN categories or that SMSIS is a dedicated specialist SEN institution.

An English Learners Language Program accommodates students whose language is not English to assist them acquire and increase their English language proficiency over time.

Guidance and Counselling supports the holistic development of students, addressing emotional and social needs. The Homeroom Programme includes health and safety awareness, student-led conferences, and life guidance; 25-minute sessions focus on self-awareness, empathy and valuing diversity, supporting mental wellbeing and global citizenship.

The Child Safety Statement commits SMSIS to creating a safe and positive environment and safeguarding students from violence and abuse. The Child Protection Policy is based on Brunei's Child Protection Act 2012 and the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child; safeguarding concerns should be directed to Maria Theresa Pagaduan Cordova at the Student Support Unit.

1. Expression of Interest and intake timing. Begin the admissions process by submitting an Expression of Interest to the school. SMSIS notes that expatriate families arrive in Brunei regularly and that admissions occur year-round, with a major intake at the start of the school year in January. The school can assist in predetermining a place for a prospective student if needed.

2. Enrollment documentation. After expressing interest, obtain and submit the Enrollment Form along with the required documents to the Admission Office. You must provide three copies of the completed BPS 12 form, two passport‑sized photos of the child, three copies of the child's birth certificate, and three copies of the student's passport (for expatriate students, the passport copies should show the dependent or student visa stamp). You also need three copies of the parents' IC, three copies of the parents' passports (for expatriates, stamps such as dependent or employment pass), three copies of the child's leaving certificate (if applicable), and three copies of reports detailing the child's educational needs (health/immunization records, medical report, previous school reports, and any development centre reports).

3. Pre‑assessment and entrance assessment. The school conducts a pre‑assessment and an entrance assessment to determine appropriate placement and readiness for the applicant. These assessments help establish the grade level corresponding to the child's age and capabilities. Access to the assessment schedule is provided by the Admissions Office as part of the process.

4. Confirmation of enrollment and deposit. Upon completion of the assessments and acceptance into the program, enrollment is confirmed by paying two (2) months' advance school fees. This advance payment secures the child's place in the school registry and is strictly non‑refundable. Ensure that the required enrollment form and documentation are already in place to proceed to this step.

5. International student processing (Student Pass). For foreign/international students, begin the Student Pass endorsement process. This requires submitting the Student Pass application and supporting documents (including passport copies showing the dependent or employment pass stamps) and coordinating with the appropriate authorities for endorsement. The school assists with the endorsement and related steps once the enrollment is confirmed.

6. Commencement of schooling. After completing the above steps, the student commences at SMSIS. Admissions are year‑round, with the major intake in January each year, and the school can assist in planning a start date that aligns with the family's relocation timeline. Orientation and class assignment follow enrollment confirmation.

7. Withdrawal and notice. If you need to withdraw a student, submit a Notice of Withdrawal form to the SMSIS Administrative Office and provide two months' advance notice. If the notice is short, the school reserves the right to charge fees appropriate to the reduced notice period. This withdrawal policy helps keep the registry accurate and allows for orderly transitions.

8. Fees overview (deposit and typical fee context). After enrollment confirmation, families pay two months' advance fees to secure placement. The exact amount depends on the grade and the current fee schedule. For context, early information from third‑party sources indicates that SMSIS typically publishes annual fees around the Brunei Dollar 2,350–2,550 range by level, with variations by preschool and primary years.

There is no publicly published information on SMSIS offering scholarships or a scholarships program on the admissions pages.

SMSIS does not publish a waitlist or pool system in its admissions materials.