British International School Hanoi vs The Olympia Schools

	B British International School Hanoi Hanoi, Vietnam	T The Olympia Schools Hanoi, Vietnam
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year ₫218,000,000 - 810,000,000	Fees / year ₫138,000,000 - 868,000,000
Age range	Age range 2 - 18 years	Age range 4 - 18 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum IB (DP), British Curriculum, Cambridge IGCSE, EYFS (Early years foundation stage)	Curriculum IB (DP), Bespoke Curriculum
Pupils	Pupils 1,100	Pupils 1,200
Typical class size	Typical class size 24	Typical class size 20
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 2012	Opened 2003
Bus service	Bus service Yes	Bus service Yes
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location BIS Hanoi is situated in a residential area on the eastern side of the city. The campus is easily accessible by car and school bus, with routes serving multiple districts. Its setting offers a calm environment while remaining convenient for families living in different parts of Hanoi.	Location The Olympia Schools is located in the Trung Văn New Urban Area, Nam Từ Liêm (South Từ Liêm), Hanoi, Vietnam. The campus sits in a residential suburb of Hanoi, offering relatively easy access from the city via urban roads; it is a familiar address within Hanoi’s urban-suburban belt.
Stages	Stages The school educates students from Early Years (ages 2–5) through Primary (5–11), Secondary (11–16, IGCSE), and Sixth Form (16–18, IB Diploma).	Stages The Olympia Schools includes Kindergarten (pre-primary), Primary School, Middle School, and High School. Thus, offering education for children from the early age of 4 through the grade 12.
School type	School type A co-educational international day school serving ages 2–18; no boarding facilities are offered.	School type The Olympia Schools is a co-educational day-school. The school does not provide boarding or residential facilities.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix —	Pupil nationality mix —
Additional learning support	Additional learning support BIS Hanoi provides English as an Additional Language (EAL) programmes and individual pastoral guidance. Specific SEN facilities are not detailed publicly.	Additional learning support The Olympia Schools does not disclose any information on additional learning support. The school allows psychological screening of students at entry and periodically thereafter. The school employs a school psychologist to monitor student mental health and can coordinate with specialists when needed. This indicates some provision for emotional, social or behavioral support. Though the school does not specify a full “SEN department” or specialized classes.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation Delivers a British-style curriculum and international qualifications but has no formal national affiliation.	Country affiliation The school does not claim an affiliation to a foreign (non-Vietnamese) government or national system. It describes itself as a bilingual Vietnamese school with international elements.
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation The school is non-religious.	Religious affiliation The Olympia Schools does not have a stated religious affiliation.
School day structure	School day structure The website lists normal and late-bus times around 3:15 p.m. and 4:15 p.m. for after-school clubs; full-day timings are not specified publicly.	School day structure The school does not publicly disclose information regarding their day structure.
Bus service details	Bus service details A private bus network serves most Hanoi districts, with published routes, fees, and late-bus options for CCA activities.	Bus service details The Olympia Schools offers a student transportation service. They use 16-seat Ford Transit vans, provided by a long-term transport partner with over 12 years’ cooperation. The service covers multiple routes across Hanoi (50 routes), and operates with safety protocols. Drivers and supervisors are professionally trained. Supervisors mark attendance using a face-recognition system that informs parents. Parents may drop off children as early as 6:30 a.m. and collect them until 5:30 p.m. under this service.
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Application Fees A one-time Application Fee of VND 3,500,000 is required for all new applicants. Upon acceptance, families pay a Registration Fee of VND 30,000,000, which is non-refundable and confirms the student’s place at the school. No refundable deposit is listed. Tuition Fees (Per Year) Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) Nursery (Half Day): VND 218,000,000 Nursery (Full Day): VND 363,000,000 Reception: VND 522,000,000 Primary School (Years 1–6) Year 1 – Year 6: VND 522,000,000 – VND 600,000,000 Secondary School (Years 7–13) Year 7 – Year 9: VND 705,000,000 Year 10 – Year 11 (IGCSE): VND 765,000,000 Year 12 – Year 13 (IB Diploma): VND 810,000,000 Fees are billed by term or annually according to the school’s payment schedule. Additional Fees Uniforms, transport services, and examination fees (Cambridge IGCSE and IB Diploma) are charged separately. Optional extracurricular and after-school activities may carry additional costs. Transportation Fees BIS Hanoi operates a private bus service covering multiple city districts. Routes and pricing vary by distance, and buses are supervised by trained attendants. Refund Policy Application and registration fees are non-refundable. Tuition refund conditions follow the school’s enrolment and withdrawal policies as outlined in official documents. Payment Options Payments can be made by bank transfer in Vietnamese Dong (VND) according to the published billing schedule.	Fee details Application fee A one-time, non-refundable registration fee of VND 3,150,000 is required when a new student applies. Tuition fees (per year & per semester) Bilingual Program: * Kindergarten: Tuition fee VND 138,000,000 per year (VND 69,000,000 each semester) - Development Fee VND 9,000,000 - Food & Beverage VND 18,500,000 - Academic Products VND 2,000,000. * Grades 1–5: Tuition fee VND 167,000,000 (VND 83,500,000 per semester) - Development Fee VND 18,000,000 - Food & Beverage VND 23,000,000 - Academic Products/Books/Insurance VND 5,000,000. * Grades 6–9: Tuition fee VND 190,000,000 (VND 95,000,000 per semester) - Development Fee VND 18,000,000 - Food & Beverage VND 28,500,000 - Academic Products/Books/Insurance VND 5,000,000. * Grades 10–12: Tuition fee VND 220,000,000 (VND 110,000,000 per semester) - Development Fee VND 18,000,000 - Food & Beverage VND 28,500,000 - Academic Products/Books/Insurance VND 5,000,000. International Program Fees The Olympia Schools offers two international pathways within the International Program: 1. International Diploma Program 2. American International Diploma Program Each program includes tuition, development fees, food & beverage charges, and academic product/insurance fees. 1. International Diploma Program Grade 9 * Tuition (annual): VND 307,500,000 Semester 1: VND 153,750,000 Semester 2: VND 153,750,000 * Development fee: VND 18,000,000 * Food & beverage: VND 28,500,000 * Academic products, books, compulsory health insurance: VND 5,000,000 Grades 10–12 * Tuition (annual): VND 337,500,000 Semester 1: VND 168,750,000 Semester 2: VND 168,750,000 * Development fee: VND 18,000,000 * Food & beverage: VND 28,500,000 * Academic products, books, compulsory health insurance: VND 5,000,000 Note: Students who join the International Program starting in Grade 9 receive reduced tuition for Grades 10–12. 2. American International Diploma Program Grade 9 * Tuition (annual): VND 541,000,000 Semester 1: VND 270,500,000 Semester 2: VND 270,500,000 Grade 10 * Tuition (annual): VND 585,700,000 Semester 1: VND 292,850,000 Semester 2: VND 292,850,000 Grade 11 * Tuition (annual): VND 585,700,000 Semester 1: VND 292,850,000 Semester 2: VND 292,850,000 Grade 12 (Study in USA track) * Tuition (annual): VND 868,000,000 Semester 1: VND 434,000,000 Semester 2: VND 434,000,000 Additional charges (all grade levels): * Development fee: VND 18,000,000 * Food & beverage: VND 28,500,000 * Academic products, books, insurance: * VND 5,000,000 for International Diploma * VND 10,000,000 for American International Diploma Reduced tuition applies if a student has been enrolled in the International Program since Grade 9. Grade 12 tuition is higher for students studying in the USA in the final year. Additional fees * Placeholder fee: VND 15,000,000, required annually to reserve a place. * Optional fees: Bus services range from VND 21,000,000–VND 31,500,000 per year depending on distance. * Uniforms: VND 500,000 – VND 5,000,000 depending on school level. * Voluntary Health Insurance: VND 810,000 per year.
Diving deeper	Diving deeper
Boarding arrangements	Boarding arrangements —	Boarding arrangements —
Uniform requirement	Uniform requirement —	Uniform requirement —
Food options	Food options —	Food options —
House system	House system —	House system —
Governance and ownership	Governance and ownership —	Governance and ownership —
Academics	Academics
Curriculum details	Curriculum details Students aged 2–5 follow the Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS) framework. From ages 5–11 (Primary), they study a blend of the English National Curriculum and the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). In Lower Secondary (ages around 11–16) they progress through a British-style Key Stage curriculum and then sit the Cambridge IGCSE in Years 10–11. Finally, in Years 12–13 (ages 16–18), students transition into the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) and choose from standard- and higher-level subjects, along with core components such as Theory of Knowledge and CAS. The school emphasises preparing students for global university pathways, supported by collaborations with institutions such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and The Juilliard School.	Curriculum details The school delivers a full Vietnamese national curriculum from Kindergarten through High School, but enhances it with international content and bilingual instruction (Vietnamese + English). From the 2022-2023 academic year, Olympia is licensed as an “IB World School” and offers the IB Diploma Programme (IB DP) for upper-secondary students (typically Grades 11–12). In Primary and Middle School, students follow the bilingual/vietnamese-based programme rooted in national requirements, supplemented with international-method teaching, project-based learning, and integration of English in subjects such as Math, Science and Drama. In addition, students have opportunities for electives, clubs, and specialized lessons, across all school stages, which support development of skills beyond the standard curriculum.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio —	Student teacher ratio —
Exam results	Exam results —	Exam results —
Higher education progression	Higher education progression —	Higher education progression —
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented —
Academic calendar	Academic calendar —	Academic calendar —
Wellbeing & support	Wellbeing & support
Social & emotional learning	Social & emotional learning —	Social & emotional learning —
Special educational needs (SEN)	Special educational needs (SEN) —	Special educational needs (SEN) —
English as an additional language	English as an additional language —	English as an additional language —
Mental wellbeing	Mental wellbeing —	Mental wellbeing —
Safeguarding	Safeguarding —	Safeguarding —
Safeguarding policy	Safeguarding policy —	Safeguarding policy —
Facilities	Facilities
Facilities overview	Facilities overview —	Facilities overview —
Sports facilities	Sports facilities —	Sports facilities —
Academic facilities	Academic facilities —	Academic facilities —
Extra curricular facilities	Extra curricular facilities —	Extra curricular facilities —
Parent experience	Parent experience
History	History —	History —
Community	Community —	Community —
Parent teacher association	Parent teacher association —	Parent teacher association —
Extra-curricular	Extra-curricular
Academic & intellectual	Academic & intellectual —	Academic & intellectual —
Arts & creative	Arts & creative —	Arts & creative —
Cultural & language	Cultural & language —	Cultural & language —
Social & hobbies	Social & hobbies —	Social & hobbies —
Community & service	Community & service —	Community & service —
Leadership & professional	Leadership & professional —	Leadership & professional —
Lifestyle & wellbeing	Lifestyle & wellbeing —	Lifestyle & wellbeing —
Language provision	Language provision
Language provision	Language provision —	Language provision —
Bilingual teaching	Bilingual teaching —	Bilingual teaching —
Immersion programs	Immersion programs —	Immersion programs —
Reputation	Reputation
Awards	Awards —	Awards —
Accreditations	Accreditations —	Accreditations —
Admissions	Admissions
Admissions	Admissions 1. Initial Enquiry and Visit Families begin the admissions process by contacting the school’s Admissions Office or submitting an online enquiry form. Parents are invited to arrange a school tour or attend an open day to learn more about the curriculum, facilities, and available year-group placements. 2. Application Submission After the initial enquiry, parents complete the online application form and submit the required documents, which typically include previous school reports, a copy of the child’s passport, and a recent photograph. An application fee is required to process the submission. 3. Assessment and Review Once the application is received, the admissions team reviews all documentation. Depending on the child’s age and year level, the school may request an academic assessment or an English language evaluation to determine readiness for the programme. 4. Offer of Placement If a place is available and the entry requirements are met, the school issues an official offer. Parents confirm acceptance by paying the non-refundable registration fee to secure the child’s place. 5. Enrolment and Orientation Following confirmation, families receive orientation materials and joining instructions. The school provides details about uniforms, transport options, and start dates to ensure a smooth transition into the BIS Hanoi community.	Admissions The Olympia Schools does not provide a detailed step by step admissions guide.
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships The Olympia Schools does not publicly disclose any scholarship offerings.
Waitlist	Waitlist BIS Hanoi operates a waitlist for year groups that are at capacity. When no places are available, qualified applicants are placed on the waitlist and contacted as soon as an opening arises. Priority is typically given to siblings of current students and to families relocating from other Nord Anglia schools.	Waitlist The Olympia Schools does not provide information regarding waitlist.
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