ICS London International School - Primary School vs Southbank International School - Kensington Campus

	I ICS London International School - Primary School London, United Kingdom	S Southbank International School - Kensington Campus London, United Kingdom
Snapshot	Snapshot
Fees / year	Fees / year £22,890 - 28,860	Fees / year £20,172 - 38,613
Age range	Age range 3 - 11 years	Age range 2 - 11 years
Type	Type Co-educational	Type Co-educational
Curriculum	Curriculum IB (PYP)	Curriculum IB (PYP), EYFS (Early years foundation stage)
Pupils	Pupils 235	Pupils 160
Typical class size	Typical class size 16	Typical class size 16
Instruction language	Instruction language English	Instruction language English
Opened	Opened 1979	Opened 1979
Bus service	Bus service Yes	Bus service Yes
Essentials	Essentials
Location	Location ICS London operates on two central London campuses: the Early Years & Primary Campus at 7B Wyndham Place, London W1H 1PN, and the Secondary & Diploma Campus at 21 Star Street, London W2 1QB. The campuses are between Hyde Park and The Regent's Park, a short walk apart and minutes from the West End, with easy transport connections.	Location Southbank International School operates across three Central London campuses located in Hampstead, Kensington and Westminster. The Westminster campuses include Conway Street and Cleveland Street sites. The MYP is taught at 63–65 Portland Place, London W1B 1QJ and the Diploma Programme and Career-related Programme at 377–381 Euston Road, London NW1 3AU. Early Childhood and Primary are taught at the Kensington and Hampstead campuses.
Stages	Stages Early Years; Primary Years (PYP); Middle Years (MYP); iGCSE Programme; Diploma Years (DP).	Stages Early Childhood Years (2*-5), Primary Years Programme (5-11), Middle Years Programme (11-16), Diploma Programme (16-18), IB Career-related Programme (16-18).
School type	School type Private co-educational day school.	School type Independent international school offering the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes.
Pupil nationality mix	Pupil nationality mix The student body includes more than 50 nationalities.	Pupil nationality mix 70 nationalities are represented in the student body; Westminster has over 20 languages taught.
Additional learning support	Additional learning support One-to-one and/or small-group provision for English as an Additional Language (EAL) and for learners with learning differences.	Additional learning support The school provides Learning Support and English as an Additional Language (EAL); staff differentiate instruction and provide accommodations in teaching and assessments; supports include developing Student Support Plans and collaboration with parents and external specialists.
Country affiliation	Country affiliation United Kingdom	Country affiliation United Kingdom
Religious affiliation	Religious affiliation —	Religious affiliation —
School day structure	School day structure Typical day begins with a warm morning welcome, followed by timetable-based learning for Early Years, Primary, MYP and Diploma, with breaks and lunch, dedicated homework time and a range of extracurricular activities.	School day structure —
Bus service details	Bus service details Door-to-door bus service is available to collect students from home in the morning and deliver them to the front door at the end of the school day.	Bus service details —
Fees	Fees
Fee details	Fee details Tuition fees (Academic Year 2025–26) - Nursery – Reception (age 3–4): GBP 7,630 per term; GBP 22,890 per annum. - Years 1–4 (age 5–8): GBP 9,490 per term; GBP 28,470 per annum. - Years 5–6 (age 9–10): GBP 9,620 per term; GBP 28,860 per annum. - Years 7–11 (MYP / iGCSE, age 11–15): GBP 10,950 per term; GBP 32,850 per annum. - Years 12–13 (Diploma Programme, age 16–19): GBP 11,400 per term; GBP 34,200 per annum. Application and new-student (one-off / first year) fees - Registration fee (non-refundable, non-transferable): GBP 250. - Refundable deposit: GBP 1,500 (held by the school until the student leaves and refunded subject to the school's refund conditions). - School Development Fee (first-year fee): GBP 1,880. Additional School Development Fees may apply in subsequent years as set out on the fees list. Examination fees - iGCSE examination charge (one-off; subject to variation by subjects taken): GBP 700 (indicative). - IB Diploma (DP2) examination charge (one-off; subject to change; added to Summer invoice): GBP 800 (indicative). Optional academic and additional costs (per term / per annum where shown) - Intensive EAL support: GBP 2,950 per term; GBP 8,850 per annum. - Intermediate EAL support: GBP 1,600 per term; GBP 4,800 per annum. - Additional language tuition: GBP 1,550 per term; GBP 4,650 per annum. - Online Diploma course annual fee (conditions apply): GBP 1,000. - Lunch is included within the tuition fees. Billing schedule and payment terms - An Admissions Invoice is issued with the offer and must be paid to accept the place. The Admissions Invoice is payable within 14 days of the invoice date. The Admissions Invoice includes tuition, the refundable deposit, the School Development Fee and other relevant charges. - Fees for each term are due and payable as cleared funds before the commencement of the School Term to which they relate, unless a separate deferment agreement is in place. If an invoice item is under query, the balance of the invoice must still be paid. - Students enrolling under the Child Student visa sponsorship regime are required to pay a full year's tuition fees in advance and cannot enrol for less than one full academic year. - Instalment arrangements or fees-in-advance schemes are possible only by separate agreement with the school. - Late payment may incur simple interest charged daily at up to 8% per annum above the Bank of England base rate; the school may take recovery action for unpaid fees, and may exclude a student on short notice for overdue fees. Boarding fees - Boarding is not applicable. ICS London operates as a co-educational day school for ages 3–19, so there are no boarding fees. Other costs (uniform, transport, extras) - A school uniform is required for Primary and Secondary students; Diploma (IB Years) students follow a smart-casual dress code and do not wear the standard uniform. School ties are optional and are available for purchase. Uniform items are ordered through the school's uniform supplier. Costs for individual uniform items are charged separately by the supplier. - School transport (bus service) and related charges are additional where used; details and routes are published by the school and transport charges are separate from tuition. - Miscellaneous extras that may be charged include curriculum-related trips, examination fees, special education support fees (where lawfully charged), photographs, damage to school property, and other items requested by parents. These items are listed under the school's definition of fees and may be invoiced in addition to tuition. Refund information - Except where there is a legal liability or the school's terms provide otherwise, fees will not be refunded, reduced or waived for absence through illness, shortened terms, temporary school closures (including adverse weather or operation through remote learning), early release before the normal end of term, or for other routine events. Refunds or waivers are only made in exceptional circumstances at the Head's discretion. - The refundable deposit is returned only where the refund is requested in writing to the finance team within one month of the last day of the term in which the student completed their studies, or where the required notice of withdrawal has been given and other conditions in the terms are met. The school may retain the deposit where conditions are not met. - If a Child Student visa application or visa renewal is refused by UKVI, the school will initiate the refund process for fees paid in advance on receipt of the official visa rejection. Fee payment options and practical notes on payment - Fees must be paid as cleared funds before the start of the relevant term. The school reserves the right to refuse payment if it is not satisfied as to the identity of the payer or the source of funds. Payments from third parties may be accepted but do not release parents from liability unless a formal release has been given. The school may accept payments via third-party credit providers subject to indemnity and separate agreement. Specific payment channels (for example bank transfer, third-party card provider arrangements, or other methods) are handled through the school's finance team and the Admissions/Finance contact on invoices. Summary - Tuition and one-off/new-student fees for Academic Year 2025–26 are stated above by year group and per term/per annum. Additional/optional academic services, examination charges, deposit and development fees are listed above. Fees must be paid as cleared funds before each term; the Admissions Invoice is due within 14 days; late payment attracts interest and the school has specific exclusion and recovery rights. The school is a day school (no boarding fees) and a school uniform is required for most year groups, purchased separately through the supplier.	Fee details Application fee - A non-refundable application fee is charged for each child. The standard application fee is GBP 300 per application. One-time and enrolment charges (first year only) - Refundable tuition deposit (one-off): GBP 2,000. - Capital development / facilities fee (one-off, first year): GBP 3,000. Tuition fees by year group (per term and per year) Fees are shown in full-year and per-term amounts (three terms per school year). Amounts are in GBP. - Early Childhood / Nursery (Nurs.2, age 2): Per term GBP 6,724 — Per year GBP 20,172. - Kindergarten / Kindg.1 (age 3): Per term GBP 6,724 — Per year GBP 20,172. - Kindergarten / Kindg.2 (age 4): Per term GBP 8,934 — Per year GBP 26,802. - Kindergarten / Kindg.3 (age 5): Per term GBP 10,752 — Per year GBP 32,256. - Grade 1 (age 6): Per term GBP 10,752 — Per year GBP 32,256. - Grade 2 (age 7): Per term GBP 10,752 — Per year GBP 32,256. - Grade 3 (age 8): Per term GBP 11,071 — Per year GBP 33,213. - Grade 4 (age 9): Per term GBP 11,071 — Per year GBP 33,213. - Grade 5 (age 10): Per term GBP 11,071 — Per year GBP 33,213. - Grades 6–10 (ages 11–15): Per term GBP 12,363 — Per year GBP 37,089. - Grades 11–12 / Sixth Form (ages 16–17): Per term GBP 12,871 — Per year GBP 38,613. Billing schedule and payment terms - Tuition is invoiced on a termly basis. To secure an offered place, the tuition deposit and the first term's fees must be paid within the school's required period (typically within seven days of an offer). Failure to meet payment terms can affect enrolment status. Boarding fees - Southbank operates as a day school; boarding services are not provided and there are no boarding fees. Other costs and additional fees - School bus / shuttle services: charges apply for door-to-door bus services and inter-campus shuttles; these are invoiced in addition to tuition. Example historical/standard figures for transport services include two-way door-to-door and shuttle charges invoiced per term. - PTA / parent association fee: an annual PTA charge is applied. - Examination fees (IB), external exam entries, residential trip costs, optional extra-curricular activities, specialist equipment (such as calculators for some years) and occasional consumables are charged in addition to tuition as appropriate to the year group and activities. - Uniform and personal school equipment: uniform and personal items are charged separately and vary by campus and age group. Refund information - The tuition deposit is refundable in accordance with the school's published financial terms and conditions. Specific conditions for refunds (timing and circumstances) are set out in the school's financial terms. Fee payment options - Bank transfer / BACS is accepted for application and tuition payments; the school provides bank details for payments. Credit card payments can be processed by the finance office on request. Some specific application payments may require bank transfer rather than card payment; parents should use the school's published payment instructions for the relevant fee.
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 The school delivers a bespoke curriculum rooted in the International Baccalaureate (IB) framework, culminating in the IB Diploma. It serves ages 3 to 18, with Early Years, Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), iGCSE and Diploma Years (DP). On the secondary side, the curriculum is structured into MYP, iGCSE and DP. Language provision includes courses in French, Spanish and Mandarin alongside English. 100% of pupils study at least one additional language at IGCSE and DP levels. The IB Learner Profile and Approaches to Learning are integrated across the school.	Curriculum details The school has three campuses in central London delivering an IB continuum. Hampstead and Kensington offer the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (PYP) for ages 3–11. Westminster hosts the Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP). Conway Street hosts the Diploma Programme and MYP, Portland Place hosts MYP, and Cleveland Street hosts DP and MYP. The three campuses are located in Hampstead, Kensington and Westminster, across five sites. The language of instruction is English, with English as an Additonal Language (EAL) support available.
Student teacher ratio	Student teacher ratio The school has a student-teacher ratio of 5:1.	Student teacher ratio Average class sizes vary by stage. Typically, PYP classes have 12–18 students, while Lower Senior classes are typically 11–16 students.
Exam results	Exam results Average IB Diploma Programme score: 33.12 points over the last five years, significantly higher than the 24-point pass mark. The school is ranked in the top 20% of UK schools.	Exam results The Diploma Programme (DP) results for the Class of 2023 show a 97.3% pass rate, with an overall average score of 35.1 points. 21% of students achieved 40 points or more, and 25.3% of DP graduates earned a bilingual Diploma. 79% of the cohort scored above the world average of 30.24. Most of Southbank's Diploma students passed the programme in 2023 and gained places at their first-choice universities.
Higher education progression	Higher education progression Average IB Diploma Programme score is 33.12 points; 40% of university destinations are ranked among the Top 100 Universities in the world (Times Higher Education, 2021).	Higher education progression The school provides Higher Education and Careers support, including one-to-one meetings with HE/Careers Advisors and guidance through the university application process. Students have access to a Global University Fair and a Careers Fair, and the school hosts dedicated university guidance events. In 2024, graduates are studying at a wide range of universities in the UK, Europe and North America, including institutions such as University College London, King's College London, and other world-class universities.
Gifted and talented	Gifted and talented —	Gifted and talented The school identifies able, gifted and talented students and provides opportunities to extend learning, including the possibility of joining higher-grade classes in primary and participating in extension groups or one-to-one support. Resources for identifying and teaching able, gifted and talented learners include access to specialist guidance, external organisations such as NACE, and IB publications on gifted and talented education. The Language & EAL policies also acknowledge that some EAL students may be gifted or 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. First Contact: Families are encouraged to contact the Admissions team with questions about the school and to arrange a campus tour. The dedicated Admissions team can be reached by email or phone to organise a personalised visit. Book a Visit is available to arrange this. 2. Submit an application via OpenApply: The application takes around 15 minutes to complete. Have the following information at hand: applicant's full personal information (name, date of birth, passport number and photo); parent or guardian personal information (name and contact details); proposed start date and visa information. If applying for multiple students, each applicant must submit an individual application. 3. The Admissions team makes contact: The Admissions team will contact applicants' parents/guardians directly to discuss the application. This is a good time to ask questions about the school or the admissions process. 4. Letter of Offer: Once Admissions has reviewed all information, a place may be offered. To accept the offer, complete and return the online acceptance forms.	Admissions Southbank is a non-selective school with rolling admissions. Applications are accepted year-round, subject to availability, and submitted online via our application system. Our admissions process is a five-step path designed for simplicity: 1. Start by reviewing the Admissions Policy and using the age placement chart to determine the correct grade (the school uses the American grading system); 2) Prepare the documents required for the online application for the relevant programme (PYP, MYP, DP/CP); 3) Begin and submit your online application; 4) Pay a non-refundable application fee of £300 (inc. VAT); debit or credit cards are not accepted; 5) The Admissions Committee reviews completed applications in 7–10 working days. If a place is available, you will receive a formal offer and the first term's invoice; if not, your child will be placed on the waiting list and we will notify you when a place becomes available.
Scholarships	Scholarships —	Scholarships Milton Toubkin Scholarship: a two-year award for new Diploma Programme entrants (Grade 11 to Grade 12) that covers 100% of tuition fees and 50% of capital development fees for the duration of the scholarship. The family remains responsible for the £2,000 refundable deposit, PTA fees, residential events, and IB Diploma exam fees. Eligibility: new students only; must have immigration status to enroll and a reasonable daily commute; must meet criteria including above-average academic achievement and potential; evidence of extracurricular interests; commitment to Southbank and the IB curriculum; commitment to the IB Learner Profile; high standard of English (online English test required).
Waitlist	Waitlist —	Waitlist Waitlist: If a place is not immediately available after a successful application, the student is placed on the waiting list and we will notify you when a place becomes available.
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