International School of Phnom Penh

1. Make an initial inquiry. Start by submitting the online Inquiry / pre-application through ISPP's admissions portal (OpenApply) so the school can confirm whether the grade you want is likely to have space and what the next steps will be. The Inquiry helps the admissions team provide grade-specific guidance and to tell you whether to proceed with the formal pre-application or tour.

2. Submit a pre-application and basic documents. If you decide to proceed, complete the Pre‑Application Form and pay the pre-application deposit (US$50). At this stage you should upload passport ID pages and recent passport-style photos and any reports related to learning needs; the pre-application places your family on the applicant list while you await confirmation of space.

3. Complete the full Application and pay the application fee once space is confirmed. When ISPP confirms a place is available you will be asked to finish the Application Form in OpenApply and pay the remainder of the application fee (total application fee US$250, which includes the US$50 pre-application deposit and a US$200 balance). Be prepared to provide at least two recent years of school reports in English, a copy of immunisation records, the completed ISPP immunisation form and, for Grades 2–5, a writing sample.

4. Provide school recommendation(s) and any additional documents requested. ISPP requires a confidential recommendation from the student's current school (submitted directly to ISPP) and may request extra documentation about academic history or support needs; recommendations must be provided by the current school via the specified contact method. Keep email contact details for the recommending teachers ready when you apply, since ISPP will not accept recommendations sent by other routes.

5. Expect staged assessment steps where needed. ISPP does not routinely require formal academic testing at admission but may request English language testing (for which a fee may apply) and/or an interview with the relevant Principal to confirm that the student can access the IB programme. Placement into EAL (English as an Additional Language) support will be used where appropriate and students exit EAL once they meet grade-level proficiency in listening, speaking, reading and writing.

6. Understand priority criteria and nationality limits. Applications are considered by priority (siblings of current students, enrolled students and children of diplomatic passport holders receive priority) and then by application date; ISPP also enforces nationality caps (Cambodian students are limited to 30% and other nationalities to 15% each) that can affect availability in many grades. Provide proof of nationality for the student and parents during the application process because the school uses that information to ensure compliance with the nationality limits.

7. Be clear about grade placement and age rules. ISPP places students by chronological age with specific September 1 cut-off ages (for example, Kindergarten = age 5 by September 1; Grade 6 typically age 11), and the school publishes a Dates of Birth / Grade Entry chart that you should check before applying. If a student's previous school calendar differs or there are other complexities, the Principal will make the final grade placement decision balancing age, academic continuity, language proficiency and social maturity.

8. Disclose any learning or support needs early. Parents must fully disclose any special education needs or learning-support history during the admissions process; ISPP reviews each case individually and may provide moderate learning support but may also decline or later ask a family to withdraw if the student's needs exceed the school's capacity. If your child receives therapies or specialist services, tell the admissions team and be prepared to provide formal reports so ISPP can assess whether it can meet those needs.

9. Receive an offer and attend to enrolment / entrance deposits and fees. If offered a place, you will be asked to pay an enrolment deposit or entrance fee (entrance fees are charged once for KG–Grade 12; an Early Years entrance deposit is applied if the child progresses to KG) and to complete final paperwork; parents or guardians are liable for fees on enrolment and for any re‑enrolment deposit required to secure a returning student's place. Review the school's tuition and fee schedule for payment options (annual, semester, term/quarter) and note that instalment plans incur a finance charge.

10. Know fee, refund and re-enrolment policies. Tuition fees are refundable only for full terms of non-attendance; other fees are non‑refundable, and late or non-payment can lead to penalties or de‑enrolment. Returning families must pay a re‑enrolment deposit (usually collected in the second semester) to hold a place for the next academic year—check the published timetable as the Board approves fee schedules in February and releases the following year's fee schedule in March.

ISPP uses waiting lists when applications exceed available spaces in a given grade. Applicants who cannot be offered immediate placement are put on a waiting list and considered according to the school's priority rules (siblings, enrolled students, diplomatic passport holders, then by application date). ISPP staff will provide a realistic assessment of chances and timing where possible but do not publish waiting-list length or guaranteed timing; applicants may remain under consideration throughout the current academic year and also for the beginning of the following academic year (but new-year priorities apply). If the school cannot place an applicant by August of the following academic year, families are notified and offered the option to remain on the waiting list for the next year for an additional, non‑refundable fee. Families can also use the Pre‑Application to enter the applicant pool up to one year in advance (pre‑application deposit US$50) while they wait for space to open.

ISPP operates a host-country scholarship programme that provides full scholarships to selected Cambodian students beginning at Grade 6 and continuing through graduation. The programme began in 2018–19 and each year ISPP has welcomed a new cohort into Grade 6; the school partners with community organisations (Cambodian Children's Fund and Indochina Starfish Foundation) to provide extra support to scholarship students and their families. Funding for the sustainable continuation of the scholarship programme is supported in part by the one-time application and entrance fees paid by new students, and the ISPP Board of Trustees has committed to maintaining these scholarships. The scholarship places are targeted to children from very low-income backgrounds and are selected in collaboration with the partner NGOs; the ISPP website lists current cohort counts and background on the programme.