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Clubs Arts and Creative, Cultural and Language, Community and Service
Stages Early Years, Kindergarten, Primary School, Middle School, High School
Introduction
Rispins International School in Ethiopia operates two campuses, Bahir Dar and Bishoftu, serving learners from Kindergarten through an embryonic High School. As a satellite of the British International School Addis Ababa, it combines the British Curriculum with a bespoke program and incorporates the Ethiopian National curriculum, taught in English with local language study where appropriate. Class sizes of 28–30 support small-group instruction and individualized feedback. The Bishoftu campus offers extensive sports facilities, while the Bahir Dar campuses host a Saturday Spoken English for Kids program and outreach initiatives. A distinctive feature is drama and theatre as a core learning method, including a historic Macbeth production. The school collaborates with Cheshire – Action for Inclusion to support inclusive education and scholarships. Community projects and expanded language, professional and academic skills are emphasized through outreach. Events include Nations and Nationalities Day and Graduation Day, underscoring international exposure in an Ethiopian setting.
Rispins International School has 650 pupils, typical class sizes of 29, instruction in English.
Location
Rispins International School operates in Bahir Dar and Bishoftu, Ethiopia, with two campuses. The Bahir Dar campus has its main office in Kebele 13. The Bishoftu campus, established in 2012, serves more than 650 students and is described as having extensive grounds and excellent sports facilities.
Stages
Kindergarten through embryonic High School
Type
Independent international school; satellite of the British International School Addis (Addis Ababa)
Country affiliation
Ethiopia
Fees
Annual tuition at Rispins International School ranges from ETB 0 for 2026/27.
Application fees - No public fixed application/enrolment fee amounts for the 2026/27 or 2025/26 academic years are published on the school's registration pages. - A small administrative fee is required to place a child on the waiting list; the exact amount is not published.
Tuition fees by year group (per term / per year) - Specific tuition figures by year group, and per-term or per-year breakdowns for 2026/27 (and for 2025/26 where 2026/27 is not available) are not published on the school's publicly available registration pages. - New students are treated as new for fee schedules; siblings may be given priority for places but no public schedule of sibling discounts or per-year tuition amounts is available.
Billing schedule and payment terms - The official payment date is defined as the date the bank confirmation is handed to the school office and stamped (not the date the money is paid into the bank). - Payments received into the bank and with receipts handed in and stamped before July 31 will be charged at the current year's rate. - Current students must complete the registration process by the published registration deadline (example deadline referenced for continuing students: July 19). - Outstanding fees from prior years must be covered under a signed payment agreement before a place for the next year may be booked.
Boarding fees - No boarding provision or boarding fee schedule is published on the school's public registration pages; no boarding fees are listed. Boarding is not stated as an available option on the public registration information.
Other costs and additional charges - The school notes that expatriate children and students with special needs may require extra tuition and, in extreme cases, extra charges; specific charge amounts are not published. - A parental registration questionnaire and a signed parental agreement are required as part of registration; associated administrative or document fees (if any) are not published. - No publicly posted, itemised amounts for uniform costs, textbooks, activity fees, transport, exam fees or similar ancillary charges were found on the registration pages.
Refund and compensation policy - In the event the school is unable to start or normal operations are not operative, over-payments and affected fees are handled by a voucher system; vouchers are offered as compensation and are redeemable within a 12-month period. This voucher arrangement is described rather than a direct cash-refund policy.
Fee payment options - The registration information explicitly refers to bank payment and to submitting the bank confirmation to the school office to establish the payment date. No published details were found listing credit-card, online card payment processors, or other electronic payment methods; the school's pages emphasize bank payment confirmation and stamped receipts.
Summary of findings and limitations - The school's public registration pages and downloadable registration documents available on the site do not publish a current, itemised fee schedule (per-term or per-year amounts) for 2026/27 or 2025/26. Available registration material dates from earlier years and contains policy statements about payment timing, vouchers, waiting-list fees, special-needs surcharges, and registration deadlines, but does not provide the numeric fee tables requested.
Academics
Rispins International School teaches British Curriculum, Bespoke Curriculum.
Curriculum
The school uses both English and Ethiopian National curricula.
Student Teacher Ratio
Class sizes are 28-30 students.
Gifted and Talented
Scholarships and bursaries are available for deserving, talented students to join in Grades 5, 6, 7 and 9.
Wellbeing
Social and Emotional Learning (SEL)
The school fosters harmonious relationships and lifelong learning through an inclusive community.
Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The school is inclusive and welcomes students whose needs extend beyond the norm, including those with disabilities, international displacement or family trauma.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Expatriate children may receive extra tuition to address linguistic needs.
Safeguarding
The school maintains an inclusive environment that welcomes students from diverse backgrounds, including those with disabilities, international displacement or family trauma.
Admissions
Admissions
1. Contact the admissions team: Interested parties contact Ato Tsegaye on 0910 989844 or Ms Yerusalem on 0924 597954, or use the contact form. Admissions procedures vary according to the nationality of the parent, the mother tongue of the family, the location of the previous school, and any special identifiable need. 2. Current students and progression rules: Current students may continue in the school if they register by July 19. The student must pass the year to be promoted to the next grade as prescribed by the Ministry of Education; if they fail a year, they must repeat the grade, and if they fail a second time they will have to leave the school. End-of-year ‘passes' for international students require passing the subjects delivered in English, though they may participate in non-English courses as needed. 3. Re-admission and waiting list: Students who left the school more than one year previously may be re-admitted after an interview and assessment; if offered a place they will be treated as new students for fee schedules. Any student may have their name put on the waiting list at any time of year for admission the subsequent September upon payment of a small administrative fee; this does not guarantee a place. The payment date is the day the bank confirmation is handed to the school office, not the day the money is paid into the bank. 4. Sibling priority: New students who have siblings in the school may be given priority over other applicants, provided they register before the end of June. 5. Nursery admission: Nursery admissions are by negotiation with the Head of KG and require the application form to be signed by the parent, the KG Head and the Branch Director. Applications may be accepted at any time of the year, and places may be filled accordingly. The child must be at least 3 years 6 months of age and out of nappies. 6. Kindergarten (Pre KG – KG - Upper KG): Children may be admitted to the KG section following a meeting with the parent accompanied by the child. The application form must have the agreement of the Head of KG and the Branch Director. Places may be offered for children to start at the beginning of a Semester. The lowest age for admission is 4 years. 7. Grades 1 - 4: There are very few admissions at this stage, but it is possible to place a child on the waiting list. The child must satisfy the Head of Section that they have attained a level equivalent to those in the school; an induction course before official admission may be required. Expatriate children, together with children with special needs, might be subject to extra tuition (and hence extra charges) to cater for linguistic, social or disability problems; these must be agreed and specified before admission. Ethiopian students must have started the school year by 1 October and attended for over 95% of the year to be considered for completion. Expatriate students may be admitted at any time of the year, and may receive a leaving letter at any time of the year, specifying attendance and performance but not necessarily Grade completed. 8. Grades 5 - 7: No Ethiopian students are admitted to these grades without evidence that they have completed the previous grade with a high level of success. Ethiopian students from deserving backgrounds may be admitted here through the scholarship programme offered to local government schools, which includes participation in a 4-week summer school followed by an examination. Incoming expatriate children may be admitted in response to a needs analysis and an agreed on-going IEP. 9. Grade 8: No Ethiopian students may be admitted here unless they have completed Grade 7 in another federal region. 10. Grades 9 - 10: Under development. Contact Mr Solomon for latest information. 11. Useful downloads for parents: Registration Details Bishoftu 2020-21 and Parental Agreement documents are available for download.
Scholarships
Ethiopian students from deserving backgrounds may be admitted through the scholarship programme offered to local government schools; this includes participation in a four-week summer school followed by examination.
Waitlist
A waiting list can be started at any time for admission the subsequent September, upon payment of a small administrative fee; this does not guarantee a place.
FAQs
What curriculum does Rispins International School follow?
The school uses both English and Ethiopian National curricula, blending international and local educational standards.
Does the school support students with additional needs?
Yes, the school is inclusive and welcomes students whose needs extend beyond the norm, providing support within the dual-curriculum framework.
How many students attend the school?
Approximately 650 students attend Rispins International School across its levels.
What age range does the school serve?
Rispins International School serves students aged 3 to 18, from early years through upper secondary education.
