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Strengths Languages, Performing Arts, Service and Sustainability
Clubs Cultural and Language, Arts and Creative, Community and Service
Stages Kindergarten, Primary School, Middle School, Secondary School, High School
Introduction
Rispins International School, Bahir Dar, is a private international campus operating as a satellite of the British International School Addis Ababa. The school offers a bespoke curriculum combining English-language instruction with the Ethiopian National curriculum. It runs Pre-K to Grade 10; Kindergarten and Elementary up to Grade 6 are located in Kebele 14, while High School is in Kebele 13. Nursery is not admitted this year. Students follow both curricula, with end-of-year pass requirements for international students based on English-language subjects, while Ethiopian students meet MOE guidelines. The Bahir Dar campus originated as a spinoff from BIS Addis Ababa, and BIS and Rispins are licensed to operate international schools under Ethiopian MOE. Extracurricular activities include Spoken English for Kids on Saturdays, drama and performing arts, and scholarships through partnerships such as Cheshire - Action for Inclusion. The school emphasizes inclusive learning with progress measured against both national and international markers and a community-driven ethos.
Rispins International School - Bahir Dar has 650 pupils, typical class sizes of 29, instruction in English.
Location
Located in Bahir Dar, Ethiopia, Rispins International School has two campuses in the city. The Kindergarten and Elementary up to Grade 6 are in Kebele 14, and the High School is in Kebele 13. The main office is in Kebele 13. The school is a satellite of the British International School Addis Ababa.
Stages
Kindergarten; Primary (up to Grade 6); High School
Type
Private international school; satellite of the British International School Addis Ababa
Additional learning support
Inclusive education; welcomes students with a range of needs, including those with disabilities
Country affiliation
Affiliated with the British International School Addis Ababa as a satellite
Fees
Application fees - No specific numeric application/registration fee is published for Rispins International School – Bahir Dar for the 2026/27 or 2025/26 academic years. A small administrative fee is listed for placing a child on the waiting list.
Tuition fees by school year (per term / per year) - The school does not publish a current, itemised tuition fee schedule with termly or annual amounts for each year group (Kindergarten, Grades 1–10) on its publicly available registration materials. The registration documents available on the school's public pages are dated 2020–21 and do not contain up-to-date numeric tuition figures for 2025/26 or 2026/27.
Billing schedule and payment terms - The official payment date for fee transactions is the day the bank confirmation is handed to the school office and stamped; the school treats that stamped date as the payment date, not the date the funds were sent. - Receipts or fee payments handed in and stamped before July 31 will be charged at the current academic years rate. - Current students retain the right to apply to continue into the next level provided all registration and academic requirements are met and registration is completed by published booking dates (booking windows are used in the schools registration policy). - Students who re-enter the school after a break are treated as new students for fee-schedule purposes (i.e., new-student fee rules apply on re-admission).
Boarding fees (if applicable) - No boarding provision or boarding fees are published in the schools Bahir Dar registration materials. There is no public listing of boarding fees for the Bahir Dar location.
Other costs and fees - The registration materials note that expatriate students and students with special educational needs may be charged for extra tuition or additional support where applicable. These are described as chargeable on agreement and must be specified before admission; no standard amounts for such additional tuition are published. - A small administrative fee is used to place a child on the waiting list. No public schedule of costs for uniforms, books, meals, transport, extracurricular activities, or examination fees is published in the schools available registration documents.
Refund information - If normal operations are not operative at any time during the year, over-payments and similar credits are compensated by the school through a voucher system; vouchers are to be redeemed within a 12-month period. This voucher-based compensation policy is the stated remedy rather than an automatic cash refund.
Fee payment options - The registration materials establish bank payment as a formal method (the school determines the payment date by the bank confirmation stamp handed to the school office). No public, itemised list of alternative payment methods (for example, specific credit-card processing, online-payment provider names, or cash-handling rules) is published in the Bahir Dar registration materials.
Short summary of what was located and remaining details a parent would need to confirm - The schools public Bahir Dar registration documents include clear procedural statements about payment dates, booking windows, treatment of re-admitted students, possible extra tuition for special needs/expatriate students, a waiting-list administrative fee, and voucher-based compensation for over-payments. Numeric amounts for application fees, termly or annual tuition by year group, boarding fees (if any), uniform costs, and other standard charge amounts are not published in the available registration materials for 2025/26 or 2026/27. The downloadable registration files referenced are dated 2020–21 and do not contain up-to-date numeric fee schedules.
Academics
Rispins International School - Bahir Dar teaches Bespoke Curriculum.
Curriculum
We use both English and Ethiopian National curricula. The Kindergarten and Elementary up to Grade 6 are in Kebele 14, and the High School is in Kebele 13. Nursery is not admitted this year; Kindergarten (Pre KG – KG - Upper KG) and Grades 1-10 are offered. End-of-year passes for international students require passing only the English-language subjects, while Ethiopian students must pass according to MOE guidelines. The Bahir Dar campus operates as a satellite of the British International School Addis.
Gifted and Talented
Scholarships and bursaries are available for deserving, talented students to join Grades 5, 6, 7 and 9. Cheshire's deserving students and staff children who fulfil special criteria for admission are also eligible for scholarships.
Wellbeing
Special Educational Needs (SEN)
The school is inclusive, welcoming those whose individual needs are beyond the norm by virtue of disability, international displacement or family trauma, and scholarships are offered to talented, deserving youngsters.
English as an Additional Language (EAL)
The school uses both English and Ethiopian National curricula. Spoken English for Kids is available on Saturday mornings.
Safeguarding
The mission states the community is inclusive, welcoming those whose needs include disability, international displacement or family trauma and cannot be provided for elsewhere.
Admissions
Admissions
Admission procedures vary according to the nationality of the parent, the mother tongue of the family, the location of the previous school (if any) and any special identifiable need. Nursery intake is not available this year. Kindergarten admissions require a meeting with the parent and 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. If a child is on the waiting list, the Head of KG has the discretion to offer the place to children on the waiting list in appropriate age order, but with siblings given priority. The lowest age for admission is 4 years. Grades 1–4 admissions are rare; a child may be placed on the waiting list if criteria are met, but the child must satisfy the Head of Section that they have attained a level equivalent to those currently in the school; induction courses before official admission may be required, and expatriate children or those with special needs may incur extra tuition and possibly extra charges, to be agreed before admission. No Ethiopian child may join after October 1, unless they have moved from another Federal Region with a letter from their previous school. Expatriate students may be admitted at any time and will receive a leaving letter indicating attendance and performance. Grades 5–7 require evidence that Ethiopian students have completed the previous grade with high success; expatriate children may be accepted throughout the year following a needs analysis and an agreed ongoing IEP. Grade 8 admissions require Ethiopian students to have completed Grade 7 in another Federal region. Grades 9 admissions are rare and require a letter from the present school and a high level of English; Access courses may be studied in the year prior to entry on Saturday mornings or by distance learning. Grade 10 admissions for Ethiopian new students are not allowed, except with evidence of exceptional ability or family relocation. Registration documents such as Registration Details Bahir Dar 2020-21 and Parental Agreement are available for download.
Scholarships
Scholarships are offered to talented, deserving youngsters; Cheshire – Action for Inclusion supports the school's scholarship program to promote inclusivity and diversity. A sibling discount is not a scholarship.
Waitlist
A waiting list exists for admissions; vacancies are offered to waiting-listed children in age-appropriate order, with siblings given priority. A school place is offered after completing the booking process held from June 29 to July 19; after that date there may be no place available due to limited class size and oversubscription.
FAQs
Where is the Bahir Dar campus located?
Rispins International School Bahir Dar is located in Bahir Dar, the capital of the Amhara Region in northwest Ethiopia, on the shores of Lake Tana.
What curriculum does the Bahir Dar campus follow?
The school uses both English and Ethiopian National curricula, providing a dual-pathway education consistent across the Rispins network.
Is the school inclusive?
Yes, the school is inclusive and welcomes those whose individual needs are beyond the norm, providing appropriate support.
What age range does the school serve?
Students aged 3 to 18 attend the Bahir Dar campus from early years through upper secondary.
