Istanbul International School

Two campuses in Üsküdar, Istanbul. Campus A is Turistik Camlıca Cad. No 20, Üsküdar 34692. Campus B is Harman Sok. No 1, Üsküdar 34676.

Early Years; Primary School; Middle School; Cambridge IGCSE; AS/A Levels

International school offering Cambridge curriculum in Istanbul

The school bus transport is provided by BURAK TURAN TURİZM. The service uses up-to-date vehicles with tracking and a parent proximity reporting system; contact iletisim@burakturanturizm.com for details.

Cambridge International Curriculum is used from Primary through High School. Primary Grades 1–5 are equivalent to Cambridge Years 2–6, and Middle School Grades 6–8 align with Cambridge Years 7–9. Cambridge IGCSE is offered for the 14–16 age range and Cambridge International AS & A Levels for post‑16 study. The Primary curriculum encompasses Environmental Studies, Life Skills, and Expressive Arts, with English and Turkish language development and a Second Language Acquisition program. Cambridge Pathway emphasizes deep subject knowledge, conceptual understanding and higher‑order thinking skills, and multilingual education with IGCSEs available in more than 30 languages. Progression is designed as a coherent spiral across ages 5–19.

University Guidance and Counselling provides individualised support for university applications and international acceptances. The Cambridge Advantage and Cambridge A Level qualification recognition support admission to universities worldwide; Cambridge qualifications are recognised by over 1,400 universities, including more than 550 in the United States. The school maintains active engagement with universities and government authorities to support recognition and progression to higher education.

The school fosters an understanding of human values such as love, respect, trust, self-esteem and responsibility. The school has a child-centred curriculum that addresses the needs of students in a changing world and facilitates their transfer to international or national schools. The secular curriculum encourages curiosity, reflection and questioning, with an emphasis on sharing knowledge rather than competition. Staff, students and parents are expected to meet each other with respect, acceptance and friendship. The school supports bilingualism and biculturalism, reflected in our approach and in teacher recruitment.

All students are evaluated by a School Counselor to demonstrate developmental, emotional and academic readiness for admission. For high school applications, a placement test is used to inform readiness. An offer of a place is not based solely on the entrance test; parents provide the most recent two years of school reports to assist placement. Assessments are conducted by faculty who appreciate that each child progresses at their own pace. Following a child's assessment, entry may be offered, placed on a waiting list, or denied if the school cannot confidently support a child's specific learning needs and development.

Language is essential for communication; students become fluent readers, writers, confident speakers and thoughtful listeners in at least two languages. Students read with interest and comprehension from literature in a variety of genres, cultures and times, and discuss, analyse and share interpretations. They write with clarity and purpose, carefully considering their intended audience. They confidently listen, speak, read and write in at least two languages as they work across the curriculum. The school supports bilingualism and biculturalism reflected in our approach, curriculum and teacher recruitment.

Counselors are part of the Istanbul International School staff. The admissions process includes a meeting with a Counselor to discuss developmental and emotional readiness. The school lists Counselor as a role on the team, indicating dedicated student support. Counselors contribute to admissions assessments to help determine readiness and appropriate placement.

Step 1: To begin the application process please submit your inquiry through the Online Student Registration page. The admissions process is designed to ensure that students are appropriately placed at Istanbul International School, while maintaining the integrity and consistency of the school program and policies. Detailed information about grade content and level is explained in registration meetings. An offer of a place is not based solely on the entrance test; parents should provide the most recent copies of their child's school report from the past two years to assist with placement, especially if the student is coming from another country or a different curriculum. All students will be evaluated by a School Counselor and, for high school applications, by a placement test to demonstrate developmental, emotional and academic readiness.

Step 2: After completing the online application you will be sent an automatic email confirmation of your application. In the following days you will be sent information on the next steps to the email that you have provided. Assessments may be required to determine if the curriculum suits the student; assessments are conducted by the faculty who appreciate that each child progresses at their own pace. Following an assessment, the student may be offered a place, placed on the waiting list (if places are currently not available) or denied entry in case the school cannot confidently support a child's specific learning needs and development.

Step 3: After all preliminary steps are completed as stated in the email that you receive, you will be contacted by our Admissions Team to set up a meeting for you and your child with a Principal and Counselor. Before Counsellor appointments and Entrance Examinations are scheduled, you will be requested to make a payment for the Assessment fee to the bank account number that we will send you. This fee is non-refundable, non-transferable, non-adjustable and is required in order to qualify for the entrance examination.

Step 4: After completing Steps 1-3, as well as the assessment and placement test/entrance examination (if required) you will be contacted by our Department Head informing you of the school's decision on registration. If the application is accepted and registration can move forward, a meeting will be set up with our Admissions Officer to discuss School fees and payment plan options.

Assessments may lead to admission decisions. If there are no places available at the time of assessment, the student may be placed on the waiting list. The waiting list is part of the admissions process and placement is determined by availability. A decision may also be denied entry if the school cannot confidently support the student's specific learning needs and development.