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Turkey, Istanbul
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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.
Istanbul International School delivers the Cambridge International Curriculum from primary through high school, welcoming students aged 4 to 18. Cambridge IGCSE is offered for ages 14–16, followed by Cambridge International AS and A Levels for post‑16 study. The Primary curriculum includes Environmental Studies, Life Skills, and Expressive Arts, with English and Turkish language development and a Second Language Acquisition program. The Cambridge Pathway emphasizes deep subject knowledge, conceptual understanding, higher‑order thinking, and multilingual education, with IGCSEs available in more than 30 languages. Progression is a coherent spiral across ages 5–19, ensuring continuity and incremental challenge. The school operates two campuses: Campus A (ages 4–12) and Campus B (ages 13–17). Campus A features 20 classrooms, a science lab, an ICT lab, an indoor gym, a library, and outdoor facilities; Campus B offers four science labs, a mathematics lab, an ICT lab, a library, an auditorium, and additional learning spaces.
