United Nations International School of Hanoi

UNIS Hanoi campus sits within the Ciputra International Township, a residential area in Hanoi’s northern district. It is easily accessible from the city centre and within a short drive of Nội Bài International Airport. The surrounding area is peaceful and well-connected by major roads linking central Hanoi with the airport corridor.

The school educates students from Early Years 3 (age 3) through Grade 12 (age 18). It is divided into Elementary (EY3 – Grade 5), Middle School (Grades 6–8), and High School (Grades 9–12). Each section follows one of the International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes — PYP, MYP, and DP.

UNIS Hanoi is a not-for-profit, co-educational, day school with no boarding facilities. The school welcomes both international and Vietnamese students who meet admissions criteria. It operates under a governance structure that includes representatives from the United Nations, the Vietnamese Government, and the parent community.

UNIS Hanoi provides structured support through its Student Support Services, which include Learning Support, English as an Additional Language (EAL), Counselling, Speech and Language Therapy, and an Educational Psychologist. These services operate under the school’s Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework to meet individual student needs within available capacity.

The school was founded through collaboration between the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the Vietnamese Government in 1988. It continues to maintain this United Nations affiliation.

UNIS Hanoi has no religious affiliation and describes itself as a non-denominational institution.

The school does not publicly list one standard daily timetable, as schedules differ by division. Elementary handbooks indicate morning sessions, lunch and recess breaks, and afternoon classes ending mid-afternoon. Secondary schedules follow a similar structure with advisory and subject periods spread across the day.

A dedicated School Bus Service is available for eligible students, operated under UNIS Hanoi’s transportation policies. The service includes defined pick-up and drop-off routes within Hanoi, safety guidelines, and student conduct rules. Families register through the school’s transport office and can review details in the Elementary Handbook and official policies.

UNIS Hanoi offers the full International Baccalaureate (IB) continuum across all grade levels: the Primary Years Programme (PYP) from Early Years 3 to Grade 5, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) from Grades 6 to 10, and the Diploma Programme (DP) in Grades 11 and 12. Each programme provides an inquiry-based framework designed to develop conceptual understanding and skills across subject areas. In the Elementary years, students study core subjects such as Language, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Arts, and Physical Education, with additional instruction in Vietnamese, French, or Mandarin. The MYP builds on this with interdisciplinary units, Design, and Service as Action components. In the Diploma Programme, students complete six subjects chosen from the IB groups along with Theory of Knowledge (TOK), an Extended Essay (EE), and Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) requirements. English is the language of instruction throughout the school.

UNIS Hanoi integrates social and emotional learning through its Student Support Services, which include counsellors, an educational psychologist, and a Director of Student Success & Wellbeing. The school follows a Multi-Tiered System of Support (MTSS) framework that aligns academic and emotional interventions. Counsellors work with students, teachers, and families to promote emotional awareness, positive relationships, and self-regulation skills. Support is tailored according to student needs and reviewed regularly through team meetings and progress monitoring.

The school provides structured support for students with mild to moderate learning differences. Services include in-class support, small group instruction, and consultation with specialists to ensure access to the mainstream curriculum. Support is available from Early Years through Grade 12. Each case is reviewed individually to determine whether the school can meet the student’s needs. UNIS Hanoi is not a specialist SEN institution but offers inclusive education within its capacity.

UNIS Hanoi offers an EAL programme to help non-native English speakers develop academic and social proficiency in English. Specialist EAL teachers collaborate with classroom teachers to deliver targeted support through in-class instruction and pull-out sessions. Admission policies include quotas for EAL students to ensure balanced classroom language levels. Support continues until students demonstrate independence in English within the school’s academic framework.

The school’s wellbeing provision is coordinated by the Student Support Services team and overseen by the Director of Student Success & Wellbeing. Counsellors and health professionals work with students to provide emotional guidance, early intervention, and referrals when necessary. The school also offers regular wellbeing initiatives and student-led activities that encourage positive community relationships and personal growth. Support is accessible across all age groups.

UNIS Hanoi has a Child Safeguarding Policy that outlines clear procedures for protecting students. All staff are trained in safeguarding practices and are required to follow the school’s code of conduct. The policy establishes reporting channels and defines responsibilities for responding to any concerns about student welfare. Safeguarding oversight falls under the Director of Student Success & Wellbeing and the school’s leadership team.

1. Online Application Submission
Families begin the admissions process by completing the online application form on the UNIS Hanoi website. Supporting documents such as school reports, passport copies, and health forms must be uploaded, and a non-refundable application fee must be paid at this stage. Applications are accepted year-round but depend on space availability.

2. Assessment and Interview
Applicants are assessed to determine their readiness for the IB curriculum. For Early Years and Elementary applicants, this may include a play-based session or parent interview. For Grades 1–12, students complete an academic assessment and English language evaluation (if applicable). The school may also request additional information from previous schools to better understand the student’s learning profile.

3. Review by the Admissions Committee
All applications are reviewed by a committee that includes principals, counsellors, and learning support specialists. Decisions are based on available space, the student’s academic background, English proficiency, and the school’s capacity to meet learning needs. The review ensures balanced classroom composition across language levels and learning support requirements.

4. Placement and Offer of Admission
If a space is available, families receive a formal offer of admission via email. To confirm the place, parents must submit the tuition deposit and complete the required medical and consent forms. If space is not available, the student is placed in the wait pool.

5. Orientation and Enrollment
Before the first day of school, new families attend a New Family Orientation to meet teachers, receive class schedules, and learn about school systems such as transport, uniforms, and technology use. Enrolled students are assigned a homeroom or advisory teacher who helps with the transition into school life.

UNIS Hanoi offers a Scholarship Programme for academically capable students from Vietnamese public schools who would otherwise be unable to attend an international school. The scholarship covers 100% of tuition and associated fees through graduation, provided the recipient maintains academic and behavioural expectations. Applicants are selected through a rigorous process that includes academic testing, English assessments, interviews, and a review of family finances. Scholarship students are part of the broader UNIS community and participate fully in academic and co-curricular programmes.

UNIS Hanoi operates a wait pool rather than a chronological waiting list. When space is not available in a specific grade, qualified applicants are placed in this pool. Admission priority is determined by the school’s Priority Lane system, which ranks applications as follows:

Lane 1: United Nations, embassy, and diplomatic staff; faculty dependents; scholarship students
Lane 2: Siblings of current students or graduates
Lane 3: Alumni children
Lane 4: Expatriate families
Lane 5: Vietnamese nationals

If a place becomes available, offers are made based on the student’s priority lane and suitability for the available space, not by the date of application. Applicants in the wait pool remain eligible for one academic year and must reapply for the following year if no space opens.