The British International School is the first and only school in Istanbul to simultaneously hold accredited school status with the Council of International Schools (CIS), Council of British International Schools (COBIS), and the Middle States Association Commission on Elementary and Secondary Schools (MSA).

We process new student registrations throughout the academic year as long as there is availability in the classroom. The administration procedure is as follows:
• Meet the appropriate Director
• Receive a student acceptance
• Complete the registration forms
• Finalize by transferring payment

The minimum age is 2 years for half-day students.

The school starts at 9:00 am and ends at 3:00 pm.

Yes, you can schedule a meeting by phone and/or email. It is important to provide parent contact details, student name and date of birth, and availability for a meeting.

Yes, you can schedule a meeting by phone and/or email. It is important to provide parent contact details, student name and date of birth, and availability for a meeting. Please indicate if there is a time difference.

BIS has been serving the ex-pat community for over a quarter of a century. A split-site school with a city campus in Etiler for preschool and Primary, the main campus is situated in Zekeriyakoy with views of the Black Sea and a beautiful botanical garden in a purpose-built campus serving students from preschool to Secondary up to 18 years of age.

Our City Campus, Etiler opened in January 2017.  This campus houses children between the ages of 2 and 11. Our Etiler campus is a newly furbished building in a quiet residential area in Etiler, in the heart of Istanbul.

The campus has a Preschool and Primary School. In addition to the classrooms, the facility has a library, computer laboratory, Music room, Language room, two ESL rooms, gym/hall, a generously sized canteen, and a garden. The building allows for full access to students with physical disabilities, including a lift that gives access to all teaching areas.

The Zekeriyakoy Campus hosts students from the ages of 2 ½ to 18 years. It is a purpose-built campus located on the outskirts of Istanbul, in the beautiful countryside close to the Belgrade Forest and about 4km from the Black Sea, on the European side of Istanbul. The Campus is about 50 minutes from the heart of Istanbul. The campus comprises four main teaching buildings, a well-equipped sports hall links the Preschool and Primary school buildings to that of the Secondary teaching faculty. Within the Administration Building, there are two libraries, two computer suites, and six science laboratories. Additionally, it houses our school reception area, kitchen, and dining room.

The sports facilities include three indoor gymnasiums, an all-weather sports pitch, a basketball/ tennis court, and a heated 25m covered swimming pool.

The play areas and activity playgrounds all have rubberized safety surfaces. A recreational facility stands adjacent to the campus name the ‘BIS Botanic Garden’.  This beautiful garden is a place for the students to enjoy nature and the facility also provides an amphitheater for theatrical events and a tract for running activities. Our modern school theatre seats 210 people and has the very latest audio-video facilities.

Students will be placed in the age-appropriate Year Group at all levels of the school but students joining Secondary School with little or no English will be required to repeat their first year; thus placing them one year below their chronological age. Similarly, students who should be in Year 11 or 13 but join the school in Year 10 or 12 will be one year behind their chronological age. Students will not be accelerated to a year group beyond their chronological age.

In the first EYFS class, the students will stay half a day for at least the first term. The ages of students in any one class are according to the academic year and are measured from 1st September. Note that students may be moved back one year at the discretion of the Director/Deputy Director of Schools. Students will not be placed in a year group beyond their chronological age.

BIS will only accept students into Year 11 or 13 in exceptional circumstances.  Under normal circumstances, students of the appropriate age for these year groups will be invited to join Years 10 or 12 respectively as the courses followed in these year groups are two-year courses leading to externally set and graded international examinations.

We are a co-educational community that includes students from over 55 nationalities.

The school nominates a company each year to transport students to and from school. While BIS provides liaison and coordination with the transport company, all matters relating to payment are the responsibility of parents. The company is called Az-Al Bus Service.

The school uniform is compulsory for all students, except Years 12 and 13, who follow a dress code. Students are expected to conform to the school’s interpretation of modest dress. The uniforms are available at Sibel Okul.

During the registration process, parents share their contact details, which we used to send any relevant updates, news and event details.

We place a high emphasis on the acquisition of languages and offer German, Spanish, French and Turkish. In addition to our foreign languages, we also offer excellent support for English as a Second Language; students who join us with very limited English quickly reach the stage where they are fully able to access our curriculum.

The following groups will not qualify for admission:
• Students below the age of 2 years
• Students who are not toilet trained
• Students over the age of 18
• Profoundly disabled students or those with severe learning difficulties
• Students wishing to join Year 10 or above whose level of English will not allow them to access the curriculum.

BIS needs to be made aware of any known disability or special educational need which may affect a student’s ability to take full advantage of the education provided at the school and there is space on the registration form for parents to inform the school of this.