Cities / Cairo / New Cairo British International School
New Cairo British International School
Non-profit British school in the 5th Settlement founded in 1978 as Heliopolis British International School, serving around 730 students from 60+ nationalities through IB PYP, IGCSE, A-Level and IB Diploma. Annual tuition runs from GBP 7,688 (Nursery) to GBP 14,081…
In brief
The original British international school in the Fifth Settlement, founded in 1978 by a group of WHO-linked parents and still run as a not-for-profit through a parent-elected board. Around 700 students and 60-plus nationalities.
Was the first school in Cairo to gain CIS accreditation, and now layers the IB Diploma onto the British secondary pathway. Durham Value Added places students in roughly the 90th percentile against international peers, with an average IB score of 32. COBIS executive member and BSME affiliated. The not-for-profit governance is a real differentiator in a market where most competitors are commercial operators.
Expat families with secondary-age children gravitate here, and the active PTG is part of the soft-landing for new arrivals to New Cairo. Teaching is professional and academic outcomes hold up. Where the experience can sour is in periodic friction between management and teaching staff, which surfaces in mixed reviews from former teachers and a small number of parents. Fees are at the top end of the Cairo market, so families typically weigh NCBIS against MES, BISC and CES on package and travel time.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nursery | 3 | Annual | EGP 530,933 |
| Reception - Year 5 | 5 | Annual | EGP 777,408 |
| Year 6 | 10 | Annual | EGP 792,187 |
| Years 7-8 | 11 | Annual | EGP 912,835 |
| Year 9 | 13 | Annual | EGP 926,095 |
| Years 10-11 (IGCSE) | 14 | Annual | EGP 942,669 |
| Years 12-13 (IB / A-Level) | 16 | Annual | EGP 972,434 |
| Application Fee | One-time | EGP 6,906 | |
| Refundable Deposit | One-time | EGP 40,000 | |
| Registration Charge | One-time | EGP 517,950 |
Reviews
- Among teachers, NCBIS sits in the top cluster of Cairo British schools with BISC, MBIS and CAC and pays at the top end of the market in pounds-linked packages.
- Multiple teacher posts describe a noticeable drop in quality. One commenter said the school has fallen to the inevitable when an embassy stops playing an active role and that wealthy local families now drive decisions; another said leadership has created a toxic work environment over the past few years and pointed readers to the staff-review aggregator.
- The financial model also gets named as a tension. Posters say the parent-led non-profit board has held fees steady while cutting teacher benefits, and one ex-staff source called the HR function downright unpleasant.
- Student behaviour and academic standard are described as decent for Cairo despite the management issues; one teacher said they really enjoyed their time there and that the surrounding community was a draw.
- One r/TCK alumnus confirmed attending NCBIS with affectionate detail (rooftop turtles), the closest thing to a family voice.
Head of school
Mr John Bagust
Paul Joseph is the Principal of New Cairo British International School (NCBIS). He leads an inclusive community of approximately 800 students from over 70 nationalities. He is committed to providing a nurturing environment where every child can excel through the school's High Performance Learning (HPL) approach. Under his leadership, the school emphasizes personalized support and academic excellence across its diverse curriculum offerings, including both A Levels and the IB Diploma Programme.
Accreditations
- Council of International Schools 01
- New England Association of Schools and Colleges 02
- COBIS Patron's Accreditation and Compliance 03
- British Schools Overseas (DfE) 04
- British Schools in the Middle East accreditation 05
Academic results
- IB DP average 33 (2025)
- IGCSE 9-7 36% (2025)
- IGCSE 9-4 89% (2025)