Cities / Istanbul / Istanbul International School
Istanbul International School
Small Cambridge school on the Asian side with two Üsküdar campuses, running from Early Years through A-Levels and registered as an official Cambridge exam centre. Fees include tuition, lunch, books and materials, making the headline figure more comparable to higher-priced…
In brief
A small Cambridge international school in the green Camlica district on the Asian side, co-founded in 2000 by a Scottish teacher and a Turkish paediatrician. Cambridge Primary, Checkpoint, IGCSE, and A Level pathway.
The school began as a bilingual preschool in 2000, with the primary school added in 2002, and grew to roughly 470 students by 2018. Around 60 nationalities are represented and the teaching staff comes from over 20 countries. Accreditations include CIS, NEASC, COBIS, BSO, and BSME, which is an unusually thick stack for a school of this size. Fees run roughly TRY 827,000 to TRY 1,260,000.
Founder John Lees, who also chairs the International Schools Association board, is a steady on-site presence and a draw for families wanting a small, head-driven school rather than a corporate operation. The Camlica location is residential and quiet, and families on the Asian side appreciate not having to commute across the Bosphorus. Best fit for expat families wanting Cambridge IGCSE and A Levels in a small-school setting on the Asian side.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Years (EY) | 4 | Annual | TRY 827,750 |
| Grades 1-4 | 6 | Annual | TRY 1,016,400 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | Annual | TRY 1,031,800 |
| Grades 6-7 | 11 | Annual | TRY 1,072,225 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | Annual | TRY 1,089,550 |
| Grade 9 (IGCSE) | 14 | Annual | TRY 1,162,700 |
| Grade 10 (IGCSE) | 15 | Annual | TRY 1,224,300 |
| Grade 11 (A-Level) | 16 | Annual | TRY 1,255,100 |
| Grade 12 (A-Level) | 17 | Annual | TRY 1,260,875 |
Reviews
- A separate, smaller school from IICS, often paired in expat threads as an additional Cambridge-curriculum option.
- One ex-student of around eight years has actively offered to answer questions, signalling some loyal alumni; another Reddit user explicitly compared it to MEF, BISI and IICS as a parallel non-Turkish-passport school.
- Public parent reviews split. Positive reviews praise an experienced Cambridge teaching team, the convenience of being a registered exam centre, and the small, friendly multinational mix.
- Negative reviews are blunt. One review claimed unqualified teachers without textbooks and called the school "so-called"; another raised concerns about teacher experience and how diplomas are managed.
- High school campus space and sports facilities come up repeatedly as a weak point; the school rents an external pitch and shares facilities with the lower campus.
- Pool is small and polarised; parents using it tend to weigh small-class teaching against limited facilities.
Head of school
John Lees
Born on the west coast of Scotland and studied in the United Kingdom, where he did his teacher training. He has worked as a teacher in the UK and a number of countries including Turkey. In 2002, he co-founded Istanbul International School. He has used his experiences as a primary school teacher and English language specialist as well as his studies in Bilingualism to design the school programme. He is Vice Chairman of the board for the International Schools Association as well as their Regional Representative. He enjoys travelling, the cinema and reading.
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 Diploma 2024 average 38 points
- A* / A at A Level 2024 52%