The Independent School of Jakarta

ISJ opened in 2021 as a British prep school, age 2 to 13. It has since announced a dedicated senior campus, under construction now and opening in 2028, that takes current pupils all the way through IGCSEs and A-Levels. Secondary year groups are opening one at a time as the original cohort moves up, so the school is expanding from the inside out rather than recruiting mass year groups from scratch.

What families notice first is how well the teachers know each child. Classes cap at 15 in Early Years and 20 in primary, staff are UK-qualified, and at around 200 pupils the whole school functions as a single community. That combination, personal attention plus genuine UK teaching quality, is why ISJ has built a reputation quickly as one of the highest quality options in Jakarta despite only being a few years old.

The pedigree is the other half of the story. ISJ is governed by an established international school group whose founders have built sister schools including BSKL, the British School of Guangzhou, the International School of Moscow, and others across Asia, Europe, and South America since 2004. Those schools now serve over 1,000 pupils each and send leavers to elite universities in the UK, US, and beyond. ISJ is new in Jakarta, but it plugs into that operating experience from day one.

Strengths

• Backed by an established international school group whose founders have built 15+ British international schools across Asia, Europe, and South America since 2004. Their sister schools send leavers to elite UK and US universities and now serve over 1,000 pupils each. ISJ draws on that track record from day one.
• Building a reputation fast as one of the highest quality schools in Jakarta. Personal attention at a level most larger schools can't match, combined with UK-qualified staff and the academic standards of an established British independent.
• Full through-school pathway now committed. A dedicated senior campus is under construction in Pondok Indah, 300 metres from the junior campus, opening 2028 and taking pupils all the way to A-Levels.
• Classes cap at 15 in Early Years and 20 in primary, with two adults per room in the younger years. Specialist teaching starts from Year 1 in music, PE, languages, and science.
• Staff are recruited from the UK with qualified teacher status. Useful if you plan to move back or send children on to UK boarding or sixth form later.

Considerations

• Secondary year groups are rolling out one at a time as the oldest cohort progresses, and the senior campus itself opens in 2028. Ask Admissions exactly which year groups are live in the current academic year, and whether they fit your child.
• No external exam results yet. The first IGCSE cohort won't sit exams until the rollout reaches that year. GL Assessment benchmarking published on the school's website shows pupils in the top 10% in core subjects, which is the best available proxy for now. ([GL Assessment](
• BSO accreditation is in progress but not yet achieved. Sibling discounts start at the third child (5%, 10%, 15%), so the headline fee assumes one or two children.

• New British international school in Pondok Indah, founded 2024. UK National Curriculum for ages 2 to 13 with stated plans to grow into IGCSEs and A Levels.
• A 2024 r/Internationalteachers post lists ISJ alongside JIS, BIS, Global Jaya, ACG and AIS as one of the schools considered comparable in Jakarta.
• The independent review pool is small. The most cited parent comment, on the International Schools Database, calls out facilities and 'lovely teachers and Principal'.
• The school's own 2025 parent survey is the bulk of available feedback and reads positively, but it is operator-published.
• Fees range from around IDR 122 million to IDR 398 million a year by year group, with a separate capital contribution and materials fee.