Cities / Saigon / British Vietnamese International School Ho Chi Minh City
British Vietnamese International School Ho Chi Minh City
Nord Anglia bilingual school in Binh Chanh delivering British curriculum through IGCSE and A Levels alongside the Vietnamese national curriculum - the only CIS and WASC accredited bilingual international school in Vietnam. Purpose-built campus includes two 25m pools, a 200-seat…
In brief
BVIS is BIS's bilingual sister school in Binh Chanh, also under Nord Anglia, and the leading English National Curriculum option for families who want their children to leave fully bilingual in Vietnamese and English.
Founded by the Nguyen family in 2011 as a sister school to BIS, BVIS sits on Street 1 in Binh Hung and joined Nord Anglia in 2015. The English National Curriculum runs through to IGCSE and A Level, taught with equal Vietnamese and English exposure in early years and primary, scaling to 93 percent English by Key Stage 5. CIS and FOBISIA accredited, the only fully CIS-accredited bilingual school in Vietnam.
Parents value the bilingual phonics programme that lets children read across both languages early, and the easier integration the school offers international families with Vietnamese-speaking partners or children. Fees sit a clear step below BIS Thao Dien, which is part of the appeal. Families wanting an all-English peer group choose BIS instead.
Fees
| Fee | Age | Type | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| F1 (Foundation 1) | 2 | Annual | ₫250,400,000 |
| F2 (Foundation 2) | 3 | Annual | ₫250,400,000 |
| F3 (Foundation 3) | 4 | Annual | ₫338,900,000 |
| Year 1 | 5 | Annual | ₫472,800,000 |
| Year 2 | 6 | Annual | ₫479,800,000 |
| Year 3 | 7 | Annual | ₫486,700,000 |
| Year 4 | 8 | Annual | ₫486,700,000 |
| Year 5 | 9 | Annual | ₫486,700,000 |
| Year 6 | 10 | Annual | ₫486,700,000 |
| Year 7 | 11 | Annual | ₫582,600,000 |
| Year 8 | 12 | Annual | ₫593,300,000 |
| Year 9 | 13 | Annual | ₫593,300,000 |
| Year 10 (IGCSE) | 14 | Annual | ₫606,800,000 |
| Year 11 (IGCSE) | 15 | Annual | ₫606,800,000 |
| Year 12 (A Level) | 16 | Annual | ₫668,600,000 |
| Year 13 (A Level) | 17 | Annual | ₫668,600,000 |
| Application Fee | One-time | ₫3,700,000 | |
| Registration Fee (Foundation Stage) | One-time | ₫24,500,000 | |
| Registration Fee (Primary/Secondary) | One-time | ₫73,300,000 |
Reviews
- Sits in HCMC's strong second tier behind SSIS, BIS HCMC and ISHCMC, alongside AIS and Renaissance. One teacher said "BVIS is a good school. A levels rather than IBDP".
- Set up as the Vietnamese-facing sister school to BIS HCMC. Local Vietnamese families with a UK pathway in mind are the core market; expat families weighing fully English-medium options usually choose BIS or ISHCMC.
- Hiring bar is higher than other HCMC bilinguals: BVIS requires a teaching licence, where many bilinguals don't. This shows up in classroom expectations and in teacher recommendations.
- Pay and conditions for staff are described as middle of the road for HCMC, below the top-tier American-curriculum schools but well above the typical bilingual.
- A Levels rather than IB Diploma for senior school, taught in English and Vietnamese.
- Direct parent voice online is thin; most signal is teacher-side.
Head of school
Ms. Deirdre Grimshaw
Deirdre (Dee) Grimshaw is a highly experienced international school leader with over 30 years in education. She earned her B.Ed (Hons) and Qualified Teacher Status from Trinity College Dublin in 1994. Her career began in Ireland before moving to prestigious international schools in Kuwait, South Korea, and Malaysia. Since 2014, Dee has been based in Ho Chi Minh City, where she held key leadership roles at the British International School HCMC, including Primary Deputy Headteacher and Primary Headteacher. She holds the National Professional Qualification for Headship (NPQH) from the UCL Institute of Education and has completed Nord Anglia’s Aspiring Principal Leadership Programme. Dee is committed to fostering a collaborative and caring learning environment that supports holistic student development and academic excellence.
Accreditations
- Cognia 01
- Council of International Schools 02
Academic results
- Accreditation CIS and WASC accredited - the only accredited bilingual school in Vietnam
- IGCSE 2018 89% scored A*-C in 5+ subjects; 40% of all grades were A* or A