Notes / Jakarta
Best British Schools in Jakarta
A guide to Jakarta's British international schools by tier, from genuine UK independent school quality through to affordable alternatives.
Comparison table
| School | Curriculum | Ages | Fees range (USD) | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Independent School of Jakarta | British, IGCSE | 2-18 | 8,827–30,011 | South Jakarta |
| British School Jakarta | IB, British | 2–18 | 8,919–31,564 | Greater Jakarta |
| ACG School Jakarta | IB, IGCSE | 3–17 | 9,391–22,326 | South Jakarta |
| Global Sevilla School | British, Cambridge, IGCSE | 2–18 | 2,680–4,796 | West Jakarta |
| Raffles Christian School Jakarta | British, Cambridge, IGCSE | 2–18 | 10,302 | South Jakarta |
| Nord Anglia School Jakarta | British, International | 18 months–12 | 6,911–20,874 | South Jakarta |
| Global Jaya School | IB | 4–19 | 4,891–11,639 | Greater Jakarta |
| Mentari Intercultural School Jakarta | IB, Cambridge, Indonesian | 3–18 | 5,349–5,884 | South Jakarta |
Fees converted to USD at indicative 2026 rates. Verify current figures with each school.
The brief
- Top British school in South Jakarta: The Independent School of Jakarta (ISJ), Pondok Indah. Full British pathway to A-Level (senior campus opens 2028), BSO accreditation in progress.
- Full K to 13 pathway: British School Jakarta (BSJ), Bintaro. Switches to IB at secondary.
- Mid-tier: Nord Anglia Jakarta (North Jakarta, A-Level option) or ACG Jakarta (West Jakarta, IB-focused).
- Most affordable British-curriculum: Global Sevilla or Raffles Christian. Primarily serving Indonesian families.
- "British school" covers a wide range. The gap between top-tier and affordable is the same as between a private school and a state school back home. Fees are not the only difference.
Jakarta has more schools marketing themselves as "British" than almost any other city in Southeast Asia. Some operate with the staffing standards, pastoral depth, accreditation, and educational culture of a UK independent school. Others use the British National Curriculum as a structural label while operating in ways that would be largely unrecognisable to a parent from Surrey, Sydney, or Singapore. The tiers below map that range.
Top tier: genuine British independent schools
Two schools in Jakarta operate to the standards of a UK independent school.
The Independent School of Jakarta (ISJ)
Jl. Metro Pondok Indah, South Jakarta. Ages 2 to 13. UK inspected, BSO in progress.
ISJ is the closest thing in Jakarta to the British prep school experience UK, Australian, and Singaporean expat families know from home. Capacity is deliberately limited to preserve the individual attention and pastoral depth that define the British independent school model.
The school is part of a network of British independent schools operating internationally. That network supplies governance and oversight standalone schools cannot replicate, and opens active pathways to UK boarding schools for families planning secondary transitions. The boarding-pathways programme connects families with UK independent school partners before they leave Jakarta.
ISJ specifics:
- All teachers hold UK QTS, recruited from UK independent schools.
- Academic Director is a qualified ISI inspector.
- UK inspected; BSO accreditation in progress.
- GL Education external benchmarking: mean SAS English 122, Maths 118.7, Science 119.7 (top decile internationally).
- Classes of 16 to 20.
- Form tutors, PSHE, structured escalation pathways.
- Sport, music, drama, art timetabled into the school week, not optional extras.
- Character education explicitly taught: confidence, public speaking, resilience, leadership.
- Pondok Indah location: 10 to 15 minutes from the South Jakarta expat cluster in normal traffic.
ISJ is now a full through-school. Secondary year groups are rolling out one at a time at the current Pondok Indah campus; a dedicated senior campus, 300 metres from the junior site, opens in 2028 with GCSEs and A-Levels. Families with children currently in Year 6 or below have a continuous British pathway through to 18 without changing schools.
British School Jakarta (BSJ)
Bintaro, South Tangerang. Ages 3 to 18. COBIS member, CIS and BSO accredited. Owned by Nord Anglia Education.
BSJ is Jakarta's largest and most established British-heritage international school; for families in Bintaro or the South Tangerang corridor, the natural first choice. Well-qualified staff, strong facilities, a reputation built over decades. The student body of around 2,600 is large and genuinely international.
BSJ uses the British National Curriculum in the primary years then transitions to the International Baccalaureate at secondary. In practice, a British-primary, IB-secondary school, not a British school through to 18. If A-Levels are the requirement, BSJ is not the fit.
Bintaro is 30 to 50 minutes from Pondok Indah and Kemang on a good day, significantly longer during the school-run traffic. Families in central South Jakarta who choose BSJ accept a substantial daily commute.
BSJ is owned by Nord Anglia Education, a for-profit international schools group. That brings investment in facilities and teacher training; the governance model differs from an independent school trust. Class sizes are larger than at ISJ, typically 22 to 26.
For a side-by-side, see our ISJ vs BSJ guide.
Mid tier: solid international schools with British frameworks
Qualified teachers, decent facilities, functional pastoral systems. Not the full private school experience.
These schools deliver a reasonable international education. Families coming from UK or Australian state schools will largely feel at home. Families coming from the private school sector notice the difference: larger classes, less individual attention, thinner co-curricular provision, and pastoral care that is functional rather than personal.
Nord Anglia School Jakarta
Kelapa Gading, North Jakarta. Ages 2 to 18. COBIS member. Nord Anglia group.
Well-resourced school in the same Nord Anglia group as BSJ. Kelapa Gading location makes it primarily relevant for North Jakarta families. Offers both IB and A-Levels at secondary, one of few Jakarta schools with A-Level provision. Strong performing arts programme. Class sizes are larger than at the top tier and teacher retention more variable.
ACG School Jakarta
Puri Indah, West Jakarta. Ages 2 to 18. CIS-accredited. ACG group (New Zealand).
New Zealand-affiliated school delivering the IB from early childhood through to the Diploma. British-influenced curriculum in early years. Stronger-than-average pastoral care for this tier and a tight-knit community feel. One of the few mid-tier schools where parents consistently report that staff know their children. Puri Indah is inconvenient from South Jakarta.
Global Jaya School
BSD City, South Tangerang. Ages 3 to 18. Cambridge International affiliated.
Well-established Indonesian-owned school in BSD City using the Cambridge International curriculum. Primarily serves Indonesian and mixed-heritage families. Solid IGCSE results. From South Jakarta the commute adds 45+ minutes each way.
Mentari Intercultural School
Multiple campuses, South and West Jakarta. Ages 2 to 18. Bilingual English/Indonesian.
Mid-market Indonesian chain using a bilingual British-framework curriculum. Quality varies by campus. Popular with Indonesian families wanting English-medium education at a mid-range price. Co-curricular provision is thin compared to the top tier.
Affordable tier: British-curriculum local-international schools
USD 3,000 to 12,000 per year. Primarily serving Indonesian and mixed-heritage families.
These schools use the British National Curriculum as a framework, charge significantly lower fees, and primarily serve Indonesian and mixed-heritage families rather than transient international expats. The educational experience is closer to a well-managed Indonesian private school than to a British independent school. Teacher qualifications are more variable, classes larger, pastoral systems lighter, co-curricular provision thin.
For families coming from the UK or Australian private school sector, these schools will feel like a significant step down. For families coming from a state school background, the gap is less pronounced.
| School | Location | Ages | Approx. annual fees |
|---|---|---|---|
| Global Sevilla | Multiple campuses | 3 to 18 | 4,000 to 10,000 |
| Raffles Christian International School | Multiple campuses | 3 to 18 | 5,000 to 12,000 |
| Springfield School Jakarta | South Jakarta | 3 to 18 | 4,000 to 9,000 |
| Cita Hati Christian School | Multiple campuses | 3 to 18 | 3,500 to 8,000 |
Annual fees in USD, indicative.
FAQs
Which is the best British school in Jakarta?
For South Jakarta families, The Independent School of Jakarta (ISJ) in Pondok Indah is the leading choice for genuine British independent school quality, with a continuous pathway through to A-Levels as the senior campus opens in 2028. British School Jakarta (BSJ) in Bintaro is the main alternative for a full K to 13 pathway.
What is the difference between a British international school and a British-curriculum school?
A genuine British international school delivers the full quality of a UK independent school: selective teacher recruitment, QTS-qualified staff, BSO accreditation, small classes, pastoral systems, and an embedded co-curricular programme. A British-curriculum school uses the National Curriculum framework as a guide but may not deliver the same staffing quality, pastoral depth, or educational culture.
Is ISJ or BSJ better?
They serve different needs. ISJ is a small British independent school in Pondok Indah, with secondary year groups rolling out year by year and a dedicated senior campus opening in 2028 with A-Levels. BSJ is an established through-school (ages 3 to 18) from Bintaro, switching to the IB at secondary. The right choice depends on the children's ages, where the family lives, and whether the requirement is a full British curriculum to A-Level or an IB pathway.
Are there affordable British schools in Jakarta?
Yes. Global Sevilla, Raffles Christian International School, and Springfield School offer British-curriculum education at USD 3,000 to 12,000 per year. These schools primarily serve Indonesian and mixed-heritage families. The educational experience differs considerably from a UK independent school in teacher quality, class sizes, and pastoral depth.