Cities / Almaty / Kazakhstan International School
Kazakhstan International School
Kazakhstan's first IB World School, founded in 1998, offering the full IB continuum from Early Years to Diploma on Al-Farabi Avenue. Around 535 students are drawn from roughly 30 nationalities, with 63 foreign faculty alongside 30 local teachers.
In brief
The full continuum IB school for Almaty's expat circuit, on a new Al-Farabi Avenue campus and backed by Gateway Ventures of Singapore as a not-for-profit. Roughly half the roll is international.
PYP since 2008, MYP, and DP authorised in 2020, so the IB pathway runs cleanly from age 2 through 18 without a forced exit point. More than 60 international teaching staff and a stated student body drawn from 40-plus nationalities, which gives it a different feel from the mostly-Kazakh intake at Haileybury.
Fees range from around 4 to 13.5 million KZT depending on year group, which is mid to high but well under Haileybury at the top end. Sister campus in Astana under the same group. The usual choice for diplomatic and corporate families who want IB continuity if they move on.
Fees
Annual fees
| Year level | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Toddlers (half-day) | 2 | KZT 4,065,500 |
| Toddlers (full-day) | 2 | KZT 5,029,000 |
| Pre-K3 (half-day) | 3 | KZT 4,197,100 |
| Pre-K3 (full-day) | 3 | KZT 5,311,000 |
| Pre-K4 (full-day) | 4 | KZT 6,063,000 |
| Kindergarten | 5 | KZT 7,379,000 |
| Grade 1 | 6 | KZT 10,199,000 |
| Grade 2 | 7 | KZT 10,199,000 |
| Grade 3 | 8 | KZT 10,763,000 |
| Grade 4 | 9 | KZT 10,763,000 |
| Grade 5 | 10 | KZT 10,763,000 |
| Grade 6 | 11 | KZT 11,703,000 |
| Grade 7 | 12 | KZT 11,703,000 |
| Grade 8 | 13 | KZT 11,703,000 |
| Grade 9 | 14 | KZT 12,643,000 |
| Grade 10 | 15 | KZT 12,643,000 |
| Grade 11 (DP) | 16 | KZT 13,583,000 |
| Grade 12 (DP) | 17 | KZT 13,583,000 |
One-time fees
| Item | Age | Fee |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance Exam (Grades 1-12) | KZT 20,000 | |
| Admission Fee | KZT 600,000 |
Reviews
One of the older international names in the city, KIS sits on Al-Farabi in a newer purpose-built campus and runs the full IB continuum from primary through diploma. Parent feedback skews warm: caring teachers, an involved parent community, a steady stream of mountain hikes and cultural outings. Considerations cluster around the Al-Farabi commute at rush hour and a recurring sense among some families that the school feels more commercial than it once did.
Positives
- Teachers and pastoral feel. Teachers come up repeatedly as caring, approachable, and engaged with individual kids. Front-office staff get named in parent comments for being responsive when something needs sorting.
- Full IB continuum under one roof. PYP, MYP and DP run end to end on the same site, which is rare locally. Families moving between cities tend to value the continuity.
- Campus and extracurriculars. The newer Al-Farabi building reads as spacious and well-equipped, with high ceilings and generous classrooms. Mountain hikes, sports and cultural trips come up often in what parents post.
- Parent community. The PTA and the wider parent body get described as welcoming, with newer families landing softly. The international mix is part of what keeps that going.
Considerations
- Al-Farabi location and traffic. Access during morning and afternoon peaks is slow, and the surrounding streets are narrow. Families coming from the lower city plan around it.
- Commercial feel. A minority of longer-standing parents talk about the school feeling more business-minded than it used to, with fee increases and admissions handling cited. Most parents do not raise it, but it appears often enough to flag.
- Staff pay gap between local and expat hires. On the teacher side, comments about a sharp gap between local and international staff pay come up, with knock-on effects on morale and retention at the local level. Parents do not generally see this directly, but it sits behind some of the turnover talk.
Leadership
Ole Bernard Sealey
As the Head of School, it is my privilege to extend a heartfelt welcome to all members of our community. At KIS we foster a growth mindset in our students and educators so that each person can identify and achieve a personal best in everything they do.
Accreditations
- Middle States Association Commissions on Elementary and Secondary Schools 01
Academic results
- IB programmes PYP, MYP, DP (15 DP courses)