Istanbul International School, Istanbul | International Schools Guide

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.

Year level	Age	Fee
Early Years (EY)	4	TRY 827,750
Grades 1-4	6	TRY 1,016,400
Grade 5	10	TRY 1,031,800
Grades 6-7	11	TRY 1,072,225
Grade 8	13	TRY 1,089,550
Grade 9 (IGCSE)	14	TRY 1,162,700
Grade 10 (IGCSE)	15	TRY 1,224,300
Grade 11 (A-Level)	16	TRY 1,255,100
Grade 12 (A-Level)	17	TRY 1,260,875

Year level

Age

Fee

Early Years (EY)

TRY 827,750

Grades 1-4

TRY 1,016,400

Grade 5

TRY 1,031,800

Grades 6-7

TRY 1,072,225

Grade 8

TRY 1,089,550

Grade 9 (IGCSE)

TRY 1,162,700

Grade 10 (IGCSE)

TRY 1,224,300

Grade 11 (A-Level)

TRY 1,255,100

Grade 12 (A-Level)

TRY 1,260,875

A separate, smaller school from IICS, often paired by expats as an additional Cambridge-curriculum option.
One ex-student of around eight years has actively offered to answer questions, signalling some loyal alumni; another ex-student 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 parent 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.

Cambridge programme and exam logistics. On-site IGCSE and A Level exam centre is flagged as a practical advantage by parents.

Community. Described as small and friendly with a multicultural intake.

Teacher quality. Some reviews call teachers experienced and dedicated; others raise English-proficiency and qualifications concerns.

Facilities. Lack of high school sports space is a recurring complaint, mitigated by sharing with the lower campus.

Polarised reviews. Public reviews split between strong endorsements and sharply negative ones.