Below are the major international schools in Kuala Lumpur for you to consider sending your child to:
1. The British International School of Kuala Lumpur (BSKL)
Photo credit: BSKL, Facebook
BSKL has, arguably, one of the top curriculum activities in Malaysia today due to its rich and exciting school-life experiences. The school offers different types of curriculum activities, such as drama class, music class, performing arts and various sports programmes.
In addition, the school runs a house system, whereby every child belongs to one of four teams; Sazons, Romans, Normans and Vikings. This system provides a healthy competition among students, to strive to do better the various activities offered at the school.
Check out BSKL’s website here.
2. Deutsche Schule Kuala Lumpur (DSKL)
Photo credit: DSKL, Facebook
DSKL is a non-profit International school in Malaysia. The school’s finances are subsidized by the German Authorities. DSKL is certified as an “Excellent German School Abroad” by the German Federal School Inspection, thanks to the quality of German education offered.
Using German as its medium of instruction, DSKL follows the German national Curriculum for children from Kindergarten including Preschool (1 year) to Primary School (4 years), and Secondary School (8 years) which leads to the German University Entrance Qualification “DIAP” (Deutsches Internationales Abitur).
Check out DSKL’s website here.
3. Lycée Français Kuala Lumpur (LFKL)
Photo credit: LFKL’s website
One of the reasons to choose an International school with a French-based education is because the school places an utmost importance on analytical thinking, apart from focusing on excelling in academics. In LFKL, the school uses French as the medium of instruction.
Children who aren’t brought up in a French household need not worry as the school provides French language as a subject for pre-schoolers, giving them a solid foundation before they move to Primary school.
Check out LFKL’s website here.
4. Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur (JSKL)
Photo credit: SchoolAdvisor.my
Located in Shah Alam, the Japanese School of Kuala Lumpur, or JSKL, is the only International school in Malaysia that offers a Japanese based-curriculum. Nonetheless, the school also teaches English twice a week by educators who speak English as their first language. Students are also divided into three groups based on their English proficiency.
Check out the website for JSKL here.
5. Kuala Lumpur Chinese Taipei School (CTS-KL)
Photo credit: cts.edu.my
Founded in 1991, CTS-KL is mainly catered for Taiwanese students in Malaysia. The school provides an International Chinese Curriculum. Teaching materials are imported from Taiwan and Mandarin is used to conduct classes. CTS-KL also offers English classes.
These classes are taught by professionally trained native-English speakers. Foreign students will be provided with Mandarin classes to help them.
Check out the CTS-KL’s website here.
6. Global Indian International School (GIIS)
Photo credit: GIIS, Facebook
One of the award-winning schools in Asia, students from GIIS’s are mostly expatriates from India. The school caters to parents who want their children to continue their tertiary studies in with the CBSE-I curriculum. In 2014, 100% of GIIS’s students scored an A in Mathematics, Geography and World Studies.
The school may not be well-known for its curriculum activities, but it is certainly popular for having students who score exceptionally well in exams. The school’s library is said to have over 20,000 books. Also, the school’s cafeteria provides vegetarian and non-vegetarian food options for students and teachers.
Check out GIIS’ website here.
7. Eton House International School Kuala Lumpur
Photo credit: Eton House, Facebook
Aiming to offer a rich and carefully resourced learning environment for its students, Eton House uses The Reggio Emilia educational approach. This approach works to encourage a student’s innate sense of curiosity and creativity. However, Eton House is only for pre-school and primary school students.
The school uses the Early Learning Goals from the UK and Italy as a frame for their Early Years Programme (Nursery to Kindergarten for children from 2 to 6). For the primary level, the school follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum.
Check out Eton’s website here.
8. Mont Kiara International School (MKIS)
Photo credit: MKIS website
MKIS offers an American and IB curriculum that is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). The school was founded in 1994.
It currently has over 1,025 students from 58 different countries. MKIS also provides a wide range of activities from ice hockey, outdoor hiking, surfing, arts, theatre, and music. The teachers are mostly expats from America, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.
Check out MKIS’ website here.
9. Sayfol International School, Kuala Lumpur (SISKL)
Photo credit: SISKL’s website
One of the oldest International schools in Malaysia, SISKL was founded in 1985. The school has over 2,300 students from more than 69 countries. This means that almost 90% of the students and teachers are expatriates. Compared to other International schools in Malaysia, SISKL offers a more affordable fee structure.
The education options offered at SISKL includes nursery, kindergarten, primary, secondary and A-Levels, by the London Examinations. The school also offers Edexcel A Level for its Pre-U program.
Check out SISKL’s website here.
10. International School of Kuala Lumpur (ISKL)
Photo credit: ISKL’s website
ISKL is the first international school in Malaysia to offer an American curriculum to its students. The school has over 1,600 students from more than 60 countries. A majority of the students’ parents are working for embassies or oil companies.
The school has a strong relationship with the embassies in KL, particularly the United States embassy.
Check out ISKL’s website here.
11. Time International School
Photo credit: Time International School, Facebook
Time International School offers a British National Curriculum, from nursery to O Levels. The school places a strong importance on Science and Mathematics. The schooling hours at Time is a little longer compared to most schools, as they feel it is important to make sure that students are well-versed in Mathematics and Science.
The school uses the Virginia Standards of Learning (VA-SOL) as a foundation, and enriches its curriculum by integrating European educational standards into its instruction model.
Check out Time’s website here.
12. Garden International School (GIS)
Photo credit: Garden International School, Facebook
GIS is located in three different places, including a main campus in Bukit Kiara, Kuala Lumpur, an Early Years Centre in Desa Sri Hartamas and another campus on the East Coast of Malaysia in Kuantan. GIS provides a holistic education from Nursery to Sixth Form.
Students in Years 1 to 6 are taught through the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) and in Years 7 to 13 the British International Curriculum. The school prepares its students for IGSCE, AS, and A-Level examinations and helps them to aim for some of the world’s top universities.
Check out GIS’s website here.
13. Alice Smith School
Photo credit: Alice Smith School, Facebook
The Alice Smith School provides Primary, Secondary, and Sixth Form education across a few campuses, with an education based on the British curriculum. Similar to independent schools in the UK, it is a not-for-profit organisation and the staff are committed to academic achievement and the personal development of every student in all aspects of learning.
The school is the oldest British school in Malaysia and one of the oldest in SE Asia, and aims to ensure that their students go to their university of first choice and exceed in their SATs, GSCE levels and A-levels.
Check out Alice Smith School’s website here.
14. International School of Park City (ISP)
Photo credit: ISP, Facebook
The ISP focuses on three main components in their curriculum, which are the core subjects, creative arts, and global awareness. The Primary School is divided into two distinct phases: Early Years, which centralizes around creativity, critical thinking, and social and emotional development, and Key Stage 2, which fully prepares them for their secondary education.
The Secondary School is divided into three categories: Key Stage 3, Key Stage 4, and Sixth Form. The programme throughout the Secondary School is a progression from the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) followed in the earlier years, and is based on the English National Curriculum.
Check out ISP’s website here.
Selangor
1. Australian International School Malaysia (AISM)
Photo credit: AISM, Facebook
AISM is the only International school in Malaysia that offers an Australian curriculum-based education, to educate their students with the right knowledge and skills to thrive in society. The school has about 700 students from 40 different nationalities around the globe.
Approximately one third of students are Australian and New Zealanders, while the rest are Malaysians and other nationalities. Students of AISM will graduate with New South Wales Higher School Certificate (HSC), which enables them to enroll into (almost) any University around the globe, including Monash University, University of Sydney and University of Melbourne.
Check out AISM’s website here.
2. The International Modern Arabic School (IMAS)
Photo credit: IMAS, Facebook
Malaysia is a Muslim-majority country so it is no surprise that there is an Arabic International school here. IMAS follows the Ministry of Yemen’s curriculum and is the first International school in Malaysia to use both Arabic and English as a medium of instruction.
The school teaches Mathematics, Science and Computer literacy in the English language, while Islamic and Social Sciences are taught in Arabic. Students also have a choice of graduating with a Yemeni high school certificate or with a Cambridge IGCSE International certificate.
Check out IMAS’ website here.
3. ELC International School
Photo credit: ELC’s website
ELC is a premier British-based International school in Malaysia that has, time and time again, emphasized its concern for the environment. To date, the school has raised up to RM71,000 for Hospis Malaysia, Malaysian Conservation Alliance for Tigers (MYCAT) and the Angkor Association for Disabled.
Aside from that, the school has also raised over RM 10,000 each year for cancer research. When it comes to education, the school places a strong emphasis on character building among students, so that their students are ready for the responsibilities and challenges of adulthood.
Currently, there are two ELC International School campuses in Malaysia; the first one is situated in Sungai Buloh (Early Years to Year 11) and the other one is located in Cyberjaya (Early Years to Year 6 to Year 7).
Check out ELC’s website here.
4. Idrissi International Primary School (IDRISSI)
Photo credit: IDRISSI, Facebook
IDRISSI is the world’s first Eco-Islamic primary school that practices the global Islamic curriculum, approved by the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim).
The school combines values of Islam and nature as a Learning Lifestyle and tool. For instance, the school offers an Eco-Muslim Lifestyle module to teach children to appreciate nature’s treasures (each child will be taught how to plant a tree). IDRISSI’s classes are conducted in English, but the school also offers classes in Mandarin and Arabic.
Check out IDRISSI’s website here.
5. Sri KDU International School
Photo credit: Sri KDU’s website
Sri KDU International School offers a British-based curriculum. The teachers at Sri KDU are highly qualified and well-trained with extensive pre-training and annual training programmes that amounts to a total of 120 hours.
Sri KDU is also equipped with the Smart School teaching methodology, which provides personal space for students to learn and collaborate with the availability of high end ICT tools.
Check out Sri KDU’s website here.
6. REAL International Schools (RIS)
REAL is an acronym for Results Enhancing through Active Learning. The school offers an International Curriculum through Early Years, Primary and Secondary levels. REAL also offers their own curriculums and programmes such as the Lego Education programme, which offers students the opportunity to build functional robotic Lego models.
In RIS, your children will be taught by dedicated and certified teachers. The school also focuses on monitoring the students’ emotional development as well as their academic progress. There are two more branches located in Johor Bahru and Kuala Lumpur.
Check out REAL’s website here.
7. Nexus International School Putrajaya (NEXUS)
Photo credit: Nexus, Facebook
Nexus International School’s primary school students are offered the International Primary Curriculum before they move on to the British National Curriculum in Secondary school. Recently, Nexus received the prestigious Apple Distinguished Award from Apple Inc, for its use of technology to enhance and encourage a deeper sense of learning.
The primary students are given access to laptops whereas students from Year 6 to 13 have their own MacBook Pro laptops, which are used across the curriculum. Founded in 2008, Nexus currently has around 730 students from 40 nationalities, aged between 3-18.
Check out Nexus’ website here.
8. Sunway International School (SIS)
Photo credit: SIS, Facebook
SIS is the first International school in Malaysia to offer the Ontario (Canada) Ministry of Education High School Curriculum. The school evaluates their students on a cumulative structure; the 70-30 distribution. This means that students are evaluated based on 70% course work and 30% exams or assignments. The teachers from SIS are fully certified Canadian professionals licensed by the Ontario College of Teachers (OCT).
Check out SIS’ website here.
9. Taylor’s International School Puchong (TIS)
Photo credit: Taylor’s International School, Facebook
Based on the British National Curriculum, Taylor’s International School (formerly known as Sri Gardens International) provides education for children aged 4 – 16, from early years to secondary school. Students at TIS enjoy an extensive range of world-class facilities, from the architectural design of the school to the ICT equipped labs.
Students will receive an International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) upon graduation. The IGCSE certificate offers students the option to continue their studies with schools attached under the Taylor’s Education Group, such as Taylor’s University.
Check out TIS’ website here.
10. Asia Pacific International School (APIS)
Photo credit: Asia Pacific International School, Facebook
APIS is an integral development within the APIIT Education Group (APIIT). Using the Cambridge IGCSE Curriculum, the school focuses on the children’s development by using co-curricular and extra-curricular activities, with a strong emphasis on technology.
Students must go through four key stages of learning before taking a two-year IGCSE course and completing an assessment for Cambridge IGCSE in preparation for higher learning.
Check out APIS’s website here.
11. IGB International School (IGBIS)
Photo credit: IGBIS’s website
The IB’s programmes for students aged 3 to 19 help develop the intellectual, personal, emotional and social skills to live, learn and work in a rapidly globalizing world. IGBIS is an IB World School, authorized to offer the IB Diploma Programme for Grades 11 and 12.
Students aged 16 – 19 have the choice to to choose between taking the Diploma Programme or the Career-related Programme. IGBIS focuses on the development and curriculum of the Primary Years Programme, and the preparation of the Middle Years Programme to undertake the DP or CP.
Check out IGBIS’s website here.
12. Tenby Schools Setia Eco Park
Photo credit: Tenby Schools’ website
The Early Years programme is based on the new Early Years Foundation Stage Curriculum, which is based around 7 areas of learning, and takes place indoors and outdoors. The primary school students follow the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), which is based on the National Curriculum for England, and programme of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE) is provided to all students.
The secondary school students follow the National Curriculum for England, and in Years 10 – 11, students choose a range of courses leading to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) examinations.
Check out Tenby Schools’ website here.
13. HELP International School (HIS)
Photo credit: HELP International School, Facebook
HIS mainly uses the UK National Curriculum. The Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) program that will be implemented on the Early Years programme is based on the Thematic, Integrated and Child-Centered (TIC) Programme. The primary school’s main follows the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), which is currently being used by over 1,700 schools in 77 countries around the world.
The secondary school focuses on the International General Certificate in Secondary Education (IGCSE) with Cambridge International Examination and London Edexcel. The curriculum at this stage is designed to ensure that students keep open as many career paths as possible.
Check out HELP International School’s website here.
14. Nexus International School Putrajaya
Photo credit: Nexus International School, Facebook
In the primary school, the students will be taught using the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), together with the British National Curriculum standards for Maths. In the Secondary School, the curriculum is designed from Year 7 to prepare students for a broad range of International General Certificates of Secondary Education (IGCSE).
In Years 12 and 13, Nexus learners follow the highly regarded International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) after completing their IGCSE. The school also offers a wide range of co-curricular activities four days a week.
Check out Nexus International School’s website here.
Read more about international schools in Kuala Lumpur
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