The British International School of New York
🇺🇸 New York · Founded 2006 · British / IB · Ages 3–18
Reviewed by Priscilla Han · 2026-07-23
A small, central-Manhattan British-curriculum day school (ages 3–18) blending the English National Curriculum with IB PYP/MYP in the lower and middle years and a Cambridge IGCSE/A-Level upper school — accredited by COBIS and IB-authorized, but note it does NOT run the IB Diploma and publishes no exam results.
Curricula
British, IB
Age range
3–18
Languages of instruction
English
Annual fees
SGD USD 45,600–67,800
Boarding
No (day school)
IB authorised
PYP, MYP
Accreditations
COBIS, ISI
Tier Profile
We only tier dimensions backed by a public inspection verdict or verifiable accreditation. Other dimensions show a data flag — never a guessed score.
BrightKey's Assessment
The British International School of New York (BIS-NY) was founded in 2006 and occupies a riverfront campus at 20 Waterside Plaza in the Kips Bay neighborhood of Manhattan, alongside the East River. It is a co-educational day school serving ages 3 to 18 (Nursery from 2.9 years through Year 13), with a warm, small-school ethos — a school-reported ~1:7 student–teacher ratio and classes of roughly 14–18.
The academic model is a British spine layered with IB methodology, not a single pure curriculum. Early Years and the Lower School combine the UK Early Years Foundation Stage / English National Curriculum with the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP); the Middle School runs the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) alongside IGCSE preparation; and the Upper School is explicitly non-IB — Cambridge International IGCSE (at 16) then A Levels (at 18). Critically, BIS-NY is authorized for the IB PYP and MYP only and does NOT offer the IB Diploma Programme; the final-years pathway is Cambridge A Levels.
The Upper School is comparatively young: it welcomed its inaugural Year 10 (US Grade 9) class in September 2018 and produced its first graduating cohort in 2021. Accreditation is genuine — COBIS (Council of British International Schools, 2018 accreditation), an ISI (Independent Schools Inspectorate) inspection dating to 2010, IB World School authorization (from Spring 2009), and selection as a Good Schools Guide International school. It is part of the Affinitas network and a sister school of Abercorn (London).
Honest positioning: a well-established, English-medium British/Cambridge school with strong language support (EAL from Nursery through Year 9) and a distinctive central-Manhattan location. As with most US independent schools, there is no graded public inspectorate — so quality rests on accreditation depth rather than any official band. BIS-NY publishes its fees in full but does NOT publish IGCSE/A-Level results or verified university-placement data, and lists no financial aid or scholarships.
Why These Ratings?
Inspection & AccreditationA — Excellent
COBIS accreditation (2018) plus IB World School authorization (PYP + MYP) and a historic ISI inspection, all verifiable on the school's own Inspections & Accreditations page. The United States has regional accreditors but NO graded public schools inspectorate (no Ofsted/BSO/KHDA equivalent), so the tier reflects accreditation depth and is capped at A — S is reserved for schools carrying a genuine graded public inspection verdict.
Strengths & Trade-offs
Strengths
- Established since 2006 with a genuine British/Cambridge identity in the heart of Manhattan (Kips Bay, on the East River)
- Accredited by COBIS and authorized as an IB World School (PYP + MYP), plus a Good Schools Guide International listing
- Documented EAL/English-language support from Nursery through Year 9 (small-group pull-out and in-class) — strong fit for non-native English families
- Small, personal scale: school-reported ~1:7 ratio and classes of roughly 14–18, students 'known by name'
- Full continuous 3-to-18 pathway on one campus, with rolling/mid-year admissions
- Fees are published in full — uncommon transparency — and purpose-built facilities include a pool, science labs, art studios, library and a language/music wing
Trade-offs
- Does NOT offer the IB Diploma — IB authorization covers PYP and MYP only, and the Upper School switches to Cambridge A Levels, so the 'IB' framing is a lower/middle-years method, not a Diploma outcome
- No published IGCSE or A-Level results — academic outcomes cannot be independently verified
- The ISI inspection on file dates to 2010 and no graded verdict is quoted; COBIS/IB give accreditation but not a public quality band
- Relatively young Upper School (first Year 10 in 2018, first graduates 2021) — limited senior-school track record
- No financial aid or scholarships are advertised, against premium fees (up to ~$67,800/year plus one-time enrollment and deposit costs)
- Total enrollment is not published, so scale and cohort sizes cannot be confirmed
Is It Right For You?
Best For
- ✓Families in or relocating to New York wanting a British/Cambridge (English National Curriculum → IGCSE → A-Level) pathway
- ✓Internationally mobile or non-native-English families who need structured EAL support in the early and middle years
- ✓Families valuing a small, personal school with a continuous 3-to-18 pathway on a single campus
- ✓Households comfortable with premium fees who don't require financial aid
Not Ideal For
- ✕Families who specifically want the IB Diploma Programme in the final years (BIS-NY uses Cambridge A Levels instead)
- ✕Outcome-driven families who require published exam results or verified university-placement data before enrolling
- ✕Families needing financial aid or scholarships (none advertised)
- ✕Families seeking boarding (day school only) or a large-school breadth of specialist provision
Curriculum
British spine with IB methodology: EYFS/English National Curriculum + IB PYP in Early Years and Lower School (ages 3–12); IB MYP in Middle School (ages 11–16); and a Cambridge International Upper School — IGCSE at 16, A Levels at 18. IB-authorized for PYP and MYP ONLY (authorized as an IBO World School in Spring 2009); it does NOT run the IB Diploma. Cambridge-authorized for IGCSE and A Level. French and Spanish taught at every level.
Fees
Fully published for 2026–27: annual tuition Nursery (2s & 3s) $45,600; Reception (Pre-K) $51,000; Years 1–9 (US K–Grade 8) $66,700; Years 10–13 (US Grade 9–12) $67,800. Add a $125 application fee, a one-time non-refundable $2,500 new-student enrollment fee, a $225/year student activity fee, and a non-refundable initial tuition deposit ($3,500 Nursery/Reception; $6,000 Years 1–13). Years 7–9 pay an Excursion Week fee ($1,975–$2,275). No financial aid or scholarships are listed. Verify current figures directly with the school.
Admissions
$125 application fee; one-time non-refundable enrollment fee and initial tuition deposit apply to new students. Rolling/mid-year admissions are offered. EAL support is available from Nursery through Year 9. Confirm current criteria and availability directly with admissions.
Campus Life
Single riverfront campus at 20 Waterside Plaza (Kips Bay, Manhattan, on the East River). Facilities include an onsite swimming pool, science/STEM labs, two art studios, libraries, a dedicated language and music wing, outdoor playgrounds, an urban garden and a café. More than 40 nationalities represented; students organized into three houses (Glennie, Shakespeare, King). Part of the Affinitas network; sister school of Abercorn (London). Day school — no boarding.
University Placement
School-reported · not independently verified
School-reported, unverified: BIS-NY publishes a university-destinations list (updated April 2025) spanning graduates since its first class in 2021, including UK (Imperial, UCL, Edinburgh, Bristol, Warwick), US (Cornell, NYU, Northwestern, UC system, CUNY/SUNY), Canada (McGill, McMaster) and Europe (Leiden, Maastricht) institutions, and states the Class of 2025 amassed 'over $2,000,000' in merit scholarships. No exam pass rates or A-Level score distributions are published; treat all placement and scholarship claims as school-reported.
Sources
Every verifiable fact carries a public source — verify it yourself.
- BIS-NY official — homepage (curriculum spine, ages 3–18, 40+ nationalities) · 2026-07
- BIS-NY official — Inspections & Accreditations (COBIS 2018, ISI 2010, IB World School, Good Schools Guide International) · 2026-07
- BIS-NY official — Tuition & Affordability (2026–27 fees) · 2026-07
- BIS-NY official — International Baccalaureate (PYP + MYP only; Upper School is Cambridge, non-IB) · 2026-07
- BIS-NY official — Our Campus (Kips Bay riverfront, facilities, Upper School opened Sept 2018) · 2026-07
- BIS-NY official — FAQs (IBO authorization Spring 2009, ~1:7 ratio, classes 14–18, day school / no boarding, EAL) · 2026-07
- BIS-NY official — University & College (destinations list updated Apr 2025, Class of 2025 merit scholarships) · 2026-07
- Wikipedia — British International School of New York (founded 2006) · 2026-07
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