Moving to another country is a stressful experience for all the family, but when you have children, the stress goes up to another level.
You need to know that the schooling opportunities for your child are not only adequate, but high quality. After all, your child’s learning and development is extremely important and can never be compromised.
Many families are choosing to relocate to Astana in Kazakhstan, either for work, family reasons, or personal choice. The good news is that there are several top quality British schools in the capital city, some of which have links with top schools back in Britain. Astana boasts several prestigious international schools, including excellent British schools that cater to expatriate and local families alike. These schools ensure a smooth transition and offer education aligned with the highest global standards.
To help you decide which option might be best for you, let’s take a deeper look into the top three British schools in Astana, Kazakhstan.
Haileybury Astana School
Founded in 2011, Haileybury Astana School has links with Haileybury in England and came after the opening of the highly successful Haileybury Almaty in 2008.
This British school is co-ed and has around 650 students at any one time. The headteacher, John Coles, is committed to creating a holistic, comfortable, and successful place for children to thrive, grow, and learn, hitting excellency targets as they go along.
The school itself is set in an enviable position, on the banks of the Ishim River. The campus is large and houses a kindergarten, junior school, and senior school with sixth form facilities. On site you will find a huge indoor swimming pool, dance and performing arts studio, sports all, and even a music recording school. Extra-curricular activities are encouraged at this school, and facilities represent their importance as part of a child’s growth and development.
The aim is for all students to leave the school completely equipped for whatever life may throw at them both socially, emotionally, and academically. Students are given all the skills and knowledge they need to not only thrive in today’s competitive job market, but excel. The school also encourages students to become a valuable part of the local community and to give back wherever possible.
Of course, a school of such a high standard is in high demand and as such, places are scarce. Children need to be academically excellent in receive a place, and school fees need to be paid on time every term to avoid problems. Many students attending Haileybury Astana School go on to accept spots in top universities across the world, including the UK, USA, and Europe. Education is holistic and aims to balance development of character and independence along with academic excellence. As such, students are strongly encouraged to try several extra-curricular activities to enhance their experience.
Address: Ivan Panfilov St 4, Astana 010000, Kazakhstan
Telephone: +7 7172 55 98 55
School Setup & Admissions
Haileybury Astana School includes:
- Kindergarten for children from 2 to 5 years of age
- Junior school for children from 5 to 11 years of age
- Senior school for children from 11 to 18 years of age
The British National Curriculum is followed, with appropriate Key Stages as per the child’s age. In junior school, children aged 5 to 7 years of age follow KS1 and up to 11 years, they follow KS2. In senior school, IGCSEs are followed, offered by Cambridge International Examinations. Upon advancement to sixth form, pupils may follow the International Baccalaureate Programme.
Applications should be made via an online enquiry form on the school’s website; from there, you will be contacted to attend a tour and consultation. An application form is filled up with an application fee of KZT 37,000. Previous school reports will need to be shared if appropriate and arrangements are then made for children to set age-appropriate tests. If successful, a place will be offered, and this can be guaranteed with a deposit.
Spectrum International School
The second top British school in Astana is Spectrum, a school which has branches in several other countries, as well as in the UK. The school has been recently rebranded and was formally known as the Nurorda International School, or NIS; you may still see the school branded as this in old literature, so it’s something to be aware of.
Spectrum International School is a non-profit private day school. The school operates under a network of publicly funded educational budlings across the country, and has been in operation since the 1990s. Many other educational institutions under this umbrella have been extremely successful and as the British and international community in Kazakhstan began to grow, Spectrum International School was born, constructed in 2000.
At first, Spectrum’s curriculum was limited to primary only, but this has since expanded and the school now has primary, lower secondary, IGCSE, and A/AS level programmes. Spectrum has been awarded CIS accreditation, and was one of the first schools in the country to be given this honour.
The name is actually an acronym for the school’s values: self-reliance, principled, empathetic, co-operative, trustworthy, respectful, united, motivated. These are the values and principles which students attending this school are expected to develop and use, both in their early educational lives and as they leave the school and enter the working world.
As such, Spectrum International School offers one of the best quality curriculums and experiences for children in Astana. Class sizes are kept deliberately low, to give teachers a good amount of one-on-one time with students. Extra-curricular activities are plentiful and encouraged for all students.
The aim is for children to take part in the local community and to feel nurtured in their educational lives, helping them to feel comfortable and welcomed in their new environment.
Address: Qasym Amanzholov St 34, Astana 020000, Kazakhstan
Telephone: +7 7172 42 78 32
School Setup & Admissions
Spectrum International School has the following programmes available for students worldwide:
- Primary school admissions – following Cambridge primary 1-5 grades
- Lower secondary admissions – following Cambridge secondary 6-8 grades
- IGCSE admissions – following Cambridge IGCSE 9-10 grades
- As/A levels admissions – following 11-12 grades
Curriculum content mirrors the British National Curriculum and in primary school, subjects include English, science, maths, music, computer students, PE, art, and global perspectives. All classes are taught in English and there is an option for Kazakh and another language, such as Russian, French, or Turkish. However, students who have English as a second language are encouraged to improve their proficiency to become fluent. This is built upon in lower secondary when classes are accelerated for these students.
All students are expected to take part in several extra-curricular activities, including dance, sports, music, and science. The school takes great pride in helping the local community, and activities often reflect this value.
Of course, Spectrum International School is a very in demand school for international students and as such, you should register your interest as early as possible. The first step is to fill in the enquiry form on the school’s website. You will then be contacted by the reception manager who will arrange a meeting for you and your child to attend the school for a tour and to learn more in person.
If you are happy to continue with your interest, your child will then need to undergo an entrance assessment, as Spectrum has high academic expectations. Copies of previous school reports will be requested, if necessary. If your child passes their entrance exam, a place at the school will be offered and fees will be paid.
Entrance exams are age-appropriate and will be arranged well in advance, to give parents and children time to prepare. Extra support is also available upon request. However, entrance acceptance will be conditional depending upon the results of this test for all students, regardless of their age or academic status previously.
British Schools in Astana
There are many international schools in Astana, several of which are American. However, these two schools are dedicated to following the British National Curriculum and are very in demand amongst British families in Kazakhstan and beyond.
Admission to these British schools requires pre-planning and there are several steps to go through. As such, it is important to register your interest as early as possible and get in touch with your school of choice to start the admissions process. Of course, this also gives you more time to prepare your child for the admissions exam, should you choose to move forward with your registration and entrance application.
Despite the long process you will need to go through, students of both of these schools often go on to be accepted at prestigious universities, both in the UK and further afield. Many students also go on to study at the USA’s top universities.
