School Search
There are many things to consider before you decide for a school for your kids – location, facilities and, most important, the curriculum. Below, we have put together a list with some of the best international schools in Jakarta, along with some useful information about them for you.
Please also keep the distance between your new home and the school you are looking for your kids in mind. The schools do provide school bus transportation but due to the heavy traffic in Jakarta you should consider the time your children need to commute when making a decision.
Each school has its own pros and cons so it’s up to you and your children’s specific needs to decide which one is the best match. However, if you are new expats living in Jakarta, you may need help choosing which one is good for you. For expats who need assistance in settling in Jakarta, including choosing the right school for their children, EMC Relocations is here to help.
Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS)
Jakarta Intercultural School (JIS) was founded in 1951 as the Joint Embassy School. It then became Jakarta International School in 1978 and Jakarta Intercultural School in 2014. The school has three campuses around Jakarta: Pattimura Elementary, Pondok Indah Elementary, and Cilandak Middle and High School. Their biggest campus in Cilandak is nestled in 20 hectares of lush tropical gardens.
JIS offers students a full range of athletics, performing arts, visual arts, and academic extracurricular opportunities. The school also has numerous student led clubs, trips, and initiatives that focus on making a difference to the environment, the community, and animals in need.
Nord Anglia International School (NIS Jakarta)
Nord Anglia International School (NIS) Jakarta is part of Nord Anglia Education, one of the world’s leading premium school organisations. It’s located in an expat-packed area in Kemang, South Jakarta.
NIS Jakarta offer pre-nursery up until year 7 of elementary school classes with ages starting from 1.5 years up to 12 years old. For those age groups, NIS Jakarta specially designs the school to be a fun environment. The classrooms and other outdoor facilities are made to allow the students to enjoy being at school.
British School Jakarta (BSJ)
British School Jakarta (BSJ) is probably the largest school campus in the Greater Jakarta area. Located in Bintaro Sektor 9, Jl. Raya Jombang-Ciledug, Pondok Aren, Tangerang 15227, BSJ offers Primary and Secondary school curricula, ending in a full IB programme.
BSJ sits on 18 hectares of land. With an area that is incredibly spacious, they have room for dedicated areas for primary, secondary and specialist studies, such as languages and performing arts. There’s also a theatre complex that includes two stages, a dance studio, and rehearsal and make up rooms. As for sporting facilities, BSJ has five tennis courts, extensive grass and artificial playing fields, covered areas for games, and an Olympic-sized swimming pool. The Sports Centre contains courts for basketball, volleyball and badminton, a gym, and a weights room.
Australian Independent School (AIS)
Australian Independent School (AIS) has been operating in Indonesia since 1996. Offering the Australian curriculum from Preschool to Year 10, and the internationally recognised IB Diploma to Years 11 and 12, AIS remains true to its founding principles, offering an inclusive education environment to meet the learning needs of all its students. Based on the Australian Curriculum and best teaching practices, the AIS academic programme is designed to form a solid foundation from which young people may reach their potential and enter the world as confident and compassionate citizens.
Today, AIS Indonesia has two campuses: AIS Jakarta (Preschool to Year 12) in Pejaten, South Jakarta, and AIS Bali (Preschool to Year 12 ). All AIS students are challenged to strive for educational excellence in every aspect of their life, both academic and non-academic. Hence, the school offers a wide variety of activities including sports, music, arts, and community service.
Academic Colleges Group School
ACG School Jakarta is an independent, co-educational Kindergarten to Year 13 day school located in South Jakarta, Indonesia. The school is a member of Inspired Education Group who owns and operates 65 schools globally. ACG School Jakarta was founded in 2004 and has grown steadily from a small primary school to a comprehensive Kindergarten to Year 13 international school.
ACG School Jakarta is permitted to enrol students who hold passports from Indonesia and other parts of the world. The school’s central location in South Jakarta serves families who are employed by embassies, multinational corporations and other businesses. ACG School Jakarta has approximately 24 nationalities represented and the language of instruction is English.
New Zealand School Jakarta
The New Zealand School Jakarta (NZSJ) is a progressive, growing international school situated in the heart of Kemang in South Jakarta. NZSJ believes that happy children are more confident learners, so strives to be a place where children of all ages feel safe, supported and happy. NZSJ employs the New Zealand Curriculum supplemented with other academic programs to serve the educational, physical, social-emotional and creative needs of children aged between 18 months (Pre-School) to 16 years (Grade 10). It has a strong English as an Additional Language programme for students joining with little spoken English. It also aims to be an inclusive school for children with learning disabilities.
A for Effort - tutoring service for students attending international schools
Moving to a new country is not easy: Getting used to new surroundings, to a new culture, making new friends. And kids who move have to get used to a new school, maybe even a new curriculum or a language. Professional tutoring can help students tremendously. It helps them to keep up and excel but it also boosts their self esteem. A for Effort is a professional tutoring center focused on Math and Science. Their service caters especially to the needs of students attending international schools in Jakarta. A for Effort has been founded and is run by Charmaine Heilijgers, an expat who originates from the Netherlands. She has spent most of her childhood in Jakarta attending an international school herself.
Life School
Located in South Jakarta in the Cipete area, Life SCHOOL is a high-level international school accessible to children of all nationalities, including those whose mother tongue is not French. We welcome families from all around the world. More than 32 different nationalities are currently represented among our students. We are part of the largest school network in the world, comprising 535 schools located in 139 countries.
The French education system stands out among the best education systems in the world. With a structured and transferable approach to learning, more and more international families are choosing the French national system for international education. We offer families access to an affordable, quality, multicultural and multilingual French-English bilingual education, provided by highly experienced teachers with a proven track record of academic success. Life SCHOOL gives great importance to the organization of cultural and sports events. They round off what is taught in class and provide students with access to education through sports, arts and culture.
The Independent School of Jakarta
The Independent School of Jakarta builds on British educational heritage to provide an exceptional education to boys and girls aged 2 to 13 years in a newly built leafy campus in Pondok Indah, Jakarta. Whilst benefiting from the same range of facilities as many larger schools, the school is deliberately small and exclusive. With just one class in each year group, every child is truly known as a unique and important individual and their families appreciate the privacy and bespoke service they receive at ISJ.
Founded in September 2021, the school is led by Mrs Emma Webb. Mrs Webb brings exceptional expertise to Jakarta from her previous position as Headmistress of Queen’s College Preparatory School, a leading and historic private preparatory school in Central London. She is joined by fully qualified and experienced British trained teachers and Senior Staff.
Pupils benefit from world-class facilities and an approach to teaching and learning found at the most effective British independent schools in the world. Pupils are immersed in the same inspiring, broad and rigorous academic curriculum that can be found in private Prep Schools in the UK, with some additions to support the full coverage of the Indonesian curriculum and Mandarin. Sporting, cultural and artistic opportunities are in abundance and academic excellence is underpinned by a focus on the creative arts and a wealth of co-curricular provision.
Exceptionally skilled and experienced staff provide tailored support and encouragement to every child, ensuring that they reach their full potential. Pupils are encouraged to use their imaginations, to think creatively, to explore the world around them, to be ambitious and to strive for excellence. They become life-long learners, team players, leaders and innovators. Most importantly – they learn how to think, not what to think.
Great emphasis is placed on the development of character, resilience, ambition, good manners, empathy, compassion and social responsibility. The boys and girls learn how to work and play together and to share resources, space and attention. They are at the heart of our community and know that they are cared for and valued.