International Schools in Phnom Penh, Cambodia

Many people have seen news of celebrities volunteering as teachers in Cambodia. Mention Cambodia, though, and the first impression that comes to mind is often “poor, chaotic, underdeveloped.” In fact, Cambodia is a dark horse among emerging markets. Since 2012, Cambodia’s real estate sector has been steadily rising, and property development and prices in Phnom Penh in particular have climbed almost every year, by 10–20%, attracting more and more overseas investors to this “overlooked emerging country.” Cambodia has moved into an era of full-speed development and is known as one of “Asia’s new tigers,” particularly in education.

With strong support from the Cambodian government, a number of well-known overseas educational institutions and international schools have set up in Phnom Penh, comprehensively raising the standard of language teaching and education, with quality comparable to leading schools in China, Japan and South Korea. For upper-middle-class families and the children of foreign management staff in particular, there is significant demand for education, so for buyers, nearby school options are an important consideration. Here is an overview of some of the accredited international schools in Phnom Penh that connect to further study at overseas international schools.

Northbridge International School Cambodia

(NISC – Northbridge International School Cambodia)

Northbridge belongs to the UK’s Nord Anglia Education group, which runs 42 international schools worldwide, including one in Hong Kong. It covers kindergarten through senior secondary, enrolling children aged 2–18, and follows the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. Graduates receive an IB diploma recognised by universities worldwide.

The school organises annual overseas study trips for students — for example to MIT, NASA, Switzerland and Africa. In class, it collaborates and exchanges teaching staff with sister schools across the global Nord Anglia network, giving it a more international character and a more diverse learning environment than many other international schools.

School website: nordangliaeducation.com/our-schools/cambodia

Phnom Penh Montessori International School

The Montessori method was developed by the Italian educator Dr. Maria Montessori over her lifetime’s work. It places strong emphasis on early intellectual development in children and opposes teacher-centred, rote-style instruction. It instead favours self-directed learning, in which the child is the subject and centre of the educational activity. Through daily routines paired with a well-designed learning environment and a rich range of learning materials, children are encouraged to learn actively, think independently, discover for themselves, and educate and develop themselves.

School website: ppmi.edu.kh

CIA First International School

CIA First International School is one of Cambodia’s leading international schools, following the American standard curriculum, with students mostly from K3 to grade 12. The school is committed to helping students develop critical-thinking skills and grow into globally responsible citizens.

It aims to give students a stimulating learning environment in which physical, mental, moral and social development are treated as essential, so that students experience the joy and love of learning from an early age.

School website: www.ciaschool.edu.kh

International School of Phnom Penh (ISPP)

(ISPP – International School of Phnom Penh)

ISPP is the earliest international school in Phnom Penh, founded in 1989. It follows an American approach to education while also running the IB curriculum, with a comparatively relaxed school and learning culture that lets children develop broadly across knowledge, sports, the arts and nature. The proportion of European and American children at this school is relatively high. Cambodian students are capped at no more than 25% of enrolment, so the proportion of ethnic Chinese children at this school is relatively low.

School website: ispp.edu.kh

Canadian International School of Phnom Penh (CISP)

CIS is a school built through investment by the Canadia Group, established in 2012, but it has developed quickly. It started with only a kindergarten in the Borey Piphup Thmey villa area, and now has campuses in Koh Pich (Diamond Island) and Toul Kork as well. CIS also enrols local Cambodian students, though within a controlled proportion. Most students are from Southeast Asia, made up largely of children from prominent Cambodian families, children of Chinese nationals doing business or working in Cambodia, and children from Singapore, Japan and South Korea, with a smaller number of European students.

Worth noting: CIS launched a Chinese-English bilingual program alongside its French bilingual program during the 2019–2020 period, giving students a further language option.

School website: cisp.edu.kh

Other International Schools

• The East-West International School — a bilingual (English and Khmer) school from kindergarten through senior secondary. School website: ewiscambodia.org
• The British International School of Phnom Penh — one of the schools where students can sit the UK’s A-level university entrance examinations. School website: bispp.edu.kh
• World International School Cambodia — a Singaporean school, located in the Toul Kork area. School website: wisc.edu.kh
• Golden Gate American School — has several campuses in Toul Kork, teaching in Chinese, English and Khmer, using Chinese textbooks from both Taiwan and mainland China. School website: amchamcambodia.net/member/golden-gate-american-school
• ICAN British International School — located diagonally opposite Aeon Mall, follows the British education system; children from the Chinese embassy are largely enrolled at this school. School website: ican.edu.kh
• The Giving Tree — founded by a French national, so the school regularly offers French as well as English classes. It follows the IPC curriculum and also offers extracurricular activities and single-subject language classes, including French, Japanese and Khmer. School website: thegivingtreeschool.com
• EtonHouse — a Singaporean education group with campuses in 12 countries and more than 100 branches, and a member of the European Council of International Schools. School website: etonhouse.com.sg/school/phnom-penh
• The British International School of Phnom Penh — accredited by the Cambridge Assessment International Education board (CIE) and is also an examination centre for the IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education), one of the world’s most widely taken examination systems for students aged 14 to 16.
• Harrods International Academy — located in the BKK1 area, at the intersection of streets 302 and 57. School website: harrods.edu.kh

Phnom Penh has many more international schools than can be listed here; readers are encouraged to visit in person and speak with individual schools to learn more. Parents working in Phnom Penh need not worry about finding a well-regarded international school for their children.

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