Admissions | The British School Kathmandu

Manisha Bajracharya

Admissions Manager

The British School is a truly international school providing a British education for over 40 nationalities.

We take new children and students throughout the year if we have suitable spaces. There is an entry assessment for all students prior to admissions so we know each child’s strength and areas of development as soon as they arrive so we can support them appropriately on their learning journey. TBS is characterised by its friendly community and new parents can meet other parents (the TBS Owls) at the parent coffee stand and new learners are allocated special friends and buddies to help them quickly settle in.

We have produced a TBS Admissions Policy and Procedure which we hope will guide you further in applying to TBS and in understanding more about the school.

The best way to experience the environment and atmosphere of the school is to come and visit us. We are happy to show you around the facilities, introduce you to members of the TBS team and answer any questions that you may have about what we do.

If you wish to express an interest in your child/children attending The British School in Kathmandu please fill in the Inquiry form or write to our admissions manager at admissions@tbs.edu.np with your details/queries.

Frequently Asked Questions

What time does the school start and finish?

Children should arrive at school between 8.00am and 8.15am. Foundation 1 to Year 1 children go straight to their classroom and Years 2 to 6 children line up in front of the primary buildings with the rest of their class. Secondary students make their way to their lockers where they organize their equipment for the day then proceed to their mentor rooms for mentor time. Children should not be left unsupervised anywhere on the school grounds before 8am.

What is the class size here and what is the academic staff to student ratio?

All our UK trained teachers are used to having 30 students in their class. However, we prefer to work with smaller class sizes. Most classes will generally be no bigger than 22 or 23 in primary and smaller than this in most secondary subject lessons. They can be as small as 2 or 3 students in some A Level classes. We have an extremely generous teacher/class learning support/learning support to student ratio of 1 academic professional to every 4 learners.

Do students have to wear uniforms?

Not every day, but we do have uniform items which should be worn on certain occasions. There is a house top and track suit for PE. Many children choose to wear these during the rest of the week as well as during their PE lessons and other school sports activities. There is a black PAWs polo shirt which students wear during Performing Arts events. We also have a navy polo shirt for ease for families who prefer to have that as an option and it is usually compulsory if the students are representing the school at a special event. These can all be purchased from our community shop.

Where are the teachers from?

Most of our teaching staff are British nationals but we also have teachers from various other countries like Canada, Australia, Ireland, France, and Netherlands. They are all fully trained and have either taught in the UK or taught the UK curriculum internationally.

Does the school offer learning support facilities?

Yes, school has a very well staffed Learning support department. Also please check the policy – TBS Learning Support Policy We have regular visits from an educational psychologist from the UK and we have our own Speech and Language Therapist. We also have a full time school counsellor to support children with any emotional issues that they may face.

What if my child is sick during school hours?

If your child is sick, s/he will be taken to the school nurse accompanied by an assistant if in primary or a sick note will be issued from the teacher if in secondary. If your son or daughter needs to be sent home, the school nurse will contact parents and inform them about the situation. More details – TBS Administration of Medicines to Children Policy

How does the school deal with bullying issues?

The school strictly follows a zero tolerance approach with bullying. More details – TBS Anti Bullying Policy Parents will be consulted if there is a case of bullying and we will work proactively with all parties to ensure all children are free from any form of bullying. Our children are generally excellent and treat each other extremely kindly. We monitor their well-being and happiness constantly and liaise with parents closely.

Where are the students at TBS from?

The school is rich in diversity. Currently, the school has more than 40 different nationalities, with the highest number of international students being British nationals. We try to be inclusive in every way and celebrate our international character with regular cultural and celebratory events such as our international week and in the taught curriculum.

Does the school have a bus service?

Yes, school has a transportation service which covers most areas of Kathmandu and Patan. To find out more about the routes and seat availability, please contact the Finance department. As an Eco school we try to adjust routes to suit parents so we can reduce individual travel where possible.

Does the school offer discounts or scholarships?

The school has a clear fee schedule which is available on the website. Although we do not offer discounts for new students, if any of our current families are going through temporary financial hardship, we advise them to contact us to discuss whether a bursary might be suitable. We do offer a number of scholarships for those joining us for A-levels. The application process is advertised annually and further details can be found here.

How does the school manage its finances?

TBS is a not-for-profit school which means that once the expenses are paid, additional money raised goes back into the school, this can either be allocated annually in the short term or it is ringfenced for longer term projects and development. Each year, the school budgets for its expected expenses and looks at its potential income. We do not receive income for any government or other organisation therefore our budget is based on the fee income from students enrolled at TBS. There are some factors which impact us greatly such as rising inflation, changing exchange rates and the number of students. We separate our expenditure into Capital (this includes buildings, facilities and long term resources, further examples can be seen here) and Operations (among other things, this includes consumable items, daily resources, salaries, taxes and utilities). Each year our finances are externally audited in two different ways. There is an internal audit which is carried out twice a year by an external company, this helps us to know that we are doing everything correctly and identify areas in which we might want to improve. There is also an annual external audit, this makes sure that we are fully compliant and information from this report is shared with parents annually at our AGM, submitted to relevant Nepali government departments and filed with the Inland Revenue. Running a large organisation such as an international school is complex and can be like managing a village and all its infrastructure. Sometimes parents have asked us about the budget headings we use and there are some explanations here.

I would like to know more about school policies and organisation, how do I do this?

The best way to find out more is to get involved in school life in a supportive way. We are happy to meet with parents and potential parents in good faith and help them to understand more about our school. We have a wide range of policies and documents that we are able to share, many of which are on the school website. Sometimes however, there may be documents that are for internal use only and not suitable for sharing, other times we can show you documents but you may not be able to take copies.