We are delighted that you are considering us for your child(ren)’s education and look forward to working with you in close partnership to explore if International School Suva is the right place for you and your family.
Students in class
ISS admission is non-discriminatory and open to all students without regard to race, sex, religion, physical ability, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin. We invite applications from students who can benefit from an international, holistic and rigorous education. While inclusive, the school has chosen to offer a dynamic and intense academic preparation through the PYP, MYP, DP, HSD and ACT programmes. These programmes demand a high level of dedication, enthusiasm and motivation from students.
International School Suva operates on a southern hemisphere timetable with the academic year running from January to December. We acknowledge that for students joining us from other parts of the world, this can raise questions and we encourage you to reach out to admissions@iss.school.fj with any questions you might have regarding the transition.
Our application process is designed to identify each candidate’s unique qualities, to learn more about their strengths, and to ascertain the best ways we can support them. Our goal is to make the best educational decisions for your child upon enrollment.
We encourage you to navigate through our website and learn more about ISS as an IB world school, our history and unique features of our school, like the Oceans programme and Basu Bawara to get a more holistic view of International School Suva.
We look forward to welcoming you to the ISS Community and to the home of the Vai.
The Admissions Process
Each application is assessed on a first-come, first-served basis throughout the year. If a year level is full your child will be placed on a waiting list. At International School Suva we place students based on their age according to our requirements. We understand that for students transitioning from the Northern Hemisphere this might involve doing additional months in a grade level.
Getting certified diving
We sometimes require our students to be academically tested or assessed on admission, depending on previous report cards and school recommendations, however all applicants must demonstrate that they can access and benefit from the IB curriculum and activity programmes we offer.
We aspire to get to know the students and will therefore invite Early Years students to join an age-level appropriate classroom for an hour prior to the start. Students from Reception to Year 5 will have an interview with our Head of Primary and Students for Year 6 – 12 similarly have an interview with our Head of Secondary; to learn more about the student and get to know a little about their interests and qualities. During the Secondary school interview, subject choices and preferences will also be explored.
Overall, the Admissions process looks as follows:
- Parents fill out the admissions form and provide additional documentation. This can be done online or via email through admissions@iss.school.fj
- All documentation will be reviewed by the placement team and possible clarifications / additional documents can be requested. An entry assessment can be part of this process.
- Students and parents have an interview with their prospective Head of School where year level placement is confirmed.
- A letter of offer and invoice is sent.
- Once the enrolment fee has been paid, the placement of a student is secured and the student is ready to enrol in the school.
Throughout the process, our Admissions officer is ready to answer all the questions you might have.
Admissions Requirements
In the table below you can find our age-requirements. In exceptional cases, where student development, former school experience or performance supports compatibility with a grade outside of that determined by the schools cut-off date, Heads of schools will evaluate and decide. Applicants joining us from the Northern hemisphere need to take into account that the transfer will include additional months in a grade.
PYP Stem project
Applicants coming from schools with a different language of instruction and/or are not proficient in English, will undergo an English Proficiency test (WIDA) to determine if English language support is necessary, as well as the level of support. Language testing and support incur additional fee. English Academic language support (EAL) is a mandatory requirement for admissions, should your child(ren) require it.
ISS has various models in place for student differentiation. During the process of admissions specific learning needs will need to be addressed by parents in order to support the student in the best way possible. Learning support services can come at an additional fee, depending on the amount of support a student might need to access our curricula.
| Primary | Student's age upon entry | Secondary | Student's age upon entry | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ECH1 | 3 (turning 4) | Year 6 | 11 (turning 12) | |
| ECH2 | 4 (turning 5) | Year 7 | 12 (turning 13) | |
| Reception | 5 (turning 6) | Year 8 | 13 (turning 14) | |
| Year 1 | 6 (turning 7) | Year 9 | 14 (turning 15) | |
| Year 2 | 7 (turning 8) | Year 10 | 15 (turning 16) | |
| Year 3 | 8 (turning 9) | Year 11 | 16 (turning 17) | |
| Year 4 | 9 (turning 10) | Year 12 | 17 (turning 18) | |
| Year 5 | 10 (turning 11) |
Documents needed for Admissions
To apply for Admissions at International School Suva, an application form needs to be filled out, accompanied with the following documents, and emailed to admissions@iss.school.fj:
- Application Form
- A copy of the first page of the passport of the applicant.
- A copy of the birth certificate of the applicant.
- A passport sized photograph of the applicant.
- School reports from the past two years of schooling including transcripts for students entering years 11 and 12.
- Proof of the right of abode or a visa/entry permit to study in Fiji issued by the Fiji Immigration department must be presented prior to be admitted to ISS (If non-Fiji citizen)
- A copy of immunisation records
Admissions Policy
Please note that the current admissions policy is under review and will be updated asap
Tuition and Fees
International School Suva sets its annual fees based upon projected income and expenses. Tuition fees are determined by year level with the option of annual or Termly payments. As a not-for-profit institution, tuition fees are used to provide for all annual operational costs included in delivering the curriculum to students.
We utilise two fee standards. One for Local fee payers and one for Expatriate fee payers.
Please see our annual fees for this school year.
Concession Fee
Parents, with one child in the school, whose annual income is less than FJ $90,000 net per annum, and those with two or more children in the school and a total income of less than FJ$120,000 net, are eligible to apply for a 30% concession on tuition fees. Please ask for or download the concession application form and return the completed application form to the principal.