Southbank International School

What Southbank International School does

Southbank International School is a private, independent International Baccalaureate (IB) World School operating across three Central London campuses — Hampstead, Kensington, and Westminster — serving approximately 1,000-1,400 students aged 2-18. Founded in 1979 and owned by the Cognita Schools group (100+ schools globally), the school delivers the full IB continuum: Early Childhood (ages 2-5), Primary Years Programme (ages 5-11), Middle Years Programme (ages 11-16), Diploma Programme (ages 16-18), and an IB Career-related Programme delivered in partnership with the Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD). The student body spans 70 nationalities with over 20 languages taught, and the school is NEASC-accredited (Autumn 2024) and ranked in the top 20 UK schools in the 2024 Global IB School League Table.

The school's technology stack is standard K-12 independent school infrastructure rather than proprietary platform: Google Classroom, Microsoft Teams, and Firefly for virtual learning and parent communication; iSAMS for management information; and Seesaw/Tapestry for early years assessment. Academic integrity is enforced through IB-defined policies across PYP, MYP, DP, and CP programmes. The school hosted a Grade 10 AI Responsibility Conference in March 2026 covering deepfake detection and ethical AI use, positioning AI as a literacy topic rather than a deployed product capability.

The business model is direct-to-consumer tuition billing on a three-term recurring cadence, with fees ranging from £6,724 per term (EC3 half-day, 2025/26) to £16,033 per term (DP Grade 11-12, 2026/27), plus ancillary bus services, hot lunch catering via First Yield Foods, and one-time capital development and application fees. All independent school fees became subject to UK VAT from 1 January 2025. International students are recruited globally and supported through Cognita-licensed Child Student and Student visa sponsorship, homestay arrangements, and guardianship introductions. Distribution is primarily rolling admissions via an online application portal, personal campus tours, and information mornings, with a recent tilt toward Google paid search and agent referral channels.

Name

Southbank International School

Legal name

Southbank International School

Website

https://southbank.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Southbank International School is a private Central London IB World School operating three campuses (Hampstead, Kensington, Westminster) serving approximately 1,000-1,400 students aged 2-18 with the full IB continuum, owned by Cognita Schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International/Global Curriculum Schools (IB, Cambridge, etc.) (EDAJABAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

International Curriculum Early Learning Academies (e.g., IB Early Years) (EDACADAK)

Keywords

• International baccalaureate school
• Independent day school
• Primary secondary education
• Early years programme
• London private schooling

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees: Core revenue from termly tuition fees across multiple grade levels. Fees vary by programme: Early Childhood (EC3/EC4) at £6,724-£11,096 per term, Primary Years (PYP Kindergarten-Grade 5) at £12,903-£13,800 per term, Middle Years (MYP Grades 6-10) at £14,836-£15,400 per term, and Diploma Programme (DP Grades 11-12) at £15,446-£16,033 per term. Three terms per academic year.
2. Bus Service Fees: Optional door-to-door and shuttle bus services for eligible students at each campus. Door-to-door service: £1,910 per term (Hampstead/Kensington), £1,310 per term (Westminster). Shuttle bus: £875 per term.
3. Catering/Lunch Fees: Hot lunch programme provided by First Yield Foods at Kensington and Westminster campuses for EC4 to Grade 5 students. Daily rates of £6.45-£6.70 per day depending on grade level.
4. Set-up and Administrative Fees: One-time fees including £300 non-refundable application fee, £2,000 refundable deposit, and Capital Development Fee (£3,300 first year, £780 subsequent years).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Southbank International School is a private independent IB World School that delivers the full International Baccalaureate continuum — Early Years (ages 2.5–5), Primary Years Programme (5–11), Middle Years Programme (11–16), Diploma Programme (16–18) and IB Career-related Programme — to day pupils across three Central London campuses in Hampstead, Kensington and Westminster. It sells term-based tuition places to families and supplements classroom teaching with NEASC-accredited (Autumn 2024) governance and a multilingual, inquiry-led approach serving a 70-nationality student body.

Product overview

Southbank International School is London's leading International Baccalaureate (IB) school offering a comprehensive educational programme for children aged 2-18 across three Central London campuses (Hampstead, Kensington, and Westminster). The school provides a unified IB curriculum through five interconnected programmes: Early Childhood Programme (ages 2-5), Primary Years Programme (ages 5-11), Middle Years Programme (ages 11-16), Diploma Programme (ages 16-18), and IB Career-Related Programme. The school supplements core academic programmes with extensive extra-curricular activities, international student support services, bus transport, and catering. Students consistently achieve outstanding IB results with an average score of 35.4 (vs global 30.58), with 25% achieving 40+ points and 3 students scoring perfect 45/45 in 2025.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Milton Toubkin Diploma Programme Scholarship: A scholarship named in honour of Milton Toubkin, one of Southbank's founders, supporting gifted and deserving students in completing the IB Diploma Programme.

Quantifiable outcome

• 35.4 average IB Diploma score (vs 30.58 global average)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

AI capability6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Savannah College of Art and Design (SCAD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for IB Career-related Programme (IBCP), offering students creative arts pathways alongside IB academics. SCAD partnership provides university-level creative education integration for students aged 16-18.
• First Yield FoodsminorOthersCatering partner providing hot lunches cooked on school premises at Kensington campus. Main course and dessert/fresh fruit offered daily. Accommodation for dietary requirements (no pork, nut-aware but not nut-free).
• New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC)coreOthersAccreditation body that promotes educational excellence. NEASC accreditation (granted Autumn 2024) validates Southbank's educational standards internationally.
• Kukri SportsminorOthersOfficial PE kit supplier for Southbank International School. Provides school PE uniform for students.
• First Yield Foods (Westminster)minorOthersCatering partner for Westminster campus providing hot lunch options for Grade 6-9 students. Students also have option to go off-campus to purchase lunch on designated supervised routes.
• International School Sports Association (ISSA)minorOthersSports league for international schools. Southbank participates in competitive sports matches and tournaments against other ISSA member schools.
• Cognita SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company and school support organisation. Southbank is part of Cognita family of over 100 schools globally. Cognita provides centralised support including HR, finance, IT systems, international admissions (visa sponsorship), and best practice sharing across schools.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ACS International Schools: Operates ACS Hillingdon and other London-area campuses offering IB programmes alongside American curriculum tracks. Directly competes for international and expatriate families seeking IB education in the London region.
• Dwight School London: London-based independent school offering the full IB continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) plus IB Career-related Programme. Closest direct competitor to Southbank in Central London for IB families seeking a premium international curriculum.
• International School of London (ISL): London independent IB World School offering PYP, MYP, and DP with a strong international and multilingual ethos. Direct competitor in the same premium IB segment as Southbank.
• Ecole Jeannine Manuel: London-based bilingual international school offering the IB continuum with strong French-language track. Direct competitor for multilingual international families priced at a similar premium to Southbank.
• Marymount International School London: Catholic, all-girls IB World School in London offering the PYP, MYP, and DP. Competes with Southbank's Westminster campus for internationally minded families seeking a rigorous IB diploma pathway.
• Halcyon London International School: Central London IB World School for ages 3-18 with a small, international student body. Comparable in scale, ethos, and premium positioning to Southbank's Westminster campus.
• International Community School (ICS London): London IB school serving ages 3-18 with a strong international and multi-faith character. Competes directly for families seeking a full IB continuum in Central London.

Emerging players

• Garden House School: Independent London school for younger ages offering some IB elements. Competes partially with Southbank's Early Childhood and PYP campuses but does not yet match the full continuum.

Broad incumbents

• North London Collegiate School (NLCS): Highly selective London independent school with strong international academic reputation. Overlaps with Southbank on premium positioning and university outcomes but follows a UK curriculum rather than the IB continuum.
• The American School in London (ASL): Larger, well-established American international school in London offering an American curriculum with IB Diploma option. Overlaps with Southbank for international families but anchored in a US (not IB-primary) curriculum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/southbankschool
• Instagraminstagram.com/southbankschool
• Xx.com/SouthbankSchool

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Southbank International School