International School of Iceland

What International School of Iceland does

International School of Iceland (ISI) is a private, not-for-profit international school located at Þórsgrund 2 in Garðabær, in the Greater Reykjavík area, serving students from kindergarten through grade 10. Founded in 2004 by Berta Faber to serve the American Embassy and business/diplomatic community, ISI operates two parallel academic streams: an English Stream for families temporarily assigned to Iceland (foreign-service dependents, corporate assignees, and visiting scholars) and a Bilingual Stream for Icelandic and bilingual permanent residents. Enrollment is small by design, with the school explicitly positioning itself as an "intentionally small" institution, and staff headcount is reported in the range of 18-30 across teaching, leadership, and administrative roles.

The academic program is built on a credentialed curriculum stack: the International Primary Curriculum (IPC, member since 2007) for primary grades, the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP, authorized IB World School status) for grades 7-10, and AERO Common Core Plus standards aligned with U.S. overseas school expectations. ISI holds Middle States Association (MSA) accreditation since 2017, ECIS full membership since 2010, and is dually licensed by the Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and the municipality of Garðabær. Technology infrastructure consists of third-party EdTech platforms, including ManageBac for academic administration, Google Workspace for Education, NWEA MAP Growth for assessment, IXL and HMH Ed for practice, and Libresoft for library management. A new dedicated school building opened in August 2023, replacing prior shared arrangements with host school Sjálenddsskóli, and was followed by a permanent school library in October 2024.

Revenue is generated almost entirely through tuition, structured in residency-based tiers (non-resident, company-sponsored resident, self-pay resident, and Garðabær resident) with annual billing cadence and municipality voucher offsets for Icelandic residents. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: families apply through an online form, with weekly admissions review by the Admissions Team throughout the academic year. Marketing relies on the school's website, parent communications, and word-of-mouth within Iceland's international and ECIS/AERO networks rather than paid channels. As a not-for-profit, surplus funds are reinvested into programs and facilities, and there is no parent company, external investor, or public listing.

Name

International School of Iceland

Legal name

International School of Iceland

Website

https://internationalschool.is

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

International School of Iceland is a private, not-for-profit K-10 international school in Garðabær serving expatriate families and Icelandic residents through English and bilingual streams, with IB MYP, IPC, and MSA accreditation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Garðabær

HQ country

Iceland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition - Non-Resident Students: Full tuition rate for families who are not residents of Iceland (no Icelandic social ID numbers/kennitala and/or legal residency in Greater Reykjavik area). Non-residents are not entitled to a municipality voucher.
2. Tuition - Residents with Company Payment: Local residents whose tuition is covered by a company receive the municipality voucher subtracted from full tuition. Residents must apply to their municipality annually to be eligible.
3. Tuition - Residents Paying Out of Pocket: Local residents personally financing their child's education can apply for discounted rate through Financial Assistance form. Municipality voucher must be applied for annually.
4. Tuition - Garðabær Residents: Special tuition and fee structure for residents of Garðabær municipality due to agreement with the municipality.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The International School of Iceland (ISI) is a private, not-for-profit international school in Garðabær, Iceland serving grades K-10 through two distinct streams: an English Stream for temporarily assigned expatriate families (foreign-service dependents, business assignees, visiting scholars) and a Bilingual Stream for permanent Icelandic or bilingual residents. The school delivers the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) for grades 1-6 and the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for grades 7-10, supported by AERO Common Core Plus standards alignment, Icelandic Language/Culture classes, and a broad program including STEAM, coding, design, art, music, theater, physical education, and outdoor education.

Product overview

International School of Iceland is a private, not-for-profit international school offering two distinct programs: an English Stream for families temporarily in Iceland, and a Bilingual Stream for permanent residents. The Primary School (grades 1-6) uses the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) supplemented with AERO Common Core Plus standards. Middle School (grades 7-10) offers the IB Middle Years Program (MYP). Core academic subjects include English, mathematics, Icelandic, STEAM, coding, design, art, music, theater, gym, swimming, and outdoor education. The school uses ManageBac for academic administration and is accredited by Middle States Association, authorized as an IB World School, and holds memberships with ECIS and IPC.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 10 years of participation in Amnesty International's Write for Rights campaign
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Middle States Association (MSA)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Accredited by MSA since 2017. MSA provides accreditation services to American and international-style schools attended by U.S. foreign service members and citizens working for NGOs and multinational corporations. MSA accreditation indicates quality education meeting internationally recognized standards.
• ECIS (Educational Collaborative for International Schools)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Full member since 2010 after on-site membership visit. Staff regularly attend ECIS staff and leadership conferences. Head of Curriculum Berta Faber serves on the Intentionally Small Schools Committee. ECIS provides professional development, networking, and advocacy for international schools.
• Fieldwork Education / International Primary CurriculumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007Proud member of IPC since 2007. IPC is used in over 1,000 schools in 58 countries. IPC provides thematic curriculum units organized into three Mileposts for children ages 5-12, focusing on academic, personal, and international learning.
• U.S. Office of Overseas Schools / Project AEROcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISI is a U.S. assisted overseas school maintaining close relationship with Department of State and Regional Education Officers. Project AERO provides training and resources for standards-based curriculum development. ISI staff regularly attend AERO Summer Institute in Washington DC.
• Capital Region Municipalities / GarðabærcoreOthersISI operates with licensing from both Icelandic Ministry of Education, Science and Culture and municipality of Garðabær. Special tuition agreement exists with Garðabær residents. Participation in municipal initiatives like Prevention Week and Prosperity Act integration.
• Mjölnir Martial Arts GymminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGenerously donated mats, kicking and boxing pads, and kicking shields to ISI's Martial Arts Club. Donation allows students to practice various martial arts drills with proper equipment.
• Japanese Embassy in IcelandminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCultural events department coordinated visit by professional kendama players from Krom Kendama. Demonstration included gift of kendamas for the school, which are used by students and staff including in physics lessons.
• Amnesty InternationalminorOthersISI has participated in Amnesty International's Write for Rights campaign for 10 years. Students write letters for human rights. Amnesty representative collects student letters annually.
• Harvard Youth Lead the ChangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHarvard College students led a 4-day conference teaching students leadership, public speaking, debate, Model UN, and social change project planning. Summer program open to students ages 13-17.
• SjálandsskólicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost school where some ISI classes are held. Full-time music teacher Ólafur Schram teaches ISI students at Sjálandsskóli since 2007. Emergency evacuation plans exist for both ISI and Sjálandsskóli locations.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/internationalschool.is
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-school-of-iceland

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

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 International School of Iceland