International School of Billund

What International School of Billund does

International School of Billund (ISB) is a private, independent international school located in Billund, Denmark, operating a single campus at Skolesvinget 20 under a five-member independent School Board (two LEGO Foundation appointees, one Danish Industry appointee, two elected parent representatives). Founded in August 2013 with founding support from the LEGO Foundation, ISB delivers an International Baccalaureate continuum covering Kindergarten (ages 3-6), the Primary Years Programme (PYP, ages 6-11), and the Middle Years Programme (MYP, ages 11-16), and currently serves more than 550 students from over 65 nationalities with approximately 77 staff.

The school's proprietary intellectual property is the Pedagogy of Play (PoP), a research-based framework developed between 2015 and 2023 in collaboration with Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of Education and funded by the LEGO Foundation. PoP codifies "indicators of playful learning" — choice, wonder, and delight — together with six guiding principles and paradoxes of learning through play, supported by Harvard Project Zero thinking routines (See-Think-Wonder, Connect-Extend-Challenge, Ladder of Feedback). Beyond PoP, ISB packages its reach externally via the ISB PoPcast (hosted by Idah Khan O'Neill) and the annual Playful Schools Conference (recordings from 2024-2026 publicly distributed). Operational technology is built on third-party SaaS — OpenApply for admissions, ManageBac and IST/Tabulex for student records, Teamtailor for recruitment — with no in-house platform or public API.

ISB generates revenue primarily through monthly tuition fees (DKK 3,589 per month for 11 months, totaling DKK 39,479 per student per year for 2025/26, rising to DKK 41,063 for 2026/27 across all three programmes), supplemented by a non-refundable DKK 500 application fee, a DKK 3,000 family enrollment fee, fee-based Holiday Care, and After School Club (bundled into Primary tuition). Sibling discounts (45% for 2025/26, stepping to 40% for 2026/27) reduce net revenue per multi-child family. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via monthly on-campus tours and a rolling OpenApply admissions process; the school reports a 2019 first graduating cohort from M5 and ongoing Danish Ministry of Education inspection oversight.

Name

International School of Billund

Legal name

International School of Billund

Website

https://isbillund.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

International School of Billund is a private, independent IB World School in Billund, Denmark, founded by the LEGO Foundation in 2013, delivering IB PYP and MYP programmes to over 550 students aged 3-16 from more than 65 nationalities, anchored by its proprietary Pedagogy of Play framework developed with Harvard Project Zero.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International K-12 Private Education (IB World School)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

General Preschools (Play-Based) (EDACABAA), Project-Based/Inquiry-Based Learning (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAN)

Keywords

• International K-12 education
• IB World School
• Play-based learning
• Private elementary school
• Kindergarten middle school

Headquarters

HQ city

Billund

HQ country

Denmark

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 fees: Monthly tuition fees paid over 11 months for Kindergarten, Primary, and Middle School programs. Fees cover 200 school days per academic year, compulsory meals, Morning Club and After School Club for K1-P5.
2. Application and enrollment fees: One-time application fee of DKK 500 per student for admissions process. Enrollment fee of DKK 3000 per family upon admission.
3. Holiday care services: Holiday care provided during school breaks for additional fees. Kindergarten holiday care is free except during July weeks; Primary holiday care available for additional weekly or daily fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

International School of Billund is an authorized IB World School delivering international education for children ages 3-16 across three divisions: Kindergarten (ages 3-5), Primary School (IB PYP, ages 6-11), and Middle School (IB MYP, ages 11-16). The core offering is full-time schooling built on a proprietary Pedagogy of Play framework co-developed with Harvard Project Zero, supplemented by auxiliary services including After School Club, Holiday Care, transition support, and a Life After ISB guidance programme. Families pay monthly tuition covering 200 school days, compulsory meals, and before/after school care.

Product overview

International School of Billund is a private, independent IB World School offering a unified educational programme from Kindergarten (ages 3-5) through Middle School (ages 11-16). The core academic offerings include the Kindergarten Programme, Primary School Programme (IB PYP), and Middle School Programme (IB MYP), all built upon the school's distinctive Pedagogy of Play (PoP) approach developed in collaboration with Project Zero at Harvard. Supporting services include After School Club, Holiday Care, Transition Programme, Bridge Building Programme, and the Life After ISB guidance programme. The school also operates branded initiatives including the ISB PoPcast and Playful Schools Conference. Approximately 450 students attend across these programmes, with over 65 nationalities represented.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kindergarten Programme Early childhood education programme for children ages 3-5 (K1) and 5-6 (K2), combining Danish cultural belief in learning through play with the IB Primary Years Programme transdisciplinary framework. Includes compulsory meals and Morning Club.
• Primary School Programme (PYP) IB Primary Years Programme for students aged 6-11 across grades P1-P5, featuring Units of Inquiry that bring together subjects including Music, Drama, Art, Danish, and PE under a transdisciplinary thematic framework.
• Middle School Programme (MYP) IB Middle Years Programme for students aged 11-16 across grades M1-M5, emphasizing interdisciplinary learning and real-world connections through eight subject groups, culminating in MYP eAssessments and the IB MYP Certificate for access to IB Diploma Programme and Danish upper secondary education.
• After School Club Daily after-school care programme for Primary School students running 14:00-17:00 (16:00 on Fridays), included in regular school fees for K1-P5. Features outdoor time, optional activities, and free-play.
• Holiday Care Holiday care service offered during school breaks for Kindergarten and Primary students on a sign-up basis. Kindergarten holiday care is free except during July weeks; Primary holiday care is available for additional weekly (DKK 936-974) or daily (DKK 260-270) fees.
• Bridge Building Programme Career and educational exploration programme helping Middle School students gain practical experiences and explore various educational and career opportunities before graduation.
• Transition Programme Structured programme supporting the academic and social transition of students from Primary School (P5) to Middle School (M1), addressing the needs of students, parents, guardians, and teachers during the transition.
• Life After ISB Programme Guidance and resources for graduates of ISB, including a comprehensive guide to upper secondary education, information on Danish efterskole options, IB Diploma Programme pathways, and alumni reunion events.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students gain IB MYP Certificate upon graduation, providing direct access to IB Diploma Programme and Danish upper secondary education
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Project Zero at Harvard Graduate School of EducationflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Research collaboration on Pedagogy of Play since 2015, with Ben Mardell making over 30 trips between Boston and Billund. Developed indicators of playful learning (choice, wonder, delight), study groups, and original research papers. Collaboration supported by LEGO Foundation.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• International School of Hellerup: IB World School north of Copenhagen serving Grades K-12 with PYP, MYP, and DP — comparable international school serving expatriate families in Denmark.
• Rygaards International School: Private Catholic school in Hellerup offering IB curriculum from K-12 — comparable Danish international K-12 institution focused on expatriate families.
• Copenhagen International School: Copenhagen's largest English-language IB day school offering PYP, MYP, and DP — directly comparable IB curriculum targeting expat families in Denmark.
• International School of Aarhus (ISA): English-language IB school in Aarhus with PYP and MYP — comparable regional Danish international school serving the broader Jutland area.
• Nørre International School: IB World School in Copenhagen offering PYP and MYP — comparable Danish international school using the same IB framework for expat and internationally-minded families.
• European School Copenhagen: European Schools network member offering multilingual K-12 education in Copenhagen — comparable non-Danish international school with strong EU/expat family pipeline.

Emerging players

• Waldorf/Steiner Schools (Rudolf Steinerskolerne): Nordic Steiner schools share ISB's play-based, child-centered learning philosophy and serve families seeking alternative pedagogies in Denmark.
• Reggio Emilia Schools (Nordic network): Reggio Emilia-inspired early childhood centers in Denmark share ISB's project-, play-, and inquiry-based pedagogical orientation for young learners.

Regional players

• British International Schools in Scandinavia: Nord Anglia and similar premium international school networks operating across Europe — comparable private K-12 international education targeting globally mobile families.

Broad incumbents

• LEGO Foundation Education Initiatives: LEGO Foundation's global Learning Through Play programs — comparable in mission and methodology to ISB's Pedagogy of Play, and ISB is a flagship grantee.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/international-school-of-billund

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 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 Billund