With over 30 years of experience teaching the IB, Southbank International School has led the way in providing a high quality, fully enriching education that is holistic in its approach. The school was founded in 1979 and declared itself ‘A School Without Walls’. This was both a physical representation of the school but also the foundation for its ethos.

The first version of the school was located by the Southbank centre and lessons were taught using surrounding museums, university halls, theatre’s and cultural venues. This established the school’s commitment to using London as a Classroom, and its belief that “openness to the outside world, a readiness to see other points of view and an acceptance of people who may be different from ourselves” was of the utmost importance. As the first school in the UK to be approved for all three IB Programmes, Southbank has flourished from its humble beginnings in London’s South Bank with just a few dozen students, and is now a renowned multi-campus institution in the heart of London.

Home to more than 700 students from over 60 nationalities, we strive to create a harmonious community; one that is based on fairness, integrity and respect, not only for those who share our beliefs, but for those who hold different opinions too. This, along with the IB Learner Profile as a foundation for our values, means that Southbank continues not only to encourage academic excellence, but also character development to help nurture its students into well-rounded, global citizens. We foster difference and individualism, and encourage our students to be independent thinkers.

Committed to supporting innovation and giving rein to creativity and imagination within our young people, by using London as our classroom we understand that the best kind of learning is not simply limited to the confines of 4 walls. We encourage our students to make use of everything they see around them, to continually question and inquire, and to be life-long enthusiastic learners.