Admissions FAQs

1. Which are the differences between the curricula of BVIS Hanoi and other bilingual schools in Vietnam? 

While other bilingual schools in Vietnam provide curriculum based on that of the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) supplemented by several subjects taught in English, BVIS Hanoi students follow a combination of the British National Curriculum and the International Primary Curriculum. Both English and Vietnamese are integrated in the curricula with the proportion of English - Vietnamese varying in different sections, particularly, 50% - 50% for Early Years, 58% - 42% for Primary, 83% -17% for Lower Secondary (Year 7-9) and 93% - 7% for Upper Secondary (Year 10-13). 

BVIS Hanoi places a strong emphasis on helping students preserve their mother tongue and culture. Subjects taught in Vietnamese are fully aligned with MOET requirements for international schools as stated in Decree No. 73/2012/NĐ-CP.

2. What are the differences between BIS (British International School) and BVIS (British Vietnamese International School)?  

BVIS and BIS, former parts of BIS Group, are now members of Nord Anglia Education (NAE). The curricula of both schools are based on the British National Curriculum. However, BIS curriculum is designed with the minimum number of lessons taught in Vietnamese while BVIS provides bilingual education for all students. Early Years and Primary students are taught Vietnamese in several subjects like Maths, Literature, IPC (History and Geography) with the ratio of English - Vietnamese being 50% - 50% for Early Years and 58% - 42% for Primary. For Lower-Secondary and Upper-Secondary students, the lessons taught in Vietnamese account for 17% (Year 7-9) and 7% (Year 10-13) of the whole curriculum.

Vietnamese Studies Programme (including Vietnamese Language and Literature, Geography and History) helps students preserve their national identity. At the end of Year 11 and Year 13 respectively, students will take IGCSE and International A Levels examinations.

3. Will my child(ren) be able to move to a state-owned school half-way? 

At BVIS Hanoi, subjects delivered in Vietnamese only serve as a supplement. Children are able to move to state-owned schools but this depends a lot on their ability to adapt. Therefore, parents are expected to take the decision to send their child(ren) to international schools or state-owned schools seriously. The move to interrupt children’s education is not encouraged.  

4. How can BVIS Hanoi guarantee students’ profiency in English when they study in an environment with mainly Vietnamese students? 

BVIS follows the British National Curriculum with time allocation for subjects taught in English gradually increased. In Early Years Section, students spend as much as 50% of their time on learning in English. Therefore, English plays a major role in our school and students use English as the main language when communicating with foreign teachers. By doing this, they will gradually form the habit of using English constantly in studying and communicating. They are always encouraged and supported in using English for learning and communicating.

However, as the students’ abilities to acquire foreign language vary, we also provide ‘English as an Additional Language’ programme (EAL) for students facing with mild difficulties in using English. At BVIS Hanoi, we are determined to help our students master both languages, English and Vietnamese.

5. Which curriculum does BVIS Hanoi apply? Does BVIS Hanoi apply the Ministry of Education and Training (MOET) programme to Vietnamese Studies and British National Curriculum to subjects taught in English? Which organisation(s) accredit the school’s curriculum? 

For Early Years and Primary Sections, we apply Early Years International Curriculum and International Primary Curriculum combined with the British National Curriculum. Besides, the subjects taught in Vietnamese are designed based on the MOET programme and the British National Curriculum.   

For Secondary Section, we use the standardized British curriculum that prepares students for IGCSE examination (at the end of Year 11) and International A Levels examination (at the end of Year 13). BVIS Hanoi is entrusted by the Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) to run IGCSE and International A-Levels examinations.   

Students in the UK, from Early Years to Lower Secondary, do not follow a specific set of textbooks. Students learn from a variety of books and learning resources to broaden their perspectives and to update the latest knowledge and skills. Students in Year 11 and Year 13 will be provided with specialized textbooks to best prepare for the international examinations. 

The British Vietnamese International School is the first of its kind in Vietnam to offer an international curriculum with full bilingual development both in English and mother tongue which is accredited by (CIS) and (WASC). BVIS Hanoi is also a member of Nord Anglia Education (NAE), a worldwide organization with  schools in 29 countries. We are audited annually by NAE Academic Council to ensure the standard curriculum and teaching-learning quality.   

Being a member of FOBISIA and The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is evidence of the teaching quality at BVIS.  

6. Could you provide more information about the benefits for the children as BVIS becomes a member of Nord Anglia Education Group? 

Our school is a part of the Nord Anglia Education family of 66 international schools around the world. That means your child will benefit from incredible teachers with great experience in international education. Your child will also have access to an incredible range of learning opportunities around the world through the Nord Anglia Global Campus and our unique collaborations with The Juilliard School, MIT and UNICEF.  

Being a member of a Nord Anglia School, your child(ren) can take part in our Global Campus which connects thousands of students from all over the world in many interesting projects and competitions. These helps furnish your child(ren) with knowledge and skills for studying abroad as well as with an international vision and worldwide friendship network.

7. Which extra curricular activities (ECAs) are there at BVIS? How many ECAs sessions are there each week? Is there any opportunity for students to participate in collective activities with other schools? 

An Extra Curricular Activities programme is held every Monday and Thursday. Currently, we have over 50 clubs available to our Primary students and nearly 50 clubs available to our Secondary students. The programme is divided into several categories – Academic (learning English through films, reading club, math games, drama, etc.), Arts (drawing, origami, instrument club including guitar, violin, piano, etc.) and Sports (ice-skating, badminton, football, etc.) 

8. Does BVIS Hanoi organize trips for students? What is the age range for students to participate in trips? How many trips are there each year? 

Trips are a compulsory part of our curriculum that helps students deepen their understanding about what they have learned in the classroom and how to apply these lessons into real life. Trips are tailored for different year groups in order to match with certain student age groups and their learning content. Early Years and Primary students take part in one-day trips while Secondary students take part in residential ones.

9. Does BVIS Hanoi offer overseas summer camps or cultural exchange programmes for students? If not, when will the school plan to organize these activities? 

As a member of Nord Anglia Education (NAE) and FOBISIA, our students have plenty of opportunities to participate in international competitions and community service activities. Some international events that our students have marked their presence include FOBISIA Sports in Thailand, World Scholar Cup at Yales University (USA), World Summit on Sustainable Development at UN Headquarter in New York and Tanzania Expedition. However, summer course is only run at our school and student exchange programme with other international schools during summer time is not on offer at our school.

10. Does BVIS Hanoi offer university guidance programme, especially for Secondary students? 

Our University Guidance Counselor takes charge of guiding students through available choices and paths as well as supporting them throughout the application process to the universities of choice anywhere in the world. Our school also organizes a range of university fairs for students and parents to meet university representatives in person and to get the connection to world-class education institutions.  

11. Does BVIS Hanoi partner with any overseas universities or colleges to send students abroad?  

BVIS Hanoi has NOT confirmed any partnership with any international universities or colleges. However, we often organize university fairs to provide students and parents with opportunities to meet university representatives and make links to world-class education institutions. 

12. Which universities are students able to apply to after graduating from BVIS Hanoi? 

After graduating from BVIS, students are offered the renowned IGCSE and International A-Level qualifications. With these two international qualifications, students can apply and have a chance to be admitted to most universities around the world, especially those in the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, USA, Canada, etc.

13. Are there any programmes that support students on their journey to higher education? 

Both IGCSE and A-Level Certificates are globally recognized. Entry requirements to higher education vary from university to university and from course to course. For example, the U.S. universities require students to have SAT qualification as an enrollment condition.  

At BVIS Hanoi, besides a rigorous curriculum, a wide variety of enrichment programmes is on offer, including extracurricular activities, Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award, trips and community service projects. These activities not only promote student’s learning and team spirit, but also help them develop life skills and earn more certificates for their academic and social reports.  

The University Guidance Programme is in place to support students from Year 10 onwards. Our students are guided by the University Guidance Counsellor through the available choices and paths. We provide students with all information and support they need to make the right choices of which universities and courses best suiting their ability and interests. 

14. Are there any opportunities for BVIS students to study abroad in the UK, the US and other countries?  

Graduating from BVIS, students are granted International A-Levels certificates which are accredited by the Cambridge University Examinations Board and accepted by all leading world universities. Therefore, BVIS students will have plenty of opportunities to be admitted to qualified universities around the world, including the UK, the US, Australia, Canada, and other English-speaking countries. There are over 9000 schools in 160 countries teaching International A- Level programme like BVIS Hanoi.

15. Why does BVIS Hanoi offer International A Levels instead of IB Diploma Programme? 

IB students study 6 subjects including 3 core subjects and 3 additional subjects, then complete assessments in all of these 6 subjects. This programme is more suitable for foreign students. At BVIS Hanoi, we offer International A-Level programme instead of IB. We have studied and found out that International A-Level best suits BVIS Hanoi students as it includes only 3 subjects that students find more potential than others. These 3 subjects are also included in the earlier IGCSE programme. The International A- Level programme has been offered worldwide for over 40 years and its qualification are widely accepted by major universities around the world, typically English-speaking countries such as the the UK, the US, Australia, Canada or New Zealand. These countries are well known as the popular destinations for Vietnamese students. 

In their final academic years of Secondary section, students are supported by our University Guidance Counselor to guide them through university courses and career pathways. We also help students step-by-step to complete the application process for overseas universities. 

16. Besides teaching English, does the school plan to teach other foreign languages? 

BVIS offers a bilingual curriculum so that our students can excel in both English and Vietnamese after graduation. However, we are willing to consider introducing other foreign languages (such as Mandarin, Korean, French, etc.) into our curriculum if our students show interests and capability to acquire another language.

17. What level of English are students expected to have when taking the placement test (equivalent to IELTS, TOEFL, etc)? Are there any guidelines or tutorial classes for students before taking the placement test? 

Depending on students’ academic level, they will be required to take an appropriate placement test. We do not use any particular benchmark when assessing a student because it is unfair. In order to make a placement offer, we will consider several factors: the online test result, the English writing test result (if neccessary), the child(ren) performance in the interview and the previous school’s report. During the assessment, we can identify student’s weakness in order to give them sufficient support.