School hours for the students are from 7:50 – 14:50. Student arrivals take place from 7:30-7:50. This gives students time to organise themselves for the day ahead. The day is broken up into 8 lessons. Students enjoy breakfast with recess from 10:10-10:40 and lunch with recess from 12:50 – 13:30.

Clubs are offered during the school day across all grade levels. These activities enable students to explore and develop their interests, socialize with peers, pursue athletic potential or acquire new skills.  Students in Primary School have one club period each week. In the Secondary School students in Grades 6 and 10 have 2 hours of clubs each week, and Grades 11 to 12 have 1 hour of clubs each week. After school activities are generally Mondays and Wednesdays from 15:00-15:40. Secondary School Sports teams for grades 5-12 practice after school from 15:00-15:40 or 15:00-16:30 depending on the sport. Families are expected to arrange their own transportation for after school activities and after school sports team practices.

Clubs happen during the course of the school day and are mandatory for all students. After School Activities are optional and are provided after school hours. Parents are responsible for arranging transportations for After School Activities including after school sports team practices.

Students are served breakfast, lunch, and a dismissal snack each day. Each day there will be soup, a main dish, a side dish, fruit / dessert, and salad bar options. Students enjoy a variety of cuisine including Turkish and international dishes. Food is freshly prepared on site, by MEF kitchen personnel, under the supervision of our Head Chef and Food Engineer.

Transportation is provided through a contracted service bus company, Transay. Students may opt to travel to and from school on the service bus.

The School is fully accredited by CIS (Council of International Schools) and the NEASC (New England Association of Schools and Colleges). The school is fully accredited by the Turkish Ministry of Education to offer educational programmes as an international school that caters exclusively to foreign students in Turkey. We are a member of ECIS (The Educational Collaborative for International Schools) and are fully authorised to offer the International Baccalaureate Organization Primary Years Programme and Diploma Programme. We are also authorized by Cambridge Assessment International Education to offer the Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint and IGCSE.

MEF International School is authorised by the lB and Cambridge. We offer the Primary Years Program (PYP) for PreSchool – Grade 5, Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoint for grades 6-8, Cambridge IGCSE for grades 9-10, and the IB Diploma Program (DP) for Grades 11-12.

The medium of instruction of the school is English. Therefore, all lessons are taught in English. For Modern Foreign Languages students choose between Spanish and French. English Language Learner Support (ELL Support) is provided to students who are still developing their English proficiency in grades 1-10. There are Turkish Language and Culture (TLC) lessons offered in the ECC and Primary School as well as Host Country Studies (HCS) lessons offered to students in grades 6-8.

Yes, we have an Early Childhood Centre which caters for students aged 3 to 6. The levels are for PreSchool (3-4 year olds), Pre-Kindergarten (4-5 year olds), and Kindergarten (5 to 6 year olds).

Teachers working at MEF IS are fully qualified teachers who have earned their undergraduate degree in the area of specialisation in which they teach. In addition teachers have valid teaching certification from their country of origin. Approximately 60% of our teachers hold a Master’s degree in Education or their area of specialisation. Our teachers come from a variety of backgrounds which is in line with developing our ethos of internationalism and global mindedness. Some of the backgrounds include: USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Spain, South Africa, France, Colombia, India, Philippines, Venezuela,and Kazakhstan, and Turkey.

There is a full time doctor and nurse on campus during school hours. Students may visit the infirmary if they are not feeling well to receive treatment.

MEF IS is located in Ortakoy, Besiktas, Istanbul. It enjoys a central location in the heart of Istanbul, only minutes away from the Bosphorus Strait.

MEF IS does not have a school uniform for everyday wear. There is a uniform issued for PE, House Days, and Sporting events. All students are expected to come in clothing that is appropriate for the season, respectful of the host country, and free from political or religious symbols and slogans. Proper footwear should also be worn at all times. We have a simple dress code that is shared in the Family Handbook.

Students receive Home Learning in the ECC and Primary School and Homework in the Secondary School. The purpose of homework is to reinforce conceptual understanding, procedural techniques, and content knowledge.

The Whole School Principal sends a weekly newsletter with events that have taken place during the week and upcoming events. The family handbook includes a draft events calendar so you can see what events are planned. You may subscribe to the Toddle events calendar to keep track of upcoming events.