Moving to Istanbul: The School Question
For expat families relocating to Istanbul, finding the right school is almost always the first and most pressing concern. Everything else, the apartment, the neighbourhood, the local routines, can be figured out gradually. But your child’s education cannot wait. And when you are thousands of miles from home, in an unfamiliar city, the stakes feel very high indeed.
Trust, in those circumstances, is everything. You need a school with a proven record, a clear identity, and the kind of institutional confidence that only comes from genuine experience. At RGS Istanbul, we can offer something that very few schools in the city can match: the backing of an institution that has been earning families’ trust since 1675.
The Reigate Grammar School Name: What It Means for Expat Families
For British families relocating to Istanbul, the RGS name may already be familiar. Reigate Grammar School is one of England’s most respected independent schools, a name associated with academic excellence, strong values and the kind of all-round education that produces not just high achievers but good people.
For non-British families, the RGS heritage offers a different kind of reassurance. A school with heritage, founded in 1675 and operating continuously since then has weathered every imaginable challenge. It has done so because its values are not a trend or a marketing position, they are the result of 350 years of genuine commitment to education as a force for good.
“When you choose RGS Istanbul, you are joining a family that stretches back more than 350 years, and we will build a community in Istanbul that feels that heritage in everything it does.”
Continuity of Education: A British Curriculum Your Child Already Knows
For families arriving from the UK, or from other British curriculum schools around the world, RGS Istanbul provides seamless continuity. Your child will walk into a familiar curriculum, familiar qualification structure, and familiar expectations, in a new city, but in a school that feels immediately recognisable. That continuity is not accidental. It is the result of RGS’s long commitment to a curriculum framework that has been developed, refined and proven over generations.
Settling In: The Reigate Grammar School Community in Istanbul
One of the greatest gifts a good school gives an expat family is a community. At RGS Istanbul, our community will be warm, diverse and genuinely welcoming, shaped by the same values of inclusion and mutual respect that have defined the RGS family for centuries. Every new student will be known and will be nurtured and supported through our award winning pastoral care system.
Starting the Process
If you are planning a move to Istanbul, we strongly recommend beginning the admissions process as early as possible, becoming one of our founding families. Our admissions team works closely with our families throughout the process and we are experienced in supporting families who are relocating at short notice. Contact us at any stage and we will do everything we can to help.
Contact our admissions team today — we are here to make your move to Istanbul as smooth as possible.
