The National Curriculum for England
What children learn
A clear standard, year by year, in reading, writing, mathematics and science, a year ahead of most American schools.
The British International School of New York
Lower School · Kindergarten to Grade 5 · Ages 5 to 11
Private Elementary School in Manhattan, NYC
Six years to become a reader, a thinker and a good friend.
With a teacher who knows exactly where your child is, in a small British international school on the East River.
- Kindergarten to Grade 5Ages 5 to 11. Year 1 to Year 6 in British terms.
- A year aheadNational Curriculum for England, taught through the IB Primary Years Programme.
- Reading by the end of Grade 1Phonics from Pre-K, a story every day.
- The whole day, coveredLunch included, clubs, Late Club until 5:30 and a free DOE bus.
Small by Design
Will they learn to read, and love it?
Yes, and early. Most children are reading on their own by the end of Grade 1.
A class teacher who mentors your child every day and tells you what they see, well before report time.
Phonics from Pre-K, a class library and a daily story to make reading worth the effort.
Friendships, kindness and life online, taught in class and lived in the House they join on day one.
Purposeful Pathways
Six years of foundations that show
English, Mathematics and Science every year, plus History, Geography, Art, Music, Drama, PE, French and Spanish.
- LowerKindergartenYear 1 · age 5
- LowerGrade 1Year 2 · age 6
- LowerGrade 2Year 3 · age 7
- LowerGrade 3Year 4 · age 8
- LowerGrade 4Year 5 · age 9
- LowerGrade 5Year 6 · age 10
- Next · Middle SchoolGrade 6Middle School · age 11
The IB Primary Years Programme
How they learn it
Questions, investigation and ideas connected across subjects, so children know how they learn by the time they reach Middle School.
At BISNY
At most American elementary schools
Reading by phonics from Pre-K, so most children read on their own by the end of Grade 1.
Reading instruction usually begins in Kindergarten.
French and Spanish, both, every week from age 3.
A world language often begins in middle school.
A class teacher who mentors every day and tells you what they see, well before report time.
A homeroom teacher, with parent conferences once or twice a year.
Grade 5 leads straight into Middle School, with the same friends in the same building.
In New York, a new application process for middle school during Grade 5.
Who they will be at 11
Readers, thinkers and good friends
By the end of Grade 5, most children can:
Read fluently and for pleasure
Work confidently with fractions, decimals and percentages
Plan an investigation and present what they found
Hold a simple conversation in French and Spanish
Speak up, ask a good question and try again
Look out for a younger child in their House
See a Lower School day for yourself.
A day in Lower School
A full day, with a rhythm children can count on
- 8:15 to 8:40 · Drop-offThe class teacher is at the door.
- Morning · English and mathematicsEvery day, in a class small enough for the teacher to hear every child read.
- Lunch and snacksPrepared at school and included in tuition.
- Afternoon · the wider curriculumScience, Humanities, Art, Music, Physical Education (PE), and French and Spanish, both, every week.
- 3:20 · Home timeOr clubs until 4:30 or 5:00, and Late Club until 5:30 if you need it.
Beyond the classroom
Where they try everything
Robotics from the start
Design, build and code, and compete when they are ready.
Music, drama and the stage
Singing, instruments and productions from the first year.
Sport and Houses
PE and team sport every week, in a House shared with students from 3 to 18.
International with Intention
Classmates from across New York and around the world
Children grow up with friends whose home languages and holidays differ from their own, and learn early that this is simply how the world is. For a child arriving from abroad, there is English support in small groups when it is needed.
Getting here
A quiet corner of Manhattan, on the East River
- 20 Waterside Plaza, at 23rd Street, minutes from Kips Bay, Gramercy, Murray Hill and Stuyvesant Town.
- Eligible Manhattan families can use the free DOE school bus from Kindergarten through Grade 6.
- 15 minutes of free parking for drop-off and pick-up.
- Subway to 23rd Street, then the M23 bus. The M15 stops a short walk away and the M34A stops right at campus. The East River Ferry stops at 34th Street.
Admissions for Lower School
Joining BISNY starts with a conversation
Introductions
A short online form, then a call from our admissions team to get to know your family.
Tour BISNY
A visit on a typical school day. Your child is welcome to join.
Application
Online, with two years of school reports and a Primary Years/Lower School teacher evaluation. $125 fee.
School visit
Time in class with BISNY students and teachers, and an interview with our Admissions Team and the Head of Primary Years Programme.
The offer
A formal offer, and our help settling in once you accept.
Kindergarten is for children who turn 5 by August 31; children in our Early Years move up without applying again. Inquiring is free and commits you to nothing, and we accept applications all year.
Questions families ask
Lower School, in four answers
Is Lower School the same as elementary school?
Yes. Lower School is our private elementary school: Kindergarten to Grade 5, ages 5 to 11, called Year 1 to Year 6 in British terms. Grade 5 leads straight into Middle School here.
What age does Kindergarten start at BISNY?
At 5. Kindergarten is for children who turn 5 by August 31. Children who join us earlier, in Nursery or Pre-K, move up into Kindergarten without applying again.
How much is Lower School tuition?
Full year tuition for 2026-27 is $66,700 for Kindergarten to Grade 8, with lunch and snacks included. See tuition and fees, including the deposit and payment options.
What are the school hours?
Drop-off is from 8:15 to 8:40 and the Lower School day ends at 3:20. Clubs run until 4:30 or 5:00, and Late Club looks after your child until 5:30. See the full school day, lunch and uniform.
The years that build everything after
Tell us about your child and we will take it from there: a call, a visit, and a Lower School where they learn to read, to reason and to belong, with a teacher who tells you how it is going.