Britain’s Prestigious North London Collegiate School Arrives in Vietnam

A World-class IB Family of schools with 175 years of exceptional education in the UK, Korea, Dubai, Singapore, and Vietnam invites families to join. 

North London Collegiate School Ho Chi Minh City (NLCS HCMC) provides students with a high standard of international education that fosters academic excellence and global perspectives. 

Introducing NLCS HCMC

A member of the esteemed North London Collegiate family of schools, NLCS HCMC offers a prestigious international curriculum based on the IB PYP framework and the British National Curriculum with an inclusion of the Vietnamese language and educational requirements. The school’s highly trained teachers are carefully selected from around the world by NLCS UK who then train them to understand NLCS’s core values, principles and curriculum. Representatives from the UK frequently evaluate the team during inspection trips to ensure they are meeting the high standards set during 175 years of educational excellence.  

In addition to the rigorous international curriculum, NLCS HCMC prides itself on fostering a creative learning environment. Dedicated learning studios filled with state-of-the-art equipment for music, art, drama and science are utilized to their full potential by the faculty who are passionate in the belief that creativity is a core element of lifelong learning.  

NLCS HCMC embraces the core academic tradition and principles of the UK institution while adding elements of local Vietnamese culture and a broader international curriculum. Along with the national educational requirements put forth by the Ministry of Education, the school serves as a steward for Vietnamese identity via a dual-language immersion program and a focus on curating academic Vietnamese fluency with an appreciation for local history. Upon its opening, the Current Head of Junior School, Gemma McCarron explained: “We are excited to have established a school that integrates the best of Vietnamese and international educational programs, for Vietnamese families. 

An Education Philosophy Based on Three Pillars

Gemma notes that all NLCS schools share three pillars that support the education’s ethos: Excellent Academic Education, Pastoral Care and Enrichment Programme. Together they form the core identity of NLCS HCMC as seen in all aspects of the school, its staff and its students.  

The dedicated teachers are committed to ambitious standards of academic excellence that can only be achieved by students who are passionate about knowledge and the pursuit of new ideas and understandings. By developing lifelong learners, NLCS can achieve its lofty aims as measured by formal and informal metrics. This academic rigor is balanced by genuine care for each student’s physical, emotional and mental well-being. When they feel safe, supported and challenged, children can truly thrive. Finally, a wide range of academic and fun activities allow students to discover and explore their passions. 

Outstanding IB Outcomes

Amongst its many accolades throughout the years, NLCS’s International Baccalaureate (IB) Program has thrived. Considered a gold standard for university preparedness, the qualification helps students gain entry to their preferred universities around the world and continue on to bright futures. For many years, NLCS has been amongst the UK’s highest-ranked IB schools consistently scoring in the top 5% globally for its average test scores.  

In addition to the curriculum elements designed and honed by the founding British school, NLCS HCMC benefits from its relationship with the UK via the hiring and support of its educators. All teachers at the Vietnam school were selected by NLCS’s international team and invited for training in the UK. The global team is involved after start-up to provide ongoing educational and operational support via monitoring, inspecting, recruitment and cross-cultural exchange of ideas and collaboration.  

The teachers selected demonstrate profound interest in their fields of expertise as well as inspiring young learners. They aim to instill the same passion that makes them interested in their subjects to all NLCS HCMC students. In doing so, they provide ideal models of lifelong learners and inquisitive, critical-thinking individuals as described in the IB Learner Profile. 

The Difference made by the Talent Identification Programme

Currently enrolling students aged 6 - 11, NLCS HCMC will grow organically to accept primary through high school students. In addition to the inclusion of Vietnamese language instruction, the school differentiates itself in the city via the cultivation of creative expression. Particularly, NLCS HCMC is founded in collaboration with the local Embassy Education group. Through its partnerships with the Soul Music & Performing Arts Academy (SMPAA), Vietnam Contemporary Visual Arts Academy (VCVAA) and Vietnam International Institute of Sports (VIIS), students have opportunities to explore art, music, performing arts, drama and athletics as part of the Talent Identification Programme.

These are on top of enrichment classes that include Touch Typing, Coding, Book Club, Stop-Motion Animation, MultiSkills (Sport), STEAM Lab, Visual Arts, Drama and many other activities. These sessions all help develop students inspired to think beyond the classroom to strengthen students’ skills at an early age, encourage them to follow their passions, take risks and develop empathy. 

An Exceptional Heritage of 175 Years from the UK

In 1850, Frances Mary Buss founded the North London Collegiate School (NLCS) in Great Britain. Since then, it has been a top independent school for girls aged 4 - 18, with an emphasis on providing independent-minded young adults with the academic skills and character to meet any challenge or opportunity they encounter.  

NLCS has expanded over the years in terms of campus size and facilities as well as teaching methods to incorporate emerging pedagogical ideas and technological breakthroughs. In 2009, the institution took the first steps in establishing a Family of International Schools that share a set of aims and values and make the premier British educational experience available for students around the world. In 2011, the first NLCS global school was opened on the fabled Jeju island in South Korea, followed by branches in Dubai and Singapore. In 2022, North London Collegiate School Ho Chi Minh City (NLCS HCMC) became the fourth addition to the NLCS Family of Schools. 

A True British School in the Heart of Saigon

NLCS HCMC’s close relationship with the proven record and rich history of the British school, its commitment to arts education along with the Vietnamese language, and its location in District 3 help distinguish itself in Saigon’s crowded academic landscape. Further establishing its own identity are attractive tuition packages and a wide range of available scholarships that make the school more affordable than one might expect.  

Saigon families have many options for where to spend their children for school. They need not choose between an esteemed international curriculum underpinned by a century and a half of British experience and fluency in local traditions and language, however. NLCS HCMC provides both along with a dedication to arts at competitive prices.