British vs IB vs American Curriculum | Which is Right for Your Child in Jakarta? | The Independent School of Jakarta

A straightforward guide for families choosing a Jakarta international school - 2026

Published by The Independent School of Jakarta · Updated February 2026

Quick guide by situation

• Returning to UK or moving to another British school: British curriculum (ISJ)
• Targeting US university or genuinely uncertain where you'll be: IB (JIS, BSJ secondary)
• American family, US university destination: American with APs (JIS)
• Already in one system: Stay in it if you can - switching at secondary disrupts significantly
• ISJ uses: English National Curriculum throughout (pure British), ages 2-13

The question comes up in almost every conversation with families arriving in Jakarta: does the curriculum actually matter? The answer is yes - more than most people realise, and in ways that become increasingly significant as children get older. The curriculum shapes not just what your child learns but how they learn it, what qualifications they leave school with, and how easily they can transfer to the next school or university.

This guide covers the three main options available in Jakarta's international schools - British, IB, and American - without advocacy for any particular choice. The right answer depends on your family's situation.

In this guide

1. The British Curriculum
2. The IB (International Baccalaureate)
3. The American Curriculum
4. British-IB hybrid schools
5. How to decide
6. Summary comparison table

The British Curriculum

The English National Curriculum is the oldest and most widely replicated international school curriculum in the world. British schools exist in almost every major city globally - which makes it the most logistically portable option for mobile families. When you move, finding a British school in your next posting is rarely difficult, and your child's records and Key Stage assessments will be understood immediately.

How it works. The British curriculum is structured around Key Stages - defined phases of education (EYFS, KS1, KS2, KS3, KS4, and Sixth Form), each with clear expectations for what children should know and be able to do. This gives parents a reliable framework for understanding where their child is relative to national expectations, and it gives teachers a clear progression path for each subject.

At secondary level, children sit GCSEs or IGCSEs at 16 (typically 8-10 subjects) and then specialise in 3-4 subjects for A-Levels at 18. This specialisation is sometimes described as narrow - a British student might be studying only English, History, and French at 17 - but it allows genuine depth. A-Level students typically know their chosen subjects extremely well by the time they apply to university.

The qualifications. IGCSEs (the international version of GCSEs) are accepted universally by UK universities and widely recognised internationally. A-Levels are the gold standard for UK university admission and are accepted by virtually every university globally that accepts British applicants - including Oxbridge, the Russell Group, and the Ivy League.

ISJ uses the English National Curriculum throughout, for ages 2-13 - the same framework used by UK independent schools. See the ISJ curriculum guide for a detailed explanation of how it's delivered in practice.

The IB (International Baccalaureate)

The IB is explicitly designed for internationally mobile families. Created in 1968 by international school educators in Geneva who needed a credential recognised by universities worldwide regardless of nationality, it has become the closest thing to a truly global school curriculum.

The three programmes. The Primary Years Programme (PYP, used by many international schools in primary) is inquiry-based and emphasises conceptual understanding - it provides a framework for teaching rather than a fixed content syllabus, which gives flexibility but creates more variability in what children know when they transfer. The Middle Years Programme (MYP, ages 11-16) is a broad, interconnected curriculum that delays specialisation longer than the British system. The Diploma Programme (DP, ages 16-18) is the flagship qualification - students study six subjects (three at higher level, three at standard), plus Theory of Knowledge, an Extended Essay, and the CAS programme.

The qualifications. The IB Diploma is accepted by universities globally. It is particularly favoured for US university applications - admissions officers understand and value the breadth it requires. For UK universities, the IB is fully accepted; an IB score of 38 is approximately equivalent to three A-Levels at A*AA in UCAS tariff terms.

The American Curriculum

The American curriculum is the most flexible of the three, and for families targeting US universities, the most natural pathway. It is organised around credit-based learning, elective choice, and a wide range of subjects maintained through to graduation at 18.

How it works. Students accumulate credits across required core subjects (English, Maths, Science, Social Studies, PE) and a range of electives. In the final two years of high school, ambitious students take AP courses - college-level classes with standardised exams that can earn university credit. There is no single national curriculum; individual states set standards, and international schools have significant flexibility in what they teach. This makes the American curriculum the most variable of the three when moving between schools.

The qualifications. The American High School Diploma is widely understood in the US but less standardised internationally. AP exam scores (1-5) are meaningful for US university admissions and for earning credit at many US universities. Outside the US, recognition of AP scores is less consistent - UK and European universities evaluate American applicants on AP scores and GPA, but the process is less clean than evaluating A-Levels or an IB Diploma.

A Word on "British-IB Hybrid" Schools

Several schools in Jakarta - including BSJ - describe themselves as offering a British curriculum but in practice transition to IB at secondary. This is not dishonest, but it requires careful unpacking. "British-IB" typically means: English National Curriculum in early years, IB MYP from Year 7, IB Diploma from Year 12.

For families who value the British early-years structure but are agnostic about A-Levels vs IB for university, this works well. For families who specifically want an unbroken British curriculum through to A-Levels, they need a school that offers A-Levels - which in Jakarta means planning a secondary transition to a school that does, either in Jakarta or in the UK. See the ISJ vs BSJ comparison for more on this specific question.

How to Decide

Where will you likely be living when your child is 16-18? If probably the UK, British curriculum is the clearest path. If probably the US or "we don't know," IB or American. If another international posting, consider which curriculum has the most school options in the cities most likely to feature in your life.

Where does your child want to go to university? UK universities: British or IB. US universities: IB or American. Australian universities: Australian curriculum or IB. "Anywhere" or "we don't know": IB is the most flexible.

How does your child learn? Some children thrive in structured, sequential systems with clear expectations - British tends to suit this. Some prefer broad, interconnected, project-based learning - IB MYP suits this. Some want maximum flexibility and are self-directed - American AP gives the most elective choice.

Have you already started one of these curricula? Switching curriculum systems is manageable at primary level (under 10). At secondary, particularly if a child is already in GCSEs or IB MYP, switching creates meaningful disruption. If you can maintain curriculum continuity, do.

Is the school's accreditation compatible with your curriculum? BSO accreditation confirms British curriculum delivery. CIS is curriculum-agnostic but confirms overall quality. If accreditation matters to you, check that the accrediting body aligns with the curriculum you're choosing. See our accreditation guide.

Summary Comparison