If you are looking for an IGCSE school in Kuala Lumpur, two British-curriculum names usually come up first: The Alice Smith School and Garden International School (GIS). Both take students from early years through IGCSE to A Levels, and their fees look close at a glance. So what actually separates them, and which one can take your child this year?
This guide sets out both schools’ official 2026-27 fees year by year, then compares one-off costs, English requirements, waiting pools, campus locations and university destinations, using only what the schools publish. Further down, you will also find a short list of other IGCSE schools in Kuala Lumpur that we could confirm from official sources. Everything was checked on the schools’ websites on 7 November 2026. Yen equivalents use a single reference rate for all schools (RM1 = JPY 39.01, calculated from European Central Bank rates of 6 November 2026) and are rounded estimates.
The short answer: the cheaper school changes with the year group, so start with location and places
- Annual fees before tax: GIS is lower from Reception to Year 2, and Alice Smith is lower from Year 3 upwards. Year 1 costs RM89,070 at Alice Smith (about JPY 3.47 million) and RM85,590 at GIS (about JPY 3.34 million). Years 10–13 cost RM122,370 (about JPY 4.77 million) and RM126,870 (about JPY 4.95 million). The widest gap is RM9,360 in Year 9.
- Tax and entry costs: both schools quote fees before 6% Service Tax (SST). Non-refundable entry fees are almost identical at just under RM23,000, but deposits differ. Alice Smith charges a flat RM24,000 from Year 1, while the GIS deposit usually equals one term’s tuition, which is RM42,290 in Year 12.
- Curriculum: both teach IGCSE in Years 10–11 and A Levels in Years 12–13. Neither describes an IB programme on its official curriculum pages.
- Campus: GIS keeps Years 1–13 together at its main campus in Mont Kiara. Alice Smith splits primary (Jalan Bellamy, Kuala Lumpur) and secondary (Seri Kembangan, Selangor).
- Admissions: Alice Smith says it is not academically selective. GIS says it selectively admits students who meet its standards. Neither normally takes new students into Year 11 or Year 13, and the GIS 2026-27 availability table shows Years 7, 8, 10 and 12 closed to applications.
In other words, this is not a choice that a few thousand ringgit should settle. Work out where you will live and whether your child can get a place in their year group, then compare the full cost at the end.
Alice Smith vs Garden International School fees, 2026-27 (official)
Both schools place children by their age on 31 August, so the same Year labels can be compared directly. The table shows each school’s published annual fee (three terms), before SST.
| Year group (age on 31 August) | Alice Smith (annual) | GIS (annual) | Gap before tax |
|---|---|---|---|
| Pre-school / Nursery (3) | Normal day RM53,730; extended day RM66,270 | RM52,440 | Not compared, as day lengths differ |
| Reception (4) | RM69,180 (≈ JPY 2.70m) | RM62,340 (≈ JPY 2.43m) | GIS lower by RM6,840 |
| Year 1 (5) | RM89,070 (≈ JPY 3.47m) | RM85,590 (≈ JPY 3.34m) | GIS lower by RM3,480 |
| Year 2 (6) | RM89,070 (≈ JPY 3.47m) | RM88,170 (≈ JPY 3.44m) | GIS lower by RM900 |
| Years 3–4 (7–8) | RM97,410 (≈ JPY 3.80m) | RM97,830 (≈ JPY 3.82m) | Alice Smith lower by RM420 |
| Years 5–6 (9–10) | RM97,410 (≈ JPY 3.80m) | RM102,300 (≈ JPY 3.99m) | Alice Smith lower by RM4,890 |
| Years 7–8 (11–12) | RM112,950 (≈ JPY 4.41m) | RM118,170 (≈ JPY 4.61m) | Alice Smith lower by RM5,220 |
| Year 9 (13) | RM112,950 (≈ JPY 4.41m) | RM122,310 (≈ JPY 4.77m) | Alice Smith lower by RM9,360 |
| Years 10–13 (14–17) | RM122,370 (≈ JPY 4.77m) | RM126,870 (≈ JPY 4.95m) | Alice Smith lower by RM4,500 |
Sources: Alice Smith Tuition and Fees and GIS School Fees, both checked 7 November 2026. Alice Smith’s fees include books, materials and resources, but not meals, transport or uniform. GIS fees cover books, technology resources and some stationery from Nursery to Year 9, and exclude uniform, buses, meals, co-curricular activities, trips, exam fees and devices.
What the fees look like with 6% SST
In Malaysia, 6% Service Tax applies where a student’s annual fees exceed RM60,000, which covers both schools from Reception. With tax, Year 1 comes to RM94,414 at Alice Smith and RM90,725 at GIS, Year 7 to RM119,727 and RM125,260, and Year 12 to RM129,712 and RM134,482. If your employer is paying, check that the tax is covered as well. Our guide to international school fees across Asia shows how these levels compare with other cities.
Entry costs: nearly the same non-refundable total, very different deposits
| New student, Years 1–13 | Alice Smith | GIS |
|---|---|---|
| Application fee | RM1,500 | RM1,590 including tax |
| One-off enrolment or registration fee | RM20,000 + SST | RM20,000 + SST |
| Other | Association membership RM20 | None listed |
| Non-refundable total with tax | RM22,720 | RM22,790 |
| Deposit, refundable with one term’s notice | RM24,000 | Year 1 RM28,530; Years 7–8 RM39,390; Years 10–13 RM42,290 |
The GIS deposit varies by year group and is topped up as tuition rises. The official table lists RM34,050 for Years 5–6 and RM41,000 for students on the EAL programme. So while annual fees are close, the cash you need on day one can be quite different. Sibling discounts differ too: GIS takes 50% off the registration fee from the second child and 5% off tuition from the third, while Alice Smith takes 6% off school fees for a third child and 10% from the fourth.
First-year totals
| Joining in | Alice Smith | GIS |
|---|---|---|
| Year 1: tuition, SST and non-refundable fees | RM117,134 | RM113,515 |
| Year 1: also counting the deposit | RM141,134 | RM142,045 |
| Year 7: tuition, SST and non-refundable fees | RM142,447 | RM148,050 |
| Year 7: also counting the deposit | RM166,447 | RM187,440 |
| Year 12: tuition, SST and non-refundable fees | RM152,432 | RM157,272 |
| Year 12: also counting the deposit | RM176,432 | RM199,562 |
These are our calculations from the 2026-27 fee tables, assuming a full year and no SST on the deposit. Both schools offer an early-payment saving, though not on the same basis: Alice Smith takes 3% off for paying the full year upfront, and GIS gives a 3% rebate on Term 2 and 3 tuition. Alice Smith adds a 3% surcharge for monthly instalments.
Curriculum: IGCSE to A Level at both, and no IB
The two schools share the same basic structure. Students move through Years 7–9, take IGCSEs in Years 10–11 and A Levels in Years 12–13. If the IB Diploma is what you want, neither school fits. For a wider view of how curricula differ, see our guide to the types of international schools and our comparison of British and American schooling routes.
- Alice Smith builds Years 10–11 around 10 subjects, seven compulsory and three optional, according to its 2026-27 School Profile. A Levels are linear, with the Extended Project Qualification also available. IGCSE language options are Spanish, French, Mandarin and Bahasa.
- GIS combines International GCSEs with its own electives in Years 10–11. In the Sixth Form, students take AS and A Levels and must also complete the GIS Sixth Form Diploma, which adds service, digital learning, leadership and electives. The school lists Cambridge and Pearson Edexcel among its exam boards. Its Year 10–11 languages are Malay, Mandarin, French and Spanish.
Families hoping to keep up Japanese should note that it does not appear among these official language options, so it would need to continue at home or at a weekend school. For families elsewhere, or a child studying from home, we also explain how IGCSE study online can work.
Location: one main campus in Mont Kiara, or two separate campuses
This may affect your daily life more than anything else in this guide.
- GIS: the main campus at 16 Jalan Kiara 3, Mont Kiara, holds Primary, Secondary and Sixth Form together. Nursery and Reception are at the Early Years Centre in nearby Desa Sri Hartamas (1 Jalan 41/70A).
- Alice Smith: the primary campus for ages 3–11 is at 2 Jalan Bellamy, Kuala Lumpur, and the secondary campus for ages 11–18 is at 3 Jalan Equine, Taman Equine, Seri Kembangan, Selangor. The school describes the two as 20 minutes apart.
Families with both a primary and a secondary child at Alice Smith will have two drop-offs. Its secondary buses do serve Mont Kiara, Sri Hartamas and Bangsar, with morning pick-ups generally between 6.30am and 7.10am. Adding up the official termly fares, a two-way bus costs RM6,580 a year for primary and RM7,990 for secondary, plus a one-time RM200 registration fee for first-time riders. GIS also runs a bus network, but its fare table is published as an image we could not read reliably, so ask the school for the figure.
If you have not chosen a home yet, try the actual school run at the actual time of day before you commit. Traffic in Kuala Lumpur varies a lot, and a map estimate at noon tells you very little about 7am.
Admissions, English requirements and waiting pools
Alice Smith: not academically selective, but with conditions on English support
Alice Smith’s admissions policy says it is not academically selective, but enrolment is not automatic. Every applicant is assessed, normally within a month of applying. Years 2–6 sit online cognitive ability tests and basic skills checks where possible, and Years 7–10 take the CAT4 computer test. For Year 12, the minimum is an average (I)GCSE grade of C or 5, with B or 6 in the subject for A Level Maths, Physics, Chemistry, Economics, French or Spanish. Applicants from non-British curricula are considered individually.
Two points deserve particular attention if English is not your family’s first language:
- Language support: applicants may have a short English interview and provide unaided writing. Students who need specialist support are accepted on condition that they join the paid Multilingual Learner (MLL) programme, which costs RM4,500 a term (RM13,500 a year) in Years 7–13. Leaving the programme before the school agrees your child is proficient means losing the place.
- Parents’ English: where parents do not have English as a first language, they must declare that they can take part in school activities held in English, or bring a translator at their own cost.
When a year group is full, students go into a waiting pool. Priority goes first to siblings already at the school for at least a term, then to returnees within five years and children of alumni, then to everyone else. There is no priority category for expatriate families. Places are allocated with educational needs and diversity in mind, and refusing an offer twice in an academic year removes your child from the pool. The school’s place availability page returned an error when we checked, so please ask admissions directly.
GIS: openly selective, with a published availability table
GIS says it selectively admits students who meet its standards, and the decision rests with the school. Secondary applicants complete an online diagnostic and the school reviews records and a confidential reference, sometimes adding tests or interviews. Sixth Form entry also requires prerequisite IGCSE or equivalent grades, and some subjects have limited places.
On English, GIS looks at whether a student can access the curriculum within a reasonable time. Its fee table lists an EAL programme for Years 7–9. Years 7–8 cost RM135,900 a year in total, RM17,730 more than standard tuition. Year 9 is listed at RM46,890 a term, but the annual column also shows RM135,900, which does not match three terms, so confirm that one. No EAL fee is listed for Year 10 or above. For younger children, the intensive Academic English Pathway serves ages 5–9 (Years 1–5) at RM115,000 a year. For comparison, Alice Smith with MLL comes to RM126,450 before tax in Years 7–9.
If there are more eligible applicants than places, students may join a wait pool. Selection can reflect other school options, English level, academic proficiency, subject choices, and the gender and nationality balance of classes. A place is secured only by paying in full by the date in the offer letter.
The GIS availability table for 2026-27, uploaded in October 2026, showed the following for Term 1 (August to December 2026) and Term 2 (January to April 2027). It lists nothing beyond that:
- Nursery to Year 6, and Year 9: limited places in both terms listed
- Years 7 and 8: applications closed in both terms
- Years 10 and 12: closed for Term 1, not available for Term 2
- Years 11 and 13: not available, because of curriculum and exam requirements
What the two schools have in common
Neither normally takes new students into Year 11 or Year 13. Alice Smith’s policy says so outright. IGCSE and A Level are two-year courses, so if your child would land in one of those years, you may need to move a year earlier or look at other options. Both are day schools with no boarding, and both require valid visas. Alice Smith states that students cannot attend on a Visit Pass.
Size, results and university destinations
| Measure | Alice Smith | GIS |
|---|---|---|
| Students and nationalities | 1,573 students, over 50 nationalities | Over 2,000 students, over 65 nationalities |
| Background | Not-for-profit, “for 80 years” in its own words | Founded 1951, part of Taylor’s Schools |
| IGCSE 2026 | A*–A 69%, A*–B 82.6% | A*–A 70%, A*–B 88% |
| A Level 2026 | A*–A 50%, A*–B 77% | A*–A 74%, A*–B 91% |
| Destinations the school highlights | 56 of 75 students with UK places at Russell Group universities; 13 at QS top-10 universities (Imperial 6, Oxford 1, Cambridge 3, UCL 3); more than 92% of the 2026 cohort placed at a university of choice, by its own account; University of Tokyo and Keio in its five-year list | 99% of graduates to first- or second-choice universities, by its own account (its destinations page shows 100%); Yale, Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, UCL and Cornell, across 13 countries; University of Tokyo in its list |
Sources: Alice Smith results, Alice Smith School Profile, GIS achievements and GIS history, GIS university destinations and the GIS home page, checked 7 November 2026.
GIS’s grades look stronger, especially at A Level, but these figures alone don’t tell you which school teaches better. GIS describes itself as selective and Alice Smith as broadly non-selective, so the two start with different groups of students. Destination figures are also counted differently. Both schools are COBIS accredited. GIS also lists CIS and WASC accreditation, and Alice Smith lists membership of CIS.
Looking for another IGCSE school in Kuala Lumpur? Three more options
If neither school has a place, or the fees are out of reach, these three also offer IGCSE. We list only what we could confirm from their official sites. For a broader introduction to the city, see our guide to international schools in Kuala Lumpur.
| School | Location | After IGCSE | Years 10–11 fees (official) |
|---|---|---|---|
| British International School of Kuala Lumpur (BSKL) | Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya | A Levels on site | RM125,425 annual rate, or RM44,008 a term; 2026-27, before SST |
| Taylor’s International School Kuala Lumpur | Taman Maluri, Kuala Lumpur | School ends at 16; pathway to Taylor’s College and others | RM57,240; 2027 fee schedule, before SST |
| Tenby Schools Setia Eco Park | Shah Alam, Selangor | A Levels on site | Year 10 RM69,960; Year 11 RM72,030; 2026-27, our three-term calculation |
Not every well-known school in the city follows this route. ISKL’s high school page describes the IB Diploma and AP, and Mont’Kiara International School presents the IB Diploma on its home page. We did not find IGCSE mentioned on either page. If IGCSE matters because your child is moving into Year 10 or following a British-style course elsewhere, ask about the qualification in your first enquiry. Families comparing regional costs may also find our guide to international school fees in Thailand useful.
Alice Smith or GIS? Three questions to talk through
1. Where will you live, and how old are your children?
If you plan to live around Mont Kiara and have children in both primary and secondary, one campus at GIS is a real advantage. A primary child in central Kuala Lumpur may find Alice Smith’s Jalan Bellamy campus convenient, but secondary means Seri Kembangan, so think beyond the first year.
2. Where does your child’s English sit for their year group?
If English is still developing, begin with whether support exists at that age. In Years 1–5, look at the GIS Academic English Pathway. In Years 7–9, both schools have paid programmes. For Years 10–13, Alice Smith is the one of the two that lists a fee for support. In every case the school decides, and a place has to be available.
3. Can you sustain the first year and the years after it?
Alice Smith is lower on annual fees from Year 3, and GIS through Year 2. GIS often requires more cash upfront because of its deposit, though deposits are refundable under each school’s conditions. Add buses, exam fees and SST, and check exactly what an employer will cover. Families with a shorter posting may also want to compare Japanese school tuition in Asia.
And if neither school has a place, or another move may come within a few years, it can help to know one way of learning that doesn’t depend on your address. You can read how it works on our online curriculum page.
Where NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY fits
NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY (NGA) is an online international school for ages 6–18, planned to open in September 2027. It is run by NIJIN Inc., which operates NIJIN Academy, an online school in Japan for children who do not attend school, where more than 1,000 children have studied. NGA plans small live classes in which subjects are taught in English and supported by bilingual Japanese–English mentors, with admission that is not based on test-score rankings. The admissions process itself has not yet been published.
To be plain about it: NGA has not opened yet. It is not accredited, it has not published its fees and it has no graduates. For a teenager who needs IGCSEs or A Levels now, it is not a substitute for Alice Smith or GIS. It may still be worth comparing if your child is waiting for a place, or if you want English-medium learning to continue wherever your family goes next.
FAQ
What are Alice Smith School fees for 2026-27?
Annual fees are RM53,730 (Pre-school normal day), RM66,270 (extended day), RM69,180 (Reception), RM89,070 (Years 1–2), RM97,410 (Years 3–6), RM112,950 (Years 7–9) and RM122,370 (Years 10–13). SST of 6% is added, except on the Pre-school normal day. New students also pay a RM1,500 application fee, a RM20,000 enrolment fee plus SST (in Pre-school and Reception, RM5,000 to confirm and RM15,000 on entering Year 1), RM20 association membership and a refundable deposit of RM24,000 (RM15,000 in Pre-school and Reception).
What are Garden International School fees for 2026-27?
Annual fees before SST are RM52,440 (Nursery), RM62,340 (Reception), RM85,590 (Year 1), RM88,170 (Year 2), RM97,830 (Years 3–4), RM102,300 (Years 5–6), RM118,170 (Years 7–8), RM122,310 (Year 9) and RM126,870 (Years 10–13). New students from Year 1 also pay RM1,590 to apply, a RM20,000 registration fee plus SST, and a refundable deposit of about one term’s tuition.
Which is the best IGCSE school in Kuala Lumpur?
There is no single answer, and we don’t rank schools. Alice Smith and GIS both run IGCSE through to A Levels. Other confirmed options include BSKL, Taylor’s International School Kuala Lumpur (to age 16) and Tenby Setia Eco Park in Shah Alam. Location, English level, available places and cost will narrow the list quickly.
Do Alice Smith and GIS offer the IB Diploma?
Neither describes an IB programme on its official curriculum pages. Both teach IGCSE in Years 10–11 and A Levels in Years 12–13.
Can my child join in the middle of IGCSE or A Levels?
Generally not. Neither school normally takes new students into Year 11 or Year 13. Year 12 entry happens at the start of the course, with prior results checked at both schools. For 2026-27, GIS shows Year 12 as closed for Term 1 and not available for Term 2.
Before the spreadsheet, picture the school morning
Alice Smith and Garden International School are close enough on curriculum and fees that it is easy to get lost comparing columns. The questions that change a family’s life are simpler. What time will your child leave home each morning? Is there a place in their year? If they need English support, how will you work with the school?
Talk those through before you book a tour. And if you would also like to compare a way of learning that continues after Kuala Lumpur, consider keeping NIJIN GLOBAL ACADEMY on your list. Ahead of the planned September 2027 opening, we expect to run trial classes in April–May 2027.
