Sandford International School, Addis Ababa

What the school is

A family school that became an institution

Sandford began in the early 1940s, when Christine Sandford, wife of the head of the British Military Mission to Ethiopia, set up an English-speaking school on land granted by Emperor Haile Selassie. From the start it admitted Ethiopian pupils at subsidised fees. It moved to its present site in 1949 and was re-registered as Sandford International School in 2001. The governance page publishes external audit reports for every year from 2020–21 to 2024–25.

The school’s 2022–23 profile reports 980 students from 50 nations and a graduating class of 65. Search Associates describes more than half the pupils as Ethiopian.

Academics in practice

Programmes, outcomes and activities

Nursery and Reception follow England’s Early Years Foundation Stage. The primary years combine English National Curriculum literacy and numeracy with the International Primary Curriculum through Year 6. In Years 10–11 the school timetables 17 Cambridge IGCSE courses, and students sit nine examinations in May and June. Sandford describes itself as the oldest Cambridge examination centre in Ethiopia, and Ethiopian-national pupils also sit a national examination in Year 8.

Most Year 12–13 students take the IB Diploma, which Sandford has offered as an authorised IB World School since 1994. Diploma entry needs eight IGCSEs at A*–C, including three at B or better; students below that can take IB Certificates with at least five IGCSEs at A*–C, including English and mathematics. The school reports that more than 90% of graduates start university within a year; universities that have admitted its graduates include Bentley, Georgetown University in Qatar and Goldsmiths. It does not rank students.

The 2022–23 profile describes varsity and junior varsity sports including football, volleyball, athletics, cross-country, tennis and basketball. It records membership of the International Schools Sports Association of Addis Ababa and approved-centre status for the Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award.

Admissions and cost

Nursery entry, term dates and fees

Sandford does not publish tuition. For 2026–27 Nursery places, a September 7, 2026 letter gave siblings of current pupils precedence. Application forms were collected from the admissions office for a non-refundable Birr 2,000 fee and were due by 3 pm on September 14, 2026, with assessments that week. Children had to be three by August 31, 2026.

The required documents were an authenticated birth certificate, the child’s vaccination card, parents’ and child’s passports, one passport photo, the fee receipt and, where relevant, previous school reports and a recommendation letter covering work ethic and behaviour. Other entry points start with the online inquiry form.

The 2026–27 year has three terms: August 27–December 18, 2026 (half term October 26–30), January 11–April 23, 2027 (half term March 1–5), and May 10–June 25, 2027.

The family experience

Location and current rules

The school is on Shewareged Gedle Street in Addis Ababa. A February 2026 report in The Reporter described a Ministry of Education requirement for international schools to enrol at least 30% foreign citizens from 2026–27; Sandford has published no statement on how it applies.

Questions to ask the school