Seoul Foreign School is a Pre-K/Reception to Grade 12 international school located in Seoul, South Korea. The school was founded in 1912 by Christian missionaries to Korea and emphasizes Christian values. The Elementary, Middle and High Schools offer an international curriculum within the International Baccalaureate framework of PYP, MYP and DP. The High School offers the IB Diploma Programme. The British School offers the English National Curriculum - Key Stages 1–3. Seoul Foreign School has been located in Yeonhui-dong, Seodaemun-gu, since 1959.
Seoul Foreign School is accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) and the (CIS)
History
Seoul Foreign School was founded in 1912, by Christian missionaries to Korea (Ethel Van Wagoner Underwood), with one class of 18 students. The school started in 1912 with 7 teachers and currently has over 1,500 students from more than 50 countries, offering education from PK to high school. It is differentiated from other international schools by offering not only kindergarten, primary, middle, and high school courses but also the British curriculum IGCSE. With a prestigious history spanning over 100 years, the admissions requirements are stringent.
To apply to SFS, students must have a foreign nationality. If both parents have foreign nationalities, the student meets the top-tier eligibility requirements. Furthermore, tuition fees are at a level of 30-40 million won per year, equivalent to college tuition fees. The school offers many after-school programs like KAIAC and SWEP, and hosts diverse events.
SFS was initially established in 1912 under the Korean name Kyungsung Foreign School. The inaugural principal was Edel Underwood, the wife of H.H. Underwood, known in Korea as Won Han-kyung. The school’s name changed to ‘Seoul Foreign School’ in 1964.
The first principal and teacher, as mentioned above, was Edel Underwood, a member of the Underwood family, who founded Yeonhee Professional School, the precursor to Yonsei University. After relocating its premises in Seoul five times, the school settled in its current location next to Yonsei University in Yeonhui-dong in 1957. In 1981, it merged with the ‘British School’ attended by the children of British expatriates. Boasting a spacious campus of 100,000㎡ and a long history, it is the most preferred school among foreigners in Korea.
SFS students learn through debates and presentations and are assessed through essay-type exams that ask for their opinions. Forty years ago, they were the first in Korea to adopt the ‘International Baccalaureate (IB)’ curriculum, created by a Swiss international organization, rather than adhering to a specific national educational curriculum.
In 2023, it is one of the oldest international schools in the world, and the oldest British international school in Korea and the first in South Korea to offer the IB Diploma.
Divisions
British School
Principal: Andrew Freeman
Assistant Principal: John Kett
The British School (SFBS) offers a curriculum based around the English National Curriculum spanning from Reception to Year 9. It is a member of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA) and students participate in sports, maths and other activities alongside other member schools. There are students from over 45 nationalities at the school.
Elementary School
Principal: Damian Prest
Assistant Principal: Margaret Park
The elementary school (SFES) offers an international curriculum based within the IB PYP framework. Grade levels include Pre-K to 5th grade. School uniforms were introduced to SFES in the school year 2008-2009. The Seoul Foreign Elementary School offers specialist classes for every student including Music, Korean, Information Technology, Library, Art, and PE. A new building was completed for the 2008-2009 school year and includes a new cafeteria, 400 seat performance hall, media center/library, upgraded classrooms, and a spirit store. In the fall of 2011, a 1-to-1 laptop program was instituted in the fourth and fifth grade.