Northbridge School is Inclusive

June 4, 2026

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We are proud to announce that Northbridge International School Cambodia (NISC) has become the first school in Cambodia to be awarded the IQM International Inclusive School Award. Our assessor was struck by the clear commitment to inclusive practice and student wellbeing on display. Set within a 20-acre campus on the western edge of Phnom Penh, the school was founded in 1996 and has worked since 1997 to develop a strong, professionally curious school community. Northbridge International School Cambodia is well respected and has a strong reputation within the Cambodian International education sector for the quality and strength of its provision and curriculum, and the clear alignment between inclusive values and daily practice.

NISC is conscious both of the important role it plays within the rapidly developing educational landscape, and the responsibility that comes with this. NISC serves a learning community which is richly diverse, inclusive of a range of languages, cultures, educational experiences, and family histories. However, NISC continues to evolve and remain ambitious, never relying upon reputation or legacy alone.

The school’s mission is to “to inspire an environment of intercultural understanding and integrity – a place where everyone is involved, valued and happy” developing “compassionate global citizens” while fostering critical thinking, curiosity, and creativity. At NISC this is not just a mission statement, but is consistent within relationships, the openness of its professional culture, and the extent to which students are known and celebrated as individuals. Staff speak with enthusiasm about knowing students deeply and the important of building relational trust. Leadership across the school is visible, thoughtful, and collaborative. Leaders and staff describing the school’s development and targets openly, and inclusion is understood as a shared responsibility interwoven through all aspects of school life, rather than the work of a single department.

 

Developing Student Voice

Student voice is an authentic aspect of the school’s inclusive culture, with students able to speak in a considered and valuable manner about learning, relationships, and the wider school community. Students demonstrate maturity, empathy, and strong communication skills. Student feedback informs aspects of school improvement and culture, which aligns with the school’s ambition to develop learners with agency and core thinking skills. Our assessor found students to be confident and emotionally secure, able to engage with learning and contribute meaningfully, with a calm atmosphere across the campus created by mature, thoughtful, and authentic student interactions; for example, in Primary, “Zen Zones” are used by students for practicing self-regulation. Wellbeing, inclusion, and personal growth are clearly championed and protected within NICS.

Pupils are supported by their teachers to access and enjoy their lessons, with clear instructions and adaptive practices. Purposeful relationships and a focus on growing consistency in how staff respond to variability with scaffolding and high expectations for all shape teaching. Attention is paid to reducing barriers to learning through planning, and pedagogy, with inclusion as a key part of everyday teaching.

The school environments support students, with the campus being welcoming, sensory-aware, and conductive to learning, reflecting how the entire school community is recognised and valued.

 

Valuing Individuals and Developing Learners

NISC does not overly rely on rigid or restrictive systems and expectations for behaviour, instead instilling in students an internalised understanding of respect, responsibility, participation, and contribution. Students report feeling known by teachers, and that they can trust the adults around them. Students respond positively to challenge, explain their thoughts, and contribute to discussion. As part of NISC’s inclusive culture, students with a range of learner profiles participate in school life and experience positive peer interaction. Students spoke with the assessor, unprompted, about the importance of helping each other succeed.

 

Part of a Global Community

NISC balances internationalism with strong relational community values, where students learn as part of a culturally diverse environment. As a member of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia operating as part of the Nord Anglia Education and International Baccalaureate families, NISC is well connected and involved in contemporary international best practice surrounding inclusion, wellbeing, and student participation – while continuing to value and respect its local context.

The school’s partnership with Nord Anglia Education ensures that students and staff have access to global opportunities including Global Campus, Nord Anglia University, and collaborations with organisations and schools across worldwide including Massachusetts Institute of Technology, UNICEF, and King’s College London. These opportunities are carefully and intentionally used to broaden aspirations and exposure to global perspectives.

The school also celebrates Cambodian culture, with parents speaking about how local traditions and perspectives are acknowledged, and how Cambodia does not feel peripheral but is integral to the identity of the school. NISC supports the People Improvement Organization (PIO), an NGO within Phnom Penh. This partnership helps educate students on service and community responsibility, with work grounded in real participation.

 

Involving Families

Engagement with families at NISC is reciprocal rather than transactional, with families receiving regular communication and being encouraged to reply. Staff listen to parents and work collaboratively to review provision.

Parents spoke to our assessor positively about the balance between academic achievement and emotional wellbeing, and the inclusion of students from differing cultural backgrounds and profiles, all being supported to fully enjoy and access school life. NISC is distinguished by the authenticity of its engagement with families.

 

Inclusion is at the core of daily life at NISC, with all students being supported by staff to access learning and build aspirations through sensory adaption, scaffolding, and thoughtful provision – but more than this, students are guided to become involved global citizens, with an understanding of empathy, respect, the importance of mutual support, and social responsibility. NISC encourages students to begin to grow into adults who will embrace inclusion throughout their lives.