International Maarif Schools Georgia LLC

Dual Curriculum Model

One of IMS Georgia's most distinctive academic features is its dual-curriculum approach. Students follow both the Georgian national curriculum—ensuring compliance with local educational standards and eligibility for Georgian university entrance—and the Cambridge International curriculum, which culminates in IGCSE and A-Level qualifications recognised globally.

This combination is demanding but strategically valuable: graduates are eligible to apply to Georgian, Turkish, European, and international universities, as demonstrated by the 2023–2024 cohort who enrolled at institutions in Georgia, Turkey, and Belarus.

Small Classes, Personalised Learning

With an average class size of 8 and a maximum of 16, IMS Georgia's academic culture is inherently personalised. Teachers can identify individual learning gaps quickly, adjust pace and depth, and provide targeted support. This is not an anonymous environment where students can coast unnoticed—or conversely, struggle in silence.

Learning Support

The school provides formal learning support, including EAL (English as an Additional Language) assistance and simplified testing materials for students who need accommodations. This commitment to inclusive academic practice means the school can serve students at different stages of English proficiency, which is important given its multilingual intake.

University Outcomes

The 2023–2024 graduating class of 8 students achieved 100% university placement, with destinations including Tbilisi Technical University, Tbilisi State University, Sakarya University (Turkey), Istanbul University-Cerrahpaşa, Ondokuz Mayıs University, Yozgat Bozok University, Inonu University, and Belarusian State University. More broadly, the school reports a university acceptance rate of approximately 95%.

Robotics and STEM

Beyond the Cambridge curriculum, IMS Georgia has invested in STEM infrastructure: dedicated robotics and computer labs serve students from primary to high school age, and the school participates in information technology competitions. Art, music, and robotics clubs run alongside the academic timetable, reflecting a belief that rigorous academics and creative-technical exploration are complementary rather than competing priorities.

Admissions Process

Entry to IMS Georgia requires completion of a pre-registration form followed by a comprehensive entrance assessment covering mathematics, science, and English. This selective process—without published acceptance rate data—suggests the school maintains academic standards rather than simply filling places.

Community Composition

IMS Georgia's student body reflects Georgia's position as an increasingly international destination. Approximately 45% of students are Georgian nationals, while the remaining 55% come from abroad, representing over 10 nationalities in total. This balance—almost equal between local and international—is relatively unusual and creates a genuinely multicultural environment rather than a school serving primarily one diaspora community.

Cultural Activities as Community-Building

The school takes an unusually proactive approach to community engagement. Its social and cultural activities programme includes folk games, sports tournaments, information technology competitions, kermis (community fairs), scouting, and youth camps. These are not isolated events but part of a deliberate strategy to weave together students, their families, and the wider Tbilisi community.

Performing arts feature prominently: the school runs choral groups, a student orchestra, drama productions, poetry and recitation events, and folk dance groups. These activities serve dual purposes—developing individual talents and creating shared experiences that cross linguistic and cultural boundaries.

Languages as a Community Asset

The multilingual nature of the school is itself a community resource. English and Georgian are the languages of instruction, but students also have access to Turkish, French, and German as foreign language subjects. This range reflects the school's dual identity as a Turkish-founded institution serving a Georgian community within a globalised educational framework.

Parent and Family Involvement

The school's vision explicitly names families as part of the community it serves, aiming to foster belonging not just for students but for parents and the broader neighbourhood. Community events like kermis and youth camps are designed to draw families into school life in meaningful ways.

Small Community, Close Bonds

With only around 120 students across two campuses and average class sizes of 8, IMS Georgia is a small school by international standards. This intimacy is both a feature and a philosophy: it enables teachers to know every student personally and creates conditions for genuine peer relationships across year groups and nationalities.

Holistic Education Philosophy

International Maarif Schools Georgia (IMS Georgia) is built on the conviction that education must address the whole child, not merely academic achievement. The school explicitly states that it "takes a holistic approach to education, focusing on the comprehensive development of each individual intellectually, emotionally, physically, and spiritually." This philosophy is not abstract window-dressing; it shapes how the school structures its day, its extracurricular offerings, and its community events.

Intellectual Development

The academic programme combines the Georgian national curriculum with the Cambridge International framework (IGCSE and A-Levels), giving students both local legitimacy and internationally recognised qualifications. Small class sizes—averaging just 8 students, with a maximum of 16—allow teachers to tailor instruction to individual needs, a structural choice that reflects the holistic commitment to seeing each student as an individual.

Emotional and Social Development

IMS Georgia places strong emphasis on a sense of belonging. The school's vision states that it "aims to engage with society through social, cultural, musical, and sports events, fostering a sense of belonging for students, their families, and the broader community." Social and cultural activities—folk games, kermis festivals, scouting, youth camps, drama productions, and poetry recitals—are woven into school life throughout the year, not treated as optional add-ons.

Physical Development

Sport is integral. Students participate in badminton, football, volleyball, and archery, with dedicated courts and facilities on campus. Sports tournaments are regularly organised, and physical activity is understood as a developmental imperative, not merely recreation.

Spiritual and Character Development

As a school founded by the Turkish Maarif Foundation—a body established by Turkish state law in 2016—IMS Georgia carries a particular attention to character formation, civic virtue, and cultural identity. Students are encouraged to explore and express their unique identities within a supportive, multicultural community of over 10 nationalities.

Practical Implications for Families

For families considering IMS Georgia, this philosophy means a school day that balances structured Cambridge-aligned academics with meaningful extracurricular engagement. Learning support is available for students who need it, including EAL support and simplified assessments, ensuring that holistic education is genuinely inclusive rather than a standard reserved for the academically strongest pupils.

Founding and Early Years

International Maarif Schools Georgia was established in 2017, making it a relatively young institution in the Georgian international school landscape. Its founding body, the Turkish Maarif Foundation (TMF), was itself created only the year before—in 2016—by an act of the Republic of Türkiye. TMF's mandate is to operate educational institutions abroad, and Georgia was an early priority market, reflecting the historical and cultural ties between Turkey and the South Caucasus region.

The first campus opened in Tbilisi, Georgia's capital, and quickly established itself as a dual-curriculum school offering both the Georgian national curriculum and Cambridge International qualifications (IGCSE and A-Levels).

Relocation to Lisi

A significant milestone in the school's short history was the relocation of the Tbilisi campus to a new, purpose-built site near Lisi Lake, on the western fringe of the city. This move was not merely logistical: the new campus was designed with an eco-friendly ethos, offering a natural environment that contrasts sharply with the pressures of urban schooling. The Lisi campus now houses Primary, Secondary, IGCSE, and A-Level programmes, providing a continuous educational pathway from early childhood through to university entrance.

Expansion to Marneuli

In the 2023–2024 academic year, IMS Georgia opened its second campus in Marneuli, a town in the Kvemo Kartli region approximately 25 kilometres south of Tbilisi. Marneuli is a strategically important city in terms of transportation and is home to a significant Azerbaijani-Georgian population, making it an underserved market for quality international education. The Marneuli campus features spacious classrooms, a large hall, a canteen, and dedicated subject labs, mirroring the facilities of the Tbilisi site.

Current Scale

As of the most recent available data, the school enrols approximately 120 students across both campuses, drawn from over 10 nationalities. The 2023–2024 cohort produced 8 graduates, all of whom progressed to higher education—a 100% university placement rate for that year, with destinations including universities in Turkey, Georgia, and Belarus.

For a school barely seven years old, IMS Georgia's trajectory—founding, relocation, expansion—suggests an institution with clear institutional momentum and the backing of a well-resourced international foundation.

Location and Environment

The Tbilisi campus of IMS Georgia occupies a distinctive position: it is located close to Lisi Lake, in one of the greener, more residential parts of western Tbilisi. The school moved to this site specifically to offer an "environmentally friendly" learning environment, and the surrounding landscape—with its lake, parks, and relatively low urban density—genuinely differentiates it from inner-city international schools.

For students, this means a campus where the natural world is present just beyond the school gates, something the school explicitly frames as a counterpoint to "the pressures imposed by the modern world." For parents, it means a calmer, safer environment than might be found in the city centre.

Specialist Facilities

Despite its relatively small student population (~120), IMS Georgia has invested in a comprehensive range of specialist facilities:

• Science laboratories: Physics, chemistry, and biology labs meeting modern standards of hygiene and safety
• Technology and robotics lab: Dedicated computer room and robotics laboratory serving students from primary upwards
• Art studio: Well-equipped for visual arts, including marbling and other crafts
• Music room: Supporting the school's active choral and instrumental programme
• Library: For independent research and reading
• Sports courts: Badminton, football, volleyball, and archery facilities
• Canteen/dining hall: Providing daily school lunches
• Conference/assembly hall: For whole-school and community events

Atmosphere

The small community of ~120 students creates a close-knit atmosphere. With average class sizes of 8, students are known individually by their teachers, and the school culture appears to be one of personal attention and care. The regular calendar of cultural events—folk games, drama, music performances, kermis—gives the campus a lively, community-oriented feel that extends beyond purely academic pursuits.

Transport

The school operates a bus service for students, addressing the practical challenge of its suburban location. Tbilisi's public transport also serves the area. Families arriving from abroad will find the campus approximately 30 minutes by car from Tbilisi International Airport.