WHO WE ARE

The school was founded in 1996 in the cultural capital of the country as a private nonprofit center of educational excellence to provide an inspirational model for schools both within Turkey and throughout the international educational community. ENKA Schools’ first graduating class was the Class of 2008. All of our students continue on to higher education with 80-90% of our graduates matriculating at universities abroad.

ENKA Schools is a private Pre-K through grade 12 coeducational day school located in Istanbul, Turkey. Our students are primarily Turkish citizens, of whom approximately 10% hold dual citizenship.

ACCREDITATION & CURRICULUM
The school is accredited by and follows the Turkish Ministry of Education (MEB) principals and regulations. Upon graduation, all students receive a Turkish National Diploma.

In addition to this, ENKA Schools is internationally accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC).

ENKA Schools is authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB) to offer the Primary Years Program (PYP),  the Middle Years Program (MYP) and the Diploma Program (DP).

Our Pre-K through 12 program of study fosters global awareness and incorporates academic excellence. While promoting leadership and responsibility. The academic program implements both the Turkish and English languages as the languages of instruction. In addition, all students study a third language from grades 5-12.

A bilingual professional community is fostered within the school. ENKA is committed to IB principles and practices shaping teaching and learning in the school.

ENKA was the first Turkish school to be authorized by the IB to offer the IB Primary Years Program (PYP). Students in the primary school follow both the PYP and the Turkish National Curriculum.

All students graduating from ENKA High School are awarded the Turkish National Diploma. In the High School, all students meet the Turkish National Curriculum Requirements at each grade level. High School Math and Science courses are taught in English.

ENKA offers its students the opportunity to obtain the internationally recognized International Baccalaureate Diploma in addition to their Turkish National Diploma. All students in grades 11 and 12 choose 6 IBDP courses. Those who choose to pursue the Full Diploma choose 3 Standard Level (SL) and 3 Higher Level (HL) courses, while those students pursuing DP indvidual subject certificates choose a range of SL or SL and HL courses.

The two-year DP program engages students in a challenging curriculum in an interactive way. Through inquiry and investigation, students develop critical think­ing skills and hone their analytical abilities. At present, ENKA offers the following IBDP subjects: Turkish A, English A, English B, French B, Ger­man B, Spanish Ab Initio, Turkish Social Studies SL, Economics, ITGS, Psychology, Global Politics, Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Systems and Societies SL, Sports Exercise and Health Science, Mathematics, Math Studies, Visual Arts, and Music. To fulfill all requirements for the Turkish National Diploma, in addition to studying 6 IBDP subjects and the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course, they take additional Non-IBDP courses, subject to scheduling parameters.

ASSESSMENT
All grades in Turkish High Schools are recorded on a 100 point scale. Students are given grades each semester and the final course grade is an average of the two semesters. Grade Point Averages (GPAs) are calculated by multiplying grades by the number of course hours in each course. IBDP classes are not weighted and are graded on the same 100 point scale. An average of 85 is required to earn high honors, and it is very rare for students to do so. An average of 70 is required to earn academic honors and a passing grade is 50. ENKA School does not rank students.

The campus of ENKA Schools is situated in the heart of the new business center of Istanbul. It is located on the European side of Istanbul, approximately halfway down the Bosphorus, on 16 acres within the ENKA Sports Facility.

The range of facilities exhibits the special importance ENKA places on contemporary education, sports, and the arts. In addition to modern, purpose-built classrooms, the school’s academic facilities include three full science laboratories, an auditorium, three libraries totaling 40,000 volumes, computer laboratories, and a multimedia room. The campus also features an amphitheater, an exhibition center, a music hall, an art gallery, a full gymnasium and fitness center, twelve tennis courts, two indoor pools, an outdoor Olympic sized pool, and a tartan track and field complex.

The co-curricular program plays an important role in the educational program we provide at ENKA. Students are offered an incredible range of nearly 70 clubs and 30 after-school activities to choose from, providing them a wide range of social, cultural, and sporting options.

Some of the options include: the Duke of Edinburgh International Award, Young Guru Academy (YGA), Lego Robotics, Cooking, English Drama, Ceramics, Model United Nations (MUN), European Youth Forum, the International Chain of Awareness, the School Magazine, French Cooking Club, Film Production, Dance, Yoga, Swimming, Exploring Istanbul, the Natural Environment, and various community service options.

Each year the school and students organize many key events, including a Dance Festival, a Film Festival and an MUN Conference. The PYP Exhibition, Turkish and English drama productions, year-end performances, concerts, local and international celebrations, and festivals provide our students with many opportunities to express themselves.

Many students take the opportunities ENKA provides through its impressive athletic, arts, performing arts, and music facilities to pursue their interests and passions in these areas. ENKA student athletes, musicians, and artists are highly successful in teams, competitions, and their exhibitions, both nationally and internationally. Several students have ranked at the top in world championship events. In addition, the school offers team and club sports in over 10 sports. Our visual and performing arts students participate in clubs and activities such as theater, chamber orchestra, music groups, film production, film festivals, art club, photography club, and art projects with Turkish Museums.

Community service is highly emphasized at the core of ENKA School’s Mission. This is reflected throughout K-12 with stu­dents regularly participating in social and community service, which is an actual requirement at middle and high school levels. Students volunteer regularly throughout Istanbul as well as in community service pro­jects throughout Turkey and internationally, including our projects in Baksi, Finike, and Nepal. For the past several years, groups of students and teachers have traveled to underdeveloped areas in Turkey and abroad to help empower under-resourced rural communities.