Tarabya British Schools (TBS) Istanbul
Reviews & Information

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yasemin ozhatay, 2 years ago

mediocre at best. I'm a student there, and my experience wasn't good nor bad. The only major complaint I have is about the attitude of some of the teachers have towards learning. It's like a few students don't even't exist in their eyes.

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Eren, a year ago

As an ex student in this school, I would not recommend it in the slightest. The only reason why this school isn't demolished yet is the way it is marketed to the parents of potential "money bags" (at least that's how the founder of the school would put it). The staff is genuine for the most part, didn't have a bad time with the majority of them. I do know, however, that they were deprived from their hard earned paychecks while I was enrolled there. Which leads me to the main reason why you absolutely shouldn't enroll anyone you know of here. They care about money, not students or how their qualities are. If they are smart, they are privileged to pay less. If they have a twisted personality, it can always be covered with some banknotes. I'm still waiting to get my money back for the year I DIDN'T study there. Puddings were decent, but I hope that's not the only thing you are looking for in a school. If so, please feel free to send your kid here :)

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Lisa Koepfgen, 8 months ago

I am an experienced American teacher who has taught in three different countries. I accepted a job offer to teach Pre K at Tarabaya British Schools’ Yeniköy campus and moved from Thailand to Turkey. Upon arrival, I discovered that I was the fourth teacher that my Pre K class had seen and it was only 6 months into the school year. I later discovered why. They signed a contract with me through August and despite finishing out the school year, they failed to pay me. The school also claims they use British curriculum, but this is far from the truth. When I arrived there wasn’t a curriculum to follow and I was told to steal my curriculum by searching for images and worksheets on Google, removing any copyright info and then to copy and paste it onto a word document with a Tarabaya School header. The parents pay an expensive tuition for British Curriculum, but never receive it. In April there was another teacher who was promised a work permit, residency, insurance, but the school gave her the run around and would not fulfill their promise despite her teaching for four months. She then returned to the UK and they stiffed her in her earned pay. I then was asked to teach her entire class without any help from the Turkish teachers. I was more than happy to help, but thought the classes should be split up among the three remaining Pre K teachers equally. I was then bullied and harassed as they requested Pre K meetings 10pm at night. In the midst of the pandemic and the lockdowns, they showed up at my home unannounced and demanded I go with them. They asked me to get into a car with them to meet Mehmet. Again there was no appointment and with the stay at home order I was not even properly dressed to leave the house. Yet they insisted I go and violate social distancing orders which I could be legally fined for. I no longer felt comfortable in my home as they thought they could stop by at any time and order me to go places with them. Despite this, I finished the school year online and had great reviews from my parents. Mehmet, the school owner promised me that the rumors of other teachers not receiving their pay was not true and that the school is in great financial condition and will fulfill their end of the contract. Then I found an article in the newspaper that states they have not paid the school’s rent in more than two years. There are also many reports that other teachers have made about not receiving their pay all over Istanbul’s Green List and Black List groups as well as pending lawsuits. When I messaged Mehmet to tell him I did not receive my paycheck, he blocked me. I messaged Melis and received no reply. I learned that this practice is the very reason why my class had four teachers in one year. The school is involved in many illegal operations. Please be careful if you wish to place your son or daughter in a class there.

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Ahmed Candan, 10 months ago

My kids would come back complaining every day about the school and the teachers. Wouldn’t recommend

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Louie Moore, 2 years ago

wonderful advertising, zero substance! Everything they do is just for show and they don't care about the well being of the students, nor the teachers. For more information read the yelp reviews for this school.