"The International School of Latvia, known locally as the International School of Riga (ISR), is a private, non-profit, non-denominational international school serving families in Latvia's vibrant capital city."
Founded in 1998, the school has built a quarter-century of experience educating children from the earliest years through secondary school, making it one of the most established international educational communities in the Baltic region. ISR offers a continuous, English-language education for children aged two through eighteen, spanning Preschool through Grade 12. The school is a proud member of the International Baccalaureate organization, offering all three core IB programmes across its grade levels: the Primary Years Programme (PYP) from Preschool through Grade 5, the Middle Years Programme (MYP) for students in the middle school years, and the Diploma Programme (DP) at the senior secondary level. This seamless IB continuum means that families who enroll young children can follow a single, coherent educational philosophy all the way through to university preparation, providing welcome consistency for students whose lives may already involve frequent transitions. The school community is notably international in character, with a student body of approximately 330 students representing around 47 nationalities. This diversity is one of ISR's most defining features, creating a classroom environment in which children naturally develop cross-cultural awareness and global-mindedness — values that sit at the heart of the IB philosophy. For expat families and relocating professionals arriving in Riga, this means their children are likely to find peers who understand the experience of moving between countries and building friendships across cultural boundaries. All instruction is delivered in English, which makes ISR an accessible and reassuring choice for anglophone families as well as international families who rely on English as a common language. The IB framework itself encourages multilingualism and inquiry-based learning, fostering independent thinking, intellectual curiosity, and a genuine love of learning that prepares students well for universities around the world. Situated in Riga, students and families benefit from life in one of Europe's most architecturally stunning capitals, renowned for its medieval Old Town, Art Nouveau heritage, and growing reputation as a cultural and technology hub in Northern Europe. The city offers a high quality of life at a relatively accessible cost compared to many Western European capitals, and Latvia's membership in the European Union means families enjoy the connectivity and mobility that comes with being based in the heart of modern Europe. For families weighing their options, ISR represents a well-established, values-driven community where academic rigour and international mindedness are woven together from the very first years of schooling. Its longevity, the breadth of its IB offering, and the remarkable diversity of its student body collectively make it the natural choice for internationally mobile families making Riga their temporary or long-term home.