Bilkent Erzurum Laboratory School, frequently referred to as BELS, is a distinctive coeducational school situated on the Bilkent Campus in Erzurum, Turkey. Serving primary, middle, and senior school students, it uniquely bridges the Turkish national education system with rigorous international standards by offering both British and International Baccalaureate tracks. Families are drawn to its comprehensive academic continuum, which integrates the IB Primary Years, IB Middle Years, IGCSE, and IB Diploma programmes within a specialized laboratory school environment.
What teachers and parents say
Positives
- Motivated, high-achieving students: Teachers frequently highlight the bright, scholarship-selected student body as the most rewarding aspect of the school.
- Modern campus and provided housing: Staff appreciate the award-winning campus architecture, scenic mountain surroundings, and convenient, furnished teacher accommodations.
- Rigorous international curriculum: Highly valued for offering accredited Cambridge IGCSE and International Baccalaureate (IB) programmes rare for the region.
Negatives
- Harsh climate and isolated location: Erzurum's severe, prolonged winters and limited social or cultural life can make living and adapting difficult, especially for foreign hires.
- Insular campus bubble: Living and working in close quarters with colleagues blurs work-life balance, compounded by occasional complaints regarding top-down management.
- Address
- Ihsan Dogramaci Blvd.Bilkent CampusErzurum, 25070Turkey
- Website
- www.bels.bilkent.edu.tr
- [email protected]
- Phone
- 442 342 6170
- System
- British, IB
- National education system
- Turkey
- Curriculum
- IB Diploma, IB Middle Years, IB Primary Years, IGCSE
- Levels
- Primary, Middle school, Senior school
- Enrollment
- 402
- Students
- Coeducational
