Busan Foreign School

Busan Foreign School opened its doors to the Busan community and its surrounding areas in October of 1996. With only two students originally, it has since expanded to encompass nursery to twelfth grade, currently educating over 220 students from 25 different nations. In addition to the increase in enrollment, the curriculum has developed into a highly rigorous American standards-based program that offers students a wide variety of courses and activities.

Located in the popular Haeundae New Town area, Busan Foreign School is situated among modern high rises, an array of Asian and western-style restaurants, scenic hiking trails, and the popular and picturesque Haeundae Beach. This neighborhood has seen continuous growth of foreign business and development since its inception and shows no sign of slowing down.  Since Busan is the major port of South Korea, shipping and international trade are the major industries in the city.

BFS stands out as the premiere English speaking school in Busan.  BFS is the only English speaking school in the city to graduate students from high school.  The graduating class of 2010 was accepted to 22 universities worldwide, some of which were ranked among the top 200 universites in the world.  BFS is also the only international school in the Busan area that is fully accredited from kindergarten to the 12th grade by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC). Other school affiliations include the East Asia Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS), the Minister of Education, Republic of Korea (certification), Korean Council of Overseas Schools (KORCOS), American Chamber of Commerce in Korea (AMCHAM), European Union Chamber of Commerce in Korea (EUCCK), National Honor Society (NHS), National Junior Honor Society, the National Association of Student Councils, and the Southern Korean Athletic Conference (SKAC).

Busan Foreign School offers all classes for students at any school aged level.  We have a full-day nursery program for three year olds as well as a full-day pre-school program for four year olds.  We offer fully inclusive elementary classes in grade K-5.  In addition for middle and high school students in 2011/2012, the school provides a variety of electives and core courses such as: AP environmental science, AP literature, AP Calculus, pre-AP history, orchestra, physical education, health, band, art, creative writing, Korean, Japanese, English Language Learner (ELL) centers, world religions, current events, speech and presentation, writing and grammar, language arts, yearbook, research methods, and multimedia.

BFS educators from the USA, Canada and New Zealand have years of teaching experience in Korea, their home countries, and many other countries around the world.  Our teachers are dedicated to an inclusive, participatory approach to instruction where students’ individual needs and learning styles are accommodated. This is accomplished by maintaining small class sizes and offering additional assistance through after-school programs and individual tutoring. In addition, BFS offers an inclusion and placement program for students who require extra guidance in learning English (ELL classes).

The BFS academic year consists of two semesters. The first semester begins August 23rd and ends January 14th. The second semester runs from January 17th to June 10th. The three major holiday periods during the year are the Christmas and New Year holidays, the spring holidays, and the summer holidays. Korean and some American national holidays are also observed.