Apply for younger years education at UWC
Several UWC schools and colleges offer education for students aged 12-15, in addition to the IBDP for students aged 16-19.
These younger years programmes are rooted in UWC’s mission to make education a force for peace and a sustainable future. They offer age-appropriate, values-driven learning designed to help students grow as active, aware contributors to their communities and wider world.
Students build strong social, emotional and creative skills through hands-on, holistic education. They are encouraged to question, create and engage – both in and beyond the classroom.
While these programmes lay the foundations for academic success – including the IBDP, where relevant – students are supported as individuals with different paths ahead.
Living and learning on campus
Most UWC schools with younger years programmes offer a mix of residential and day options. Some students live in on-campus residences, while others attend classes but live with their families nearby.
The age at which students can board varies by school. In contrast, UWC schools that offer only the IBDP (for students aged 16-19) are fully residential, with all students living and learning on campus.
Find a school’s contact informationSchools offering programmes for younger years programmes
Please note: attending a UWC school during the younger years does not guarantee a place in the IBDP. Each school monitors students’ progress and readiness to ensure the IBDP is the right next step.
Schools with younger years provision
UWC Changshu China welcomes boarding students between the ages of 15 and 19. The school offers 15 year-olds the opportunity to enrol in a one-year long Foundation Programme in preparation for the IBDP (16-19 year-olds).
UWC East Africa welcomes students between the ages of 3 and 20 on its two campuses, Arusha and Moshi. The school offers the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) to 3-11 year-olds, the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) to 11-16 year-olds, and the IBDP to 16-20 year-olds. While Moshi Campus hosts both day students and boarding students for all three programmes, Arusha Campus accepts day students enrolled in the PYP and MYP, and both day students and boarding students in the IBDP
UWC ISAK Japan welcomes boarding students between the ages of 15 and 19. 15 year-old students can join the school as part of its 3-year high school programme, which emphasizes its flagship Leadership Programme in Grade 10, before merging with the 2-year IBDP in Grade 11 (16-19 year-olds).
UWC Maastricht welcomes students between the ages of 4 and 19. UWC Maastricht Primary School caters to 4-11 year-olds, while UWC Maastricht Secondary School offers the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) to 11-16 year-olds, and the IBDP and the IBCP to 16-19 year-olds. The majority of UWC Maastricht’s students are day students and they live with their families in the region. Only IBDP and IBCP students can live on campus as part of the residential programme, and most of them do.
UWC South East Asia welcomes day and boarding students aged 4-18 years to two campuses, Dover and East. UWC South East Asia’s concept-based K-12 curriculum prepares students of all ages for their future by linking their learning in universal concepts to their real-world experiences in Singapore. New students can join the school at any grade in Primary (4-11 years), Middle (12-14 years) or High School (15-17 years), and can graduate with both a UWCSEA High School Diploma and an IB Diploma.
UWC Thailand welcomes students between 2 and 18 years of age. The Early Years Programme consists of play-based learning for the youngest students who are between 2 and 5 years old. The school also offers the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) to 3-12 year-olds, the IB Middle Year Programme (MYP) to 11-16 year-olds, and the IBDP to 16-19 year-olds. The boarding programme at UWC Thailand is open to students in grades 9-12, which cover the last two years of MYP and the IBDP. Day students are eligible to enroll at all grade levels if they are full-time residents in Phuket.
Waterford Kamhlaba UWC of Southern Africa welcomes day and boarding students between the ages of 11 and 19. Students aged 11-15 attend Lower Secondary School and follow the school’s own curriculum. Students aged 15-17 are offered the Cambridge IGCSE programme, and students aged 17-19 study the IBDP.
Find a school’s contact information
*Attending a UWC school during the younger years does not automatically grant students a place at UWC to study the IBDP later in life. All schools offering younger years programmes carefully monitor each individual student’s progress to ensure that the rigorous IBDP followed as part of the two-year programme for 16-19 year-olds is the right course of study for them.