01
Strong Foundations
10 hours of mathematics and 6 hours of sciences a week in every grade, alongside the full national curriculum in Kazakh and Russian.
Beta High School
International School Profile
International School Profile 2026–2027
Beta High SchoolPrivate international school · Grades 8–11
Almaty, KazakhstanState Education Licence No. KZ01LAA00036849
bhs.kz/schoolprofileFor university admissions offices
01 — Beta High School at a Glance
Key figures
All figures reported by the school for the 2026–2027 academic year unless stated otherwise.
2022
Founded
Almaty, Kazakhstan
600+
Students
Grades 8–11
8–11
Grades
Equivalent to US Grades 9–12 / UK Years 10–13
11:1
Student–teacher ratio
51 faculty members
18–20
Average class size
Maximum 20 students per class
100%
University offers
Class of 2026 — every graduate received at least one offer from a university outside Kazakhstan
500+
University offers received
Class of 2026, 153 graduates
19
Countries — partner institutions
130+ institutional partnerships
6
Primary destination regions
United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, UAE, South Korea
02 — About Beta High School
A university-preparatory school built around international admissions
Beta High School is a private international school in Almaty, Kazakhstan, founded in 2022 and licensed by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The school enrolls students in Grades 8–11 — the final four years of the Kazakhstani 11-year secondary system, equivalent to US Grades 9–12.
Students complete the national curriculum and receive the State Certificate of General Secondary Education. In parallel, the school delivers a structured four-year international university-preparatory programme: intensive English, SAT-level mathematics, preparation for external examinations, career profiling and individual university counseling from Grade 8.
The school was founded by Bakhnur Ziyabekov, an educator with more than twenty years of experience in mathematics education and international admissions counseling, and Vice-President of the Kazakhstan Association of Mathematics Teachers. Beta High School grew out of Alpha Academy, his earlier admissions-preparation programme.
The school's mission is to prepare Kazakhstani students who can compete academically at an international level and build their futures without geographic limits.
What distinguishes the model
Compared with a conventional Kazakhstani secondary school
Admissions preparation is part of the core timetable. English (9 hours a week), SAT preparation, Global Perspectives and career guidance are scheduled subjects, not after-school services.
Counseling starts in Grade 8. Each student follows an individual four-year roadmap: profiling, university exploration, testing strategy, applications.
Dual outcome. Graduates hold a Kazakhstani state certificate and a complete international application file — test scores, essays, recommendations and portfolio.
Accountability to the family. The school, not a set of external tutors and agents, is responsible for the student's progress from Grade 8 to the university offer.
Licence: State Education Licence No. KZ01LAA00036849, issued 9 December 2024 by the Almaty City Department for Quality Assurance in Education, Committee for Quality Assurance in Education, Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
03 — Academic Philosophy
The Beta academic model
Six components, sequenced across four years. Foundations and advanced learning are delivered within the timetable; research, critical thinking and global perspective are built through project work, competitions and the counseling programme.
02
Advanced Learning
Extended-depth English and SAT-level mathematics; preparation for SAT, IELTS, TOEFL, TOPIK, TOLC-I and HSK.
03
Research & Inquiry
Laboratory science, robotics, student startup projects and competition-based project work with publication and presentation outcomes.
04
Critical Thinking
Global Perspectives and Creative Writing courses; Debate Club and Model United Nations for argumentation and analysis.
05
Global Perspective
University visits, international academic camps, elective Korean, Chinese and Italian, and a faculty with degrees from universities in Kazakhstan, the United States and beyond.
06
Individual Development
Career profiling and an individual student roadmap from Grade 8, maintained by a dedicated counselor through the university offer.
04 — Curriculum & Academic Pathways
Four years, one pathway
The Kazakhstani secondary system ends at Grade 11. Beta High School's Grades 8–11 correspond to US Grades 9–12 and UK Years 10–13.
Grade 8
US Grade 9 · UK Year 10
- Foundation English, EEP
- Algebra, Geometry, Sciences
- Career profiling begins
- 34 hours / week
Grade 9
US Grade 10 · UK Year 11
- English, Global Perspectives
- SAT mathematics introduced
- University exploration
- 37 hours / week
Grade 10
US Grade 11 · UK Year 12
- IELTS / TOEFL preparation
- SAT preparation, Creative Writing
- Testing & extracurricular strategy
- 40 hours / week
Grade 11
US Grade 12 · UK Year 13
- Applications: Common App, UCAS, direct
- State examinations & certificate
- Scholarship strategy, interviews
- 34 hours / week
Core subjects
| Subject | Language |
|---|---|
| English | English |
| Algebra · Geometry | Kazakh / Russian |
| SAT Preparation | English |
| Physics · Chemistry · Biology | Kazakh / Russian |
| Computer Science | Kazakh / Russian |
| Kazakh Language · Russian Language · Literature | Kazakh / Russian |
| History of Kazakhstan · World History · Law · Geography | Kazakh / Russian |
| Global Perspectives | English |
| Creative Writing | English |
| Career Guidance & University Counseling | English |
Academic tracks
From Grade 9 students follow one of two tracks — STEM or Humanities — which determines subject emphasis and the university shortlist developed with the counselor.
External examination preparation
| Examination | Purpose |
|---|---|
| SAT | United States, Hong Kong, Asia |
| IELTS · TOEFL iBT | English proficiency, all destinations |
| TOPIK | Korean universities |
| HSK | Chinese universities |
| TOLC-I | Italian universities |
Electives
Korean, Chinese and Italian language courses; Olympiad preparation in mathematics, physics and English.
Beta High School does not offer AP, A-Level or IB programmes. The curriculum is the Kazakhstani national programme extended with the school's own international university-preparatory courses.
05 — Academic Rigor
Instructional time and assessment
Students carry 34 to 40 timetabled hours a week — above the national norm — with mathematics and English forming a third of the timetable in every grade.
Weekly hours, identical for mathematics, English and sciences across Grades 8–11. Total: 34 h (Grade 8), 37 h (Grade 9), 40 h (Grade 10), 34 h (Grade 11).
Grading and reporting
Beta High School uses the national two-level assessment system, recorded in the state Kundelik.kz platform.
| Level | Scale | Reported |
|---|---|---|
| Formative assessment | 0–10 | Continuous, every lesson |
| Summative assessment | 1–5 | Quarterly and annual report cards (5 = highest) |
Official transcripts are issued in Kazakh/Russian with certified English translation on request. The school does not rank students and does not weight grades.
Standardized testing — school record
| Test | Highest | Mean, all test-takers |
|---|---|---|
| SAT | 1570 | 1200 |
| IELTS | 8.0 | 6.0 |
| TOEFL iBT | 104 | 90 |
Every graduating cohort includes students scoring SAT 1500+ and IELTS 8.0.
06 — Student Outcomes
University destinations
Universities from which Beta High School graduates have received admission offers, Classes of 2025–2026. Listed alphabetically within region; inclusion reflects a confirmed offer to a Beta student and does not imply an institutional partnership.
United States
- Arizona State University
- Barry University
- Michigan State University
- Pace University
- Pennsylvania State University
- Rochester Institute of Technology
- Stony Brook University (SUNY)
- University of Arizona
- University of Minnesota, Twin Cities
- Webster University
United Kingdom
- Bournemouth University
- Coventry University
- De Montfort University
- Heriot-Watt University
- Middlesex University
- Richmond American University London
Hong Kong · China · Korea
- The Hong Kong Polytechnic University
- Xiamen University Malaysia
- Inha University
Australia
- James Cook University
- Murdoch University
- University of Wollongong
United Arab Emirates · Malaysia
- Rochester Institute of Technology, Dubai
- Murdoch University Dubai
- Asia Pacific University of Technology & Innovation
- Taylor's University
Kazakhstan
- Nazarbayev University
Primary destination regions for the Class of 2026: United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, China, United Arab Emirates and South Korea. A full year-by-year destination list is maintained by the University Counseling Office and available on request.
07 — University Matriculation
Class of 2026 in numbers
153
Graduates
Class of 2026
100%
Applied abroad
Every graduate applied to universities outside Kazakhstan
100%
Received offers
At least one offer from a university outside Kazakhstan
500+
Total offers
Across 6 primary destination regions
90%
Scholarship recipients
Merit- or need-based awards, including full-tuition scholarships
≈ $10M
Scholarship value
Aggregate value of scholarship offers, Class of 2026
Graduating cohorts
Number of graduates by year
60
156
153
Class of 2024
Class of 2025
Class of 2026
Scholarship outcomes by year
| Cohort | Graduates | With scholarship |
|---|---|---|
| Class of 2025 | 156 | 80% |
| Class of 2026 | 153 | 90% |
Highest award: 100% tuition scholarship. Scholarships were awarded by universities in the United States, United Kingdom, Hong Kong, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, Australia and South Korea.
08 — Student Achievements
Selected results, 2025–2026
Competition results and standardized-test records that illustrate the academic profile of Beta students.
Standardized testing
Temirlan Merimbayev
SAT 1570 / 1600
Top 1% worldwide. Full-tuition scholarship offers; admitted to The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Stony Brook University and Nazarbayev University.
Mathematics — international
International mathematics competition
2nd place, 2026
Team Beta High School.
Science — international
International science competition
2nd place
Robotics — international
International robotics competition
1st place
School robotics team.
Entrepreneurship — international
Madi Batyrkhanov
IT startup project
Selected for an international student startup competition.
Republican Olympiads
National Olympiad results
English 2nd · Physics 3rd · Mathematics 3rd
Republican Subject Olympiads of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
Debate
Almaty city debate tournaments
1st and 2nd place
Beta Debate Club; Model United Nations delegation.
Admissions
Adina Khalikh
12 applications — 12 offers
Offers from the United States, United Kingdom, Australia, UAE and Malaysia including Rochester Institute of Technology, Heriot-Watt and Pace University.
Admissions
Amir Kilimov
9 offers, US and Asia
Michigan State, Arizona State, Pennsylvania State, University of Minnesota, University of Arizona, Murdoch, Middlesex.
09 — Research, Innovation & Entrepreneurship
Academic enrichment beyond the timetable
Beyond examined coursework, Beta students take part in project work that produces a tangible outcome — a competition entry, a prototype, a publication or a pitch. The school operates science laboratories and a robotics programme, and supports student startup projects through its entrepreneurship track.
Recent outcomes include a first-place finish at an international robotics competition, a student IT startup selected for an international competition, and student work accepted for publication and presented at student research conferences.
| Area | Format |
|---|---|
| Science laboratories | Practical physics, chemistry and biology within the timetable |
| Robotics | School team; international competition, 1st place |
| Entrepreneurship | Student startup projects; international competition entries |
| Publications & conferences | Student publications; participation in research conferences |
| Olympiad preparation | Mathematics, physics, English — national and international level |
QuestionA problem chosen with a subject teacher or counselor
ResearchLiterature, data and method
ExperimentLaboratory, prototype or product
AnalysisResults, limitations, conclusions
PresentationCompetition, publication or conference
10 — Global Exposure
International environment
Beta High School distinguishes three types of relationship with universities. Institutional partnerships are formal agreements; university visits are academic exposure and do not imply partnership; university destinations are listed separately on page 06.
Institutional partnerships
130+ universities and university colleges in 19 countries with which the school holds cooperation agreements — typically priority consideration and accelerated scholarship decisions for Beta applicants.
| Region | Institutions |
|---|---|
| Türkiye | 21 |
| Australia & New Zealand | 22 |
| United Kingdom | 16 |
| Malaysia | 14 |
| United Arab Emirates | 11 |
| Canada & United States | 10 |
| Continental Europe | 23 |
| South Korea | 6 |
| Singapore, Indonesia, Sri Lanka, Cyprus | 11 |
Including Koç University, Constructor University Bremen, Vilnius University, Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, Heriot-Watt University, Inha University and Kangwon National University.
University visits to Beta
Admissions representatives who have visited the school and met students on campus.
- Stony Brook University
- University of New Hampshire
- Stetson University
- Troy University
- La Salle University
- Queen's University
- College of San Mateo
- Kangwon National University
- Woosong University
- University of Pécs
- University of New York in Prague
- Constructor University, Bremen
- Coventry University
- Middlesex University Dubai
- Murdoch University Dubai
- Xiamen University Malaysia
- Asia Pacific University, Malaysia
- Cyprus International University
Student academic visits
Campus visits and academic camps attended by Beta students.
- NYU Abu Dhabi
- NYU Shanghai
- Shanghai Jiao Tong University
- Fudan University
- East China University of Science and Technology
- Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi
Programmes
- Shanghai academic camp
- Dubai academic camp
- Summer schools abroad
- Educational trips: Malaysia, South Korea
- International competitions and conferences
Faculty
5 international faculty members; 20 faculty hold degrees from universities outside Kazakhstan.
11 — University Counseling & Preparation
A four-year counseling programme
University counseling is a timetabled subject from Grade 8. Each student has an individual roadmap and a dedicated counselor through the university offer; an essay mentor supports personal statements and application essays.
Grade 8
Academic profiling
- Career testing and profiling
- Individual student roadmap
- Language baseline
Grade 9
University exploration
- STEM / Humanities track
- Country and system overview
- University visits
Grade 10
Testing & extracurricular strategy
- SAT, IELTS / TOEFL
- Portfolio, leadership, volunteering
- Preliminary shortlist
Grade 11
Applications
- Common App, UCAS, direct applications
- Essays with essay mentor
- Recommendations, interviews, scholarships
Services provided by the school
- Individual counseling meetings
- Career testing and profiling
- University shortlist
- Personal statement and essay mentoring
- Common Application
- UCAS
- Scholarship strategy
- Interview preparation
- Recommendation letters and school report
- Portfolio development
Counseling team
The programme is led by a Director of University Counseling supported by a team of counselors and academic advisors. Faculty and counselors have visited universities in the United States, United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, Malaysia, South Korea and China.
Documents issued to universities: transcripts, school report, counselor and teacher recommendations, certified translations, and this School Profile.
12 — Faculty
Academic leadership
51
Faculty members
30
Master's degrees
3
PhDs
20
International degrees
Degrees from universities outside Kazakhstan
5
International faculty
8.0
IELTS — English faculty
English teachers hold IELTS 8.0 and CELTA
Principal
Saltanat Khudaibergenova
PhD · University of Washington
18 years in education
Academic Director
[Name]
MSc · Nazarbayev University
[Years] · [Specialization]
Head of Mathematics
[Name]
PhD · Al-Farabi Kazakh National University
[Years] · Olympiad mathematics, SAT Math
Head of Science
[Name]
[Degree · University]
[Years] · [Specialization]
Director of University Counseling
[Name]
BS · Suleyman Demirel University
[Years] · International admissions
Head of Admissions Preparation
[Name]
[Degree] · Harvard University
[Years] · Application strategy, essays
Research & Innovation Lead
[Name]
PhD · [University, USA]
[Years] · [Specialization]
Head of English
[Name]
[Degree · University] · IELTS 8.0 · CELTA
[Years] · IELTS / TOEFL preparation
Founder
Bakhnur Ziyabekov
Degrees from Al-Farabi KazNU, NYU, Harvard University, MEPhI
20+ years · Mathematics education, international admissions · Vice-President, Kazakhstan Association of Mathematics Teachers
13 — Student Life & Community
Beyond the classroom
Extracurricular life at Beta is organised around leadership, service and competition — the areas that universities read most closely in an application. Student Council, Debate Club and Model United Nations, and the school's volunteering programmes are the strongest strands.
Hello Aul — the school's volunteering programme places Beta students as teaching volunteers in rural schools across Kazakhstan; students also run free community language courses.
| Area | Activities |
|---|---|
| Leadership | Student Council; leadership programme; social projects |
| Debate | Debate Club; Model United Nations |
| Service | Hello Aul rural volunteering; community language courses |
| Entrepreneurship | Student startup projects |
| Sport | Football, volleyball, tennis, chess, MMA |
| Languages | Korean, Chinese, Italian clubs and electives |
Contact
Beta High School
International School Profile 2026–2027
Websitebhs.kz
University Counseling Officeinfo@bhs.kz
Phone+7 747 777 86 64
Address4 Zhandosov Street, Almaty 050046, Kazakhstan
Instagram@bhs.edu.kz
bhs.kz
bhs.kz/schoolprofile
State Education Licence No. KZ01LAA00036849 · Ministry of Education of the Republic of Kazakhstan · Information current as of September 2026.