If your plan is to specialise in art and design during the last years of school and then move into a UK creative university, International School of Creative Arts（国际创意艺术学校）is a focused, small-scale option worth understanding properly. This guide covers what the school is, which programmes fit which ages and levels, the entry requirements and English thresholds, the published 2026/27 fees, and how the application and progression support actually works. Every fact below comes from the school’s official website (isca.uk.com) and its published fee documents, accessed 5 August 2026; where the official pages do not publish a figure, this guide says so instead of guessing.
The school at a glance
International School of Creative Arts, known as ISCA, describes itself on its official site as an independent boarding school in South Buckinghamshire for 15 to 19 year olds who want to specialise in art and design. It positions itself as a pre-university creative arts school: the whole curriculum is organised around portfolio preparation rather than a broad general education. The official pages say the school has built a reputation for strong progression to leading art and design universities worldwide, including University of the Arts London (UAL), and report a 100% progression success rate for 2026. Those claims are the school’s own; this guide records them as self-reported rather than as a ranking or comparison with other schools. One structural detail that will matter to families: ISCA is a boarding school with on-site accommodation, so the plan has to include residential life, not just classes.
Programmes for different ages and levels
International School of Creative Artsruns four main programmes, and choosing the right one depends on age and prior qualifications. The Creative Arts Programme (CAP) Level 2 is a one-year course for students aged 15, building foundation skills across specialist art and design areas and leading towards a Level 2 Cambridge Technicals qualification. The A Level Programme is the core two-year route, focused on the visual arts: in Year 1 students choose three subjects from Fine Art, Graphic Communication, Fashion and Textiles and 3D Design, with History of Art: Critical & Contextual Studies as the third-subject option, then sit A Level exams in May of Year 2; students with weak English take an English as a Foreign Language (EFL) programme instead of a third subject. The Portfolio Programme is for students who join directly in Year 2 — they already hold the academic qualification needed for university but lack the body of work for creative degree applications. Finally, the Foundation Diploma in Art, Design and Media (a Level 3 qualification with the Skills and Education Group) runs alongside the A Level second year or the Portfolio Programme, so students leave with two qualifications in one year. Across the A Level and Portfolio routes, students spend one day a week at Central Saint Martins on the Creative Practice Programme, included in the fees.
Entry requirements and English levels
Each route at International School of Creative Artshas its own entry bar, published on the official site. CAP Level 2 requires students to be aged 15 or over on enrolment, with academic transcripts and references, an appropriate art and design portfolio, and English at CEFR level B1 or above for non-native speakers. The A Level Programme requires students to be aged 16 or over on 1 September before enrolment, a minimum of 3 GCSEs or equivalent, a portfolio, and English at CEFR B1; applicants aged 18 or over must provide a Secure English Language Test (SELT), while those aged 17 or younger can use an internal test. Year 2 entry and the Portfolio Programme require students to be aged 17 or over on 1 September, at least 1 A Level or an equivalent high school diploma, a portfolio, and CEFR B1 English, with an overall IELTS of 5.0 and a minimum of 4.5 in each component recommended. The official pages also note that by the start of Year 2 students are expected to show the English level needed for university entry, usually an overall IELTS of 6.0 with a minimum of 5.5 in each skill; the school runs EFL support for students below that. The official pages do not publish one uniform lower language line, so treat the entry-requirements page as the current source of truth.
Fees for 2026/27
The official 2026/27 fee document published by International School of Creative Artssets out tuition and boarding separately. CAP Level 2 is a one-year programme: tuition GBP 41,190, boarding GBP 18,785, plus a GBP 275 enrichment charge. The A Level Programme spans two academic years: year 1 tuition GBP 41,190, boarding GBP 18,785, enrichment GBP 625, with year 2 (2027/28) still to be confirmed. The Portfolio Programme and direct Year 2 entry run for one year: tuition GBP 41,700, boarding GBP 18,785, enrichment GBP 325. All these figures include the Creative Practice Programme at UAL Central Saint Martins and are inclusive of VAT (the school notes it absorbed 50% of the VAT increase). An acceptance deposit of GBP 2,500 is due within two weeks of the offer letter, made up of a non-refundable GBP 1,500 registration fee and a GBP 1,000 student deposit. The Foundation Diploma is charged separately: the official document published on the site shows GBP 12,650 for 2025/26, so the current-year figure should be checked against the latest version. Tuition and boarding may increase in the second year.
Applying and the support around it
The application process at International School of Creative Artsis described on the official site as direct and personal: complete the application form, send a few examples of your artwork, and the school arranges an interview in person or by video, which can lead to a conditional or unconditional offer. A Level students can join in September or January each year, so there is no need to wait for an autumn start. The support structure — what the school calls its progression work — is where the value sits: daily teaching builds the portfolio, the Central Saint Martins Creative Practice Programme runs one day a week in Year 2, and the school works with students on portfolios, personal statements and university interviews to reach the final application stage. The official pages report a 100% progression success rate for 2026 as the school’s own figure. Families should also factor in that boarding life is part of the programme: current students live in single rooms with en suite facilities, with house staff on site.
Campus, term dates and what changes
Location is the detail that changes most for ISCA, so check it early. International School of Creative Artscurrently operates on a campus of over 20 acres in Buckinghamshire, sharing the site with the Teikyo Foundation Japanese school, with an indoor swimming pool, sports hall, tennis courts and football pitches, plus specialist art studios, a 3D printer, laser cutter, printing press and photo-media centre. The official blog announced in 2026 that from September 2026 the school will move to Heathfield School in Ascot, a member of the Mill Hill Education Group, operating in its own dedicated teaching, studio and boarding spaces on that campus, with brand-new purpose-built art and design studios, on-site boarding, and easy access to central London. The published 2026/27 calendar runs: autumn term 15 September to 11 December 2026, spring term 4 January to 24 March 2027, and summer term 19 April to 9 July 2027. Fees, entry requirements and campus arrangements move quickly, and the official website remains the authoritative source; the figures in this guide reflect the version accessed on 5 August 2026. If you would like help deciding which ISCA route fits your child’s age, English level and portfolio, and how it connects to the next stage, our consultants can talk through your specific situation.