International School Manila (ISM) was founded in 1920 by a group of American expatriates in Manila as the American School. This name was changed to the International School in 1970 to reflect the increased diversity of the student body. The school was located in Bel-Air Village, Makati City from 1960 to 2002. In 2002, it relocated to its current site in Fort Bonifacio Global City.
ISM is a Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC)-accredited pre-K-12 institution that continues to primarily serve Manila's multinational community. It is governed by a ten-member Board of Trustees. It offers an English as a Second Language (ESL) program and its high school offers the International Baccalaureate and Advanced Placement programs.
ISM faculty are recruited both locally and internationally. The ISM administration has had extensive conflicts with the International School Alliance of Educators (ISAE), its union of locally-hired faculty members.
ISM maintains a large international alumni network. It is a member of the Interscholastic Association of Southeast Asia Schools (IASAS), along with Jakarta International School, International School Bangkok, International School Kuala Lumpur, Singapore American School and Taipei American School.
