Etiler, Beşiktaş — İstanbul

uNiK
International School

Reggio Emilia Approach | Etiler, İstanbul

A warm, bilingual international school where curious young minds thrive through child-led inquiry, creativity, and the joy of discovery. Located in the heart of Etiler, Istanbul.

Apply for Admissions Discover Our Approach

Reggio Emilia

International

Etiler

İstanbul

International Community — 24 nationalities

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Reggio Emilia

Child-Led Approach

📍 Etiler, İstanbul

Children engaged in creative school activities

Students exploring and learning together

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International
Community

About uNiK

Learning That Inspires
Every Child

uNiK International School is a bilingual, child-centered school in the heart of Etiler, Istanbul. We believe every child is capable, creative, and full of potential — and our environment is designed to let that shine.

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Child-Led Inquiry

We follow the child's curiosity. Projects and explorations emerge from children's own questions and interests.

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International & Bilingual

A truly international environment where children develop fluency, cultural awareness, and global citizenship.

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Community & Collaboration

Families, educators, and children form a learning community together — school is a shared space for everyone.

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100 Languages of Children

Art, music, movement, storytelling — we honor all the ways children express and understand their world.

Our Educational Philosophy

The Reggio Emilia Approach

Born in Reggio Emilia, Italy after World War II, this approach to early childhood education recognizes children as competent, curious, and capable co-creators of knowledge.

"Children must be recognized as having rights rather than simply needs. They have a right to outstanding care and education." — Loris Malaguzzi, Founder of the Reggio Emilia Approach

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Project-Based Learning

Children dive deep into topics they are passionate about. Long-term, in-depth projects unfold over days, weeks, or even months — developing persistence, reasoning, and critical thinking.

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Environment as the Third Teacher

Our classrooms are carefully curated spaces that invite exploration. Light, natural materials, open-ended tools, and thoughtful arrangement all play a role in children's learning.

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Documentation & Reflection

Teachers observe, listen, and document children's thinking. This visible learning makes the process transparent to families and helps educators deepen their practice.

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Family as Partners

Families are considered essential collaborators, not just observers. At uNiK, we build a strong bridge between home and school so children experience consistency and security.

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100 Languages

Children communicate and learn through movement, art, music, drama, science, and play. We honor every form of expression as a valid language of learning.

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Emergent Curriculum

Our curriculum is not pre-set. It emerges from children's interests and grows organically. Teachers are guides and co-researchers alongside the children they work with.

Our Values

What Makes uNiK Special

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Learning Organization

We choose the most suitable teachers who believe in the mission of education and are capable of supporting our children to the maximum.

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Our Children

Learners at uNiK are defined as individuals beyond numerical metrics. Each child brings their own unique story, personality, and potential.

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Our School

Our primary school nurtures life skills like problem-solving, teamwork, communication, and critical thinking alongside academic foundations.

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uNiK Family

We are a big family — the principal, students, teachers, parents, and managers all form a warm community where everyone belongs.

International Community

24+ Nationalities

An international school with children from more than 24 different countries, creating a rich and diverse learning community.

🧭 Our Direction

Each child is a different, unique story. Education is not about producing copies of the same standard student. Everyone has their own unique personality interwoven from different colours, tastes and shapes. Everyone has their own "recipe" of traits, hobbies, skills, and languages.

🔥 Our Passion

Staff from diverse cultural backgrounds. Leaders with multidisciplinary experiences. Methods using interactive learning strategies. Plans focused on children having daily opportunities to learn actively with hands, minds, and emotions. Education should be continuous everywhere kids could be.

🏆 Our Challenge

Everyone has a unique destination where they will and should excel and innovate. Our challenge is to discover each child's hidden potential and guide them towards their own unique path of greatness.

Our People

uNiK's Passionate Team

"One difficult thing is to choose the most suitable teachers who believe in the mission of education and are capable of supporting our children to the maximum."

Children participating in hands-on learning activities

Our Teachers

Lead Educators

Passionate, trained educators who believe deeply in the Reggio Emilia philosophy. They are co-researchers alongside every child.

🌻 Meet the Team

Studio Educators

Arts & Creativity

Our atelieristi bring the studio arts to life, guiding children through painting, sculpture, music, and creative expression.

📚 Get in Touch

Program Coordinators

Curriculum & Family Liaison

Dedicated coordinators who build the bridge between families and school — ensuring transparency, communication, and partnership.

Meet Our Team — WhatsApp

Join uNiK

Admissions & Enrollment

We welcome families who believe in child-centered, creative, and joyful learning. Here's how to begin your uNiK journey.

🧒 Open Enrollment for Early Childhood Ages

Initial Inquiry

Reach out to us via WhatsApp or email. Tell us about your child, your family's values, and what drew you to the Reggio Emilia approach.

School Visit & Tour

We invite you and your child to visit uNiK. See the classrooms, meet the educators, and feel the atmosphere for yourself.

Orientation Meeting

A deeper conversation with our team to discuss the Reggio Emilia philosophy, your child's needs, and how we partner with families.

Enrollment & Welcome

Complete enrollment paperwork and begin the transition process. Our team supports you and your child every step of the way.

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Ready to Begin?

Contact us today to learn about current openings, schedule a visit, and start a conversation about your child's future at uNiK International School.

Chat on WhatsApp

+90 (544) 770 30 30 · Usually replies quickly

Our Recipe

Methods We Apply

Reggio Emilia

An internationally acclaimed, award-winning, Italian methodology which focuses on the uniqueness of learning experience for children. It ensures the importance of exploring the undiscovered '100 languages' that children are naturally born with.

Cognia (AdvancED)

Cognia (formerly AdvancED) is an American accreditation body which has delivered quality education for tens of years in schools all over the world. They serve 40,000 schools and 4 million students around the world. uNiK is initially accredited from its agency.

100 DiL

100DiL program believes that kids in early years don't need class walls, chairs, and some rules to learn. Kids need love, belief, and a playground to dream, invent, and learn. The program's main target is to help parents to explore their kids' inner feelings and hidden skills.

Organic Food

We have taken extra care to provide only natural and organic food for our students. Children will have the opportunity to learn to cook selected meals by themselves. We take any allergies our students have seriously.

School Building

Our school is designed to be a place where children love and enjoy learning. We purposely designed our campus to have open areas bigger than closed ones. The building has been certified by Istanbul Technical University (ITU) for exceptional earthquake safety.

Natural Furniture

All our furniture is made of natural wood and has been especially treated with a chemical-free process for the safety of our students. All flooring is also made of natural, anti-bacterial material.

Testimonials

What Our Parents Say

"He loved his school from the first moment he entered the door. My favorite parts of this school are the sincerity and freedom you feel as you enter the door. They really treat and evaluate each student separately. The founder of the school, Sumeyye Hanim, is an incredibly sweet person, she is open to all kinds of ideas, negative or positive criticism." — Merve Kocakurt

"I can say this about uNiK school... it's indescribable, and must be experienced." — Songul Guney

"They have a different methodology that guides the child to acquire new knowledge. My son started yoga, dancing, learned notes, speaks Italian words. Instead of a classroom environment, there are open areas where children will feel more free. The child's spirit is not crushed under the weight of academic education." — uNiK Parent

"As an educational member of the uNiK family, I don't know if I could find another school to entrust my daughter to. From the Founder of the School, to the teachers, to the cleanliness and safety, everyone is warm and passionate about their job like a family." — uNiK Parent

"The school administrator is very equipped and humble about education. My daughter made a smooth transition from kindergarten to primary school. From the service to the cafeteria staff, from the teacher to the principal it's a family environment. Thank you Mrs. Sumeyye." — uNiK Parent

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