Ihsan Dogramaci Foundation Özel Bilkent Primary and Middle School was founded as Özel Kent Primary School on July 1, 1994 in the Bilkent University Main Campus upon the approval of the Ministry of National Education, Directorate General of Private Schools. The construction of the first school building, a single-storey building which housed four classrooms (1 for preschool and 3 for first grade), a multi-purpose hall, a refectory, an infirmary, and four offices was completed in 1994.
The school was opened by the late Prof. Ihsan Dogramaci, the President of the Foundation, in September 1994.
The building in the Main Campus was extended with the addition of three classrooms, one English and one music classroom, library, art room, and gymnasium in the 1995-1996 academic year. However, the increase in the number of students necessitated larger premises. Thus, the construction of the current school building in the East Campus was initiated in 1997. The new building was opened with a ceremony on September 15, 1997.
When the Act on Eight-year Compulsory Education was put into force in October 1997, our school was merged with Özel Bilkent High School and took over grades 6, 7, and 8. The takeover of the Middle School was completed in 2001.
The school graduated its first class in the 2001-2002 academic year.
In the context of the extension work, the following additions were made to the school building:
• The “D block” housing one big and four small gymnasiums, locker rooms, showers, and storage rooms in the 2001-2002 academic year;
• The “E block” housing the classrooms of 6th, 7th and 8th grades, and the School Library extension in the 2003-2004 academic year;
• The “F block” housing the Preschool, consisting of 7 classrooms for Preschool-1 and Preschool-2 groups, a common room for teachers, offices, library, and storage rooms in the 2010-2011 academic year. Only 6-year-olds were admitted to the preschool until 2010, when the new Preschool building was constructed, and after 2010, classrooms were allocated to both 5-year-olds and 6-year-olds.
The School Executive Board decided to take part in the International Baccalaureate Organization’s (IB) Primary Years Programme in the year 2008. The process of curriculum development and teacher training within the context of this inquiry-based curricular framework continued until 2012. On October 15, 2012, our school was authorized as a World School by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IB).
In line with the changes effected in the National Education system in the 2012-2013 academic year, the preschool groups were arranged as:
• Preschool-1 (3.5- to 4.5-year-olds)
• Preschool-2 (4-5 to 5.5-year-olds)
Students who were 66 months old were admitted to the first grade of our Primary school which covered the grades from 1 to 4. Our Middle School started to offer 4-year education after the integration of grade 5.
Both schools are housed in the same building and directed by two principals, located in separate blocks.
Ihsan Dogramaci Foundation Özel Bilkent Primary and Middle School aims to offer authentic education in line with the Principles and Revolutions of Atatürk in order to educate its students to become the intellectual leaders of the 21st century.
Thus, the educational institutions constructed by the Ihsan Dogramaci Foundation around Turkey include Özel Bilkent High School, Özel Bilkent Ankara Laboratory Primary and Middle School and High School, Music and Performing Arts, Primary School, Middle School and High School in Ankara, Özel Bilkent Erzurum Laboratory Primary School and High School in Erzurum, and Private Bilkent Erbil Primary School in Erbil.
