Online School & Homeschool in Tel Aviv

Online school and international curriculum in Tel Aviv

For Tel Aviv families — Cambridge and IB taught live in your own hours, because Israel is the closest country to our clock we teach.

Live online Cambridge IGCSE, Cambridge A-Level, Pearson Edexcel International, IB Diploma Programme, and American Curriculum with Advanced Placement (AP) for Tel Aviv families. The city runs one of the densest technology and start-up ecosystems anywhere, with a professional community drawn from across the English-speaking and French-speaking world, and yet remarkably few international schools for that profile. Families who arrived mid-schooling, or who want their children to keep a route back to a university in London, New York, Paris or Toronto, come to us for one specific thing: an internationally examined record alongside the Israeli one. And Israel sits closer to our teaching clock than any country we serve.

Challenges Tel Aviv families face

Few international schools relative to the city's international professional population.
Children arriving mid-curriculum from English-speaking or French-speaking systems.
Families wanting to keep a route back to UK, US, French or Canadian universities.
Home education requires an annual Ministry permit and the child must meet system standards.
Time zone: Israel is one hour behind us in winter and exactly the same time in summer — the closest in our coverage.

Why Tel Aviv families choose Smartious

The closest clock we have: Israel is one hour behind our teaching base in winter and exactly level in summer, so every hour of our day is available — after school, mid-morning or evening, whichever suits.
Computing and mathematics depth for a technology city: Cambridge A-Level Computer Science, Mathematics and Further Mathematics suit the sector that defines Tel Aviv.
A route back for olim families: Cambridge A-Levels are read natively by UCAS and directly by American, French and Canadian universities — a record that travels in the direction many families came from.
Live small groups, not self-study: Four to six students with a subject specialist, which is a different product from a curriculum package.
Honest about the permit: Home education in Israel needs an annual Ministry permit and we cannot obtain or influence one. We teach; the permit is between the family and the Ministry.

Israeli education is governed by the Compulsory Education Law of 1949 and its amendments, administered by the Ministry of Education. Education is compulsory for children from age three to fifteen inclusive, or until completion of ten years of schooling beginning at the latest at age five, with free education continuing beyond that — and because the law has been amended over the years, families should confirm the boundaries applying to their own child with the Ministry rather than take them from an article. The law recognises State education and State religious education, alongside recognised but not official institutions supervised by the Ministry and independent institutions that are recognised but not supervised. One point newcomers often miss: parents may choose the stream their children attend but not the specific school, since the local school board refers children in accordance with social integration policy. On home education, Israel operates a permission tier rather than a prohibition or a free framework. The Director General's directive states that the position of the Israeli education system is that the place of students of compulsory education age is within the institutional educational framework, and that educational authorities should do everything possible to allocate a suitable learning environment for each student. A permit is granted for one school year only and must be renewed annually, and a child for whom home education is approved must meet the standards set by the educational system. In practice the picture is more accommodating than that formal posture suggests: the Ministry approves the great majority of requests — in 2006/2007 it approved 155 and denied 8 — and policy since 2009 has allowed home education on condition the family fulfils state requirements, which the Supreme Court noted in a decision applies to most families who request permission. Ministry internal guidelines for processing applications have been published in Hebrew. Families have also reported being summoned to Ministry tribunals over concerns ranging from socialisation to other matters, with the possibility of permission being revoked; we report that neutrally because a family planning around a permit should know it is reviewed rather than granted once. The number of children educated at home is reported to be higher than the official figure. What that means for us is simple: we teach, and the permit is entirely a matter between the family and the Ministry. Smartious is not a Ministry of Education recognised institution, issues no Israeli qualification, and does not teach toward the Bagrut.

Smartious delivers to Tel Aviv families online; the live programme is complete without in-person supplementation.

Live online via Smartious LMS. Israel sits one hour behind our teaching base in winter and exactly level in summer, so the entire teaching day is available — after-school, mid-morning and evening slots all work, which is true of no other country we serve. Every session is recorded.

Tel Aviv runs one of the densest technology and start-up ecosystems anywhere, with an international and returning-diaspora professional community and remarkably few international schools for that profile. Israel runs IST (UTC+2), moving to IDT (UTC+3) in summer — one hour behind our teaching base in winter and exactly level in summer.

Family situations we work with

Technology, start-up and venture families with international backgrounds.
Olim who arrived mid-schooling from the UK, US, France, Canada or South Africa.
Families whose children may apply to universities abroad.
Households wanting A-Levels or the IB alongside the Israeli route.
Students needing a subject their school cannot staff for a small group.
Families holding a current home-education permit who need subject teaching.

Tel Aviv communities and nearby areas

Ramat Aviv · Jaffa · Herzliya Pituach · Ramat Gan · Givatayim · Petah Tikva · Rishon LeZion

Common questions from Tel Aviv families

Is homeschooling legal in Israel?

It is permitted by annual permit from the Ministry of Education. The Director General's directive holds that students of compulsory education age belong within the institutional educational framework, a permit is granted for one school year only, and an approved child must meet the standards set by the educational system. In practice the Ministry approves the great majority of requests, and policy since 2009 has allowed home education where the family fulfils state requirements — which the Supreme Court noted applies to most families who apply. Apply to the Ministry directly.

Can Smartious get us a permit?

No, and no provider can. The permit is between your family and the Ministry of Education. What we do is teach the subjects, live and in small groups, whether you hold a permit or your child is enrolled at an Israeli school.

Do you teach the Bagrut?

No. We are not a Ministry of Education recognised institution and issue no Israeli qualification. We teach Cambridge, Pearson Edexcel, IB and AP examinations, which sit alongside the Israeli record rather than replacing it.

What are the class times?

Whatever suits — Israel is one hour behind us in winter and exactly level in summer, so our entire teaching day is available to you. No other country we serve is this close on the clock.

Guides for families in Israel

What parents say

Rated 4.9 out of 5 on Google from 130+ reviews. Read our Google reviews

“What I love most about Smartious is how they make learning enjoyable. The tutors use engaging methods that keep children interested throughout the lesson. My child now looks forward to studying instead of avoiding it.” — Google reviewer, Google review