Time Capsule Ceremony Marks the Start of Construction of Ardingly College International Campus in Astana
A ceremonial capsule laying event was held in Astana to mark the beginning of construction for Ardingly Astana — the first branch of the British school Ardingly College in Kazakhstan. The project is being implemented with the support of “NC “KAZAKH INVEST” JSC in partnership with Ardingly College (UK).
The ceremony was attended by representatives of the British Embassy in Kazakhstan, Ardingly College and Ardingly Astana, Primus Education, KAZAKH INVEST, project partners, and members of the business community.
The new campus is designed for 1,000 students and will meet the highest international standards. It will include state-of-the-art classrooms, dedicated spaces for music, theatre, and digital technologies, science laboratories, sports facilities, and a dormitory. The opening is planned for 2026.
Ardingly Astana will serve as an educational hub for students from Kazakhstan and across Central Asia. The campus will combine the British academic model with innovative teaching approaches to prepare students for admission to leading universities worldwide. The project will create new jobs, attract international teachers and specialists, and foster knowledge exchange and deeper educational integration.
In his speech, Azamat Kozhanov, Deputy Chairman of the Board of KAZAKH INVEST, emphasized the importance of the project for human capital development:
“It is a great honor for me to participate in the capsule laying ceremony of the new international Ardingly College campus in Astana. This is a significant milestone not only for education, but for the country as a whole. The opening of a campus of one of the UK’s top educational institutions in the heart of Eurasia symbolizes trust, partnership, and a strategic vision for the future. It will be more than just a school — it will be an ecosystem for nurturing ideas and developing future leaders. Education remains a priority for investment, and we are ready to provide full support for such projects. We are confident that Ardingly Astana will attract talented students and educators from around the world.”
The implementation of this project will represent a significant step in strengthening educational and investment cooperation between Kazakhstan and the United Kingdom.
Background:
Ardingly Astana is a branch of Ardingly College, a leading independent British school. Instruction is conducted in English based on the Cambridge curriculum with preparation for the globally recognized A-Level examinations. The educational model fosters analytical thinking, language and cultural fluency, and a broad understanding of history and literature. The school is staffed by teachers with international qualifications and teaching experience in the UK and abroad.
Founded in 1858, Ardingly College ranks in the UK’s Top 10 schools for IB results and Top 50 for A-Level outcomes (The Sunday Times). Its graduates are regularly admitted to the world’s top universities, including Cambridge, Imperial College, and Ivy League institutions.
