Bound by the strict requirements imposed on diplomatic schools, the founding embassies worked to meet educational needs of the growing expatriate community in Beijing.

In 1988 under new regulations, China's Ministry of Foreign affairs officially registered ISB as a "school for diplomatic children."

The campus moved to the Lido complex of offices and housing units, and the school was permitted to accept applications from all expatriate residents of Beijing.

In January 2002, the Beijing Municipal Education Bureau allowed ISB to be restructured as an "independent school for foreign children".

[citation needed] ISB is situated on a 13-hectare (32-acre) campus in Shunyi district,[5] approximately 30 minutes from downtown Beijing and close to expatriate residential compounds.

In addition, ISB has four fully equipped gymnasiums (one with a climbing wall); baseball and softball diamonds; two full-sized turf soccer fields; a rugby pitch, running track, and a 665-seat stadium and an aquatics center with a 25-meter pool and diving boards.

[6] ISB is a member of the East Asia Regional Council of Overseas Schools (EARCOS) and the National Association of College Admissions Counselors (NACAC).