New Academic Year

Schools in the south of The Netherlands were the last to return to school and the ISB finally opened its doors to students last week after a six-week summer break. The start of the school year is always a busy time and this year has been no exception. Primary students have quickly settled into their classes, catching up with familiar faces and welcoming new ones. Secondary had a staggered start with new Secondary students coming in a day early to meet their mentors, tour the school and follow a special introduction programme to prepare them for their start. Before lessons got fully underway, all Secondary students took part in a Sports Day which provided a perfect team building opportunity allowing students to bond with classmates and teachers, both new and old.

This year is going to be an exciting one for ISB Primary. During the last academic year (2021-2022) ISB Primary took the first important steps towards our school becoming a Primary Years Programme (PYP) school. This is a process that will take 2 – 3 years. We have been accepted as a PYP candidate school by the International Baccalaureate (IB) organisation and are working towards becoming an authorised school, which we hope will be finalised in the academic year 2024 – 2025. The Primary Years Programme (IB-PYP) is an internationally-minded curriculum framework that focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer. Children take responsibility for their learning, both inside and outside the classroom, in line with the IB Middle Years and Diploma Programmes.

Every five years, IB schools undergo an IB Evaluation where the school must prepare evidence of achievement against the stated goals of the IB Middle Years and Diploma Programme courses. As we approach our five-year evaluation, ISB Secondary is currently reviewing its policies and will be involving the school community as a whole; we will shortly invite staff, parents and students to take part in this process.

The ISB aims to foster greater connectivity between our students and the community. This can work at several levels whether this be taking part in community activities such as the forthcoming Singelloop or more recently, connecting with our neighbours. Last week, MYP1 spent time litter picking in the streets around the school. MYP2 and MYP3 joined forces with their peers from our partner and neighbouring school, Lyceum Mencia de Mendoza in a day filled with sports, music and art activities. It was a great opportunity for both sets of students to get to know each other better. Cultivating and building further on our long-standing relationship with the community at large remains hugely important to us.