COMMUNITY UPDATE
DIRECTOR’S UPDATE Busting an educational myth & sharing the magic of ISB. There is a big myth out there that a school cannot be inclusive and high-performing academically at the same time. This simply isn’t true; and ISB proves it. Let me explain. We are proud that our educational programmes are holistic and we value a wide range of learning outcomes. We have a long tradition and ongoing commitment to inclusion. Decades ago, ISB became one of the first international schools to believe enrolling a range of learners meant a better and more diverse learning community. We remain one of a handful of international schools globally to provide an integrated Intensive Learning Support programme. We employ a range of highly-skilled teachers with expertise in learning support, language acquisition and other specialisations. We embrace varied approaches to assessment, which includes standardised tests that enable us to compare our achievement levels to schools around the world. From grades 2-10 we conduct MAP (e.g. Measure of Academic Progress). We perform well above international averages, and looking at the data more closely we find that students attending ISB for 3 years score higher on average than those here for only 1 year. Our most recent grade 12 IB Diploma results were the highest in ISB’s history (against the global IBDP average): 5 points above the global average which is equal to or higher than all other schools in Belgium. This is even more impressive knowing that, unlike many other IB Diploma programmes, we are non-selective. The evidence is clear. ISB is high-performing academically and inclusive at the same time. And it is actually not magic. We do this by treating each student as an individual. Our teachers know your children. They care. We have a powerful mission that brings us together. We personalise learning. We would never claim to be perfect, but what we have here is very special and as we head into the holiday season it is a natural time to pause and reflect on the many good things we have in our lives and, I think, ISB is one of them.
James MacDonald ISB Director