ISB Case Outline

TheInternational SchoolofBrussels

morethanaschool

Our purpose: Who we are and why we exist

The International School of Brussels exists to develop independent learners and international citizens in an environment where all students are included, challenged, and successful

For more than 70 years, ISB has welcomed students and their families from around the globe to our 40-acre campus at the heart of Brussels The mix of children from as many as 70 different countries, an innovative and dedicated teaching staff, a safe and tranquil campus amid the cultural and political vibrancy of one of the world’s great capitals, provide ideal conditions for learning.

Our mission of ‘everyone included, everyone challenged, everyone successful’ is an ambitious but achievable one, founded on a delicate combination of supportive relationships, our culture of excellence, and compelling, open-ended tasks that help to both enrich and extend a child’s learning experience

The International School of Brussels is more than a school – it is our home and a unique environment for learning.

Our values: How we do what we do

Embracing challenge

We are known for our commitment to ensuring that every student is challenged at an appropriate level – one that enables them to succeed We do this through an approach we call personalised learning, which empowers learners to reach their potential. Learners are challenged when they are striving towards models of excellence, and are stretched in ways that are personal, relevant, and aspirational,resultinginhighengagementandpersistence

Wenurtureaneverstrongersenseofbelonging,empowerment,andindependenceineverychild. Ourgoalistocareforthewholestudentandtoprepareeachoneforinternationalcitizenship.

Thequalityofoureducationisreflectedinourstudents’successes–highIBscores,admissiontothe world’sfinestuniversities,andatrackrecordofintellectual,artistic,athletic,andentrepreneurial accomplishment.

ISB has partnered with Johns Hopkins' Centre for Talented Youth to provide additional opportunities for challenge and choice in learning Last year, 248 ISB students were identified for this program, and 27 students registered for classes to further develop their talents and gifts

Embracing inclusiveness

ISB cherishes its community for the differences that each member brings and strives to ensure that everyone feels that they belong.

We have instituted specific measures to encourage students from different cultures, backgrounds, and orientations to claim their space in the School

At ISB, we are committed to inclusivity by welcoming students with diverse learning profiles and catering to a wide range of learning support needs and developmental disabilities. This inclusive education enriches and strengthens our student body as a whole.

Embracing innovation

ISB is known for its pioneering educational work. We were an early adopter of the IB programme, the internationally recognised curriculum that gives students the tools and confidence to take ownershipoftheirownlearning,followtheircuriosity,andchallengethemselves.

We specialise in developing personalised pathways for learning that ensures that each student is included, challenged, and successful We can do this because of our record of developing the pedagogy, open spaces, and technological infrastructure needed for collaborative learning and developing critical thinking skills that will equip our students to navigate the complex future they willtakeresponsibilityfor

Embracing our home

BrusselshasbeenattheheartoftheEuropeanprojectthathasbroughtpeacetoEuropeafterthe traumas of the beginning of the 20th century ISB’s position in the city has given our community a vantage point from which to witness that process. Our campus reflects this complex and nuanced history,whichweembracewithhumilityaswellaspride

Overthepast70years,theSchoolanditsgroundshasbeenhomeforthousandsofourstudents. Their own histories are wrapped up in this parcel of land and its buildings, especially Le Château In a world that continues to experience rapid change and crises, the stability provided by the School’spositiononourcampusisevermoreimportant.

The ISB campus is immersed in the beautiful Forêt de Soignes, a UNESCO World Heritage site This not only provides a safe and beautiful environment for learning; it also provides opportunities to explore the natural world and to enhance our educational offering Our students have a unique forest classroom where they can delve deeper into their units of investigation in Science, Social Studies and Inquiry, as well as learn more about our amazing campus biodiversity. We run a tree management programme to care for 1560 trees on our campus, and the 500,000 trees in the Forêt

Our Middle School Creativity Studio is a space where students can work on projects such as sewing, stitching, robotics, arts/crafts, and digital technology, etc.

Our campus is our home Generations of students have experienced the magic of this environment and to this day retain an emotional connection to ISB Our campus is part of the DNA of the School

Our vision: Our picture of an exciting future for ISB

Place and perpetuity

From the beginning, ISB has developed and nurtured the School on land owned by someone else, made available to us under a long-term lease, due to expire in 2036 This arrangement gave us the confidence to invest in the buildings and facilities we needed, but in the background there was always an underlying sense of impermanence from owning the buildings, but not the land on which they sit Over the past seven decades, successive Boards and Leadership Teams have sought to remedy this

In August 2023 we finally succeeded in purchasing the land outright. For the first time in our history, our campus – our home – is officially ours

This wonderful development has a very positive financial impact –we will no longer be paying for a lease which, over time, has meant significantly higher costs for the school.

Just as importantly, this gives us the ability to look to the future in way we could not before We finally have the freedom and security to invest in our campus, our facilities, our programmes, and the learning experience for every child sure in the knowledge that we are in control of our destiny.

We are still working out what that means in practice and are reviewing and revising our campus master plan We expect to be able to talk more about this in due course

In the meantime, we would like to renew our invitation to you and everyone in our community to support ISB in its daily life by supporting our Annual Fund Everything we do is strengthened by your gifts –attracting and supporting the best teachers, investing in classrooms and labs, creating stimulating curricular and co-curricular programmes, and providing financial support for promising students who couldn’t otherwise afford to join us Thank you for making this possible

ISB was founded on the belief that tomorrow’s citizens can be nurtured by providing the right conditions under which students can learn and grow in confidence. By securing our long-term future, the School can realise its full potential and ensure that our students can flourish

Annual Fund Goals

Our Annual Fund aims to raise €500k per annum from alumni, parents, trustees, staff, and friends. This fund enables us to attract and support our teachers, invest in classrooms and labs, create excellent programmes, and provide financial support for promising students

Ultimately, we want every member of our community with us. Making a gift every year is a precious signal of this.

Join us

Philanthropy has always played a pivotal part in The International School of Brussels’s growth and development. Today, our ambition is to build on our remarkable achievements as we look anew to our friends to nurture the international citizens of the future Join us in helping ISB to write a future worthy of its past