Swans International School profile

SCHOOL PROFILE D EDI C ATED TO TEACHI N G A ND L E A R NING F O R A L MO S T 5 0 YE A R S Our aim has always been to provide an excellent learning environment for young people and to allow every child to achieve their full potential. Our results are testament to this, with consistently high grades at both GCSE and IB level that rival some of the best students worldwide, but we also pride ourselves on the pastoral care that we offer.

OUR SCHOOL Swans School will proudly celebrate its 50th Anniversary in 2021. Established by Mr and Mrs Swan Liggan, Swans was originally a small primary school, housed within two villas in the El Capricho neighbourhood of central Marbella.

It had just a few teachers, a garden with a seesaw and a swing, a swimming pool and even some pet donkeys, goats and horses.

From those humble beginnings, the Swans we know today began to grow and blossom. Across the two sites, Swans now educates over 800 children of more than thirty nationalities, and many of our teachers have been with us for more than a decade, while some have been at the school for over thirty years. Over the years, our school has continued to flourish, with continual improvements to the facilities and also to our academic results, where we now regularly compete with the best students internationally and send our graduates to some of the world’s best universities.

OUR PHILOSOPHY Our school considers the unique qualities and individual needs of each student who enters through our doors, by delivering a broad, balanced and relevant curriculum.

We provide a stimulating, child-centered environment to enable students to reach their full potential.

We are a caring and family-orientated school, and we pride ourselves on the social and emotional support that we provide to all our students. Children develop a love for learning and become kind, responsible and tolerant citizens throughout their time at Swans Primary School.

ACCREDITATION Swans International School is accredited by the Ministerio de educación y formación profesional and authorised by AQA, Edexcel, Cambridge, NABBS, IBO and ACAD. 2

EXAMINATION CENTRE •

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In recognition of our compliance with the world-class standards of Pearson, Cambridge and AQA qualifications, we are an accredited Cambridge Admissions exam centre. These exams enable students to access high performing universities worldwide.

We are an accredited centre for SAT and LAMDA exams.

Via the association Exams Andalucia, we accommodate Cambridge English exams

CURRICULUM Swans strives to deliver a broad and relevant international curriculum which enables our students to reach their full potential and provides the perfect preparation for university and beyond. ​ We offer a comprehensive secondary curriculum: students in Years 7 to 11 follow a programme of study which broadly follows the UK National Curriculum, culminating with public IGCSE exams at the end of Year 11.

From Year 7, students at Swans International follow the Cambridge Language Exams pathway and develop their skills in reading, writing, speaking and listening. Many students are fast-tracked to attain the highest levels possible, up to C2 (proficiency). Students therefore develop a level of English that’s needed to study or work in a very senior professional or academic environment, for example on a postgraduate or PhD programme.

Alongside this, Spanish nationals and those with native-level Spanish also follow the Spanish curriculum (EP and ESO). All students in the Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13) follow the Diploma Programme of the International Baccalaureate. ​ Subjects studied offer a perfect balance between linguistic, mathematical, scientific and artistic disciplines, allowing each student to explore the path of their choice, in keeping with the IB philosophy.

INTERNATIONAL BACCALAUREATE DIPLOMA Our Sixth Form students study the IB Diploma Programme, a rigorous and well-respected qualification that gives a holistic educational experience. At Swans, we opted for this course over other qualifications (such as UK A-levels) due to its international outlook and the fact that it is now widely regarded as the most respected qualification by top universities, as well as the best preparation for future life.

IB LEARNER PROFILE As part of the process of identifying the attributes required for a student to succeed in the IB Diploma Programme, the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO) has developed a ‘Learner Profile’ which details the characteristics of an effective IB student. The IBO considers that effective IB students should be: •

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Inquirers: They develop their natural curiosity. They acquire the skills necessary to conduct inquiry and research and show independence in learning. They actively enjoy learning and this love of learning will be sustained throughout their lives.

Knowledgeable: They explore concepts, ideas and issues that have local and global significance. In so doing, they acquire in-depth knowledge and develop understanding across a broad and balanced range of disciplines.

Thinkers: They exercise initiative in applying thinking skills critically and creatively to recognise and approach complex problems, making reasoned, ethical decisions.

Communicators: They understand and express ideas and information confidently and creatively in more than one language and in a variety of modes of communication. They work effectively and willingly in collaboration with others.

Principled: They act with integrity and honesty, with a strong sense of fairness, justice and respect for the dignity of the individual, groups and communities. They take responsibility for their own actions and the consequences that accompany them.

Open-minded: They understand and appreciate their own cultures and personal histories and are open to the perspectives, values and traditions of other individuals and communities. They are accustomed to seeking and evaluating a range of points of view, and are willing to grow from the experience.

Caring: They show empathy, compassion and respect towards the needs and feelings of others. They have a personal commitment to service and act to make a positive difference to the lives of others and to the environment.

Risk-takers: They approach unfamiliar situations and uncertainty with courage and forethought and have the independence of spirit to explore new roles, ideas and strategies. They are brave and articulate in defending their beliefs.

Balanced: They understand the importance of intellectual, physical and emotional balance to achieve personal wellbeing for themselves and others.

Reflective: They give thoughtful consideration to their own learning and experience. They are able to assess and understand their strengths and limitations in order to support their learning and personal development.

EXAM RESULTS We are once again very proud of our students who have achieved incredible results in 2019.

Our exceptional GCSE students attained an overall A**-C pass rate of 91% (UK average 69.9%). We now welcome these students into our Sixth Form to take on the challenge of the International Baccalaureate Diploma.

Our Head Girl, Lara Kratzer, gained 42 points in the IB and many of our other students achieved 36 points or higher (the equivalent of AAA at A-level). They will now go on to study at some of the world’s best universities, including University of Edinburgh, University of Warwick, King’s College London, University of Exeter, University of Amsterdam, University of Manchester and IE University Madrid. ​ This run of success follows a fantastic 2018, when Andrea Henderson de la Fuente received a full marks score of 45 points – a feat managed by only 0.5% of all students worldwide.

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CONTACT DETAILS School Address & Contact Details Swans International Sierra Blanca C/ Lago de los Cisnes s/n 29602 Marbella - Málaga Tel: 952 902 755 E-mail: admin@swansschool.net Website: www.swansschoolinternational.es School Management & Administration Jayne Hunter, Managing Director Karen Kearns, Principal Rob Maldonado, Headteacher Miguel Garcia, Deputy Headteacher Debra Hodder, Deputy Headteacher (Pastoral Care) Elena Calvert, Head of Admissions/ Administration Francesca Lonsdale, Receptionist Rosie Gil-Lloyd, Headteacher’s Personal Assistant

Urb. El Capricho, s/n Marbella, 29602, Malaga, Spain ​Tel: (+34) 952 773 248 primary@swansschool.net ​ GPS: N.36º30’39.81` W. 004º54’13.23

www.swansschoolinternational.es