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THE INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF HELLERUP TURNS 10 The International School of Hellerup (ISH) turned ten in August. In just a decade, this International Baccalaureate (IB) Full Continuum School has developed into one of the best and well-known International Schools in Copenhagen, and Denmark as a whole.
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PHOTOGRAPHS INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL OF HELLERUP
“GLOBAL MINDSET – GLOBAL EDUCATION – GLOBAL LIFE" is, in essence, what the school is all about. These words have been accepted as their value proposition and school promise, and this is exactly what you experience when you visit the school in Hellerup. This not-for-profit IB World School is an education hub for more than 500 students and 70+ staff members from all over the world.
TEXT JUANITA VAN DER WATT
ISH’S VALUES AND BELIEFS
REASONS FOR SUCCESS AND GROWTH
As a team of professional pedagogues, the management and the teachers at ISH believe in the IB philosophy and its pedagogical thinking. As a student-centered school ISH places great emphasis on international-mindedness and they focus on education that influences and shape responsible students who are reflective and active global citizens.
Stef also commented that the school is dynamic and open to change, which fosters open-mindedness among the school community. He added that many of the team of teachers and staff have remained at ISH for many years and have either grown within their roles or moved into other roles. This dynamic and evolving team is balanced with recruiting the best of class teachers and staff with a heart for children, a desire for delivering good quality education, and the passion and drive for ensuring pedagogical excellence. Nedzat, the Head of School, states that learning can only take place in an environment where staff and students feel safe and happy. He sees this as the foundation and one of the reasons why ISH has successfully grown. The Deputy Head of School and Secondary School Principal, Mustafa Gezen, contributes the success and steady growth of ISH to listening, responding to, and meeting the needs of its community. He also believes that the ISH family’s spirit of collaboration is at the heart of the school’s success. The staff and teachers at ISH love working at the school and with their colleagues. They treasure the international environment, the friendliness, camaraderie, and true warmth of the Danish hygge, which are experienced by all.
WHERE DID IT ALL START? Nedzat Asanovski, the Head of School, has been part of the ISH journey since inception. As a passionate history teacher with a love for education, he was approached by a group of businessmen who wanted to create an international school for expat families. Due to the growing number of international families moving to Denmark, there was a great need for more schools that could render an English education, based on best practice. For Nedzat, this idea sounded very interesting and the challenge appealed to his entrepreneurial spirit. He secured approval from the Ministry of Education, and in August 2009 the then called Østerbro International School opened its doors with 60 students and 4 teachers.
MOVING TO HELLERUP The School continued growing year on year, and at a point, had close to 270 students with more than 300 students in a waiting pool. They then took up the campus in Hellerup, and on August 2015 ISH re-opened their doors with 420 students. At this point ISH also opened a high school section, which marked a major milestone for the school. The School has since developed in several areas, and in 2018 it built a state-of-the-art playground. ISH is located near a beautiful forest, off-site community playgrounds, sports grounds and facilities - which are all used by the teachers, students and parents.
HIGHLIGHTS AND CELEBRATORY MOMENTS Esma Guvenc, ISH’s Business Manager, was one of the four teachers who started the School with Nedzat. She fondly remembers the pivotal point of becoming an IB School and learning new ways of designing teachings based on international best practices.
NOVEMBER 2019 - WWW.THE-INTL.COM
"WE ARE COMMITTED TO MAKING A DIFFERENCE IN THE LIVES OF OUR STUDENTS, AND TO ENSURING THE BEST POSSIBLE EDUCATION AND STUDENT EXPERIENCE." - NEDZAT ASANOVSKI The teachers and staff at ISH have the heart and passion for ensuring the best education possible, and they are committed to having a positive impact on society. “As educators, we understand that we play an important role in shaping the world by educating the next generation of global citizens.” Students at ISH identified caring as the number one value of the school. Stef Fleet, the Primary School Principal, says that he believes that the school can create a sense of feeling cared for, as the team and students at ISH value and nurture relationships and demonstrate this in small ways every day.
ISH IS MORE THAN A JOB, IT’S A PURPOSE The ISH Middle Year Programme Coordinator, Abenaa Uttenthal is passionate about the school and says that it is not just a teaching job for her. She feels that ISH is a place where she can live out her purpose and make a difference every day. She has experienced the freedom of being able to develop herself and evolve continuously.
WHAT IS NEXT FOR ISH The management team at ISH is delighted about the growth of the school, and they are proud and fond of the students, parents, teachers, and staff. “At the moment, we are not planning major new developments. However we are always evolving within our current landscape. We are committed to continuing to do the things that we are good at, to making a difference in the lives of our students, and to ensuring the best possible education and student experience.” THE-INTL