Preschool Program (Ages 3 to 4 )

The ISS preschool program combines academic, social, and developmental skills for children. There are two preschool sessions per day: one in the morning and one in the afternoon. Students engage in a wide variety of activities during their time at school.

In a typical day, students will play with puzzles and other manipulative toys, engage in outdoor play in a small Early Years playground, participate in imaginative play in the classroom home-corner, and take part in art and craft activities, and singing or making music.

In addition, the program begins to lay the groundwork for academic success. The classroom teacher reads to students daily, and introduces letters of the alphabet in a fun and practical way, starting with the children's own names. They also play simple math games and learn about numbers through the use of hands-on activities.

As part of the PYP program, students focus on learning about themselves. The teachers emphasize basic social skills like saying hello and goodbye, sharing and being respectful and responsible. The preschool program is very language-rich and encourages the development of communication skills, including basic English for ESL students.

This is all done in an atmosphere that is nurturing, low stress and highly engaging.

Back to Top

International Baccalaureate Primary Years Program (IB PYP)
Pre-School to Grade 5

The Primary Years Program (PYP) is an international framework for curriculum. It is designed for children between the ages of 3 and 12. The program focuses on the total growth of the developing child, affecting hearts as well as minds and addressing social, physical, emotional and cultural needs in addition to academic welfare. The PYP is based on research about best teaching practices from all over the world and provides a relevant and engaging educational program.

Aims of the Program

Aims of PYP are expressed as a series of desired attributes and attitudes that characterize successful students. These globally minded young people are:

Characteristics of the IB PYP Program

PYP offers a transdisciplinary approach, which draws individual disciplines together into a coherent whole, while preserving the essence of each subject. At the heart of the PYP philosophy is a commitment to inquiry as the ideal vehicle for learning. Teachers and students are guided by a series of basic questions as they design curricular units for exploration and study. Throughout the units of study, each child will:

• Develop a deep understanding of important concepts
• Conduct research into knowledge that has local and global significance
• Acquire and practice a range of essential skills
• Develop positive attitudes towards learning, the environment, and other people
• Have the opportunity for involvement in responsible action and social service

The Programme of Inquiry (POI) is an outline of all of the Units of Inquiry that each grade level completes throughout the shool year. Units of Inquiry are planned at each grade level and are often integrated with specialist subject teachers.

There are no externally set or externally marked exams in PYP. Teachers develop and carry out all assessments of student work, which are designed to give a clear picture of each child's progress. The student's progress throughout the curriculum is documented in a reflective portfolio that outlines student achievement and accomplishments. Students and teachers collaborate on selections for the portfolio, which also facilitates transfer between schools offering the PYP. Grade 5 students, as the culmination of their PYP experience at ISS, participate in the PYP Exhibition. Their teachers guide them as they work on small group inquiry projects that require them to synthesize their learning and have a better understanding for all aspects of the PYP.

ISS has been an IB PYP authorized school since 2002.

For more information about the IB Primary Years Programme at ISS, contact Kathy Derrick, IB PYP Coordinator: kderrick@iss.edu.sg

IBO General Regulations for Students and their legal Guardians.

This document describes the IBO regulations that apply to schools, such as ISS, authorised to offer the IB PYP. They also set out the relationship between the IBO and students and their legal guardians. Please click here to read more.

For more information about the IB Primary Years Programme, please click here.

Back to Top

International Baccalaureate Middle Years Program (IB MYP)
Grades 6 to 10

Students in Grades 9 and 10 will follow the IB MYP program as the bedrock of their studies. While the IB MYP program commences in Grade 6 in the Middle School students joining ISS at any point up to the start of grade 9 are normally eligible for the full IB MYP Certificate and all students who have been in the program for the whole of Grade 10 receive a record of achievement from the IBO.

The Structure of the IB Middle Years Program

The MYP is a course of study designed to meet the educational needs of students aged between 11 and 16 years. It aims to provide a broad, traditional foundation of knowledge whilst increasing the student’s awareness of the relationships between all subjects and areas of learning. Students are encouraged to question and evaluate information critically, to seek out and explore the links between subjects, and to develop an awareness of their place in the world. As such intercultural awareness and communication skills are seen as essential elements to education in the modern world, and are held as fundamental to the MYP’s philosophy.

The MYP also promotes a holistic view of learning. It requires an approach to teaching and learning which includes and extends traditional school subjects. The Areas of Interaction provide the MYP’s main focus for developing links between the disciplines, so that students will learn to see knowledge as an interrelated whole.

The five Areas of Interaction are …

• Approaches to learning (learning skills to create more effective learners)
• Community & Service (understanding and helping our local and global communities)
• Health and Social Education (building an informed healthy next generation)
• Environment (understanding the reasons, consequences and impacts of humans on our planet)
• Homo Faber (looking at the impact of the creative genius of humankind)

These are taught through the medium of traditional subjects so as to highlight the integration of these concepts across all disciplines. The subjects taught come under eight subject groups.

The objectives of each subject group are skills-based and broad enough to allow for a variety of teaching and learning approaches. Students involved in the MYP are eligible to receive a detailed portfolio recording all their successes at school, including a Record of Achievement showing their attainment levels in each subject. Students’ who complete all parts of the MYP experience including Community Service and the Personal Project, as well as success within their courses, are eligible for the full MYP Certificate awarded by the International Baccalaureate Organization.

IBO General Regulations for Students and their legal Guardians.

This document describes the IBO regulations that apply to schools, such as ISS, authorised to offer the IB MYP. They also set out the relationship between the IBO and students and their legal guardians. Please click here to read more.

For more information about the IB Middle Years Programme, please click here.

Back to Top

High School Diploma (HSD)
Grades 9 to 12

The High School Diploma follows the American model where students earn their High School Diploma by completing credit requirements in the various subject areas. It is an enormously flexible method of completing High School that can be tailored to suit the strengths of students.

Credits can be awarded for a student's High School work completed in another country or school system before entering ISS.

Students in grades 9 and 10 follow IB Middle Years Program courses for their program, and IB Diploma courses for grades 11 and 12. American High School Diploma students who sit individual IB Diploma certificates in each class at the end of grade 12 are eligible for our Advanced High School Diploma.

Our High School Diploma is fully recognized by universities worldwide as a result of our accreditation by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC), California, USA.

Back to Top

International Baccalaureate Diploma (IB Diploma)
Grades 11 to 12

ISS International School offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP) for students aged 16-19 in grades 11 and 12. This is a comprehensive and rigorous two-year curriculum, leading to a series of externally set examinations. The IB DP was established in the late 1960's and from the outset has placed a strong emphasis on high academic standards, and the ideals of international understanding and responsible citizenship. The IB DP is unique and is not based on the pattern of any one national education system. Instead there is a deliberate balance between the specialization required in some national systems and the breadth preferred in others. The IB DP is now taught in over 1000 schools in over 100 countries.

This superb programme offers a rounded education for students aiming at university or college. The student who satisfies its demands demonstrates a strong commitment to learning, both in terms of the mastery of subject content and in the development of the skills and discipline necessary for success in a competitive world. The IB DP is awarded on successful completion of the whole programme, with a points score based on results in each subject. The curriculum and assessment procedures are common to all IB schools, which means that students present universities with an internationally recognized "known quantity" in their credentials. The IB DP is consequently accepted for admission to universities in virtually every country in the world. Studies carried out on how universities in the UK and the USA regard the IB DP indicate that students who follow the IB DP tend to be more accomplished in the higher skills necessary for advanced study e.g. critical thinking, communication, self-management and motivation, than those students following the predominant national exams.

The Structure of the IB Diploma Programme

Three subjects are taken at Higher Level and three at Standard Level. Students intending to read Medicine at University or needing to meet some Indian University requirements, can specialize in three sciences at Higher Level but normally students choose one from each of the following six areas:

Subjects offered by ISS in each of the six groups

Profound learning

In addition to the academic subjects students must complete a course in Theory of Knowledge (a critical thinking skills course), write an extended essay (a 4000 word independent research assignment), and participate in the Creativity Action Service (Community service and extra curricular activities) component of the programme. These areas are known as the Core subjects.

ISS places a strong emphasis on the core subjects as it is here where students learn most about themselves and where most of the transferable skills are developed. Our Creativity Action and Service (CAS) programme is particularly strong, and we offer a wide range of after school activities and community service projects, together with unique service-oriented overnight trips, in order to give students abundant opportunity to fully participate in the spirit of CAS.

Our strengths

We believe in giving students an opportunity to study the IB DP if they are serious about going to university and are committed to their studies. To this end we provide support for students whose first language is not English, and we will frequently give students a chance to prove themselves if we believe they have the potential to succeed. We have small classes and a very supportive faculty, together with a range of services designed to support students on the programme. This differentiated support has meant that over 90% of our students on the programme pass with the full Diploma, and our more able students continue to achieve top scores. Students who do not quite qualify for the full Diploma can still graduate with an Advanced High School Diploma and IB Certificates, which provides them with a range of options for university.

*IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ*

IBO General Regulations for Students and their legal Guardians.

This document describes the IBO regulations that apply to schools, such as ISS, authorised to offer the IB Diploma Programme. They also set out the relationship between the IBO and students and their legal guardians. Please click here to read more.

To find out more about the IB Diploma Programme click here.

Back to Top