At The British International School of New York we pride ourselves on a welcoming culture that touches every aspect of the school, and every member of our community.
We know new schools (and for some, new cities) can be daunting. From the very first days as a BIS-NY family, it is the school’s priority to help connect its new families with friends in the same year group and other families at the school. Play-dates before term starts, and connections with families that live locally are arranged so children arrive at school reassured and with a friend they know in place. The scale of the school is such that everyone knows each other by face and by name, and that there are truly no strangers.
With over 40 nationalities represented we celebrate above all the things that connect us; a desire for our children to succeed and find happiness in a community in which they feel respected, welcome and happy. For our parents too, some of whom are new to the city also, our BIS-NY Parents’ Association is warm and welcoming, and in a school where there is no fundraising, its primary mission is to help settle, inform and support all families.
Parents and visitors often comment on the remarkable qualities shared by our student body, as diverse as it is. It’s not just our student’s intellectual curiosity that is praised, but their keen sense of ethics and cultural understanding, thirst for discovery of the world beyond their immediate environment, open embrace of different perspectives and adeptness in communicating ideas effectively. These attributes offer our students an invaluable head start on the education path they will follow in the years to come.
Inside the school, regular meetings with the school leadership team encourage active dialogue between the school and the parent body. An engaging and enjoyable calendar of events both social and school related ensures that parental friendships evolve and flourish as much as the students.
At The British International School of New York instilling confidence and nurturing happiness in our students is our first priority; knowing that when a child is well settled emotionally, academic success will follow. We know how important it is to give our students support as they navigate what it feels like to be growing up in New York City to make every day feel like an adventure, and each school year their finest yet.
We also know in today’s world, more than ever, providing a balanced and motivating learning environment is a critical component to ensuring their future success. In addition to sharing with our students how to respect and grow within a diverse and intimate community, we have clearly defined structures in place to help every stage of the school be a positive one. Our pastoral program was rated as an example of COBIS best practice in their 2018 report and our team continues to build upon this excellent framework.
Our enviably small student-teacher ratios provide a safe environment for students to become fully engaged in learning and inquiry, growing both intellectually and emotionally.
Each student has a form teacher or mentor who in an atmosphere of individual support and care enables his/her students to achieve their academic and personal potential. Students in Year 2 and below also have a full-time Teaching Assistant for additional support.
The breadth of specialist teachers who also teach and interact daily with the students also ensure that every student’s well-being, happiness and progress is a whole school responsibility, and that a student’s progress isn’t purely filtered through the lens of a single form teacher.
Each Division of the school is led by an Assistant Headteacher, who assumes overall responsibility for the well-being of students within the phase. Each Assistant Head and the Head of School are always available to discuss and work with families to address any areas of concern that may arise.
Critical areas of support alongside the teaching staff include our full time Nurse, Special Educational Needs team, English as an Additional Language team and our School Counselor.
At BIS-NY, students and staff from different parts of the world unite alongside our shared vision for an improved world. Alongside this, the I.B. Learner Profile describes a broad range of human capacities and responsibilities that go beyond academic success. They encourage a commitment to help all members of the school community learn to respect themselves, others and the world around them.
The profile aims to develop learners who are:
At BIS-NY, the combination of the focus on individual care of every student, with the school ethos around the I.B. Learner Profile, successfully fosters a sense of belonging and community and helps all students identify with their class, house and the school, building a warm, welcoming learning environment.
These skills and attributes stay with our children well beyond their school days, setting them up for personal and professional success in the years to come.