The ISH Education
At ISH, we understand that teaching and learning do not occur in a vacuum but must:
Be authentic: new skills and understandings must have a connection to children’s daily lives wherever possible;
Be future-proof: in a rapidly-changing world, teachers must be trained and equipped to prepare children for careers that may not even exist yet today;
Be flexible: the knowledge and skills we teach must address the needs of a wide range of learners with different backgrounds, skills, aptitudes and needs;
Be ethical: our educational model places strong emphasis on offering a curriculum and a school culture which are supported by our Core Values of Kindness, Respect, Responsibility and Safety.
60 Years
The International School of Hamburg is committed--through its faculty and staff, its programmes, facilities and educational culture—to providing the best teaching and learning environment possible for our students. During the course of our 60 year history, thousands of young people have entered and departed from our school to leave their mark on the world beyond our walls. We are proud of the contributions that our global alumni have made in many fields of endeavour.
Accreditation
Families who join ISH can be assured that we are a fully accredited institution. This means that our school has voluntarily submitted to a rigorous evaluation of all aspects of our operations: academic; facilities; food and cleaning services; health and safety; budget and finance. We are currently fully accredited by two external agencies with an international scope: The Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges.
Programme Structure
We offer three curriculum frameworks which meet the needs of students across the age groups within the school. Our aim is to provide a holistic education which recognises that a child’s knowledge and understanding can be measured not only through traditional written tests and assessments, but also in a multitude of other ways. These include oral presentations, collaborative group tasks, artistic and athletic expression, and the use of technology to demonstrate learning.
The International Primary Curriculum addresses the learning needs of children in our Junior school. The IPC has been adopted by more than 700 schools in 92 countries. At the core of this framework are Learning Goals which are tailored to each age grouping, and there is a strong focus throughout the learning units on encouraging global perspectives in our learners.
In 2015 we received authorisation to offer the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme and in June 2017 our Grade 10 students were the first-ever cohort to complete the Personal Project, a central component of the MYP. We have offered the IB Diploma Programme to our Grade 11 and 12 students since 1978, and our results are invariably above the world average, despite the fact that we are a non-selective school.
International Mindedness
At ISH we believe internationalism is a climate that exists when internationally-minded individuals work and learn together in a co-operative, purposeful way. It involves celebrating the diversity of our community whilst recognizing our common humanity and shared future.
We believe international-mindedness is a disposition which should be consciously cultivated in all we do in school. It is a disposition that invites us to examine our own cultural, knowledge and value systems and to develop an awareness of the cultures, values and knowledge of others.
We aim to inspire everyone at ISH to develop their own ever-deepening understanding of this multi-faceted concept.
At ISH, we developed our definition of International Mindedness:
We believe that internationally-minded individuals
- are curious about the world, other people and ideas
- listen to other voices
- strive to see beyond their own horizons
- respect themselves, their community and environment on a local and global level
- take action to make the world a better place
