The ISR curriculum in all subjects is provided to teachers in a detailed week-by-week format. The structure that this affords ensures that all students are taught what they need to learn in a step-by-step process. Since teachers receive the curriculum, textbooks, supplementary materials, and exams from SABIS®, this means that not only can the teachers focus on the teaching itself but it also means that the curriculum and exams do not leave ISR when teachers leave, an important advantage for an international school.

Approach to Teaching

The SABIS® approach to teaching has been proven effective as reflected by student performance on external exams such as the American Advanced Placement exams, the British A Levels and IGCSEs, and the coursework and exams of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme. When a teacher enters an ISR classroom, they write points on the board that will be explained during the lesson. They spend a short amount of time explaining the first point, then the students practice application of the content independently in writing. Then, the class breaks up into groups of four to check each other’s work and support each other in strengthening their understanding of the concept. The teacher checks to see if the first point has been understood and proceeds on to the next point.

Monitoring and Follow-Up

Monitoring student performance is an essential part of the SABIS® Educational System implemented at ISR. Student understanding and retention of concepts are assessed on a weekly basis. Students take multiple-choice, short answer, and essay tests, which help teachers and administrators pinpoint learning gaps as they form. Having identified learning gaps, all of ISR’s resources can be mobilized to fill in these gaps and ensure that each and every student has a strong academic foundation.

Intensive Language Programs

The language of instruction at ISR is English. However, as an international school, ISR accepts students from all over the world at any time of the year. To enable all students to take part in the lessons, ISR provides a special Intensive program in English at four levels through grade 6: Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, and Regular. For Beginners, this could mean participating in up to 12 lessons of English instruction per week. Depending upon the individual, it may take 3 to 4 terms until a student with no prior knowledge of English has progressed to the point where s/he is able to participate at the mother-tongue English level. The study of a world language is an essential component of the SABIS® Educational System.

Therefore, students in all schools in the SABIS® School Network learn an additional language. At ISR, this additional language is German, which is a required subject for all students from Kindergarten through graduation. As with English, German is also taught in intensive courses on four levels; however, the time required for a non-native speaker to reach the mother tongue level of German is typically longer than that of English. German is taught up to 7 periods per week in some of the primary grades and 5 lessons per week in all other grades (1 lesson more per week than the North Rhine-Westphalia curriculum) – thus allowing German mother-tongue students as well as those completely new to the language to enhance their language capacity.

Self-Development

The Student Life Organization® (SLO®) is an integral part of every SABIS® school. Student Life is the students’ mini-society and mirrors the school administration. The organizational structure of the SLO® is much like that of a company, with prefects who are selected, not elected, for positions for which they have applied. Prefects can be in charge of a task, project, or an entire team and work in departments such as Activities, Academics, Outreach, Sports, etc. Ideas, management skills, self-esteem and self-confidence are borne here.

Academic Quality Coordinators

Providing students with the most access to teachers in the best possible learning environment is key at ISR. In order to function with this high level of efficiency, ISR has a different administrative structure than that found in most traditional school systems. At ISR, a person in the position of Academic Quality Coordinator (AQC) is assigned to monitor students’ academic performance. The AQC’s main role is to support each individual student in the achievement of his/her full potential. As the person who has the overall picture of each student’s academic performance, the AQC is also the point person for parents who have questions about their child’s performance. If a parent has a concern or wishes to discuss their child’s performance, that parent can make an appointment at any time to meet with the AQC. When a concern is raised, it is investigated thoroughly and objectively. A solution is proposed and implemented. This approach is extremely efficient and ensures that solutions are found based on an analysis of the complete picture. At ISR, there are three AQCs covering Kindergarten-Grade 4, Grades 5-8 and Grades 9-12/13 respectively.

Student Management Coordinator

At ISR, there is a school counselor in place to ensure smooth integration and reinforce good behavior. The Student Management Coordinator (SMC) gives weekly Advising classes to grades 5 and above and manages a team of supervisors who watch over ISR students wherever they are when they are not in class. This intervention in behavior management at ISR allows the teachers to focus on teaching and maximize learning outcomes. The SMC also provides valuable support for students as they mature and face life’s challenges.

Extended Day Program

ISR’s school day starts at 08:20h in the morning and ends at either 15:20h (Kindergarten-Grade 4) or 16:10h (Grades 5-12/13) in the afternoon; however, ISR offers supervision from 07:50-08:20 hrs and again after school until 18:00h. At these times students can play or do their homework.

Transportation

ISR has students living within a 50+ km radius of the campus i.e. as far south as Cologne, as far north as Essen, as far east as Kürten and as far west as Heinsberg. In addition to being conveniently located to public transportation, ISR is always striving to increase the transportation options for its students. Currently, Wabbels GmbH operates school busses from Düsseldorf-Center, Düsseldorf-Oberkassel, Kaiserswerth, Langenfeld, Meerbusch, Monheim, Hilden, Benrath, Neuss-Süd, Ratingen, Viersen, and Willich. More routes are planned from Mönchengladbach, Cologne, Dormagen, Krefeld and Wittlaer and need a certain minimum number to open the route. The cost for this service is not included in tuition. It is also possible for interested families to organize their own carpool, and ISR administration is more than happy to facilitate this.

ISR Campus

The beautiful, modern ISR campus allows ISR to conduct all of its classes and activities under one roof and behind one gate. The campus accommodates students in Kindergarten (age 3) through graduation and helps foster a cooperative spirit among all students, regardless of their age. To see more of the ISR campus, please visit Campus Tour. Or, better yet, visit us in person!