Did you know that by 2020, it’s predicted that there will be more than 11,000 international schools teaching over five million students, compared to 5,676 international schools today and just 2,584 back in 2000?
An expanding branch of education, international schools are global game-changers.
For Nicholas Brummitt, Managing Director of a leading provider of English-medium K-12 international school data, trends and intelligence, ICS Research, international schools are becoming a more and more attractive option for 21st century learners.
“It is now widely accepted that opportunities for students after international school are tremendous. The top universities the world over are consistently competing for the best students.
“Many local families want this opportunity for their children and most schools also see this as an enormous benefit for their expatriate intake; providing immediate and direct links with the local community that they’re living in,” said Brummitt.
A deep dive into the international school approach to education offers clear reasons for its rapid growth and why it’s become a popular education choice for parents.
With activities for students that go beyond academics, children who attend an international school are known to develop holistically, heightening their intellectual, emotional, social, physical, artistic, creative and spiritual potential.
One of the leading international schools that ticks all the boxes for going beyond a traditional education model is the British International School Ho Chi Minh City (BIS HCMC) in Vietnam.
The BIS HCMC was the first school in Vietnam to be British government-inspected and approved, and the British Schools Overseas Inspection 2019 Report considers it an outstanding school in all categories.
“Since the last inspection, it has improved further, from an already very high standard. The quality of learning, teaching and assessment is excellent. The personal development of the students is outstanding. Leadership and management are highly effective. The students, parents and staff are strongly supportive of the school, especially the progress it is making to become even better.”
Alongside other accreditations, the school is a registered centre for the UK examination board Cambridge International Examinations (CIE), and a member school of the Federation of British International Schools in Asia (FOBISIA).
The passport to progression
From early years through to junior age and then secondary school, British International School Ho Chi Minh City provides a balanced academic framework based on the National Curriculum for England, complemented by the International Primary Curriculum and the IB Programme.
Proud to be part of the Nord Anglia Education family, the world’s leading premium schools organisation, BIS HCMC offers all students a global passport to progression.
Connections between 61 schools also means students can move countries and reintegrate into a familiar school setting. Collaborating across borders, learners evolve into flexible, agile individuals, ready to transition into higher education environments or their career of choice.
By studying in Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam’s largest city, students attain many advantageous experiences. Supported by various co-curricular activities, engaging expeditions and enriched curricula through collaborations with MIT, The Juilliard School and UNICEF, there’s never a shortage of opportunities.
Inspired by a framework of innovative facilities such as soundproof peripatetic music rooms and a band practice room, shared learning spaces for collaborative learning, multi-functional creative areas, outdoor play and climbing equipment and design technology workshops with STEAM tools including a makerspace, 3D printers and laser cutters, learners’ mindsets are constantly growing.
“When your children come home excited about their day at school, you know you have made the right choice. BIS is an amazing place for children where they can learn in the best conditions, where they can experience a wide range of activities from arts to sports, where they get the support they need and where they are involved in the community life as well. Our children have only one fear: the day we’ll have to move out of Vietnam and leave BIS,” one parent notes.
Where individual strengths and talents are prioritised
Nurturing students’ strengths, it’s no wonder that the British International School Ho Chi Minh City has so many student success stories.
Understanding what it takes to be a respected leader of international education, BIS HCMC ranks high for its industry collaborations and multi-layered learning approach.
Take Tuan, for example. Graduating from the school with a perfect score of 45 in his IB Diploma, matched by less than 0.2 percent of students worldwide, he’s now in the UK studying Mechanical Engineering at Imperial College London.
“BIS made me think globally. It expanded my approach to the world and its problems. Its permeating internationalism challenged my understanding and preconceptions every step along my academic discovery, moulding me into the person I am today,” he explains.
Or hear Haeon’s story. Graduating from the British International School Ho Chi Minh City with an incredible 44 points in her IB Diploma, she was placed in the top one percent of students worldwide.
“My education at BIS HCMC has equipped me with life skills ranging from mastering time management to correctly referencing all my work. I’ve learnt not to fear failure and stay committed to my beliefs,” Haeon highlights.
As ambitious global citizens, every student from BIS HCMC brings a wealth of talent to the higher education market.
From one success story to another, the school is growing alongside the popularity of international schools, and aims to keep doing so beyond the 2020 forecast.
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