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Welcome to the International School of Beijing

Serving European families since 1980

Dragon Spirit is the core of our community. With high expectations and high support, we work together as a team and handle challenges with resilience. We celebrate our achievements and unite to protect our environment. At ISB, we aim to celebrate, honor, and respect both our similarities and our differences. We strive to ensure that this is a school where everyone can feel they belong. With a history of excellence dating back more than 40 years, we honor traditions while embracing modernity and change, preparing our students for an exciting future and fostering a community where challenging and joyful learning is clearly visible. 

ISB was the first international school to open in Beijing and the first to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IB DP). Today, it is recognized as a leading learning community. In its earliest stages, our school was made up of eight students and two certified teachers in the hallway of a diplomatic apartment compound. In 1980, amid the growth of other diplomatic communities, the U.S. Embassy joined with the British, Australian, Canadian, and New Zealand embassies and formally founded ISB.

Research-based Curriculum

ISB maintains its reputation for academic excellence. Our talented and passionate educators from across the globe engage students in their learning through a variety of teaching models.

ISB follows a standards-based curriculum that draws upon the best elements of international curriculum models for Early Years 2 to Grade 12 classes. For high school students, ISB offers a full IB diploma program, IB certificate, or AP options for students in grades 11 and 12.

We believe that a strong co-curricular program, offering competitive and non-competitive sports, after-school activities, performing arts, and service opportunities can, as a part of the school's overall curriculum, prepare the students to be successful in life. Our program gives students the opportunity to explore their passions and stresses hard work, leadership, camaraderie, sportsmanship, and fair play. 

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Investing in Children

World class facilities

Our 32-acre campus, close to popular expat residential compounds, plays host to superior facilities. In addition to well-equipped learning spaces, gyms, two-purpose-built domes providing over 8,500 m2 of space, and libraries, our campus also has baseball and softball diamonds, a 665-seat stadium, a 25m pool, two full-size turf football fields, a stunning Performing Arts wing with multiple theater and rehearsal spaces, and even a golf simulator.

We also have an air filtration system that ensures exceptionally high quality air in all our indoor areas, averaging an AQI of 1 throughout the school.

Our approach to learning

We strive to make the learning experience challenging and joyful for every student. Students develop skills and abilities from Early Years 2 to Grade 12 and will be ready for graduation into our fast-changing world. We have high expectations and provide a high level of support to meet those expectations. Our approach is based on research and what the science says about how children learn best. 

Dual language program

ISB’s Dual Language Program in the Elementary School reflects the mission and vision of ISB by providing students with the opportunity to become bilingual, bi-literate, and bi-cultural. Learning in two languages allows students to develop respect and appreciation towards language, culture, and global diversity.

Life Centered Education

ISB offers a highly individualized curriculum for students with intellectual disabilities and challenges with adaptive skills. Students may also have concurrent diagnoses such as Autism Spectrum Disorder, Down Syndrome, cerebral palsy, etc. This is called our Life Centered Education (LCE) program and is for students in grades KG-8. The classroom is staffed by two professional Special Education teachers and six Instructional Assistants. The program provides personalized curriculums for each student and typically emphasizes functional academic skills, adaptive and daily living skills, social and pragmatic skills with an emphasis on integrating into the greater school community.

World Languages Program

ISB is committed to supporting multilingualism as fundamental to intercultural and international relationships. We help students develop into proficient linguists who can use their additional language to communicate with and serve others. 

In addition to offering Mandarin, the language of our host country, we also offer French and Spanish from middle school through to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme at both Standard Level (SL) and Higher Level (HL).

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Early Years Community

The Early Years Learning Community sees each individual child as competent, resilient, and capable. We know young children develop through opportunities to explore their environment and begin to develop attitudes which will help them be successful in the future as they explore and understand the meaning of the world around them.

Elementary School

In our Elementary School, we care about students' growth as learners and as individuals who contribute to their community. We believe that young people are naturally curious and we recognize each student as a unique individual with the potential to achieve. Our students are empowered to solve problems, question the world around them, and develop and test hypotheses in a collaborative, supportive environment.

Middle School

Middle School is a time for exploration and personal development as well as for the formation of healthy academic habits. We believe in strengthening students as well-rounded members of the community who learn through collaborative study and service in a caring environment with enough flexibility for them to experiment and tailor their learning. Our students pursue their interests and learn in a way that is relevant to them.

High School

In High School, our role in these formative years for young adults is to nurture the talents of our students and develop their skills through authentic learning experiences that ensure they are engaged members of society. ISB’s social-emotional learning approach places value on the student’s health and character development along with their academic performance. Outcomes matter at ISB and we believe successful students are not defined solely by their attainment in tests and exams, but also by their integrity, empathy, and sense of teamwork.

 
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Congratulations to our Class of 2024 on their outstanding IB results

35.5/45 

ISB Average IB Score

30.3/45 

World Average IB Score

100%

IB Pass Score

University and Careers Advising

Guiding your child to their best-fit pathway

Our dedicated Career and University Advisors help prepare students for life after high school, in the realms of university, college, gap year, and career options. The relationship between students and their University Advisor begins in Grade 10 during the course selection process for Grade 11, and continues throughout Grades 11 and 12. University Advisors work collaboratively with students and families to guide them through the university search and application process, finding the best possible university match for each student. University Advisors also assist with planning for standardized testing and advise on appropriate course selection for specific career goals and university majors.

In addition to our regular visits with admissions representatives, we’ve also seen an explosion in public online opportunities hosted by universities, consortia of universities, and third party organizations. The ISB calendar includes just some of the opportunities that are available to students to learn more about universities around the world. If you are not part of the ISB Community, you are welcome to follow this calendar and attend any of the events offered to the public.

Dragon Spirit

Community is a feeling as much as it is people or places. This is not only somewhere to enroll your children for a world-class education; we provide a warm and caring place for students, parents, staff, alumni, and our wider stakeholders. When international families join ISB, they have a home away from home and access to a network of like-minded people invested in challenging and joyful learning.

 

The ISB campus is more than just a school for your child, it is a connectivity hub for families and serves as a community center to meet with fellow ISB community members for coffee, participate in parent workshops, and PTA activities. On weekends or after school hours, the Fitness & Tennis Center is available for recreational use by all students, staff, and parents.

We believe in strong relationships and mutually beneficial partnerships. Our partners offer a variety of enhancements to the student, parent, and staff experience at ISB, including after-school activities; weekend sports; school trips; experiential learning opportunities; equipment; and specialized training. 

"We were impressed with the facilities and opportunities offered at the school, but mostly we liked the energy, dedication and positive attitudes from teachers and staff. ISB is a school that really has the child in focus; to prepare them for the future, the curriculum is well anchored in the challenges of today. We feel our children are getting the best possible foundation and knowledge for their future academic choices, whatever they will be."

- Claudia K., ISB Parent

Discover the difference an ISB education can make.