Q1. Who are the founders of ISA International School of Guangzhou?

A: ISA International School of Guangzhou (ISA) was jointly founded by the International School of London (ISL) and the British International Education Foundation. ISL Group began in 1972 and it was one of the earliest schools to offer the IB Diploma. The ISL Schools now enroll approximately 1600 students across their three campuses in West London; Surrey; and Doha, Qatar. The head of ISL Qatar is chair of the IB Heads Council, Member of the IB Board of Governors and the IB Education Committee.

Q2. How is the faculty in ISA International School of Guangzhou?

A: To ensure high-quality teaching, overseas teachers at ISA International School of Guangzhou are all highly qualified teachers with several years of teaching experiences. They are from: the UK, the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and so on. The Chinese and mathematics teachers are selected from first-class middle and primary schools at the provincial level. The associate teachers are native Chinese with at least a bachelor’s degree, whilst some have a master’s degree. Courses such as music, art and PE are all taught by senior overseas teachers with associate teachers.

In primary year program (PYP which consists of Early Years and Primary Years), each class consists of an overseas teacher as its classroom teacher, and a bilingual assistant teacher. Every class is equipped with Chinese teachers and mother tongue teachers. We also set Head of Primary and PYP coordinator in PYP program. The whole faculty works together to create a high-quality educational plan and a good learning atmosphere for students. EY1 (two year olds) to EY4 (five year olds) classes are equipped with child-care workers to take care of the younger students. Overseas music, art and PE teachers will also teach each class.

In middle school, we set math, science, English, Chinese, humanity, art, PE and music teachers. As the curriculum is subject-based, each teacher teaches students ranging from Year 6 to Year 9 with different level of knowledge. The teachers are led by an MYP coordinator who will ensure their teaching quality.

Q3. How are school hours and holidays organized?

A: School hours begin at 8:30am and end at 17:00pm during Monday to Thursday, and 8:30am to 16:00pm on Friday. One hour earlier finishing the day due to the traffic problem. The period during 11:30am to 14:00pm is for children in the kindergarten to have lunch and a lunch break, while the PYP students and MYP students have their lunch and lunch break from 12:00pm to 12:50pm. During the breaks, some soothing music is played for kindergarten students to help them relax. Primary students and middle school students can choose reading in library, practice instrument in music room, have fun on playground or have a rest in classroom. The abundant studying hours provide a wide variety of regular classes and co-curriculum activities for students.

ISA’s school year is divided into two semesters, with the autumn semester lasting from the end of August to just before the Lunar Spring Festival and the spring semester lasting from just after the end of the Lunar Spring Festival until the end of June. As for holidays, there are two weeks off for Christmas holiday, two weeks off for the Spring Festival and eight weeks off for summer vacation. There are also days off during other official national Chinese holidays. There are around 180 school days each year, please refer to the school calendar for more details. 

Q4. What is IB? Is ISA International School of Guangzhou an IB World School?

A: The International Baccalaureate, commonly known as the IB, is a curriculum framework available around the world for students from 3-19 years of age. It is taught in state and private, national and international schools spanning 147 countries around the world. The Primary Years Program (PYP) focuses on the development of the whole child as an inquirer, both in the classroom and in the outside world. The Middle Years Program (MYP) provides a framework of academic challenge that encourages students to embrace and understand connections between traditional subjects and the real world. Students become critical and reflective thinkers. The IB Diploma Program (DP) is an academically challenging and balanced program of education with around 15 final examinations that prepares students for success at university.

June 15, 2017, just over two years since ISA opened and was listed as an IB candidate school, ISA International School of Guangzhou was authorized to be an IB PYP (Primary Year Program) school. ISA stands proudly within a family of 4800 IB schools around the school. The investigation process (which began in 2015) usually takes 3-5 years. ISA International School of Guangzhou received its official IB authorization faster than any other school in South China.

Q5. Will ISA International School of Guangzhou has a big campus? How about the scale and facilities of the future campus?

A: Yes, ISA International School of Guangzhou has successfully competed for a development land in Science City (Guangzhou Development Zone). The plot has an area of 37 320 square meters, and is near the Guangdong Olympic Stadium. It takes approximately 20mins to drive to the site from Zhujiang New Town. The plot will be used to build our new K-12 ‘ISA International School Science City Campus’. We will enroll more than 1 800 students here and create a school with a genuine multicultural, international and futures-oriented curriculum. It is scheduled to be operational in August 2020.

In order to develop Science City Campus into a leading international school in China, ISA is engaged in global design bidding and hired the world's top design team for campus design. The master designer holds a PhD in architecture from Harvard University and his designs have won numerous awards worldwide. The planning and design of ISA International School Science City campus will focus on an "all around the learners" planning concept to maximise the preservation of the original mountain and the natural environment.  A ‘patchwork’ layout of the various types of space and function will ensure a forward-looking, modern, well-equipped futuristic school.

The Science City Campus will be built against a small mountain. An international standardised 400-meter athletics track, sports field, and stadium forms the center of the campus, with the Kindergarten, administrative building, primary school, library, middle school, high school and student dormitory forming a semi-circular periphery. Above-ground, covered walkways will be set across all the K-12 buildings and the library for ease of movement across the campus. Designers are committed to building the entire school with an international, modern, garden style, emphasizing open but distinctive space.  It will be a blend of international and Chinese design elements and feature strongly in the educational landscape.

At the same time, we will invest in and construct international facilities such as a competition-standard football field, indoor heated swimming pool, track and field facilities, indoor sports courts, facilities for music, art and dance, and a multi-purpose lecture and performance hall accommodating 800 people.