International School of Schaffhausen

About

The International School of Schaffhausen offers high quality education and care to students ages 0 to 18. ISSH is a private, non-profit institution owned by the International School of Schaffhausen Foundation. It was founded in 1999 to serve the needs of the international community. It is governed by a Board of Directors elected by the ISSH Foundation.

The school is an IB world school, authorized by the IB – International Baccalaureate to offer all three IB Programmes: IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) and IB Diploma Programme (DP), leading to university entrance. ISSH also offers a bilingual childcare centre for children aged 0-3 and a residential programme for international students ages 15-18. The ISSH student body is multicultural with students from over 45 different national backgrounds.

The faculty is similarly diverse with qualified professionals who have at least a bachelor degree and/or a home country teaching certificate. Many of our teachers have master degrees. The language of instruction is English. The German language is taught throughout the school and students for whom English is a second language receive special tuition in small groups or one-on-one. French is highly valued and offered from age 10.

The school is located on the outskirts of Schaffhausen, in a green and quiet environment, 3 km from the main railway station. An ISSH shuttle bus runs between the main station and the school in the morning and at home time. All sections of the school are on the same campus. The secondary, primary and early education departments are located in different buildings which include sports, arts and science facilities as well as a variety of recreational areas and playgrounds.

The Program

ChildCare ( Age 0-3)

Sensitive and caring professionals take care of the youngest children, according to their individual needs. Exciting and engaging learning experiences await your child in school’s spacious outdoor and indoor environment, along with home-cooked food, a cosy sleeping space and time for discoveries.

EARLY LEARNING CENTRE (AGE 3-6)

In Kindergarten kids explore the world of numbers and letters with fun and games. The theme worlds include nature, animals and plants, the weather, the seasons, the forest and much more. ISSH playfully promotes social skills and early bilingualism.

Primary school

The curriculum is planned around six transdisciplinary themes. They are the common thread for thinking and learning through meaningful, age-appropriate units. The teaching and learning, within the units, is focused on the students developing their understanding of concepts and skills (the approaches to learning). Knowledge and understanding is taught through six subject areas: language, maths, social studies, science, arts and personal, social and physical learning. PYP schools around the world teach according to a common curriculum. Naturally, the learning content largely corresponds to the curricula of Swiss or German primary schools.

Middle school

The IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) is designed for students aged 11-16. In this period students undergo a critical phase in their personal, social and intellectual development. The MYP guides the students to develop the knowledge, attitudes and skills they need to participate actively and responsibly in a changing and increasingly interrelated world. The MYP accommodates the demands of most national or local curriculums. It builds upon the knowledge, skills and attitudes developed in the Primary Years Programme (PYP) and prepares the students to meet the academic challenges of the IB Diploma Programme.

High School

The Diploma programme is designed for both day students and boarding school students. The admission requirement is the successful completion of an intermediate level schooling (10th grade). The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme in Grade 11 and 12 is a 2-year course which is the final stage of Secondary Education.

Successfully passed final examinations entitle the student to an internationally recognized, university entrance diploma (IB Diploma = Abitur / Matura). Graduates who have successfully completed the demanding and rigorous curriculum are welcome applicants at leading universities such as Cambridge, ETH and Harvard.

Universities around the world value not only the professional qualifications but also the core competencies required in addition to the subjects, which prepare the graduates for successful studies and an active, formative role within our society.