International School Community Blog

What Makes Your International School Unique?

Each international school is unique, that’s for sure.

Of course, many top international schools of the world have unique qualities that make them special. However, let’s not forget about all the other international schools (big and small).  Even for-profit international schools have cool things to offer that maybe non-profit schools are not able to have.

What then are these unique qualities?

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Some international schools have a unique make-up of students. They are from over 80 or more different countries, all coming together in a perfect, diverse blend. The students are also super kind and considerate which make classroom management a non-issue.

An international school can also be unique for the extra-curricular programme it offers.  Maybe it has a newly constructed olympic-sized pool with an effective and inspiring staff of swimming teachers.  The school might also be the only one that offers unique sports like fencing with a fully functioning fencing facility.

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Many international schools dream of having their own garden. Especially one that the students can tend to during break or class-lesson times.  This garden can also be unique because the school kitchen can incorporate the newly picked food into their menu.

Another unique quality about international schools could be related to the teachers themselves. Maybe they have the perfect set up for effective collaboration to happen (we all know that many international schools don’t have this luxury). Additionally, the teachers have ample planning time to create inspired lessons.  The director maybe even has carefully selected new teachers to join the teaching community that fit very well into the school’s mission and vision.

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A unique quality that many teachers seek out is a school that is well-resourced.  Having all the materials and equipment is definitely a dream come true, especially when working at an international school.  A school that has well-established connections with getting materials ordered and delivered in a timely manner is not an international school to overlook when recruiting.

And the list goes on and on of the unique qualities that international schools can have.

It is important to celebrate the good things about our schools. These good things can inspire the students and staff to do their best and bring the community closer together in the school’s vision and mission.

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Luckily, International School Community has a comment topic on our school profile pages related to the unique qualities of international schools, so you can stay the most informed as possible. It is called: “Name some special things about this school that makes it unique.

There are a total of 313 comments in this comment topic (June 2015).  Here are a few that have been submitted:

“KICS is bringing a concept of 21st century inquiry-based education to a country very much in need of such access. It isn’t a school for every teacher though. Teachers who do well are motivated by this vision. They also need to be into educational technology for learning. If they arent then they can struggle.” – Khartoum International Community School (Khartoum, Sudan) – 65 Comments

“The physical facilities of the school are excellent. The technology infrastructure is really good. It is a one-to-one programme with new Macbook airs from grade 5 to 12. The size of the school enables a lot of varies extra curricular activities which would be hard to support in a smaller school.” – American School of Warsaw (Warsaw, Poland) – 29 Comments

“There is a very welcoming environment at all levels. Anyone can walk around and sense the positive “vibe”. Often we get remarks that, though the school is not small, much of the social ‘feel’ is indicative of traditionally small schools (e.g. friendly, open, welcoming, etc.)” – International School of Kuala Lumpur (Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia) – 84 Comments

“Well because of the dream of Eugenia, the director of the school for 20 years, there is a strong sense of multi-lingualism in the school. This school is leading the way in terms of language policy.” – The Bilingual School of Monza (Milan, Italy) – 27 Comments