| International Secondary School of Eindhoven | |
|---|---|
| Location | |
| Venetiestraat 43 Eindhoven, The Netherlands |
|
| Information | |
| Type | Coeducational |
| Motto | Unity is diversity |
| Established | 1974 |
| Director | David Gatley |
| Faculty | Approx. 40 |
| Number of students | Approx. 400 |
| Affiliations | CIS NEASC |
| Website | http://www.issehv.nl |
The International Secondary School of Eindhoven (Commonly abbreviated to ISSE), is an international school situated in the northern part of Eindhoven.
Contents |
The International Secondary School Eindhoven is an English-based International School in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, open to students across the age-range 11 to 19. It is accredited by the Council of International Schools and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges. It currently has 400 students enrolled, coming from over 30 nationalities worldwide.
Founded in 1974, the ISSE was created in order to support international families working for Royal Philips Electronics and other multi-national companies. When founded, it only offered the General Certificate of Education (GCE). In 1982, the school introduced the International Baccalaureate's Diploma Programme as a follow-up to the GCE.
The ISSE was not considered to be a separate school, but rather a sub-department since its formation. However, as decades past since the creation of the ISSE, the school saw a rapid growth in the number of students attending. In 2001, the school moved to a separate building. Presently, the ISSE is located at Venetiestraat 43, Eindhoven.
The ISSE offers the International Baccalaureate's Middle Years Programme (MYP) and the Diploma Programme (DP). The former GCE course is no longer offered, and totally replaced by courses from the IB. The ISSE is also a member of the Stedelijk College Eindhoven, thus also offering the possibility bilingual programme of English and Dutch.
There are five year groups in the Middle Years Programme and two years in Diploma Programme. English is the main language used throughout the school.
As part of the MYP, students are required to follow the curriculum set out by the International Baccalaureate. The five areas of interaction of the MYP are the students’ main focus for all students, and students have to fulfil a community and service programme as part of the curriculum. In the fifth year of the MYP, students are asked to complete 50 hours of community and service as a compulsory subject in order to acquire a certificate, as well as the completion of a Personal Project
In the DP years, Theory of Knowledge (TOK), Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) and Extended Essay (EE) are the critical areas which the student must focus on.
Although the main language used within the school is English, the school also offers Spanish and French as secondary languages within the MYP years. Dutch is a compulsory subject, and is offered at three levels: Foundation, Secondary Language and Primary Language. Later on in the Diploma Programme, students may choose other languages as their primary language instead of English.
If students have little experience with English, they may participate in an English Language Learning (ELL) course, which aims to improve the student’s knowledge of English to a level which the student is able to communicate in other classes. During the time which a student is in the ELL, he/she may be withdrawn from regular classes to focus on improving his/her English skills.
The ISSE offers two artistic courses in the MYP years: Performing Arts/Music Classes and Visual Arts. Later on in the DP, only Visual Arts is offered.
Physical Exercise is offered and compulsory to students.
The school holds an annual 'Ski Trip' to Austria or Switzerland, which is available to all students. The school also has class trips for each individual grade. These trips are adventure camps to encourage team building and other social skills between the staff and students.
After school activities include such as Football or creative writing clubs. The school regularly participates in sport tournaments as well. The school has gained a reputation in areas of Basketball, Softball, Football and Volleyball. Annually, the school enters NECIS tournaments on all four categories.
The ISSE is also a participant of the Model United Nations (MUN) since the 1960s, and has won numerous ‘Best Delegation Award’ during this time. Annually, the school participates in two MUN conferences: Model United Nations International School of The Hague (MUNISH) and The Hague International Model United Nations (THIMUN)
The area of the entire site is around 17,000m2 with a spacious outdoor recreational area which includes two basketball courts, open grass field and a football field. Area within the building features around 7,000m2 of floor space. The building also features 30 classrooms, of which four are science and experimental laboratories, two visual arts workrooms, one design technology workroom, two computer laboratories and one music room. A large multi-purpose hall also includes a canteen, and can be transformed into a theatrical stage for performances or special events. The building also features a library with multimedia centre as well as a two full-sized gym halls.
Discussions on merging the International Secondary School of Eindhoven and the Regional International School have dated back since 2006. Currently, the primary department is in a separate building from the secondary department. The confirmation of the merger in 2009 announced that the new school shall merge both the secondary department and the primary department under the name International School of Eindhoven. The merging process is expected to be completed in 2012.