Beijing BISS International School

Beijing BISS International School
Address
No. 17, Area 4, An Zhen Xi Li
Chaoyang District
Beijing, 100029
China China
Information
Type Independent school
Founded 1994
Head of school Dr Gwyn Underwood
Grades Pre K-12
Enrollment 340 (2012)
Language English
Campus size 11,000 square metres (120,000 sq ft)
School colour(s) Maroon
Accreditation CIS, WASC, NCCT, International Baccalaureate (IB)
Affiliation EARCOS, ACAMIS
Website http://www.biss.com.cn/

Beijing BISS International School (BISS) (simplified Chinese: 北京BISS国际学校; traditional Chinese: 北京BISS國際學校; pinyin: Běijīng BISS Guójì Xuéxiào[1]) is an independent co-educational English-language day school located in Chaoyang District, Beijing, Peoples Republic of China.[2]

Founded in 1994, BISS provides instruction for kindergarten to grade 12 students from the expatriate community of Beijing, using all three International Baccalaureate (IB) programs: the Primary Years Programme, Middle Years Programme and the Diploma Programme.[3] As of 2012, 340 students from 40 different nationalities attend the school.[4]

Luo Wangshu of Xinhua (printed in the Shanghai Daily) has reported that the school "has a reputation for providing high-quality education, with its graduates having been accepted by top universities, such as Harvard and Columbia."[4]

History

Beijing BISS International School was founded in 1994 by its sister school, the International School Singapore (ISS), as an independent proprietary, co-educational, English-language day school offering an international curriculum for Kindergarten - grade 12 students from the expatriate community of Beijing.[5]

BISS was the first International School licensed by The Beijing Educational Commission, and the first school in Beijing to offer all three IB programs.

Campus

The school's 11,000 square meter campus is located near major expatriate residential areas in central Beijing, just off the North Third Ring Road. The campus is close to central Beijing, the Asian Games Village and the Olympic Stadium, the Bird Nest.

The main building holds more than thirty classrooms, a central library, music, drama and art studios, science labs, design and technology lab, muti-purpose auditorium, cafeteria and administration offices. There are separate play areas for kindergarten and elementary school students, all-weather running track and multi-purpose courts for basketball, football, hockey and volleyball, and a rock-climbing wall. BISS has a full-time private medical clinic situated on the second floor of the building, staffed by a full-time qualified doctor.[5]

Program

Curriculum

BISS offers the Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP) and Diploma Programme (DP) [3] to all students, from kindergarten through grade 12.

Accreditations, Authorizations, Memberships and Licences[6]

Students

BISS provides instruction for kindergarten to grade 12 students from the expatriate community of Beijing. As of 2012, 340 students from 40 different nationalities attend the school.[4]

Class sizes

BISS maintains relatively low student to teacher class ratios, with classes typically having 15 students or less to 1 teacher. Luo Wangshu of the Shanghai Daily reported that "BISS believes that smaller class sizes make for better academic performance and communication."[4]

Faculty

BISS faculty members hail from the USA, Canada, Australia, Korea, New Zealand, Singapore, China, Japan, the Philippines, Portugal, and the U.K. All faculty are required to be licensed teachers and qualified in their respective fields, and most hold advanced degrees. BISS seeks out faculty who are experienced in international education and their diverse backgrounds contribute to the school's international character.

Tuition

As of 2009 the school tuition ranges from lower for kindergarteners to higher for older students. Kindergarteners each had a tuition of 96,000 yuan (49,217 Malaysian ringgits) while a high school senior had a tuition of 172,000 yuan (RM88,181).[7] For kindergarten and first grade classes, as of 2012 the school charges up to 109,800 yuan yearly per pupil.[4]

References

  1. ↑ "教育部公布经批准设立的外籍人员子女学校名单." (Archive) Jiaoyu Shewai Jianguan Xinxi Wang (教育涉外监管信息网 Jiàoyù Shèwài Jiānguǎn Xìnxī Wǎng "Education of Foreigners Oversight Information Network"), Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. November 21, 2012. Retrieved on July 19, 2013. "5、北京BISS国际学校 (1996/06/11）"
  2. ↑ "Home." Beijing BISS International School. Retrieved on June 19, 2013. "No. 17, Area 4, Zhen Xi Li, Chaoyang District, Beijing 1000029,People's Republic of China"
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 http://biss.com.cn/Curriculum/11.html
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 4.4 Luo, Wangshu. "High kindergarten cost credited to good teachers." (Archive) Xinhua at Shanghai Daily. March 27, 2012. Retrieved on June 19, 2013.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 http://biss.com.cn/about/01/2.html
  6. ↑ http://biss.com.cn/about/02/
  7. ↑ Balazovic, Todd. "Expats resort to home schooling." The Star. September 13, 2009. Retrieved on June 19, 2013.

Further reading

External links