British International School of Houston

British International School of Houston
Address
4211 Watonga Blvd
Houston, Texas Texas, United States United States, 77092
Information
Established 2000
Principal Andrew Derry
Gender Coeducational
Age range 3 to 18
School color(s)

Navy, White & Red

              
Accreditation IB
Website www.britishschoolofhouston.org
School building

The British International School of Houston (BISH), formerly the British School of Houston (BSOH), is a non-sectarian, co-educational college preparatory day school located northwest of Downtown Houston, Texas. BISH, which opened in September 2000, offers education for ages 3 to 18 (UK Nursery to Year 13/US Pre-K to Grade 12). The British School of Houston is a part of Nord Anglia Education which operates 27 schools in 11 countries, including six in the USA.[1] Previously it was operated by the British Schools of America [2] It will move to its new campus in Greater Katy in fall 2016.

History

Logo for the school under its previous name of the British School of Houston

The school opened on September 11, 2000 serving children of ages 3 to 13. Each year, the British School added one additional grade by level, until it covered ages 3 to 18. The 14.5 acres (5.9 ha) campus occupied by the school had previously housed Houston Christian High School. Grainne O'Reilly-Askew, the school's first headmistress, said that British companies encountered difficulty in convincing their executives to relocate to Greater Houston, since the area previously did not have a school using the British educational system.[3] John Major, the former Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, attended the school's official opening.[4]

The school's enrollment grew quickly after it opened, when it had 75 students. By December 2000 the school had 82 students, with 12 on the waiting list for January, when three more teachers were scheduled to begin employment with the school. O'Reilly-Askew said that she was not surprised by the increase of interest in the school, since there are a large number of British citizens living in Greater Houston. Annette Baird of the Houston Chronicle said that, as of December 2000, the number of British citizens in Greater Houston was estimated to be over 40,000. O'Reilly-Askew also stated that several American families showed interest in the school.[3]

In 2010, 100% of the BSH students who took the International Baccalaureate diploma test passed. One student at the British school scored 44 of 45 points, making him in the top one percent of IB diploma test takers worldwide.[5]

The school's new campus in Greater Katy will open in the fall of 2016.[6]

Curriculum

The British School of Houston offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) for students in Years 12 and 13 (Grades 11 and 12) and the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) in Years 10 and 11 (Grades 9 and 10). The Primary School, which includes Nursery to Year 6 (Pre-K-Grade 5), offers the International Primary Curriculum (IPC) and adopts best practices from the British National Curriculum (England and Wales).

Students at the British School of Houston sit externally graded standardized tests in English, Maths, and Science as recommended by the British National Curriculum (England and Wales) at the end of Years 2, 6 and 9. Optional tests are taken at the end of Years 3, 4, 5, 7 and 8 in Maths and English. IGCSE and IB students take external examinations at the end of Years 11 and 13.

There is a Dutch curriculum program for temporary residents from the Netherlands.[7]

Teachers

The vast majority of the BSH staff are British and are educated in the United Kingdom. They all hold mainly UK degrees as well as teaching qualifications. Some teaching staff hold Masters degrees.

The school actively promotes the professional development of teaching staff through an ongoing programme of training carried out in the US, UK, and Europe in order to promote world class learning practices through adapting and adopting examples of best educational practice from around the world. Whilst the teaching staff are primarily British educated and teach British curriculum, courses are designed to reflect a global perspective and the international nature of the student body.

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Demographics

As of May 2014, there were about 850 students. About 60% of the students are British, 7% are American, and the remainder are of other nationalities.[8]

As of December 2000, about 70% of the students were British. The remainder were Americans and of other nationalities.[3] As of 2010 pupils of about 40 nationalities attend the school, with the majority of students being British and American.[9]

Campus

The school's current campus, the former Houston Christian High School, is on a 14-acre (5.7 ha) plot of land in proximity to U.S. Route 290 (Northwest Freeway).[10] This campus has a capacity of 850 students,[6] and the student body there ranged from 450 to 850 students.[11] This campus will close in 2016 after the new campus in Greater Katy opens.[12]

In December 2014 the school acquired a 33-acre (13 ha) site in unincorporated Harris County, Texas, in the Greater Katy area. The new school will consist of a 274,000 square feet (25,500 m2) facility, with a capacity of 2,000 students,[12] located at the southwest corner of Franz Road and North Westgreen Boulevard,[11] 2.3-acre (0.93 ha) east of Texas State Highway 99 (Grand Parkway) and 1 mile (1.6 km) north of Interstate 10 (Katy Freeway).[12] The developer is Simpkins Group, the designer is Fanning Howey and House Partners, and the construction manager is Tribble & Stephens Construction Ltd.[6] The groundbreaking ceremony was held in February 2015 and the campus is scheduled to open in September 2016. Many of the students have parents who have some sort of ties to the Houston Energy Corridor and/or reside in Greater Katy, influencing the school's decision about the location of its new campus.[11]

Affiliation and Associations

The British School of Houston is accredited to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IDBP). BSH is an active member of the European Council of International Schools (ECIS), the Council for International Schools in the Americas (CISTA) and the Independent Association of Preparatory Schools.

See also

American schools in the United Kingdom:

References

  1. ↑ Baker, Amy (11 June 2013). "WCL Group Sold to Nord Anglia Education". The Pie News. Retrieved 25 March 2014.
  2. ↑ "Foxwell appointed head of British School of Houston." Houston Business Journal. Friday October 16, 2009. Retrieved on December 8, 2010.
  3. 1 2 3 Baird, Annette. "British school to expand to accommodate demand" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Wednesday December 20, 2000. ThisWeek 2. Retrieved on December 9, 2010.
  4. ↑ Staff. "A major opening." Houston Chronicle. Thursday September 21, 2000. A36. Retrieved on December 9, 2010.
  5. ↑ "Briefs: Students earn outstanding IB results." Houston Chronicle. July 22, 2010. Retrieved on December 9, 2010.
  6. 1 2 3 "Houston international school to develop new campus in Katy area." Houston Business Journal. November 11, 2014. Updated November 13, 2014. Retrieved on September 11, 2015.
  7. ↑ "Dutch Program." British International School of Houston. Retrieved on April 20, 2015.
  8. ↑ "Frequently Asked Questions" (Archive) British School of Houston. Retrieved on May 26, 2014.
  9. ↑ "About The International British School of Houston" (Archive). British School of Houston. Retrieved on December 9, 2010.
  10. ↑ Baird, Annette. "British school director opens new doors" (Archive). Houston Chronicle. Thursday June 5, 2003. Retrieved on September 11, 2015.
  11. 1 2 3 Kirk, Bryan. "Katy-area campus set to open in fall '16." Houston Chronicle. June 9, 2015. Retrieved on September 11, 2015.
  12. 1 2 3 "The Deal Sheet" (Archive). Bisnow. December 16, 2014. Retrieved on September 11, 2015.

External links

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Coordinates: 29°49′45″N 95°27′34″W / 29.8292°N 95.4594°W / 29.8292; -95.4594

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