Middle & Upper School
Grades 6 - 12
At ISU, our Middle and Upper School offers students a challenging, engaging and internationally minded education that supports both academic success and personal growth. Guided by our vision to empower a community of socially responsible learners to succeed in an ever-changing world, and by our mission to provide an engaging and challenging education in a caring, supportive and diverse environment, we aim to help every student fulfil their potential. Our guiding statements shape not only what students learn, but how they learn, grow and contribute to the life of the school.
Across the Middle and Upper School, our curriculum is designed to develop the knowledge, understanding and skills students need for success now and in the future. Through our three pillars of learning — learning to do, learning to live together and learning to be — students build strong communication, research, self-management and thinking skills; learn to value different perspectives, cultures and beliefs; and grow as healthy, ethical, active and balanced individuals. In this way, learning at ISU is both rigorous and holistic, combining academic challenge with reflection, inquiry and personal development.
Our curriculum reflects this commitment to high-quality learning. At ISU, high-quality learning is transformative: it helps students integrate knowledge, conceptual understanding and skills, sparks curiosity, encourages deep reflection and prepares learners to meet the challenges and opportunities of an ever-evolving world. In the Middle School, students follow a bespoke curriculum with Cambridge Secondary 1 at its core in English, Mathematics and Science, alongside a broader programme that supports interdisciplinary learning, creativity and physical education. In the Upper School, students follow the ISU High School Diploma pathway, including IGCSE courses in Grades 9 and 10 and the IB Diploma Programme in Grades 11 and 12. Together, these experiences provide a coherent and internationally focused pathway through Grades 6 to 12.
WHAT OUR ALUMNI SAY
Berke, Alumni of 2020/21
ISU is a warm, supportive community where teachers truly care about helping every student succeed - a place you can call home.
Gabriel, Alumni of 2020/21
It is a small friendly community with teachers and staff who care about you and your success.
Students at ISU have the opportunity to study a balanced international curriculum that develops knowledge and skills based on the foundation of the International Baccalaureate programmes.
The middle school curriculum forms the foundation for study of the International GCSE examinations and the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.
ISU champions the idea that each person is unique, and that young people in Middle School, grades 6–8, go through a transition phase, which requires a particular focus on the programme offered. ISU provides learning opportunities that cater to individual growth in all areas of human development.
ISU is committed to developing awareness for one’s own culture but also to provide multi-faceted experiences in interaction with people of a different background. This enables learning partners to reflect their own position and fosters understanding of the values of others.
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The middle school curriculum provides opportunities to develop understanding of new content, makes connections with previously learned material, develops connections to new material with increased difficulty connected to cognitive development