On the radar
As we celebrate 10 years of ISP, we reflect on how we began and explore our vision for the next 10 years and beyond.
THE START OF ISP
10 years ago, a group of five passionate international educators pooled their expertise and started International Schools Partnership. They had a bold ambition – to change the way children learn.
Instead of passive lessons and tests that prioritised memorisation, our founders set out to put learners and their learning first. By supporting students to take ownership of their learning, ISP pioneered a student-centred approach which is focused on continuous improvement of knowledge and skills by evidencing learning in real time every day.
Steve Brown, CEO at ISP, reflects on our beginnings: “When we established ISP, we knew we wanted to do things differently. We knew that there was a better way for students to learn, and we are delighted to have brought so many schools and students on that journey with us so far. We are always innovating at ISP, and I’m excited for what the future holds.”
OUR GROWTH SO FAR
Over the years, we have partnered with like-minded leading international schools around the world whose leaders, like us, know the importance of empowering students and observing learning in action. We know there is power in passionate colleagues coming together to share their experiences and resources.
Steadily but quickly, our partnership grew – our group now comprises 77 schools in 21 countries around the world. And we’re only just getting started. We’re grateful for our extensive network of experienced educators around the world who share ideas, knowledge and expertise with each other every day.
“The quality and experience of our global network of learning leaders and expert educators means that we are continuously learning and gaining insights from trends in education, science, edtech and AI. We have a proven framework for continuous improvement and this, coupled with our unique learning approach, means all our teachers and schools are focused on what really matters – student learning.” Emily Porter, Chief Education and Innovation Officer, ISP
Mark Ford is Principal at The English College, Dubai, one of the latest schools to join the partnership this year: “We were delighted to join ISP this year. Being part of ISP makes us stronger as we benefit from the community of leaders and teachers from 77 schools around the world, plus the expertise and support from colleagues at ISP.”
OUR KEY AREAS OF FOCUS
Education has always been our focus and is placed at the heart of everything we do. This means our schools and students know what they need to thrive.
International learning is part of our DNA, and providing multicultural and multilingual experiences comes naturally to our schools as we are a truly international group. We passionately believe in the importance of our students being able to confidently communicate in at least one world language, while being supported in their home language(s) too.
The launch of our flagship international opportunities, now known as our ILOS programmes, in 2017 and our Future Pathways offering in 2021, provided the focus and space for our students to further explore their passions and develop their knowledge, skills and understanding in areas that matter to them. Our ‘beyond the classroom’ opportunities help our students to become responsible global citizens who are supported, informed, and empowered to decide their next steps after school.
All of this means our students learn key skills for life that allow them to succeed now and in the future – such as digital competency and global awareness.
Meanwhile, the launch of our professional development platform, the Learning Hub, in 2019, and our first accredited leadership courses in 2021 demonstrated our commitment to upskilling and supporting our teachers and leaders to provide world class learning.
Jeff Ison, Campus Principal, Tenby Schools Setia Eco Park – Malaysia, told us about his experience: ‘Being an ISP Head means challenge and support. You are constantly challenged to put learning first, to improve the offering and to grow your school. This all happens in a supportive and collegiate environment with regional and global colleagues to help in all areas from learning, safeguarding and budgeting. The Heads’ Leadership Programmes offer great professional development and create a network of global Heads ready to support each other.’
WHAT’S NEXT?
As we celebrate our first 10 years, we have an opportunity to reflect on what the next 10 years will hold.
Education does not stand still, and neither do we.
New challenges and innovations mean we are constantly evolving and learning how we can get better every day.
Some of our latest developments are focused on:
- Leveraging the best AI and EdTech across our schools to improve learning outcomes and support teachers. Our newly established ISP LabSchools will be the epicentres of innovation, serving as testing and proving grounds for new EdTech applications and methodologies all in service of our five key learning pillars.
- Our group-wide scholarships, partnering with leading global universities to offer our students exclusive opportunities.
- Our expanded commitment to ESG, accelerating the reduction of our carbon footprint and providing opportunities for impactful student-led action on sustainability initiatives.
In the next 10 years and beyond, we intend to keep pushing the boundaries to support the development of curious, confident learners.