The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.
To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment.
These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.
The International Baccalaureate (IB) offers the following three programmes of international education for students aged 3 to 19:
- The Primary Years Programme (PYP)
for students aged 3 to 12
- The Middle Years Programme (MYP)
for students aged 11 to 16
- The Diploma Programme (DP)
for students aged 16 to 19
Our class structure
| Grades
|
IB Programme
|
| Early Primary 1 + 2
|
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
|
| Grades 1-5
|
Primary Years Programme (PYP)
|
| Grades 6-10
|
Middle Years Programme (MYP)
|
| Grades 11+12
|
Diploma Programme (DP)
|
The IB Learner Profile is integral to all 3 IB programmes and provides a long-term vision of education. It is a set of ideals that can inspire, motivate and focus the work of schools and teachers, uniting them in a common purpose.
Here are some comments from our students on how they have been developing the attributes of the profile in the PYP:
- Principled
“I am honest and trustworthy”
- Risk-taker
“You try something you haven’t tried before. Trying new things helps us learn”
- Inquirer
“We ask questions and find answers to our questions”
- Reflective
“We think about what we did well and what we can do better”
- Open-minded
“You listen to others’ ideas and respect them”
- Caring
“We take care of each other no matter what we look like, who we are, or where we come from”
The language of instruction is English. Where required, English Support (ES) is provided.
German is offered at all levels from German as an Additional Language (GAL) to Advanced German with special focus on the requirements of learning a mother tongue. Advanced German is also offered for students who have reached a sufficient level of ability in German and who do not require additional support in English.
Spanish is offered from Grade 6.
The curriculum at the Heidelberg International School is designed to:
- Encourage self-discipline, empathy, tolerance, openness, respect, the ability to cope with change, and the ability to make rational decisions
- Foster students' emotional development by recognising their feelings and sensitivity, and by building up their self-esteem and a positive outlook on life
- Build physical fitness through athletic activities and the encouragement of physical well-being
- Support the students in the development of their personality and philosophy of life, the ability to recognise and solve problems, social competence and responsibility, and their respect for others and the environment.