General

• Holistic and inclusive international, English-language school and welcoming community for students in Early Years-Grade 12 (age 3-18)
• An internationally accredited education for families in greater Stavanger, Norway – one of the safest, most prosperous, and beautiful countries in the world
• Over 20 years of delivering the universally recognised International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
• The school offers English as an Additional Language and language programmes, learning support, guidance and counselling and incredible co-curricular and athletic programmes
• Values Learning, Well-being and Community (ISS philosophy)
• Non-profit school administered by a Director and governed by a Board of Trustees

Origins

• Founded in 1966
• Initially established for the families of oil pioneers leading the North Sea exploration
• Third international school in the world to be accredited by the Council of International Schools in 1974
• From the beginning, the school experience has been shaped by the children’s needs and interests

Size and Diversity

• Capacity for 550 students from Preschool-Grade 12
• Nearly 50 countries represented across the student body
• 18% hold Norwegian citizenship, 19% U.S. citizenship and 10% U.K. citizenship (includes dual citizens)
• One of the largest international schools in Scandinavia with four sections to support students in their stages of growth and learning
• 1:9 teacher-to-student ratio

Faculty and Staff

• 120 caring staff representing 24 nationalities
• 73 experienced faculty representing 17 nationalities
• 46 (63%) of faculty hold a master’s degree or doctorate in addition to their bachelor’s degree

Accreditations and Authorisations

• Accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC) and Council of International Schools (CIS)
• Authorised to offer the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) and International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme
• Authorised status from the Kingdom of Norway via the Education Act

Curriculum

• Early Childhood, Primary and Middle School: Cross-cultural curriculum with standards and benchmarks based on intentional systems from Europe, North America and Australia
• High School: International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) for Grades 9-10 and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) for Grades 11-12

Languages

• English as the general language of instruction
• Robust English as an Additional Language (EAL) programme
• Norwegian class as a first and foreign language
• French and Spanish as foreign language options
• After-school first language programmes for Dutch, German and Italian speakers
• After-school first language programmes for other languages, such as French and Spanish, are available based on demand
• 43 languages (first/second/third) are represented across our student body

Sports and Activities

• An extensive co-curricular and athletics programme emphasising participation and inclusivity
• Field trips, outdoor education, language immersion, music and theatre festivals, service learning, academic travel and more
• Outdoor education and activities, including camping, hiking, skiing and Middle School trips to Hardanger, Trysil and Fevik

Location and Campus

• Located in southwest Norway where both ocean and mountains are within a short drive
• Access to both city and country living, supported by ISS school bus transportation
• Spacious 6-hectare campus, not too far from the beautiful and historic Hafrsfjord
• Well-equipped campus with dedicated facilities: 9 science lab/classrooms; 370-seat theatre; a dance and drama studio; 2 libraries (EC/PS and MS/HS); language and technology labs; a sports complex with 4 indoor gyms, 400-meter track, rugby, football/soccer, softball and baseball fields as well as fitness facilities
• Inviting cafeteria serving healthy, hot and cold selections, including vegetarian options
• Several technology labs, a 1-to-1 iPad programme in the Middle School and personal Mac Book Air laptops in the High School 

Academic Achievements (High School Level – IBDP 2023)

• 86.1% of the students achieved the full Diploma compared to the global average of 79.7%.
• The highest score achieved by our students who took all the Diploma examinations was 42 points out of 45 possible points.  The top 25% of the cohort achieved an average grade of 40.9 points.
• For all those students who achieved the Diploma, the mean total score was 34.7 points compared to the global average of 30.2 points.
• IB examinations are scored on a scale from 1 (lowest) to 7 (highest), and our students who achieved the Diploma in May had a mean score of 5.47 compared to a global average of 4.83 in each of their subjects.

University Acceptances

• Students from recent graduating classes were accepted by leading institutions in 15 countries – Canada, Germany, France, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Spain, Norway, Poland, Singapore, the Netherlands, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom and United States.
• Universities of acceptance include:
  • Canada: McGill University, University British Columbia
  • Netherlands: Delft University of Technology, University of Utrecht
  • Norway: Norwegian University of Science and Technology, University of Stavanger
  • United Kingdom: Imperial College London, King’s College London, University of Cambridge, University College London, University of Edinburgh, University of Manchester
  • United States: New York University, Texas A&M, University of Virginia and U.S. Military Academy at West PointEarly