ISB Strategic FOCUS AREAS

ISB has created a new strategic plan every few years throughout its history, and we now have a new set of strategic focus areas to ensure the school is providing an excellent international education best suited to our community and the vibrant city of Beijing in this era.

Our new Strategic Focus Areas have strong relations to our aspirational Mission and Vision statements that are lived by ISB students, families, faculty and staff every day. Strategic planning is conducted to anticipate changing circumstances, ensure relevance to the community, define and clarify ISB’s values, and make sure ISB is known for and is making the most of its strengths.

Beijing has changed immeasurably in the 40+ years since ISB was founded. The city and its international population continue to develop at a breathtaking pace. The families choosing ISB as the ideal school for their children are different from those doing so 10 years ago, five years ago, even two years ago.

We anticipate this pace of change continuing and it is essential that ISB plans for the change.

For this most recent review, we conducted a consultation in the 2021-2022 school year to establish what ISB families (current and prospective), faculty and staff, and alumni value most and where they think the school should head from here. We asked, who are we? What programs best meet our needs? How do we operate most effectively and efficiently?

Here are some of the things ISB community members told us they valued most:

High-quality teaching and learning

Giving students opportunities to discover and follow their passions

The right balance between challenge and joy in academics and co-curricular activity

Strong peer relationships

Remaining an international school

Celebrating our history and our future successes

ISB has consistently focused on all these things throughout its history, but the new Strategic Focus Areas are a roadmap for the future of the school that consolidates our efforts and resources into three main focus areas based on the above. Here you can read about these three areas, followed by ISB news exemplifying how we’re putting each focus into practice.

1. Our core: challenging and joyful learning. We will keep focusing on quality academic programming especially literacy plus science, technology, engineering, the arts, and math (STEAM), ensuring appropriate challenge for ALL learners so that every student is achieving their potential in their courses. We will also further strengthen the pipeline of great teachers coming to ISB.

Strategic Plan Focus Area 1

A collage of photos of graduation and High School sports

Extraordinary IB exam results for ISB students

Aug 15 2023

ISB’s most recent graduates have once again outperformed global peers in this prestigious academic program, validating the school’s focus on challenging and joyful learning, purpose and compassion, and relationships and internationalism.

Students in graduation gowns on stage at ISB's 2023 Graduation Ceremony

Congratulations to the Class of 2023, ISB’s newest alumni!

Jun 1 2023

After a school experience fostering social-emotional strength, academics, global citizenship, purpose and compassion, these students have exciting futures, with many poised for their dream courses at universities worldwide.

A collage of pictures from the Grade 12 science show

Myth busters

Feb 10 2023

Could Rapunzel’s hair really have lifted the prince? ISB Seniors studying biology, chemistry, physics and other sciences investigated many such popular questions as they united for a great example of challenging and joyful learning.

2. Use ISB’s resources to empower students to purpose and compassion. School is about so much more than academics! We want to keep ensuring our students have integrity, strength of character, and that they are healthy socially and emotionally. To that end, we want each student to find at least one academic area and one co-curricular pursuit they are passionate about and in which they can excel. Our policy over the next few years will be based on making sure students can sample real-world professional experience and have chance to provide service to others and create a positive social impact.

Strategic Plan Focus Area 2

A collage of photos of ISB sports and activities

How ISB students explore and discover their passions

Sep 18 2023

ISB’s 2023-2024 co-curricular program is underway, offering sports, after-school activities, and service opportunities. The program is a major way ISB empowers students to purpose and compassion and provides learning that is both challenging and joyful.

Students working in ISB's rooftop garden

Meeting environmental commitments, inspiring green leaders

May 12 2023

The third ISB Sustainability Impact Report gives an update on the school’s sustainability work – and how this work has empowered students to purpose and compassion.

A collage of photos from the High School production

Hogwarts High School show casts spell over ISB

Apr 28 2023

The production set in ‘a certain school of magic and magic’ captivated audiences, allowed students to explore their passions, and provided challenging and joyful learning.

3. Strong, lifelong peer relationships across national, linguistic, and cultural lines in our inclusive community. Our social-emotional learning program will continue to focus on relationships, and our co-curricular teams and performance groups on coaching peer collaboration. ISB is also developing the greatest alumni network in Asia.

Strategic Plan Focus Area 3

ISB’s Strategic Focus Areas formally identify strong relationships as one of the school’s priorities. With a host of events o

Peak moments and Dragon Spirit

Sep 1 2023

ISB’s Strategic Focus Areas formally identify strong relationships as one of the school’s priorities. With a host of events on offer in a big year for ISB and Beijing, here’s a look at how ISB engages parents in its welcoming community.