Every day, several thousand students come to learn at an SIS school. This represents a delightful and challenging task that encourages us to give our best. In order to offer our bilingual and international school programme at a high level, we have established processes and structures that ensure high teaching quality and good leadership practice:
Leadership Programme
Every two years, SIS runs an international leadership programme for aspiring leaders. The participants attend group days that cover many topics about leadership and managing change. As part of the programme, they also attend a school evaluation, receive coaching on three individual days and shadow a principal for a day.
For the duration of the programme, the participants also develop and implement a project within their own school, putting into practice what they have been learning.
Professional Development Days
High importance is placed on professionally developing teachers and leaders at SIS. To this end, each country organises their own professional development day once per year, bringing in external speakers as well as using expertise within the company.
An additional two days are allocated every March to bring our Germany and Switzerland colleagues together and offer a selection of workshops on many different topics. These events are a highly valued opportunity to meet, exchange ideas and receive new input.
In addition to professional development for teachers, SIS leaders also have the opportunity to attend either team leader, new principal and/or SIS leaders' professional development days with specially designed programmes.
Mentoring Programme
This year-long programme aims to ensure the smooth induction of new teachers, giving them guidance and support as they start in the bilingual setting of SIS.
Subject Trainers
Each country has dedicated subject trainers who assist teachers in understanding and implementing the SIS curricula. They give workshops, both in-school and at company professional development days, and are always on hand to offer support and advice.
School Evaluations
SIS as a whole is always looking to increase our academic profile and improve the quality of our services. Therefore, school evaluations are regularly conducted in our schools.
A team evaluates all aspects of school life: from teaching quality and personnel development to communication and administrative systems. School evaluations are invaluable in establishing where a school currently stands and recommending next steps a school can take in order to continue developing quality of service.
Teacher Exchange to Brazil
An exciting opportunity exists for teachers from SIS Germany and SIS Switzerland to live and work in Brazil for two to four years with a preference given to German speakers. Attractive working conditions are offered as well as a guaranteed position upon return.
International Activities
We arrange numerous activities for our students to enable international exchange. In particular, the SIS Cup and the annual Intercountry Activity enable a shared experience and build friendships.
For the SIS Cup, everything revolves around the themes of sport, fairness and fun over two days. Every year, teams from all SIS schools compete against each other at one of our locations in individual and team disciplines and there is cheering, playing, sweating and laughing.
In addition to sports, we also connect our learners through the annual Intercountry Activity, which promotes international exchange. In past years, we have held international maths days, a parcel swap, a story-writing exchange, and a photo activity.
Furthermore, we honour the three best final papers submitted by SIS graduates with the SIS Best Essay Award. The written essays are produced as part of the final exams written for the Matura, Abitur or International Baccalaureate (IB).
We will continue to develop exciting formats. Be part of it!
This Is What We Stand For:
- We live internationality. People from different learning and teaching cultures promote learning in a variety of ways.
- We encourage curiosity. We continue to educate ourselves through continuous professional development programmes with internal and external experts.
- We enable the taking-on of responsibility. The SIS network offers exciting opportunities for the expansion of impact – within a school, within a country or even internationally.
- The SIS network is a lived reality. We exchange ideas, pull in the same direction and share our knowledge and skills thanks to many opportunities for international exchange.
- We offer a modern infrastructure conducive to learning and use it in a target-oriented way in the classroom. Our school buildings are well equipped and new approaches to teaching are tested and introduced in a structured way.
- We care about our environment. Together, we empower change for sustainable living. Read more here.