• MMC

Interview with Sandra Denis, BtoB Enrolment Manager at ICS Paris.

1. What is specific about the curriculum offered by your school?
Through the international Baccalaureate pedagological approach we develop critical thinking and intellectual curiosity. The students are given opportunities to develop learning in different contexts and are equipped with skills to solve problems, develop potential, explore their creativity and develop a passion for learning. They make connections across subject matters which encourages independant learning, and a thirst for knowledge.
Our students are high performing and achieve high standards in external examinations, giving them opportunities to access some of the most prestigious universities across the world (Harvard, McGill University, Oxford University, Bocconi University etc.) or specialised Universities that cater to students‘ individual interests and allow them to specialise in a sector (ESMOD Fashion Design and Business, London School of Economics, l‘Ecole Supérieure de Réalisation Audiovisuelle).

2. Do you have an international study programme?
Yes, ICS delivers the International Baccalaureate programme for students aged 3-18.
Originating in the late 1960s in Geneva, the International Baccalaureate (IB) organisation was established to design and provide an international education programme that would make a better world.
Progressively popular, today the IB has a presence in more than 150 countries. The IB organisation takes a holistic approach to education, whereby teachers model, facilitate and set expectations for children to develop personally and academically.
The IB philosophy and mission statement align with our school values that promote open-mindedness and respect amongst our student body.

3. What is your approach to learning a foreign language?
We welcome the diverse linguistic backgrounds of our students and use them to support the learning of English. We assess our students‘ levels of English and an individual programme is set up to develop their knowledge, skills and understanding of English. French is taught as an additional language from the age of 3 and students in the middle and high school have opportunities to learn Spanish, Korean and Japanese. Other languages are taught after school as an extra curricular activity eg Italian, Hindi, Russian.

4. How is your school adapting to technological developments to support student learning?
Technology is integrated throughout the whole school and is seen as a support for learning. Students become familiar with different devices from an early age and from Grade 4 there is a one-to-one Ipad programme to ensure students have online access at all times. Smart boards are used as a teaching tool and our Design lab is fitted with the latest 3D and laser printers to enable students to use their technological skills in a different context.
Students have access to different apps and online educational resources (reading programmes, sciences resource sites…) to give them a rich knowledge base for their learning.

5. How is student support organised?
ICS Paris Learning Support embraces learner diversity and welcomes students who learn in different ways. We believe that diversity enriches the entire community and therefore we offer an extensive learning support programme for our students.
We have a personalised learning programme for students who need support to access the curriculum. We examine the students‘ reports and needs, then design an individual learning plan (ILP) targeting specific areas of development. The ILP is created with the parents and when required, external therapists. There is regular feedback from our Head of Learning Support to the family on the child’s progress.
We have a teacher who is responsible for student wellbeing and we have a ‘wellness area‘ where students can drop in to talk about issues that are worrying them. There is a homeroom programme in the secondary school that covers the area of personal and social education (in-school bullying or online cyberbullying) and it gives students opportunities to raise any issues they may have.

6. How does your school help students adapt to a new cultural environment and develop intercultural skills?
When children arrive we buddy them up with a child that speaks the same language so that they can feel at home and be understood. We have more than 70 different nationalities represented in school.
We individualised a litteracy programme so that they can be successful.
Our Bilingual Multilingual Learning approach values the student’s native language and supports their learning of the English language. This approach involves the participation of parents in the education of their child, they become partners in the learning process. Parents know what their child is going to be learning and they can explain it to him/her in the child‘s native language in order he/she has a deeper understanding when he/she is taught in English.
We value and celebrate the diversity of all our families that enriches our community of learning.
We teach from a global perspective in order that students can bring their personal perspective into the classroom and we celebrate the diversity through our regular international events.
ICS Paris is a Globeducate school and therefore benefits from our large schools network. We organise Globeducate events which are hosted by a school, sometimes involving travel to other host schools in Europe, sometimes hosted virtually. Prestigious and dynamic opening and closing ceremonies involving inspiring keynote speakers and representatives of international organisations such as WWF, bring our global community together and offer regular opportunities for all members of our worldwide family to celebrate learning together. We also participate to International competitions such as the MUN in New York or the ICS Connect Programme where our students stay with host families in Rome or London and attend other Globeducate schools for a week.

7. How does your school ensure the safety and well-being of your students?
Safeguarding and wellness of our students are very impotant for us. We have a safeguarding teacher who is responsible for all incidents with students and ensuring that our school environment is safe and that all adults who are in contact with our students have had the appropriate police checks.The safeguarding teacher meets with the Head of school every week to report on wellbeing and any behavioural incidents. All incidents are recorded centrally and regular checks are carried out.
We do risk assessments for every trip out of school to ensure our students‘ safety. And students using the local park wear safety vests for easy identification.
All visitors to school have to sign in and all teachers are required to wear their ID at all times.
We have a teacher who is responsible for student wellbeing and teaches personal and social skills through the class homeroom programme.
We regularly practise fire drills and lockdown procedures as part of general safety school protocol.

8. What other special features of your school would you like to highlight?
We want to provide the best programme for our students. In order to develop our curriculum and highlight areas of learning and always ensure a high-quality of education we have different coordinators:
- a STEAM coordinator : we use this approach throughout all grades. STEAM education is a growing force in today’s world, both in the classroom and industry. STEAM is an interdisciplinary and project-based approach to teaching science, technology, engineering, arts and mathematics,
- curiculum coordinators: an Early Education coordinator, a MYP coordinator (International Baccalaureate Intermediate Education Programme), an IGCSE coordinator (International General Certificate of Secondary Education), a DP Coordinator (International Baccalaureate Diploma), a CAS coordinator (Creativity/Activity/Services Programme), an Extended Essay coordinator (equivalent of a mini-thesis), a Sustananibility coordinator,
- a wellbeing coordinator,
- a world language coordinator.
We also have a university counsellor who helps students with their application process for universities and advises on courses.

Feel free to contact us below for more information.