A LEADING SCHOOL IN GERMANY: BAVARIAN INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL (BIS) IN MUNICH – THE SCHOOL FOR CHANGEMAKERS

Choosing the right school is an essential part of discovering Germany. A top address in the south of the country is the Bavarian International School (BIS), with two campuses in Munich-Schwabing and Haimhausen.

BIS is a community of more than 1,200 learners and 180 education leaders, working together to bring out the best in young people from over 60 nations, all within a caring and international environment. BIS students are supported to become global citizens with outstanding language and communication skills, an intercultural mindset and a deep understanding of digital technology and modern collaboration.

Teamwork and kindness characterise the spirit at BIS from a very young age.

BIS is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School, where talented, globally-focused educators care for students aged three to 19. It is a private, non-profit, all-day school which ranks among the best international schools in Germany and in Europe. In addition, BIS is the only international school in Germany offering all four IB programmes from Kindergarten to Secondary School (PYP, MYP, DP, CP).

At both campuses in Munich and Haimhausen, BIS offers a kindergarten (Early Childhood), pre-school and primary school.

A caring, international community

About 75 per cent of BIS students come from international families, with the other 25 per cent of students coming from local Munich families. One of the school’s strengths is its connected, intercultural community, which is continuously developing through a spirit of care and inclusion.

“The children and young people are just happy at BIS. This positive spirit immediately inspires new families and every visitor that comes here,” says Dr. Chrissie Sorenson, head of school at BIS.

The caring culture at BIS is further defined by additional guidance for students at every turn: language and learning support, mentors, school counsellors, and university and career counsellors. Students are encouraged to develop themselves outside of the classroom as well, by taking part in one of 80 after-school activities. These include drama, music, engineering, multimedia, athletics, as well as some signature programmes, such as the Model United Nations, the Duke of Edinburgh International Award and the Eco School project.

Values and future skills are important goals in the international curriculum at BIS. At this school, the young minds are prepared for the new tomorrow in the best possible way.

Digital pioneers

Educational technology has been an integral component of the learning philosophy at BIS for nearly 20 years. From Early Childhood to Grade 3, they work with iPads as class sets; in Grades 4 and 5, each student receives an iPad from BIS; in the Secondary School from Grade 6, the ‘Bring your own device’ (BYOD) programme applies. The combination of digitally-savvy teachers, IT team and helpdesk team underlines BIS as a digital pioneer.

The Bavarian International School (BIS) is a pioneer in the meaningful integration of digital tools in the classroom.

The school of the future – today

In 2021, BIS celebrated its 30th anniversary. The next chapter will include the funding and building of the new Creativity & Innovation Centre (CIC). Building on the foundation of its 30-year tradition, BIS is actively shaping the future of learning with plans for this new heart of the Haimhausen campus. This building will offer open, flexible and interdisciplinary learning spaces for around 750 students. The pedagogical design focus of the space will be ‘STEAM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Maths). The new 25-million-euro innovation centre underscores BIS’s claim to be the school of the future – today.

Web: www.bis-school.com