International School of Havana

Infobox School
name = International School of Havana


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city = Havana
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country = CUB
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affiliation = CIE Fellowship Centre
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founder = Phyllis Powers OBE
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head of school = Ian Morris
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classes offered = Early Years - 12
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ratio = 1:8
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schooltype = International School
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enrollment = 218
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age range = 3 - 18
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language = English
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campus type = Suburban
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accreditation = CIS, NEASC & IBO DP
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homepage = [http://www.ishav.org ISH website] The International School of Havana is an international school in Havana, Cuba located in the exclusive neighborhood of Miramar.

History

It was founded in 1965 by Phyllis Powers, a British expatriate, to educate the children of diplomatic missions' staff. In 1974 overall control was taken over by a committee of representatives of foreign embassies and organisations, and it was "The Foreign Students' School", although Powers remained head teacher until her retirement in 1982. In 1988 the school relocated to larger premises and assumed its present name.

Current Structure, Curriculum & Enrolment

As of 2007 the school has two divisions: Lower School Section (Early Years to Grade 5), and Secondary School Section (Grades 6-12). Primary Section students prepare for IPC, IPM and English National Standards. Secondary Section students prepare for CIE's IGCSE examinations and the IBO's Diploma Programme . The school is accredited by New England Asssociation of Schools and Colleges and the Council of International Schools.

I.S.H. is the only accredited school for children of expatriates in Havana that offers education through the medium of the English language and has a unique and charming campus with student play areas and purpose built classrooms and other facilities, such as Computer Laboratories and Library in addition to classrooms in the older original houses.

The International School of Havana currently enrolls some 218 students from 44 nationalities in a warm, caring environment with small class sizes (average teacher pupil ratio is 1:8) and challenging, demanding academic programmes, taught in English, that run from the Early Years (Age 2 ½) to Grade 12 (Pre-University graduation).

Early years

The Early Years curriculum in the Lower School is adapted to the needs perceived for students growing up in Havana, from a well known U.K. Programme, with specific focuses on language acquisition, numeracy, creativity and knowledge and understanding of the world.

Lower School

In the Primary Section of the Lower School – Kindergarten to Grade 5 – English, Mathematics and Spanish Language (offered at Beginner, Intermediate and First Language levels) programmes are complemented by the International Primary Curriculum (I.P.C.) which has themed Units of Enquiry which are supported by courses in Music, Art, Drama, P. E. and Information Technology. The standards of the National Curriculum of England and Wales and the province of Ontario, Canada were taken into account in the formulation of the English, Mathematics and other parts of the curriculum offering apart from the I.P.C. and all programmes have specific learning objectives for students at each Grade level. The Mathematics course is I.P.M. (Improving Primary Mathematics) which was developed in the London Borough of Barking & Dagenham, U.K. from a programme devised in Switzerland. It is adapted by our teachers to meet the needs of our students.

econdary School

Secondary School (Grades 6 to 12) courses initially lead to the CIE Checkpoint examinations, which are taken by the students at the end of Grade 8 in the following subjects: English; Mathematics and Science.

In Grades 9 and 10 students follow courses from the CIE’s internationally recognised IGCSE programme in which students are externally examined at the end of Grade 10.

In Grades 11 and 12 students follow the courses of the I.S.H. Graduation Diploma which prepares students for university matriculation. The courses have been designed to meet the requirements of the International Baccalaureate Organisation in order to smooth the transition into that programme once the school is authorized by I.B.O. The authorisation visit took place in December 2005 and authorisation was confirmed in May 2006. The school began teaching the I.B. Diploma programme in August 2006. The International Baccalaureate Diploma is recognised in a large number of countries around the world as a university matriculation qualification and many universities offer course exemptions and credits to undergraduate students that are admitted holding this award.

taff

The professional staff is composed of 25% expatriate teachers from Canada, the U.K., The Netherlands and other countries and the remainder are recruited locally. All locally recruited staff are required to become trained and qualified in the CIE Diploma for Teachers and Trainers and are thus trained in modern pedagogical methods. Ongoing training is supported by a vibrant academic staff Professional Development programme.

The school was awarded the status of an International Fellowship Centre by Cambridge International Examinations in 2004. The school is a progressive institution and remains closely linked to the various international educational institutions of which it is a member.

ee also

*Education in Cuba

External links

* http://www.ishav.org