British International School of Washington

The British International School of Washington (BISW) is a private, nonsectarian, co-educational British school located in the Georgetown neighborhood near the border of the Georgetown and Glover Park neighborhoods[1] in Washington, D.C. BISW educates pupils between the ages of 2 and 18 (UK Pre-Nursery - Year 13 | US Pre-K2 - Grade 12). BISW was originally founded in September 1998 by Dr. Lesley Stagg. In 2013, BISW joined Nord Anglia Education,[2] an international education provider owned by the Canada Pension Plan Investment Board. As of 2019, Nord Anglia operated 66 international schools in 30 countries with over 61,000 students.[3] BISW leases property from Georgetown University, yet GU's Green Building[4] (the physical BISW school building) was purchased in 2009 by the entity that is now HUB Properties Trust.[5]

British International School of Washington
British International School of Washington
Address
British International School of Washington
2001 Wisconsin Ave NW

Washington
,
DC
20007

United States
Coordinates38°55′0.7″N 77°4′3.5″W
Information
School typePrivate
Established1998
FounderDr. Leslie Stagg
PrincipalIan Piper
GradesPre-Nursery (PK2) to Year 13
Age range2 to 18
Enrollment510
Capacity745
AccreditationNEASC, IB, IPC
Websitewww.biswashington.org

Curriculum

The Primary School, which includes pre-nursery to year 6 (pre-K-grade 5), offers the International Primary Curriculum (IPC),[6] a curriculum for 2-12 year olds from the British National Curriculum (England and Wales).

The British International School of Washington offers the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)[7] for students in years 12 and 13 (US grades 11 and 12), the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) in Years 10 and 11 (US Grades 9 and 10) and the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC).[8]IGCSE and IB students take external examinations at the end of years 11 and 13.

Student profile and nationality
BSW corridor—representing creativity—one of three learning pillars emphasized by the International Baccalaureate.

The school's current enrollment is approximately 500 students, yet has space to accommodate 745 pupils. The school invites new applicants throughout the academic year. There are over sixty nationalities represented at the school. Moreover, the school serves pupils from nursery school to year 13 (pre-kindergarten to grade 12 in the United States.

Teachers

The majority of BISW teachers are of British heritage, and were educated in the United Kingdom.[9] Recruiting and developing teachers is the single biggest factor in improving student performance. Our exceptional, diverse, international teaching staff are highly qualified, knowledgeable, and experienced.

Activities
BSW Model UN students engage in round-robin mock debate sessions.
BSW annual staff-IB student basketball game (Jelleff Recreation Center, May 2017).

Sports

BISW has varsity-level sports including:

  • Basketball
  • Football (soccer)
  • Volleyball
  • Netball
  • Cross country
  • Tennis

BISW also has club-level sports offered on a seasonal basis—each of which varies vis-à-vis student interest.

Houses

So as to conserve British tradition, BISW has four houses named for four local (DMV area) rivers and one bay:

Several competitions—such as those relative to sports and singing—are held throughout the academic year at BISW. As is the case with customary House Systems, the winning house earns the most points, with second, third, fourth, and fifth places receiving incrementally lesser scores. At the end of the academic year, house points are tallied and a winner is named.

Affiliation and associations

The British School claims accreditation from the New England Association of Schools and Colleges Commission on International Education (CIE). BISW is also accredited to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IDBP)[10] and accredited by Fieldwork Education as a Learning-Focused School.[11] The school is a member of the National Association of Independent Schools (NAIS), the European Council of International Schools (ECIS), the Council of British International Schools (COBIS), the Council for International Schools in the Americas (CISTA), and the British American Business Association (BABA).

BISW has an active Parents' Association, governed by a board of 11 volunteer parents that organizes social events and represents the views of parents.[12]

See also

American schools in the United Kingdom:

References
  1. "Old Georgetown Act (Public Law 81-808)". US Commission of Fine Arts.
  2. News, The PIE. "International Education News l The PIE News l WCL Group sold to Nord Anglia Education". thepienews.com.
  3. Education, Nord Anglia. "About Nord Anglia". nordangliaeducation.com.
  4. "Georgetown - Green and Harris Buildings". Equity Commonwealth. Retrieved 30 January 2020.
  5. https://thehoya.com/north-campus-buildings-change-hands-for-62m
  6. "The International Primary Curriculum".
  7. "IB World School - British International School of Washington". ibo.org.
  8. "The International Middle Years Curriculum".
  9. "Nord Anglia Education's (NORD) CEO Andrew Fitzmaurice on Q1 2015 Results - Earnings Call Transcript". www.nasdaq.com.
  10. "IB World School - British International School of Washington". ibo.org.
  11. "IPC School - British International School of Washington". fieldworkeducation.com.
  12. "Parental Involvement and Influence". britishschoolofwashington.org. Archived from the original on 7 November 2014. Retrieved 6 November 2014.
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