Changes to support student well-being and learning at the British International School Hanoi

Changes to support student well-being and learning at the British International School Hanoi Australia, Bratislava, California, Dubai...an alphabet of places rolled off the tongues of our returning students, as they told us stories about their summer holidays and home countries, but there was a common theme- our BIS Hanoi community are delighted to be home in beautiful Vietnam.

Australia, Bratislava, California, Dubai...an alphabet of places rolled off the tongues of our returning students, as they told us stories about their summer holidays and home countries, but there was a common theme- our BIS Hanoi community are delighted to be home in beautiful Vietnam.  

Whilst the children have been away, the school has been very busy. We have upgraded the student recreational facilities. We have re-designed our two study rooms and provided a brand new area for quiet reflection. Combined with our developing library and student common rooms, the students now have an excellent environment for study beyond the classroom.  

We don’t intend the children to go hungry, whilst they are working hard toward their goals.  We have brought in a new catering company, whose mission is to provide healthy, nutritious food to support the physical and mental well-being of our students. 

Our success, as a school last year, has set a new standard for this year’s students to aspire towards.  We increased the number of A*/A grades achieved at IGCSE level by 17% and at A level by 15%. We want our students to build on this success. There is a lot of hard work ahead and we wanted to make sure that our school environment supported students under academic pressure.

We are pleased to report that last year’s amazing pastoral team will be looking after the children every step of the way- Mr Airdrie, Mr Westropp, Mrs Wild and Ms Fairbairn- have all returned to BIS Hanoi this year and are ready to give exceptional support to the students. Pleasingly, nearly all of last year’s teachers have returned, too. We welcome just four new teachers- Mr Allison (Business and ICT), Ms Goppert (Art), Ms Loveday (Drama) and Ms Mackay (EAL).

In addition to driving towards further academic success, we will be developing the students’ understanding of global citizenship and increasing the competitiveness of our sports programme. In the performing arts, in conjunction with Juilliard, we will be showcasing excellence in music and drama.  

Our primary aim is to embed the learning characteristics of an IB student throughout the secondary school so that all of our children can begin preparing for the rigour of the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme- the premium 16-18 education programme in the world. In future hub pieces, I will be explaining how this year’s curriculum at BIS Hanoi links to the IB learner profile. 

Welcome back everyone! For students, parents and teachers, it is going to be another great year at BIS Hanoi.

Tim Webb, Head of Secondary.