"Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving." - Albert Einstein
"Life is like riding a bicycle, to keep your balance you must keep moving." - Albert Einstein
Einstein was right about many things, including how to ride a bike – stop moving and you fall off. The same can be said for learning – you can’t stop pedaling. This applies not only to students, but also to teachers. Education changes - often for the better - teachers learn, adapt and refine their craft accordingly. Sadly, some schools neglect teachers’ professional development as it is a costly investment, not just financially, but also in terms of human resource. However, by doing so, classroom practice and therefore outcomes and the learning experience for students begin to wilt. Over time, standards erode and what were once good schools find themselves at the bottom of the pile.
BIS HCMC, like all good schools, takes professional development and the lifelong learning of our teachers very seriously. This week alone, Jane Hall, Matt Lambert and Waq Shah were awarded their Middle Leadership certificates from Nord Anglia University. After 10 months of study, action-based research and an in-depth academic review, they were congratulated by Mr Mincher on their efforts and commitment to professional development. In the same vein, on Tuesday, all teachers participated in a ‘speed dating’ event, not to make new friends, but to share excellent resources and teaching ideas with one another – continuing the cycle of learning from peers that is well-established at BIS. As I type this, colleagues in the History, Mandarin and Design Technology departments are boarding flights to Bangkok for IB workshops – extending both their working weeks and horizons. This culture helps to create innovation in the classroom, fulfilled teaching professionals, excellent outcomes for students and, perhaps above all else, a general buzz that permeates throughout the BIS community.
Lee Falconer, Assistant Headteacher – Teaching and Learning
At BIS HCMC, leadership is more than just a title — it’s about inspiring others, fostering a sense of community, and embracing personal growth. This year’s Head Students, in Year 13, — Atom, JaeYeon, Tim, and Serena — embody these values with authenticity and dedication, each bringing their unique strengths, creativity, and passion to their roles.
We are thrilled to announce that a record three students from the BIS HCMC Class of 2025 have received offers from the University of Oxford, ranked number 3 in the world, and the University of Cambridge, ranked number 5 in the world. A huge congratulations to Quynh An, YeongSeo (Judy) and JaeYeon on their extraordinary achievement that sets a new benchmark for BIS students.
These achievements come as BIS students begin to secure outstanding offers from top universities around the world, including USA, UK, Australia and Asia and these numbers will only continue to rise as more decisions will be made over the coming weeks.
We are incredibly proud of our Year 11 class of 2024, for their impressive IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) results. This incredible cohort of 155 students, our largest IGCSE class in the history of the school, have significantly surpassed UK and international averages and were awarded 97% of all grades at A*-C. An incredible 62% of all grades awarded were at A*-A.
