Winners of the 2019 International School Awards were celebrated at a ceremony in London on Monday night: 21^st January. Over 200 senior leaders from international schools and education organisations around the world attended the gala event which was sponsored by Pearson, and hosted by International School Leader Magazine and ISC Research. The awards recognised a number of exceptional initiatives led by international schools globally.

Overall Winner for 2019

The International School of the Year 2019 was awarded to British School Muscat, Oman. The school was a finalist in two of this year’s categories which attracted over 230 nominations from international schools across the world. British School Muscat won the award for the Outstanding Strategic Leadership Initiative for its teacher and teacher assistant training programme for Omani nationals, which provides professional development to British international school standards, for educators in the school and within the wider community. The programme has resulted in the successful appointment of eleven new Omani nationals at the school, and eight new interns. The school was also a finalist for the Creativity in Learning Award as a result of its innovative ‘Discovery Learning’ teaching initiative which provides a child-centred, enquiry-based approach to children in Key Stages 1 and 2. Principal of the British School Muscat, Kai Vacher, received the overall International School of the Year 2019 award from Sharon Hague, Senior Vice President of Pearson.

Other Category Winners

• The International School Kuala Lumpur won the Outstanding Inclusion Initiative for its programme to integrate students of all abilities into all aspects of school life including after-school and elective options. The award was sponsored by Scanning Pens.
• Dulwich College Seoul won the Outstanding Teaching Initiative for its fluid Maths grouping model to meet the specific needs of learners.  The award was sponsored by Lexonik.
• British International School Riyadh received the Outstanding Community Initiative Award for its student-led support for over 600 refugee children in Lebanon which included the provision of learning resources and one-to-one digital links. The award was sponsored by COBIS.
• GEMS Jumeirah Primary School, Dubai received the Initiative to Support Wellbeing Award for its whole-school wellbeing programme including children, parents, staff and the community. The award was sponsored by International SOS.
• Dulwich College Beijing won the award for Creativity in Learning for the implementation of a transdisciplinary Design and Technology course that focuses on real world problem solving.  The award was sponsored by Fieldwork Education.
• Alice Smith School, Primary Campus, Kuala Lumpur won the Outstanding Pastoral Initiative for its student-led positive playtimes initiative with Year 6 students developed as playground leaders supported by teaching assistants. The award was sponsored by TeachAnywhere.
• JESS Dubai received the Innovative Technology Through the School Award for its development of an automated live reporting system for parents. The award was sponsored by Paramount.
• British School New Delhi, India received the Digital Technology in Learning Award for developing a gamification programme to help students develop maths proficiency. The award was sponsored by Pamoja Education.
• Shrewsbury International School Bangkok won the Outstanding Initiative that Supports Students’ Pathways to Higher Education for its engagement with Shrewsbury alumni and a programme to identify the right higher education course for the individual student. The award was sponsored by the University of Bath.
• The British School in Tokyo won the International Impact Award for its development of an off-site sports facility to enable links with schools and universities around Japan which promotes new sports including disability sports. The award was sponsored by The International Teaching Partnership.
• And Ms Anuradha Monga, Head of Bangalore International School in India, was presented with a special Individual Achievement Award for her work, over many years, spreading the awareness of international education throughout India and beyond. The award was sponsored by LSC Education.

A special award was presented to Corona Secondary School in Nigeria which was a finalist in the Community Initiative Award for its student-led water borehole initiative. Professor Clare Elwell, President of the London International Youth Science Forum (LIYSF) and Director of the Near Infrared Spectroscopy Research Group at University College London, presented the school with a student bursary to attend the 61^st LIYSF this summer at Imperial College London.

There are now over 10,000 international schools around the world teaching over 5 million children. The International School Awards aim to recognise and raise awareness of some of the very best initiatives being implemented by international schools today.

Pictures from the awards ceremony are available here

For more information contact Anne Keeling, Communications Director, ISC Research.