Our School

The British International School Bratislava was established in the leafy suburb of Dubravka in 1997, with 40 students of four or five nationalities. Today it’s a thriving school of 630 students of 45 nationalities, with a waiting list for many of its classes. The school site is therefore being developed to meet the demand for places and further improve facilities. Our mission is to provide an education that serves as a doorway to the wider world. It’s about preparing students for life. In the 21st century, life is about being a global citizen in a world where the pace of change ever quickens and where the decisions we make on a daily basis link us to the lives of others all over the world.

We use the English National Curriculum, adapting its contents to make the topics, people and places more representative of our student body and our location. At the age of 16 students take International GCSE examinations in up to 10 subjects. The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme, followed by our older students, has a specific mission: “To develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect.” Its aim is to “encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right”. (IBO)

BISB’s student-led eco-committee acts as the school’s conscience, keeping environmental issues at the forefront of discussion. The December Trashion Show has become a regular feature of the school year, with teams of young students producing eco fashion designs. This year’s school musical production, The Wizard of Oz, was costumed entirely from recycled material. It’s important for global citizenship to not only move outside the classroom but also outside the school. Teamwork and leadership skills are further developed in environmental and community projects outside the school environment. We’re committed to engaging with the wider community, through participation in the International Award and the Model United Nations. The school basketball and volleyball teams enjoy great success, and the school runs a thriving football academy. The school choir, orchestra and rock groups perform regularly and our artists have exhibitions in the Old Town each year. Our younger children have a lot of fun with regular rambles and swimming, storytelling, drama and musical productions, as well as the annual spectacular Arts Week.

All of this goes a long way to producing students well equipped to deal with the challenges of the 21st century. They’re highly adaptable young people, confident, articulate and with good presentational and ICT skills. They develop good self-knowledge and critical awareness through formal self-evaluation of their academic and personal development. They leave BISB with a strong global network of friends. They understand the need for a balanced lifestyle which includes time for creativity, action and reflection. Their qualifications are recognised by the best university systems, internationally as well as in their own countries. They’re shaped through a mix of opportunities and experiences that enables them to embrace future challenges. They’re independent learners with a skill set that enables access to the global job market with open minds, a social conscience and a sense of the interconnectedness of our world and the impact they can make as individuals.

Our admissions team is renowned for its helpfulness and is well prepared to support parents through the challenging process of finding the right school for their children and settling down in a new environment. We warmly welcome families to visit us!

For more information about schools and education in Bratislava please visit the site of the British International School Bratislava.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Born in Canada, Wendy Ellis was educated in the UK, graduating from Lancaster University in History and Politics, following a year at King’s College, London where she completed her P.G.C.E. Wendy taught in a number of independent schools in the UK. Following a 7 year headship at Windermere School, Wendy took a ‘gap year’ to complete a full-time MBA at Lancaster Management School before taking up the role of Principal at BISB in 2007. Having once lived only to climb mountains, Wendy’s out of school pursuits now include walking, visiting vineyards, travel, film and literature.