Get to know Luxembourg's English school options, both public and private, as we take you inside each school and meet staff and students.
The International School of Luxembourg is a private school located in Merl/Hollerich that offers the International Baccalaureate in English. This degree is one of the most recognised worldwide and is the ideal continuation for children who may switch to another international school at some point, or graduate here.
As Director David J. Condon says: "At ISL we don't want out students to receive an education, we want our students to claim an education. What this means is that we teach them a lot about themselves, about what they're interested in, what their passions are, and then we work really hard to empower them and go after those interests."
The school has a lot of clubs and organisations, like art and performances. "Students believe in holistic education, that the school is more than just teaching and the classroom. It's actually about developing the whole person," says Ian Fish, Upper School Principal.
The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for children aged 3-12 nurtures and develops young students as caring, active participants in a their journey as learners, Joey Kaufhold, Assistant Principal for Early Years, underlines. This is really developed through the various exhibitions they have in school.
"I enjoy that there is a lot of diversity and that people from all over the world come to ISL," says Anish, Grade 5, who likes to play cricket and football. Emma, Grade 4, does French class, girls soccer and expressive dancing.
Maanika, who is in Grade 12, loves that ISL "provides a breath of different opportunities". Model United Nations and Dark Room Photography are just some of the projects on offer. The school has a wide range of facilities, including several music rooms, a complete kitchen for cooking classes, a well-equipped auditorium, a dance room and more.
Anouk, Grade 6, explains that besides the core subjects of science, maths, social studies and English, some subjects change of the trimester. In her case, that's music in semester one, art in semester two, and drama in semester three.
Students are very flexible in putting their subjects and extracurricular activities together, as Keryn Dowling, Lower School Principal explains. Children can engage in any activity of their choosing, from swimming to capoeira to Japanese.
A fun project a school team participated in was a Formula 1 competition whereby students had to design and build their own mini F1 car and race it against other countries in Singapore.
The school is also very parent-friendly in that it integrates parents in everyday school activities and projects. For example, many parents drop their kids off and meet each other over a coffee in the cafeteria. "It's a very inclusive community," says Condon.
The school is a non-profit structure and receives some subsidies from the Luxembourg State. School fees are around €20,000 per child per year.
To learn more about education and daily life at International School of Luxembourg, visit their website.
Read our other stories in the 'Meet Luxembourg's English Schools' series: Lënster Lycée International School, École Internationale Gaston Thorn, St George's International School, European School Kirchberg, European School Mamer & Mondorf International School.
