The British School Warsaw

About The British School Warsaw

Established in 1992, The British School Warsaw has grown from 38 to 1180 students. We offer an International education with a British Ethos catering to English speaking families who value the high academic standards and a truly international learning experience. We are non-selective, with over 70 nationalities, most with English as a second language, yet we manage to achieve GCSE and IB results far above UK and international standards.

Highlights

A truly international community with over 70 nationalities
Part of Nord Anglia Education family of 73 schools worldwide
Global opportunities for students through our collaborations with Juilliard, MIT & UNICEF
In 2020/21, 22% of our students achieved at least 40+ points in the IB Dipolma Programme
Every year our students are admitted to the top universities worldwide

Insider Interviews & Perspectives

Our Take

This is a private international school, one of the largest in Poland. It has almost 1200 students from 64 different countries, and the language of instruction is English (with special assistance provided for children with other native tongues). It was founded in 1992 by Iwona Thomas, in cooperation with Nord Anglia Education International, an organization whose members include dozens of private schools in around 30 countries around the world. The British School has two locations in Warsaw—a nursery and early years centre in the Old Mokotów district, and a primary and secondary school in Sadyba, in ul. Limanowskiego, which is its main location. The Early Years Centre admits children from 2.5 to 6 years old, while the regular school admits children aged 7 to 18. Until the age of 16, children follow the English National Curriculum, learning key skills that prepare them for the next level. In years 10-11, students complete a two-year program preparing them for the IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) exam. In years 12 and 13, students take the IB Diploma Program, considered one of the best programs to prepare students for university studies and international careers.

Our Kids speaks to Sue Hill, the principal of The British School Warsaw

Established in 1992, The British School Warsaw, has grown from 38 to well over 1000 students and is a truly international community with over 50 nationalities. TBS is part of the global Nord Anglia Education family of schools. It offers education from nursery through high school. It follows the English national curriculum and in the last two years - the IB Diploma programme.

Full interview

The British School Warsaw:

Our Kids Insider Perspective: Parents
Our Kids Insider Interview with Jo Dierick

Location

ul. Limanowskiego 15, Warszawa, 02-943

Gr. 2 to Gr. 12

Early Years Centre
84 Jarosława Dąbrowskiego, Warszawa, 02-571

Nursery to Gr. 1

Gallery

Gallery showcasing school life and general photos of The British School Warsaw.

School Facilities Gallery

Gallery showcasing specific locations and facilities found at The British School Warsaw.

Photo-tour of facilities

Athletics facilities
Arts facilities
Campus
Classrooms
Science facilities
Instructional resources
Shared spaces

Athletics facilities

Arts facilities

Campus

Classrooms

Science facilities

Instructional resources

Shared spaces

Canteen

Promotional video for The British School Warsaw.

Academics

Academics Summary: [Hide summary]

Curriculum: Liberal Arts/Play-based
Preschool/K Curriculum: Play-based
Academic Culture: Rigorous
Developmental priorities: Intellectual
Special needs support: A regular class with withdrawal assistance
Gifted learner support: Acceleration and enrichment
Homework Policy:

Curriculum

Central to your child's school experience is the underlying curriculum taught in the classroom. "Curriculum" refers to both what is taught and how it's taught. When considering the different curricula outlined in the next few pages, keep in mind that few schools fall neatly into one category or another. Most schools' curricula comprise a blend of best practices drawn from multiple curriculum types. Having said that, most schools do have a general overall curriculum type. These are identified for each school on OurKids.net.
Primary Curriculum: Liberal Arts
Such an approach to curriculum shares with traditional programs their emphasis on core knowledge-acquisition, but tends to borrow more best practices from the progressive approach. The goal isn't to prepare students for vocational life, but rather to encourage an appreciation of the benefits of education itself, including academic and personal development. There is an emphasis on knowledge acquisition as well as theoretical and academic learning, but the real focus is on cultivating the intellect.
Secondary Curriculum: Play-based

What The British School Warsaw says: The British School is Warsaw’s premium international school founded in 1992. Over the last 25 years the school has grown from its opening number of 38 students to 1160 aged 2 ½ to 18. We offer an international education with the academic rigour and framework of the English National Curriculum and cater for those wanting a British ethos and value high academic standards, whilst wanting a truly international learning experience preparing their children for a life beyond their home country. We are non-selective, welcoming students from over 70 nationalities most with English as a second language, yet we manage to achieve IGCSE and IB results far above UK and international standards.

Approach:

Focus

Academic
Preschool/K Curriculum Play-based

Preschool/K Curriculum approach at The British School Warsaw: Play-based
The British School Warsaw has a Play-based approach to Preschool/K Curriculum (as opposed to Montessori, Waldorf, Reggio Emilia, Academic approach).
[Show: About Play-based?]
Play-based programs are the most common type of preschool and Kindergarten, and are founded on the belief young children learn best through play. Largely open-ended and minimally structured, play-based programs aim to develop social skills and a love of attending school. "Pre-academic" skills are taught, but in a more indirect way than at, say, an Academic program: through children playing in different "stations" set up around the classroom, which children choose on their own volition. Stations often contain an indirect lesson or developmental goal. Play-based classrooms are highly social and active.
What The British School Warsaw says: The emphasis in our Early Years Centre of Excellence is on active learning through play, allowing children to develop and reach their potential. Our teachers and assistants create an atmosphere in which children are encouraged to be self-motivated, curious and confident in themselves and their work and to take pride in their achievements. The Early Years Centre of Excellence in Warsaw is designed to provide a happy and purposeful introduction to school life.
Academic Culture Rigorous

Academic Culture approach at The British School Warsaw: Rigorous
The British School Warsaw has a Rigorous approach to Academic Culture (as opposed to Supportive approach).
[Show: About Rigorous?]
A school with a "rigorous" academic culture places a high value on academic performance, and expects their students to do the same. This does not mean the school is uncaring, unsupportive, or non-responsive -- far from it. A school can have a rigorous academic culture and still provide excellent individual support. It does mean, however, the school places a particular emphasis on performance -- seeking the best students and challenging them to the fullest extent -- relative to a normal baseline. High expectations and standards - and a challenging yet rewarding curriculum - are the common themes here. Keep in mind this classification is more relevant for the older grades: few Kindergarten classrooms, for example, would be called "rigorous".
What The British School Warsaw says: This information is not currently available.
Developmental priorities Intellectual

Primary Developmental Priority: Intellectual

Academically strong, creative, and critical thinkers, capable of exercising rationality, apprehending truth, and making aesthetic distinctions.

Secondary Developmental Priority: Balanced

Equal attention is paid to a balance of priorities: intellectual, emotional, social, and physical.

What The British School Warsaw says: At the British School, Warsaw our team of teaching staff provide the highest quality of learning where all students are given the opportunities to achieve their very best. With small class sizes, our teachers know each individual child and how to enable them to make exceptional achievement in all areas of the curriculum.

Focus
Academic

Special needs support A regular class with withdrawal assistance

Academic Support:

Subject type	offered
Learning strategy and study counselling; habit formation
Extra support and minor accommodations for children experiencing subclinical difficulties

Mild but clinically diagnosed ADHD:

Subject type	offered
Accommodations
Modifications
Extra support

Summary: We offer intensive support sessions for students with Special Educational Needs with specialist teachers. We offer students with little or no English, intensive English Language Support with specialist teachers to speed up their ability to learn within their classroom.

Support for moderate-to-severe special needs:

Special needs	Accomodations Formal adjustments are made to the delivery of lessons to help mitigate the learning difficulty or exceptionality. The underlying content and expectations remain unchanged with accommodations, however. (Example: allowing a student to write tests in a quieter room).	Modifications The underlying content and expectations are modified and/or simplified for the sake of the student. (Examples: allowing student to use a calculator on a test when other students can’t; allowing students to bring word-banks or “cheat sheets” into certain tests, etc)	Remediation Research-based therapeutic measures that target and ameliorate the underlying weakness.
Learning disabilities
ADHD (moderate to severe)
Dyslexia (Language-Based Learning Disability)
Auditory Processing Disorder (APD)
Dyscalculia
Dysgraphia
Language Processing Disorder
Nonverbal Learning Disorders (NLD)
Visual Perceptual/Visual Motor Deficit
Developmental
Autism
Asperger's Syndrome
Down syndrome
Intellectual disability
Behavioral and Emotional
Troubled behaviour / troubled teens
Clinical Depression
Suicidal thoughts
Drug and alcohol abuse
Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
Physical
Dyspraxia (Developmental Coordination Disorder)
Blindness
Deafness
Cystic Fibrosis
Multiple physical

Gifted learner support Acceleration and enrichment

Dedicated gifted programs:

Program	offered
Full-time gifted program (parallel to rest of school)
Part-time gifted program (pull-out; parallel to rest of class)

Curriculum delivery: Acceleration and enrichment (There is an equal emphasis on acceleration and enrichment.)

In-class adaptations:

Program	offered
Custom subject enrichment (special arrangement)
Custom curriculum compacting (special arrangement)
Guided independent study (custom gifted arrangement)
Cyber-learning opportunities (custom gifted arrangement)
Formalized peer coaching opportunities (specifically for gifted learners to coach others)
Custom subject acceleration (special arrangement)
Career exploration (custom gifted arrangement)
Project-based learning (custom gifted arrangement)
Mentorships (custom gifted arrangement)

What The British School Warsaw says: This information is not currently available.

Homework Policy

In grade Gr. 11, The British School Warsaw students perform an average of 1 hour of homework per night.

Nightly Homework

	NS	PS	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
The British School Warsaw	15 mins	15 mins	15 mins	30 mins	30 mins	30 mins	30 mins	45 mins	45 mins	45 mins	60 mins	60 mins	60 mins	60 mins
Site Average	1 mins	2 mins	8 mins	16 mins	16 mins	23 mins	29 mins	34 mins	39 mins	51 mins	52 mins	70 mins	74 mins	105 mins

What The British School Warsaw says about their flipped classroom policy: This information is not currently available.

Extracurriculars

What the school says:
This information is not currently available.

Sports Offered	CompetitiveComp	RecreationalRec
Basketball
Soccer
Fencing
Gymnastics
Swimming

Clubs Offered
Foreign Language Club
Math Club
Musical theatre/Opera
Ballet and Classical Ballet
Poetry/Literature club
Robotics club
Yoga
Art Club
Chess Club
Dance Club

Tuition & Financial Aid

Grade	NS	PS	0	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Day	zł43,720	zł52,170	zł71,210		zł77,660				zł80,070			zł83,150		zł84,400

What The British School Warsaw says about their tuition: Please check our website for the complete list of tuition fees. The tuition fee is payable on or before the first day of the academic year, or the student’s first day, should they start later in the year. All fees are quoted in Polish Złoty. A 4.5% discount is offered to families who pay the full academic year fees a week before the beginning of the school year.

Discounts

Discount Type	Enrollment Type	Amount
Early payment	Day	4.5%
3rd child (sibling)	Day	5%

Merit based Scholarships

This information is not currently available.

Enrollment

Enrollment Details:

Grades	Enrollment
Nursery (2,5 years) to Gr. 12	1150

Additional Statistics:

% of foreign students	50%
# of nationalities attending school	70

Student distribution:

This information is not currently available.

University Placement

Services	Offered
Career planning
Internships
Mentorship Program
University counseling

Key Numbers
Average graduating class size	50

Graduates from The British School Warsaw most often attend the following universities:

Poland: University of Warsaw, Warsaw Medical University, Warsaw School of Economics, Warsaw University of Technology, Jagiellonian University
United Kingdom: University of Cambridge, University of Oxford, Imperial College London, London School of Economics, University of Edinburgh
Europe: Delft University of Technology, University of Amsterdam, Technische Universitaet Munchen, ETH Zurich
North America: Princeton University, USA Columbia University, USA Cornell University, USA Boston University, USA New York University, USA University of Southern California, USA Washington University, USA McGill University

Principal's Message

Sue Hill, Principal

Welcome to The British School Warsaw, a school celebrating almost 30th Anniversary, proud of its heritage and history yet a forward looking, vibrant and modern school striving to prepare our pupils for a rapidly changing world. Our proven track record of outstanding GCSE and IB diploma results defines us as the leading provider of the highest quality international education in Poland. Indeed, our IB diploma average score last summer of over 35 points places us as one of the highest achieving IB schools in continental Europe with few equals. This is a remarkable accolade given our non-selective admissions policy; a school where we truly believe in every child and will work closely with each and every individual to maximise the progress they make irrespective of their starting point. From 3-16 we offer a rigorous, balanced curriculum based on the English National Curriculum with ‘added-value’, free from the restrictions of religiously following one curriculum our teachers and leaders are always devising ways to enrich the core curriculum, stretching and challenging our learners in every lesson. Post-16 we offer the world leading IB Diploma, often regarded as the ‘perfect’ preparation for university study with its broad yet demanding curriculum, its emphasis on self-directed study through the extended essay and its enrichment programme, CAS. Opportunities abound for our pupils to excel not just in the classroom but on the sports pitch, with a musical instrument in hand or through a project based learning approach with one of our collaborations with world class organisations such as MIT, Juilliard and UNICEF.

I hope you find our website useful, interesting and ultimately stimulating, leading to you arranging to visit our school and meet with us. We look forward to welcoming you

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