Luxembo - The American Chamber of Commerce Luxembourg

SPECIAL FEATURE 11
EDUCATION IN LUXEMBOURG
The International School
of Luxembourg
On August 26, some 960 students and 187 staff members stepped through the doors of the International
School of Luxembourg and into the 2009-2010 school year. Forty-six years earlier, ISL’s precursor, the
Dupont de Nemours Private School, opened its doors to a handful of American students, just a stone’s
throw from ISL’s current location on the Geesseknaeppchen Campus in Luxembourg-Merl.
which indicate continued healthy
growth both within the school
and in Luxembourg,” affirms
ISL Director Chris Bowman.
Coinciding with this growth is
a low turnover in school staff,
a mark of a healthy educational
working environment. “Luxembourg
is a good place to be living
and we continue to see many
people stay for longer periods.
Our staff turnover is quite low
compared to other international
schools,” Mr. Bowman
continued.
From 1963 to 2009 and into the
Future
ISL has grown steadily ever since, not only
in size, but also in the depth and breadth of
its mission. The Dupont de Nemours Private
School became known as the English Speaking
School of Luxembourg in 1969. Restructured
as an a.s.b.l. in 1972 it was renamed the American
School of Luxembourg and evolved into
the American International School in 1982.
With an increasingly multicultural character
and mission, the school began to internationalize
its K-12 curriculum and introduced the
International Baccalaureate Diploma Program
in 1994. Over the last 15 years ISL has built
a strong IB program: the average pass rate
for diploma candidates from 2007-2009 was
a strong 94%, well over the world average of
about 80%.
As the school’s enrolment has grown, so
has the range of nationalities, both among
students and teachers. Ten years ago, in 1999,
the time had come to recognize this evolution
by adopting a new name: The International
School of Luxembourg. Today ISL’s students
come from 46 different countries and we count
more than 20 nationalities among our staff
members. Nearly 80% of our students have a
multilingual background.
ISL’s new name aptly coincided with its move
from Limpertsberg to the Geesseknaeppchen
Campus in August 2000. Ever since, the school
has experienced steady, even robust, growth,
particularly in recent years. In 2007 and 2008,
enrolment rose by 15% each year. Enrolment
has risen this year too, a modest but encouraging
6% in light of the current economic
climate and “well above anticipated figures,
Campus 2012: ISL’s Facility
Expansion
All the more reason for the
school to press forward with
its Campus 2012 Expansion
Project. Initiated in 2008,
following the construction of the
Hillside Building, which rapidly
filled to capacity, the project comprises five
main elements: an extension to the east wing
of the main building (ISL1) currently under
construction and slated for completion in April
2010; construction of a new Lower School
building (ISL2) on the west side of the campus;
refitting ISL1 for the Upper School; refitting
the Hillside Building for school administration
offices; and optimizing ISL’s outdoor spaces for
physical education and recreation activities.
The key element of the Campus 2012 project
is the construction of ISL2, a dedicated Lower
School building that will be “purpose-built for
a modern international education environment.
Modular structures, grade level groups,
shared workspaces and easy access to shared
central facilities form part of the brief for a
flexible, environmentally friendly building that
in 15 years’ time can still adjust and modify