British International School of Chicago, South Loop

General Overview

British International School of Chicago, South Loop (BISC South Loop) is the only Chicago school to house 15 grades under one roof. The school provides personalized, international education to children ages 3–18. Part of Nord Anglia Education, BISC South Loop enables students to learn with more than 34,000 peers from 42 schools worldwide.

Contents

• General Overview
• History
• Curriculum
• Student Body
• Location
• Facilities
• Juilliard Nord Anglia Performing Art Program
• Global Campus
• References

History

The school, then British School of Chicago, was founded in 2001 by Headmaster, Mr. Michael Horton. Located in the Andersonville neighborhood the school opened with 14 students ages 3–5. In 2008, with 350 students across all 15 grades, the school relocated to a new building in the Lincoln Park neighborhood which is now the current site of British International School of Chicago, Lincoln Park. In 2015, British International School of Chicago expanded to a second campus in the South Loop neighborhood, led by Founding Headmaster, Mr. Horton.

Curriculum

In preschool through grade 5, the school utilized the English National Curriculum in conjunction with the International Primary Curriculum (IPC). In grades 6-8, student focus solely on the English National Curriculum. In grades 9-10, students follow the International General Certificate of Secondary Studies (IGCSE) and in grades 11-12 students study the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme.

Student Body

The school has a capacity of 900 students.

The majority of students are American; however, over 25 nationalities are represented.

Location

The school is located in the South Loop neighborhood of Chicago which is home to number of cultural and historical landmarks. The neighborhood is just south of Chicago’s downtown center, the Loop.

Facilities

Juilliard-Nord Anglia Performing Art Program

In February 2015, Nord Anglia Education and The Juilliard School announced a global collaboration to enhance performing arts education for students in grades K-12. The program includes an embedded curriculum along with continued support and engagement with Juilliard alumni and affiliated artists. It also includes professional development for teachers, a summer school and private lessons. The curriculum was rolled out in September 2015 and is expected to educate more than 20,000 students aged 3 to 18 by 2017.

The curriculum focuses on key works of music, dance and drama.

CEO of Nord Anglia Education, Andrew Fitzmaurice, has criticized today's education for focusing too much on league tables and wants to "inspire children to engage with all their studies and develop a love of learning" through the Juilliard collaboration.

Global Campus

Nord Anglia students are connected through Global Campus, an initiative which use online communities to connect students with their international counterparts. This helps students develop a global perspective and a network of friends around the world. The program offers a wide range of activities undertaken in school, online or at destinations around the world.