The International School of Luxembourg was founded in 1963. It was originally known as the American School of Luxembourg and changed names several times over the years finally ending up with the current name in 1999. ISL is an independent, college-preparatory day school that provides educational services for students from preschool through grade 12. The school is organized into a Lower School and an Upper School. The Council of International Schools and the Middle States Association of Colleges and Schools both accredit ISL. Additionally, ISL is an IB World School with authorization to use the IB Diploma programme.
The school has approximately 960 students that represent 45 nationalities. The majority of students are from EU countries although there are significant numbers of students from North America and Asia. Faculty come from over 20 countries and are credentialed and experienced. The average faculty member has worked at the school for ten years. This is one of those statistics that demonstrate that teachers enjoy their work and living environments and feel respected and valued by the community and the administration.
Mission
The mission of ISL is to give students an international quality education that encourages them to become responsible global citizens and develop their potentials to the fullest extent possible.
Facilities
ISL is located in the city of Luxembourg on the Geesseknaeppchen Campus along with four other schools. The Grand Duchy of Luxembourg provides the school with their buildings on the Geesseknaeppchen Campus and offers support for the development of the school’s facilities. ISL has two buildings, a gym, two playgrounds and a sports field. The main building has 70 classrooms, 6 computer labs, 4 science labs, 2 libraries, a 400 seat auditorium, a cafeteria and music and art studios. The second building is designed for students from ages five to seven and has 12 classrooms with an additional 9 rooms designated for music, art, language learning, and PE. This building also includes a nursing station, a library and a multi-purpose room.
Extra-curricular Activities
ISL provides students with a wide variety of extra-curricular activities in sports, the arts and academics. Older students may participate in international festivals and competitions.
Curriculum
ISL uses an international curriculum designed especially for an international student body. This curriculum was developed through extensive research of a number of national curricula. The best of these has been incorporated in ISL’s benchmarks and standards. The ISL integrated curriculum has Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Science and Social Studies as the core academic subjects. The school offers English as an Additional Language for those students who need to develop their English language skills. French and German are both taught as part of the curriculum: French begins in Kindergarten and German in the Upper School. Students in the Upper School can either graduate with an IB Diploma, IB Certificates in certain subjects and the ISL High School Diploma.
Technology
Information and Communication Technology is integrated in all parts of the curriculum. Technology at the school includes: internet access, a networked campus, over 600 computer workstations, 6 computer labs, digital video cameras for student use, networked libraries, current software, interactive whiteboards with LCD projectors, and online learning resources subscriptions.
Professional Development
The school offers professional development opportunities to all teachers. These include: visits to other schools, education courses, workshops and conferences and on-site professional development activities.
Employment
ISL has over 175 professional employees that represent over 20 countries. The school recruits teachers that are committed to excellence, dedicated to their students, have a sense of social responsibility and are actively involved in personal and professional growth. Minimum requirements for a teaching position at ISL are: current teaching certification, Bachelor’s Degree, fluency in English, two years of teaching experience and knowledge of using technology in the classroom. ISL hires both EU and non-EU teachers.
The school doesn’t list the salary schedule on its website, but it does have the usual comment that salaries are competitive, and the salary schedule includes automatic step increases. Benefits include transportation to and from Luxembourg, relocation allowance, free tuition for children, professional development opportunities and a chance to join a pension plan. ISL attends the recruiting fairs (CIS, ISS, Search, Northern Iowa, and Queen’s University), but they also accept applications from teaching candidates throughout the year. Prospective teachers should send a cover letter and supporting documents to:
Human Resources Office
International School of Luxembourg
36 boulevard Pierre Dupong
L-1430 Luxembourg
Tel +352 26 04 41 04
Fax +352 26 04 47 79
email: employment@islux.lu
Openings are listed on the school website and there is an online application available there as well.
About Luxembourg
image by Streppel
Luxembourg gets a fair amount of rain yearly so it’s a good idea to have a few umbrellas handy. The valleys get foggy during the summer months. There are three official languages: French, German and Luxembourgish, but English is widely spoken.
Some of the museums of note are: the National Museum of History and Art, the History Museum of the City of Luxembourg, and the National Museum of Military History. The city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List.
The school has an extensive set of links to websites to help teachers who are new to Luxembourg settle in.
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