The International School of Stavanger was founded in 1966. It is a private, college preparatory school that provides educational services for students from Pre-school through Grade 12. ISS is accredited by the New England Association of Colleges and Schools and the Council of International Schools. It uses an international curriculum and is licensed to offer the IB Diploma. The school is also authorized to offer the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE).

ISS has approximately 700 students that represent 44 nationalities. The largest group of students comes from Great Britain followed by the United States and Norway. Other nationalities at the school include students from Canada, France, India and Poland among others. The 91 faculty members include 31 men and 60 women. Many of them hold advanced degrees.

Mission
The mission of the International School of Stavanger is to lead students to love learning, develop their academic and social skills, become responsible global citizens and appreciate the value of the individual in a supportive and challenging multi-cultural educational environment.

Facilities
The school is located on 6 hectares of land and has undergone several additions since 1982 when it moved to purpose-built facilities in its current location. Facilities include: modern classrooms, 3 gyms, sports fields, outdoor recreational areas, science and computer labs, a 400-meter track, 2 libraries with over 22,000 volumes, a 200-seat cafeteria, and a 370-seat theatre. ISS is in the process of developing new facilities to meet the rising student population. They will be adding classrooms, labs, IT resources, a new library, sports facilities and make improvements to the cafeteria.

Extra-curricular Activities
ISS offers a variety of extra-curricular activities for students of all ages. These include sports, drama, music and an assortment of clubs. Organized sports include soccer, volleyball, track and field, basketball, softball, rugby and swimming. Some of these activities are sponsored by the Student Councils while others are sponsored by the ISS Parent Association. The school offers field trips around Norway (for primary and middle school students) and Europe for middle and high school students.

Curriculum
ISS uses an international curriculum that combines elements from North American and European systems. One of its main goals is to prepare students for university studies. The school also has a goal of preparing students to easily continue their studies in their home country should they leave ISS to return home. The school offers a variety of standardized tests including PSAT, SAT, ACT, ISA, IB Exams and the International General Certificate of Secondary Education Exams. Primary classes are taught in self-contained classrooms. Students in middle and high school have specialist teachers.

Technology
Computers is a separate class for students in all three levels. ISS uses wireless technology to link classrooms on a local network and for accessing the Internet.

Professional Development
The school website doesn’t have much information on their professional development program other than to note that the school provides opportunities for professional development.

Employment
The minimum qualifications for teaching candidates are: a bachelor’s degree, PGCE certification or a valid teaching certificate from your home country, fluency in English, two years teaching experience and the ability to use technology in your teaching. ISS posts teaching position on their website. The school attends the ISS and CIS hiring fairs. No information is available on salaries or benefits.

About Stavanger

image by Bjorn

The area around Stavanger has been populated since the end of the last ice age. The city has a temperate climate with a long growing season. There are several beaches located not too far out of the city although I can’t imagine swimming in Norway. The old section of town has houses dating back to the eighteenth century, and St. Svithun’s cathedral was built during the twelfth century. The city centre is small with sections closed to car traffic which makes it a pleasant place for leisurely strolls. The city has three museums: the Stavanger Musem, the Museum of Archaelogy and the Norwegian Petroleum Museum. Stavanger hosts an international jazz festival every May.