Lower Secondary School

With a class size of no more than sixteen students, this is where students change from being used to one teacher for most subjects in one classroom, to having on teacher per subject and moving from classroom to classroom.

At the BIS, we offer a caring and high quality education for the international and local communities of Belgrade in a secure environment on our unique campus. We have high personal and academic expectations for our students and are proud of the varied and challenging learning opportunities that are provided for them.

School Campus

With the school continuing to increase the student body in September 2015 BIS opened a campus in 11 Palackova str. very close to our Upper Secondary Campus. This is used by our Key Stage 3 students: those in Years 7, 8 and 9.

Curriculum

The curriculum, based on the British National Curriculum, is delivered by subject specialist teachers and covers a wide range of topics. In Year 9, the final year of Key Stage 3, students sit Cambridge Checkpoint externally-marked examinations in English, Mathematics and Science.

Subject covered over 7, 8 and 9 school years include:
English, Mathematics, Science, History, Geography, MFL (French/German Spanish), Art and Design, ICT, Music, PE, PSHE, Drama Studies and Serbian/Cultural Studies (Years 7/8 respectively).
The work done in Years 7, 8 and 9 is subject-based and follows the UK National Curriculum guidelines in all areas. The focus of the National Curriculum, together with the wider school curriculum, is to ensure that pupils develop, from an early age, the essential skills they need to learn, to provide them with a full and rounded education, to foster their creativity, and to give teachers discretion in finding the best ways to inspire in their pupils a joy and commitment to learning.

Students in Years 7 and 8 follow a general curriculum that includes:

English/English as an Additional Language (EAL)
Mathematics
Integrated Science
Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE)
History
Geography
Computing
Modern Foreign Languages (French, German or Spanish)
Serbian Studies/Cultural Studies (Year 7/8)
Art and Design
Music
Physical Education (PE)
Global Perspectives

Students make their IGCSE choices in the Spring/early Summer of Year 9.

Parent/ Teacher communication

Parents receive information about how their child is developing through progress reports each half-term and longer reports at Christmas and in Summer. Twice a year there are Parent Meeting evenings, as well as parents being able to arrange to see a member of senior management or the class teacher throughout the academic year. Parent Teacher Evenings are scheduled throughout the year. They offer a valuable opportunity for staff and parents to meet and discuss students’ progress and targets. Dates of these evenings are published in the academic calendar.

Pastoral Activities

Beyond the daily life of BIS, students are encouraged to join many pastoral activities that take place throughout the year. Students actively engage in these activities allowing them to make cross-curricular connections and meaningful use of the skills they have acquired within BIS. The list of annual events include: ”Meet the World” project, Student Council activities, World Poetry Day, field trips to various museums, exhibits and monasteries, Christmas Productions, Art Exhibition, UN Day Celebration, Excursion Week, Community Service activities.

ECA Clubs

A range of extra-curricular activities is offered at BIS, which are great fun, but also have their links with curriculum areas. The range of clubs required varies from term to term so details of current clubs may be obtained from the school administration. Examples include drama, choir, table tennis, swimming, basketball, the ‘brain drain’ club, Filmmaking, African Art, etc.

English as an Additional Language

BIS also provides extra support to facilitate the students’ integration into the school system and prepare them for examinations in English as an Additional Language. Given the international composition of the school’s student body, the work of this department is vital in making it possible for students entering the school, with little or no command of English, to benefit from the full curriculum as soon as possible. From the beginning, students following an extensive EAL programme take practical subjects and physical education with their normal classes to assist with integration. Students are given intensive English language help in small groups, following an individual programme. Students quickly develop an enthusiastic attitude and a high commitment to improvement. In this, careful planning and skilled teaching support them.