Senior School

We believe that students learn best when they are happy and secure and we work hard to ensure that their surroundings support this belief.  We pride ourselves on the positive and cooperative working relationships between students and teachers. 

The senior school spans grades 6 to 12 so most of the students’ ages are in the age range 11-18.  However, because our students come in from all over the world, the age range within each grade is broader than it would be in most national systems of education.  Because we mainly serve the mobile international community of Düsseldorf, most of our students are only with us for two or three years, but we do have a few who come for all fourteen of the school year available at ISD. 

Our 80 teachers address the educational needs of more than 550 students who take more than 180 courses arranged into just over 500 separate classes, which are taught in almost 60 teaching spaces, as well as two libraries and a theater.  There is an interactive whiteboard in every classroom and ample computer space for class and individual work. 

Our curriculum is based on the highly regarded International Baccalaureate Middle Years (G6-10) and Diploma (G11 & 12) Programmes and follows on from the IB Primary Years Programme in our elementary school. 

Meals and refreshments can be bought in the attractively and recently renovated commons room and cafeteria.

We have no school uniform, but we believe that “good taste is knowing what to wear and when to wear it”, so clothing  worn to school should not expose large areas of flesh or underwear, and should be clean, in good repair,  and worn so as not to offend the culturally diverse sensitivities of our community.

Student behavior is expected to be based on two maxims

• respect for others and their property
• constructive cooperation.

Our pastoral care system is based on the year heads, each of whom is responsible for looking after the students in a grade level.  The year heads are assisted by homeroom teachers, who are each responsible for 15-20 students within a grade.  Other pastoral care is provided by the counselors, the principal and the deputy principal.

Extra academic support is provided by the learning support, EAL, and library departments, as well as classroom teachers outside scheduled class time.