International School of Bucharest (ISB) is a non-profit day school providing a British-style education for children ages two to 19 in Bucharest. The school is proud of its multicultural community, where each member of its community is respected regardless of nationality, race, or religion.
Bucharest has been called a “fascinating mix” by travel journalist Marissa Tejada in her article for cnn.com. Amid communist block architecture stand centuries’ old churches and Art Noveau mansions. The traffic-free, cobblestone lanes of the city’s Old Town—currently under restoration—invite daytime wanderers and lively nightlife seekers. Some folks say the world’s most beautiful bookshop is in Bucharest, set inside a beautifully restored 19th-century building, Carturesti Carusel. Tejada reports, “its impressively minimal design plays with light that filters through a central skylight to make the space seem like visitors are in a moving carousel."
Bucharest boasts excellent museums and miles of parks, the oldest of which was designed in the mid-19th century. In addition to public recreation areas, the 400-acre Herastrau Park features an open-air theater and the unique, open-air Dimitrie Gust National Village Museum, where guests can visit 300 traditional buildings including peasant homes, thatched barns, log cabins, churches and mills that have been transported from villages across Romania. Carol Park, completed in 1906, is considered the prettiest, with its Roman-era-style open-air theater and Romania’s Tomb of the Unknown Soldier.
ISB currently enrolls 650 students of 35 nationalities, 55% of whom are Romanian, with 5% from the U.K. and 1% from North America. The teaching staff of 100 includes 50 from Romania, 30 from the U.K., and three from North America. Registered by the National Ministry of Education, ISB is accredited by the Council of International Schools and is an associate member of Council of British International Schools. The school received authorization in 2001 to deliver programmes under the Cambridge Assessment International Education curriculum pathway. Children in the Early Years, Primary—Key Stages 1and 2—and Secondary School—Key Stage 3—follow the National Curriculum of England and Wales, supplemented with the Cambridge Primary and Secondary 1 Curriculum for core subjects English, maths, and science. The curriculum is adapted to meet the needs of an international student body. Students in Years 10 and 11—Key Stage 4—follow the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education programme. Since 2017, Year 12 and 13—Key Stage 5—students have been following the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme in preparation for entry to university.
ISB offers a wide range of extra-curricular activities (ECAs) for its students aged four and up. Activities offered include sports, performing arts, science, chess and board games, modern foreign languages, music, and debating, as well as special-interest clubs and extra academic lessons. Additional ECAs offered by external instructors include karate, swimming, basketball, young engineering, BIG personality, and cooking and nutrition activities. Students may study musical instruments—guitar, drums, piano, voice, and violin—with instructors or through clubs. They may also take part in school musical productions and concerts throughout the school year. Some ECAs have an additional charge.
In addition to clubs and teams just for fun, the physical education department organizes school teams, in which students are trained with an emphasis on raising standards of performance in order to compete in various leagues organized by international schools in Bucharest and abroad. Students train for competitions in football, table tennis, basketball, and swimming. For the past 12 years, ISB has been proud to organize the Lumina Football Cup, the most prestigious tournament among the international schools in Bucharest.
Academic, cultural, and recreational trips are an integral part of the educational experience for all students at ISB. Trips vary based on a student’s grade level “from day excursions to local museums, farms, exhibitions, and galleries to longer journeys to other countries and continents,” says the school on its website, “to encounter first-hand different cultures, environments, and peoples and to enrich and embed their learning in tangible and rewarding ways."
The ISB community assists and promotes fundraising activities for quite a few local charities. Many students are involved in projects with local or overseas foundations whose principal mission is helping communities affected by a natural disaster. ISB students have also joined the Clean Water Project campaign initiated by the Kimse Yok Mu (KYM) Foundation, which has built water wells in 18 countries, offering access to clean water to three million people, vegetation, and animals. ISB students raised $5000 for the Project, which was used to build a Water Well No. 77 for a community in Kenya. The well has the school’s name on it, and students at ISB were proud recipients of a certificate of appreciation signed by the KYM Foundation on behalf of the Kenyan community.
ISB is interested in hiring interns and certified teachers, including those with a non-teaching spouse, exceptional newly-certified candidates, and those certified in non-English speaking countries. Teachers must hold their academic degree in the subject they will be teaching. There is no age limit to obtain a work visa in Romania.
The benefits package includes an initial moving allowance as well as a monthly housing stipend. Up to 500 euros is provided annually for teachers to travel home. All teachers’ children receive a 90% tuition benefit, lunch, and a 50% discount on extra-curricular activities. Medical insurance is covered by the public health care system, and teachers also receive a subscription to private insurance. The low cost of living in Romania allows for fantastic savings on this package, or the chance for family to live on one salary. There are also local employment opportunities for non-teaching partners.
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Please note: The information presented about this school was valid on the date published. This information may change, and the most up-to-date information can be found on the school profile.
