" "

Welcome to ISD

Student Experience

The ISD Student Experience

The student experience at the International School of Dublin (ISD) cannot be simply summarised into one statement. There are so many factors which contribute to our students having distinctive and varied experiences.

Families attending ISD continually remark on how much their children love coming to school and we pride ourselves on our ability to truly listen to our students, individualise their educational journey and provide opportunities that keep learning fun and engaging.

You don’t have to take our word for it, see what our past and present students have to say:

“Looking back on it, ISD was a crucial aspect of my growth and journey as a learner. Rather than teach from a textbook, ISD encouraged me to be curious and taught me how to act on that curiosity. Simply put, I think ISD taught me how to be a learner. I am so grateful for the experience and that I had that experience so early on. Not having any huge tests or homework assignments to stress over allowed me to focus on learning for learning’s sake (as opposed to for standardized testing sake), which has made a huge difference as I progressed to middle school, high school, and now university. Now, if I’m ever in a situation where I don’t get as much support from my teachers as I would like, I have the skills I need to be a self-sufficient learner.”

Alexandra - attended ISD 2009-2013

“ISD is an excellent school that is always striving to better itself, even the teachers talk about how they are learners just like us. I’m proud to be one of its students.”

Noah - age 12

“At ISD you have the chance to give your own opinion and learn to give reasons for your thoughts. You have a chance to help and participate in the school community.”

Suzanne - age 11

“I was at ISD between the ages of 7 an 9. There is simply something so special about ISD, obviously there’s the educational aspect but there’s a special twist to the social side of things. It is simply down to the people there. The international nature of the community brings a whole new perspective to making friends. I saw every side of the world by simply sitting within four walls, and for that I am eternally grateful. Not only does ISD encourage you to build relationships, they encourage you to hold on to them long after you leave! ISD definitely taught me values and skills that I otherwise might not have developed as distinctively. These are gifts that have become more vital throughout my life as I grow. In the primary years a person develops so enormously. At ISD I was given every chance to explore who I was.”

Eefke - attended ISD 2009-2011

“So far since ISD, there has not been any other school that has taught me as much. The opportunities for creativity and sometimes almost total freedom in and out of the class have shaped the way I learn, think and the type of person I want to be. Many times, when I notice something that just doesn’t make sense at a school I go to, or protocol that seems more for the parent’s sake than for the kids, I always think back to ISD, and how much they truly cared about the students’ well-being first. ISD made it really easy to do my best at everything, and I still think about how exemplary ISD is of the Risk-Taker IB Profile trait. A lot of my other schools, even IB, seem to miss out on that, and I’m really appreciative of the true example ISD was of the IB Learner Profile traits. Something really important that I think mainly comes from ISD is my problem-solving skills. I see often that there are simple problems with simple solutions, and sometimes, I try and put myself in a position to solve them. I think I got that from ISD, with how everything was always very clear-cut. If something was wrong, we fixed it. If something was right, we stuck with it and made it better. I really hope to come visit someday, since Ireland was truly my favorite place I’ve ever been, and a lot of that was down to ISD’s incredible atmosphere, teachers, and freedom.”

Luke - attended ISD 2011-2014

Community Events

Community is the heart of our school and thus we facilitate a series of planned events throughout the school year to allow families, teachers and students to meet, find out what is happening at the school and celebrate student achievement.

This is an excellent opportunity for families to establish connections, build their network and be both knowledgeable and involved with students’ progress at the school.

A parent workshop

Parent/Guardian Workshops

Parents/Guardians are provided the opportunity to become more familiar with the IBPYP curriculum through hands on workshops conducted by teachers explaining different aspects of the curriculum.

Student Presentation on Climate Change

Exhibition

In final year of the PYP, students have the opportunity to lead their own final inquiry project and present this at The Exhibition.

Sports Day Tug of War

Sports Day

An annual sports day allows students, teachers, parents and guardians the opportunity to take part in activities to showcase athletic skills and sportsmanship.

Holiday celebrations at International School of Dublin

Holiday Celebrations

One engaging way to help our students become more internationally minded is to celebrate various holidays throughout the year. The holidays we celebrate change year on year taking into account the cultures represented in the school at a given time.

Teachers and Students Formed to Make 100

100th Day of School

Celebrating the 100th day of the school is an opportunity to showcase mathematics within the curriculum for an entire school day.

ISD students attending the Annual Peace Proms in Dublin

Peace Proms

Peace Proms is an project for primary schools that gives students the opportunity to sing with a choir of 3,000 children and a full symphony orchestra.

A group of ISD students working together

Celebrating Learning

Six times per year the whole school community comes together to celebrate student learning through an event called End of Unit Sharing.

At End of Unit Sharing, over the course of an afternoon, each class provides a presentation to articulate the learning that transpired throughout their inquiry. The students become the teachers and the parents the students.

See more End of Unit Sharings
Students on a field trip to visit a ship in Dublin docks.

Learning Beyond the Classroom Walls

We believe that our students greatly benefit from learning both inside and outside of the classroom. We encourage our students to make both local and global connections with their Units of Inquiry.

On a regular basis, students participate in field trips relevant to their inquiries. They also  welcome guest speakers from a variety of expert areas.

See more of our field trips

Student Committees

Education for us is centred around learner voice, choice & ownership, we call this agency. By promoting agency, we aim for students to be active in their development, to take initiative, express interest, opinions and ultimately feel ownership over their learning, both in and outside of school.

One way of encouraging students to work collaboratively and exercise agency is through student committees.

ISD students running together

Student Council

This committee provides the opportunity to learn leadership skills and take part in initiatives to support the running and development of the school.

A member of the ISD Student Librarian Committee

Librarian Committee

This committee keeps the school library a welcoming hub for learning. All of our students have ownership and responsibility for this learning space.

An image of the ISD student Year Book

Yearbook Committee

Our yearbook is an annual student led publication, created by the students, for the students. The yearbook committee is comprised of editors and artists working together to create a masterpiece which summarises the school year.

Global Connections

ISD is a proud member of the International Baccalaureate (IB) World Schools network. ISD students have the opportunity to connect and collaborate with other IB and international schools around the globe.

Grade 6 students have inspired others classes with their virtual Exhibition event. Grade 1,2 students have compared and contrasted learning communities with an IB school in the USA. Likewise, ISD staff have personal and professional relationships with IB colleagues.

These relationships arise from previous teaching experience, professional development opportunities and professional learning communities. Virtual learning, curriculum development, evaluation process, differentiation and assessments are some of the areas in which the school has engaged in meaningful discussions to promote best practice.

ISD alumni are making their mark around the world. After graduation, students move on to secondary schools in Ireland, in their home countries or in new locations all over the globe. ISD alumni keep in close contact with ISD. Those who are abroad often pay us a visit when they return to Dublin and local students continue to collaborate with the school in a variety of manners.

Show more Show less
Elipses

Admissions

Getting Started at ISD Getting started at ISD

If you feel ISD is a right fit for your family, make an expression of interest to begin communication with our Admissions team.

If you feel ISD is a right fit for your family, make an expression of interest to begin communication with our Admissions team.

Pre-enrolment 2020 - 2021

Pre-enrolment 2021 - 2022

yes
Scroll to top