We are honoured to announce that the International School of Aberdeen (ISA) has been shortlisted in the student wellbeing category of the 2021 Independent Schools of the Year Awards. The award recognises the promotion of student wellbeing at the heart of the school’s ethos and something which: “informs and underpins the life of the whole-school community.”

Entry to the award required rigorous demonstration of how the particular challenges of the 2020/21 school year had been addressed including initiatives, and their successes, which were put in place to support students, teachers and families through unprecedented times sparked by the Covid-19 pandemic and its impact on education.

Among the myriad projects which won us and our “Virtual School” a place in the final were the inclusion of two full-time counsellors on the staff team; a daily log tracking students’ mental, emotional, and social feelings and the fostering of an atmosphere which empowers children to lead their own learning in a caring, encouraging and supported environment.

“Wellbeing Wednesdays” gave our students the chance to opt out of online schoolwork and take time out to relax and reset, whilst parents benefited from the setting up of online coffee mornings and a new, online community hub portal to ensure detailed sharing of the most up-to-date information.

Additionally, late 2020 saw us achieve important re-accreditation in the international school sector’s equivalent of the inspection process through both the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the Middle States Association (MSA).

Commenting on the news, our Head of School Nick Little said:

“Our children will live in a different world to the one we grew up in and the challenges of the Covid-19 pandemic have undoubtedly accelerated those changes in many ways. It is, therefore, imperative that we redefine learning areas and practices to take account of this backdrop and prepare our young people for a world where some of them will work in jobs that don’t yet exist.

In short, it’s not just about what they learn but also about how they learn. To do our very best by each student we welcome, wellbeing must lie at the heart of every educational experience and our place in the final of this significant award is testament to the hard work, dedication and resilience of the entire school community.”

The Independent Schools of the Year Awards are run by Independent School Parent magazine and aim to highlight student experience excellence in independent settings. This year’s awards attracted a record number of entries across 24 categories and winners will be revealed in October – stay tuned for updates!