Parent's Review of Windhoek International School in Windhoek
What is the name of your child's school? (Please report on one school per survey.)
Windhoek International School
In what town or city is this school located?
Windhoek
How would you describe this school? (i.e. American, British, International, Local, etc.)
International - IBPYP and IB Diploma
What grade levels are represented at this school?
Kindergarten to Yr 13
How do most children get to school everyday? (bus, train, walk, etc.)
The majority of children are brought to school by their parents or drivers. Windhoek is a small city, so transport around town is no problem. Traffic jams are virtually unheard of!
How would you describe the facilities at this school? What extra-curricular activities are available?
WIS is a purpose built facility; we have recently added 7 new classrooms, an auditorium, and a media room, thanks to a donation from the Portuguese Government and a new sports slab and tuck shop, funded by the PTA. WIS is a very open campus, with wonderful views onto the mountains surrounding Windhoek. A map of the school will soon be available on our new website www.wis.edu.na
The school runs an Activities Programme that includes a variety of sports, drama, an enviromental club, chess etc. The school is aiming to improve on the activitie offered and is always keen to involve parents and other community members in this programme.
What has this school done to help your child transition from the curriculum in your home country into the curriculum in your new country? Are there programs to prepare your child for repatriation?
The school runs the International Baccalaureate Programmes at Primary level and at Diploma level, as well as IGCSE at Year 10. These programmes are highly regarded around the world (more information can be obtained about the IB programmes on their website www.ibo.org) and cater for internationally mobile students as well as students from the national sector. WIS is a small and friendly school and we are used to students moving in and out at all times - we offer ESL support for those students who need it, as well as Learning Support. There are no specific programmes to prepare students for repatriaition.
How would you describe the social activities available for parents through this school? Are there parent-teacher organizations?
There is a very active PTA which is focuses not only on fund raising, but also in involving parents in school activities. They host regular social events, recently we have had a Wine and Cheese Evening and a Coffee Morning to which the community was invited, as well as a very successful Gold Day in early February. The PTA is currently (March 2004) preparing for one of our biggest fund raisers, International Fun Day on the 24th of April.We are always trying to get parents more actively involved in the school!
What advice would you give to someone considering enrolling their child in this school?
WIS is a medium sized school, with a close community feel to it. The teachers are very committed individuals with a good balance of locally hired and overseas staff. The campus is open and attractive - we are always looking to improve our facilities. The students are wonderful, friendly and open. Windhoek International School would have to be your number one choice for schooling in Namibia!
Helen Birkbeck
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Comments about this Report
guestI go to windhoek international school and I absouloutly love it there it is the best thing after school activities rock I know it is a hefty price to pay but hey at the end of the day your child get an education so pay of atleat they get a job or an ib dioploma so it does not matter. St. georges and St. Pauls are also great but do they let you where anything to school I dont think so:) think about it it is a great school really trust me hope this helped!!!!:))
guesti can only imagine that this review as well as the comment was written by staff member. This school is nothing what this review claims. It is May 2013 and let me tell you , things didn't improve but rather got worse. Everyday my kids get home we must homeschool to keep up with academic standard of Europe. There is a lot of stealing going on among student and bullying is reported frequently. From what I see, the school is doing nothing about it.
guestI fully agree with Jun 6, 2013 08:15 comment. The school in 2014 became even worse. The academic quality of staff has worsened due to the financial difficulties and a number of good teachers left. Those with interests (e.g. schooling own kids in WIS free of charge) cling to their positions and there are no performance mechanisms that would identify those incompetent ones and offer support for improvements or simply discontinue their contracts.
guestThe reviews of 2011 may be a bit better as at that period, the school director achieved some major improvements. This however did not go down well with some "long-term" staff and personal interests, and as a consequence, he left in 2013. Advice to expats: Schooling wise only - try avoiding Namibia (schooling only !! as the country is an absolute paradise). If you do have to be posted here however, do consider alternatives as boarding, home schooling, or St. Paul's and with the lower fees savings, engage private tutoring. If your kids need IB, well, it is only WIS and you better plan for more money and a lot of private tutoring. NB. Some WIS teachers will "gladly" offer this option for a fee. You can be sure your kids will perform " with excellence" in their respective classes. How will they perform once in another school or Uni, well, that's another story.
