Dear Parents:

It is my pleasure to welcome you to the International School of Phnom Penh website. If you are considering enrolling your child in ISPP this year, you have made the right choice. There is a lot of useful information on our website, but I would like to briefly tell you why I think ISPP is a great educational choice.

We have a diverse community of learners with more than 40 nationalities represented. ISPP was established in 1989 and over the years it has grown and evolved into a world-class International Baccalaureate (IB) School. In fact, ISPP is one of only 171 three-programme, all-through IB schools in the world. This makes ISPP a member of a very special group of schools. There are 3,265 schools worldwide which offer at least one IB programme, which shows the portability of an IB education. We offer the Primary Years Programme (PYP) for Kindergarten through Grade 5; IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) for Grades 6 through 10; and the two-year, pre-college, IB Diploma in Grades 11 and 12. These three programmes, which dovetail into one another, are the curriculum framework at ISPP. Our teachers are specially trained to teach these programmes and they come from all over the world. Many have specifically sought out ISPP as the place to teach because of our emphasis on teacher professional development. At ISPP, your children will receive a rigorous education based on international best teaching practices by highly motivated teaching professionals.
 
In terms of curriculum and instruction, ISPP is extremely strong. When I decided to accept this post in Cambodia, the educational program for my two daughters was my first consideration. My eldest completed her IB Diploma in 2011 and my youngest finished the MYP. We came to ISPP from an IB World School in East Africa and their transition was smooth because they were used to the very high academic standards the IB sets. Since the programme is recognized worldwide, parents can be reassured that the education the children receive is portable. Another important factor is quality control. ISPP is externally authorized by the IB as well as by the Council of International Schools (CIS) in Europe and the Western Association of Schools and Colleges (WASC) in the US. As part of our focus on quality, we have developed school-wide General Learning Targets (GLTs), in order to show parents what students are expected to know and be able to do at each grade level.

I am looking forward to an exciting year ahead in 2011/12 at ISPP. We continue to work on meeting and exceeding the standards set by our three external accrediting agencies, working on our new strategic plan, including our new facilities initiative, and  continuing program development throughout the school. We will seek ways to improve student learning, manage our resources prudently and look for areas of partnership with the local Khmer community. Community service will continue to be a mainstay of the ISPP learning environment.

ISPP has a group of very switched-on certified teaching professionals and a worldwide reputation for academic excellence. As such, the foundation at ISPP is solid and taking the school to the next level is well within our reach.

Enjoy your tour through the ISPP website and feel free to contact me with questions you may have. If you are in Phnom Penh, please stop by the school and learn more about what we can offer your child and family.

Sincerely, 
 

Barry Sutherland
Director