FAQs - Elementary School

What grade level will my child be placed in?

The initial placement is usually based on the student's age cohort. Students wishing to enrol must reach the respective chronological age before the 1st of September and successfully meet all other entrance criteria.

Why do you have mixed-age classes?

At ISPP, all Elementary classes are formed by combining two single age groups or grade levels, except for the classes in the Early Years programme. Presently these are PYR (Kindergarten)/Grade 1, Grade 2/3, and Grade 4/5.

Teaching staff have identified many advantages gained from teaching a mixed-age group. One being the family atmosphere it encourages as students develop social and learning relationships with children in the equivalent, preceding or following grades over the span of two years. Another is the different roles students are offered: in a chronological grouped class the children born at the beginning of the academic year are always the oldest, whereas those born at the end rarely have the opportunity to be the leaders. In our classes, students have the opportunity to play alternative roles, by being an apprentice one year and being a role model and mentor in their second year.
Our focus in a mixed-age class is meeting individual learning needs rather than grade expectations; this allows children to work ahead of their grade level or at a slower pace without feeling a sense of failure. Our aim is for all children to work towards excellence regardless of their chronological age.

How many students do you have per class?

The maximum number of students per class depends on their age. In our Early Years 1 class we have a maximum of 16 students per class and in Early Years 2 a maximum of 18 students. In all other grades we have maximum of 22 students per class.

The overall teacher/student ratio at Elementary school is 1/10. All classroom teachers are supported by one or several teacher assistants, depending on the age of the students.

Why do you not accept more Cambodian students at ISPP?

We currently have students from over 40 different nationalities in our school. In order to maintain our international environment, school policy stipulates that we can have a maximum of 25% Cambodian students in each grade level.

What is the background of your teachers?

Our professional staff are all certified teachers primarily from the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain and Europe. ISPP has a strong focus on the Professional Development of faculty members and provides in-house workshops as well as overseas courses.

What if my child does not speak any English?

Being an international school, we have students from many different language backgrounds. The English as an Additional or Foreign Language (EAL) programme provides support to students whose mother tongue is not English. EAL support is available from Grade 2 to Grade 5 as full support or partial support. All new students to the school are assessed and placed at the appropriate level of assistance. As children are given attention individually or in small groups, an extra fee is charged for the full EAL programme.

During EAL the children participate in many different activities designed to develop skills in reading, writing, speaking, and listening. EAL classes take place during the class language time and when the other students are learning a foreign language. Therefore, they are participating in activities similar to what the mainstream class is doing but with more focus on increasing English language proficiency.

On average, Elementary school students need about 18 months to 2 years of some form of EAL support before they have sufficient English to function independently in the mainstream. But even here it is necessary to stress the words "on average". The actual time needed will depend on a number of learner variables, such as language learning aptitude, student motivation, similarity between English and the mother tongue language.

Which foreign languages can my child study?

All students from Grade 2 upwards (except those in the English as an Additional Language Second programme) study a foreign language. They have the choice between Khmer, French and Mandarin Chinese.

Do you offer a Mother Tongue programme?

ISPP believes that it is vital that all students have the opportunity to maintain their Mother Tongue (the main language that the student uses at home) wherever feasible.

Based on educational research, ISPP believes that students with a strong mother tongue are far more successful in learning and functioning in another target language. Therefore ISPP is continuously looking for innovative ways to facilitate the maintenance of your child's Mother Tongue.

Our Mother Tongue Programme is an additional educational extension programme. We are proposing two periods of one hour of Mother Tongue each week on Mondays and Wednesdays, from 2:45pm to 3:45pm. Each language group has flexibility in terms of scheduling and the number/size of groups.

Does the school provide lunch?

ISPP does not provide school lunches. Food from home is usually delivered just before lunch at 11:30am for Early Years 2 and 12:05pm for PYR to Grade 5. Children may also bring lunch with them. It is advised that lunch be placed in a cooler bag with a freezer pack in it to keep the food fresh.

An external caterer provides sandwiches and snacks during the morning recess. Please ask the Elementary Office for more information.

During the morning all classes have a 20-minute break where children have the opportunity to have a small snack and a drink. Fruit or cookies and fruit juice or water is all that is needed at this time. We do not allow chewing gum and fizzy canned drinks at school.

We provide water coolers on the campus. Your child should bring a plastic bottle, which they can refill at the cooler.

What should my child wear?

We do not have a school uniform. A good educational programme includes lots of activity and children should be appropriately dressed so they can move easily and freely. Sensible footwear that allows students to climb and run safely is essential.

Which extra curricular activities do you offer?

ISPP offers an extensive After School programme for children from 3 to 17 years old, including many sports activities and individual music lessons. You can find more information on the dedicated website www.isppafterschool.com