The 49 graduates of ISR Neuss achieve record-breaking International Baccalaureate Diploma (IBD) results this year, reaffirming ISR’s status as one of the leading international private schools in Germany

Thursday, July 8, 2021

For the first time in the history of our school, ISR graduates achieved an average of 38 points, 5 points above the global average / One student attained a perfect score of 45 points – the highest possible score / 31 percent of graduates belong to the international top 3 % best list / 17 percent of graduates earned top grades – comparable to the Abitur grade of 1.0 / 65 % were awarded the prestigious Bilingual IB diploma / 12 nationalities make up the class of 2021/ And in the second year of Covid-19, three quarters of ISR graduates opt for renowned universities abroad.

The 49 graduates of ISR International School on the Rhine in Neuss and Düsseldorf achieved a record-breaking average of 38 points in their IB Diploma this year. In their International Baccalaureate Diploma, this year’s graduates, coming from 12 nations, scored 5 points above the global average of 33 points.

“This record-breaking IB score deserves all the recognition because this time, the two most crucial school years before graduation, had to be completed under extremely difficult learning and examination conditions caused by the Covid-19 pandemic,” says Emil Cete, Deputy Director and Head of Upper School who bears the responsibility of the IB preparations. Cete continues, “Besides the resilience and the determination to learn on the part of the students, this outstanding result is also due to the tremendous commitment of the entire teaching and administrative staff.”

With this result, ISR reaffirms its status as one of Germany’s leading international private schools. Contributing to the excellent overall average is the targeted support offered to students according to their individual needs as well as intense guidance and support provided through our University and Career Counselors at ISR. The 38 point average in the IBD is the result of the outstanding achievement of the individual graduates this year. 31 percent of the class scored at least 40 out of a maximum of 45 points. This achievement – which is comparable to an average grade of 1.3 or better in the German Abitur – is usually only achieved by around three percent of IB students worldwide. In addition, 17% of the students in this year’s graduating class passed their exams with an outstanding IB grade of 42 points or above, which is equivalent to a German Abitur grade of 1.0. “This comparison alone impressively underscores this year’s excellent results,” emphasizes Peter Soliman, ISR School Proprietor. One of our students achieved the top grade with an outstanding 45 points in his IB Diploma – the maximum number of points that can be achieved. Soliman says, “There has never been a perfect score in the IB diploma before at ISR.” Previously, the top mark reached was 43 points.

“The outstanding results are a testament to the exceptional dedication and efforts of everyone involved in guiding our students on their path to success. Thanks to these brilliant results, this year’s graduates have excellent prospects for places at the best universities worldwide,” emphasizes Eileen Lyons, School Director at ISR. On average, ISR graduates received four university offers each. A quarter of the graduates will study in Germany, similarly a quarter will study in Great Britain, and others in the Netherlands. Additional study destinations include USA, Canada, Spain, Japan and renowned universities in Switzerland.

“Our graduates have once again shown that they are committed to their own success and that of their peers. The culture of achievement and recognition of excellence is in our DNA,” remarked Lyons.

Offers were received from King’s College London; University College London; the University of Toronto in Canada; Keio University in Japan; St. Gallen in Switzerland; universities in the USA such as Boston University, Michigan State University, Purdue University, and from the University of Maastricht in the Netherlands as well as RWTH Aachen in Germany, among many others. Ms. Lyons states, “These university offers are a great vote of confidence in the high standard of the education offered at ISR. Many universities have had very good experiences with ISR graduates in recent years, which adds to our school’s excellent reputation.”

The international background of the graduating class of 2021, as well as the international university selection, highlights another important aspect of this year’s graduates: 65 percent were awarded a bilingual IB diploma. The IB Bilingual Diploma is extremely useful and highly valued on the international stage, as universities and future employers seek people who can communicate in multiple languages.

“Comprehensive counseling on university options and which course of study fits the students’ preferences, abilities and career planning is a key offering at ISR,” adds Peter Soliman. Therefore, early on, the school’s University and Career Counselors start advising students with a focus on their strengths, goals and career options. The entire university application process is closely monitored and professionally supported. Ulrike Wacker, one of ISR’s University and Career Counselors, says, “Many former students ask us for support when it comes to further career steps years after they have left ISR. Even in such cases, we are happy to help. Similarly, our active, constantly growing alumni network provides support to our former students.”
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Disclaimer
ISR International School on the Rhine gGmbH, based in Neuss, is a privately run international all-day school. More than 1,000 students from the region and around the world prepare together for internationally recognized school-leaving qualifications. Academic excellence and character building are at the heart of the education, qualifying students for study at leading universities in Germany and around the world. For younger children, ISR offers an international kindergarten on the ISR campus in Neuss, in Düsseldorf-Niederkassel, and a German-language branch in Meerbusch-Büderich. Inquiries about kindergarten, elementary school and secondary school are accepted year-round: admissions@isr-school.de.

ISR International School on the Rhine Neuss/Düsseldorf integrates the Maxi-Mo Kindergarten in Meerbusch-Büderich to the ISR Education Group

Wednesday, June 2, 2021

20 children aged one to six years are cared for at the quaint location in Großisselhof – Future development of the offer by ISR.

ISR International School on the Rhine Neuss/Düsseldorf (ISR) is expanding its educational concept by integrating the Maxi-Mo Kindergarten in Meerbusch-Büderich. At the Kindergarten, 20 children between the ages of one and six are currently being cared for and educated. “We have been looking for a partner for our Maxi-Mo facility for quite some time. I am very pleased that this special place for children, that I built with a lot of love and passion, will be preserved in the long term and will continue to offer our children the best learning environment and development opportunities,” reports Angela Huberti, the previous owner of the Maxi-Mo Kindergarten. It was only natural that she and her family would now ultimately also enter into a conversation with Peter Soliman, the Managing Director of ISR gGmbH. “As early childhood language development is a key focus for us, and as there have been English-language programs in the past, this cooperation is a perfect fit. We are glad that Maxi-Mo is now integrated into the ISR Education Group and will be further developed.”

In the following weeks the focus for all parties involved will be getting to know each other and in building trust. “It is particularly important for us to understand the families, the team, and also the concept and to further improve this in the interests of the children,” emphasizes Peter Soliman. An open dialogue with the families, in which they openly express themselves and we address any concerns they may have is not only necessary but desired. Ms. Huberti: “Since we too have placed great emphasis on playful learning and the development of individual skills and social competence, there exist many similarities between ISR and Maxi-Mo. Values such as family-like togetherness is truly lived in both institutions. All of this will ensure a smooth transition, especially for the children.” One of the few structural differences in the future will be that the Meerbusch branch will continue to be open almost all year round – regardless of the regular school vacations at ISR Neuss. Furthermore, ISR is expanding its concept through the new Kindergarten facility and will consequently also care for children aged one to three years in the future. “An important and promising expansion that enriches the pedagogical concept of ISR,” Peter Soliman tells us. Naturally, German will remain the main language of communication and instruction at Maxi-Mo, complemented by the existing bilingual English offering.

In addition to the Neuss location, ISR operates another Kindergarten branch in the Düsseldorf district of Niederkassel. Since summer 2020, children between the ages of 3 and 6 have been cared for in a purpose-built facility at Niederkasseler Kirchweg 36 with places for up to 110 children. “We wish to give as many families as possible in the area the opportunity to take advantage of our excellent education as early as Kindergarten. Long-term oriented cooperation is essential for us and we are aware of the responsibility that arises – especially from our friendly neighborly relationships,” stated Peter Soliman: “Since the capacity at our main location in Neuss is exhausted despite two extensions to the building, cooperations, similar to the one with Maxi-Mo, are particularly suitable for us.”

One of the special features of Maxi-Mo is that it is situated in Großisselhof since 2009, in an idyllic, traffic-free location in a nature reserve. “The old trees, the large outdoor area, and the extensive play areas in the open countryside will make the new ISR location in Meerbusch-Büderich a special highlight in ISR’s offering. Surrounded by meadows and fields, children will be able to experience how the seasons unfold. “This, together with the even further improved educational offering, will make for a particularly attractive combination for many families,” Soliman emphasizes.

The integration of the new Kindergarten will take place with immediate effect, and a first presentation with the families of the Maxi-Mo Kindergarten has already taken place.

56 graduates of ISR Neuss clearly exceed the worldwide average of the International Baccalaureate (IB) in the Corona school year 2020

Friday, 17 July 2020

ISR students averaged 36 points in their final report cards, 6 points above the global average / More ISR graduates than ever before / Ten percent of the degrees belong to the international top 3 % best list / Numerous study places offered by renowned universities abroad

Despite the adversities faced during this school year, Grade 12 IB graduates of ISR International School on the Rhine in Neuss have improved their grade point average this year, from 35 to 36 points. In fact, the 56 Grade 12 students who graduated this year scored 6 points above the global International Baccalaureate average of 30 points. “These excellent results of the students cannot be emphasized highly enough. After all, the pandemic with its continuing uncertainties and the special examination conditions was already a particular challenge and burden,” comments Emil Cete, Head of Upper School and IB Coordinator.

He continued, “The fact that the students mastered the situation so well was mainly due to what we at ISR call strong character: their own will to learn, their commitment and being robust. The comprehensive support from the teachers and the entire staff also contributed to this. It is also important for us that with this result we have confirmed our status as the leading international private school in NRW.”

In addition to the excellent results, having 56 students in the graduating class is also remarkable: in the two previous years the graduating class had less than 40 students.  “The increase in the number of students at ISR to a total of 1,000 is now making itself felt in larger graduating classes,” explains Peter Soliman, Managing Partner of ISR, “this is another sign of the school’s sustained popularity and quality.”

No matter which scale the results are compared with, they are excellent: when converted to the equivalent in the German Abitur system 40% of ISR graduates achieved a grade in the 1.0 to 1.9 range, and 10% achieved 40 IB points or more.  To contextualize this, in 2019 roughly 2% of IB graduates worldwide achieved 40 IB points or more! “These great results can only be achieved with a consistent effort during the entire year. A few outstanding students are not enough,” Mr. Soliman states, “to prepare the entire class for the exams in the best possible way, we, therefore, provide individual support through intensive lessons  tailored to ability and need.”

“Thanks to the results, graduates this year have been offered places at the best universities worldwide,” emphasizes Eileen Lyons, the Director of ISR.  In the USA these include full scholarships from Princeton University as well as offers from the University of Southern California, the University of Notre Dame and the University of Miami. In Great Britain, ISR students have offers from the University of Cambridge, Imperial College, London School of Economics, University College London and King’s College London. In addition to this there are offers from Canada (University of Toronto) as well as from universities in Japan, South Africa, the Netherlands, Italy, Spain, France, and Switzerland. Ms. Lyons continues, “The fact that so many binding commitments have been made by international universities despite the corona uncertainty is a great sign of confidence in our work. Applications from our students are very convincing and universities have been extremely satisfied with ISR graduates in recent years.” It must be noted that even though about 75% of ISR students are likely to go to university in another country, ISR always recommends to all graduates a combination of subjects that will allow them to study in Germany.

“Advice on which university best suits the preferences, skills and career planning of young people is a key service offered by ISR,” adds Mr. Soliman, “that’s why our University and Career Counsellors, Ulrike Wacker, and Dr. Susan Wiltshire, start talking to students about their career plans at an early stage” As the counsellors explain, “our university orientation will continue in the coming months, even though graduation certificates have long since been distributed: due to the corona pandemic there is more to organize before the start of studies than in previous years.” This aside, ISR students, both past and present, can always seek advice regarding career steps, and the ever-growing alumni network is an increasingly vital tool for growing support systems.

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ISR International School on the Rhine to open a branch of its Kindergarten in Düsseldorf- Niederkassel

Friday, 22 March 2019

ISR International School on the Rhine based in Neuss is opening an English speaking Kindergarten in Düsseldorf-Niederkassel. The former ballet school of the Deutschen Oper am Rhein on Niederkasseler Kirchweg 36 has been torn down and will be replaced with a brand new Kindergarten by mid-2020, with a capacity for educating over 100 boys and girls aged three years and above. The educational philosophy and teaching methods practiced at ISR in Neuss will also be implemented at the site in Düsseldorf. The city council of Düsseldorf has approved of the plans for the new building, the legal change in the use of the property as well as the long-term lease of 50 years. ISR, with the support of the Düsseldorfer architect firm Leckelt, will now embark on building the planned premises.

Mr. Peter Soliman, CEO of ISR, places a high value on establishing an ISR branch in Düsseldorf, as many students, currently enrolled at ISR Neuss, live in Düsseldorf. Especially for students in Kindergarten, the interest from families from Düsseldorf has remained unabated. He says, “In the previous 4 years, we have already expanded our Kindergarten in Neuss twice. Currently, 139 children are enrolled in our Kindergarten. As we noticed a continuous rise in inquiries for Kindergarten spots, we decided against expanding our Kindergarten in Neuss for the third time and instead chose to open a new branch in Düsseldorf. Since there is an acute shortage of Kindergarten places in Düsseldorf, our opening also relieves some of the pressure on the state-run Kindergarten facilities. “

The location of the property in Düsseldorf is ideal. Both ISR Kindergartens are easily connected through the highways A52 and A57. The school expects some Düsseldorfer families currently enrolled in Neuss, to move to the new location in Düsseldorf. Mr. Peter Soliman remains confident that “due to the long waiting list at our current location in Neuss, we expect the vacant spots in Neuss to be filled immediately. “ Currently over 970 students are enrolled at ISR and are prepared for the IBDP (International Baccalaureate) school leaving certificate.

The open and green grounds of the former ballet school are perfect for the new Kindergarten building. The semi-circular building will enable each of the 5 Kindergarten classes to have direct access to the spacious playground. The modern building with generous rooms flooded with natural sunlight will be equipped with a kitchen, a Movement Room for dance, exercise and movement, and a parent conference room.

The international pre-school Kindergarten in Niederkassel is located directly next to the Japanese International School- JISD. Mr. Soliman confirms “We held a lot of preliminary talks with the school and the consulate regarding this project. We have discussed every planning stage jointly and our cooperation with JISD has been very friendly and open. We are certain that both parties will mutually benefit from this project.”

Essential aspects of the educational philosophy currently practiced at ISR in Neuss will also be implemented at the new location. For instance, English will be solely taught by native speakers. Mr. Soliman states “At this age, the children learn by playing” German lessons are also mandatory. Apart from the multi-lingual lessons, the ISR pre-schoolers also familiarise themselves with numbers and letters and are thus optimally and bilingually ready for primary school.

The caregiver to child ratio is low. A team consisting of one fully trained teacher and one/two teaching assistants is responsible for a group of up to 20 children. This enables very individual and comprehensive care for 3-6-year-olds. In total, around 16 employees (including the Head of the Kindergarten) will be managing the 5 Kindergarten groups in Düsseldorf. In addition, a German teacher and a Music teacher will also join the team.

To ensure optimal childcare support before and after teaching hours, the Kindergarten will be open from 07:30 am to 6:00 pm. Catering will be provided by the well-known company Broich which has a specialized nutrition plan focussing on the needs and wishes of the children.

Kindergarten planning at Niederkasseler Kirchweg

Indian Consul General Visits ISR to Increase Cooperation with the School

Thursday, 14 March 2019

The Indian Consul General in Germany, Pratibha Parkar, visited ISR International School on the Rhine in Neuss on Tuesday, 12.03.2019.

The consul, accompanied by Mridula Singh, Education Officer & Social Secretary to Consul General, came from Frankfurt to the Rhineland to get to know the Indian community at ISR, which is now one of the largest country groups at the school.

“I am glad that my compatriots here feel so welcome at ISR and are now so strongly repre-sented.”, Pratibha Parkar emphasizes: “And now that I have visited the school and learned about the academic program at ISR, I have gained an understanding of our students and parents expe-riences at the school.” Consulate General Pratibha Parkar, who has served as a diplomat in vari-ous parts of the world since 2000, was welcomed by the children of the Indian community, their parents, and representatives of ISR’s Management Team. ISR’s Kindergarten children made a wel-come poster for the Consul General.

“As an international school, it is very important to us that international families from different cultures stay in regular contact with their diplomatic representatives,” emphasizes Peter Soliman, Managing Partner of ISR. “We, too, as a school, appreciate the exchange and are delighted that the Consul General has taken the time today to meet with our Indian community and the school.”

During the meeting, the group discussed various ways in which a cooperation between the school and the Consul General can be intensified. In addition, the Indian parents reported on their personal experiences at the school and in Germany.Seite 2 von 2

“This type of exchange is essential for us as a school and gives the different cultures represented at the school the feeling of appreciation for their home country”, emphasizes Eileen Lyons, School Director at ISR. “We are pleased that the talks were so positive today as we continue to learn from parents and their consular representatives what is important for the families. Despite more than 41 nationalities at ISR and our decades of experience, we always looking for opportu-nities to learn more and grow in our understanding of other cultures.”

In addition to the visit of the Indian Consul General, ISR has also recently welcomed the Turkish Consul-General, Şule Gürel, and the Japanese Vice-Consul, Shinsuke Toda.

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ISR graduates of 2016 once again surpass the IB diploma world average

Thursday, 14 July 2016

ISR graduating class 2016 passed their International Baccalaureate (IB) with an average of 34 points, which is 4 points above the IB world average of 30 points.

The 2016 graduates of ISR once again delivered a very strong result: the average IB Diploma scores are again 4 points above the IB world average (30 points). “We are very proud of this; almost half of the group were also awarded a bilingual diploma. Enabling Great Minds and Strong Characters is the motto of ISR International School on the Rhine” as emphasised by Peter Soliman, proprietor of the school.

One ISR student achieved 43 points (out of a maximum of 45 points) equalling the best result for an IB diploma in the history of ISR, which corresponds to a 1,0 in a German Abitur. Less than 1,9% of the 150.000 IB Diploma students worldwide in 2016 achieved this remarkable score.

It is no wonder therefore that the doors to the best universities in the world are open to ISR graduates. Our class of 2016 with 34 students has received 107 offers from renowned universities, mainly in Great Britain, the Netherlands and the USA. The offers from German universities are not included as these will be announced in the upcoming weeks.
A selection of the universities are Imperial College London (GB), King’s College London (GB), the University of New York (USA), the IE University Madrid (Spain) and the University of Maastricht (The Netherlands). A few of the students have decided to have a supervised gap-year and will follow an internship or will travel during the first year after their graduation.

Lord Mayor of Düsseldorf Thomas Geisel has already praised the important economic and cultural location factor of ISR for the whole Rheinland region during his commencement address on 17th June at the Hotel Nikko in Düsseldorf. Additionally, Mr. Aguilera Aranda, acting Spanish Consul General at that time, reaffirmed that in these uncertain times a solid international education and a positive and open minded attitude is essential for a peaceful coexistence.

Ms. Lyons, long-term school director of the ISR, is thrilled: “I wish to congratulate all our students on their achievement! I’m very pleased that the hard work of our teachers and our IB students has paid off. They can be justly proud of their well-deserved success.”

The International School on the Rhine gGmbH (ISR) is a privately owned, non-for-profit school, which has invested heavily during the last two years in its facilities, such as IT equipment and of course its teachers. This investment in turn reflects a very high demand in quality standards and as a result a growth of over 30% in its student population within the last two years. The student count for 2015/2016 was 670; a continued increase of this number is estimated for the upcoming year.

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