Welcome to the British International School of New York
British International School of New York -

20 Waterside Plaza, New York, New York 10010   Tel: (212) 481-2700   Fax: (646) 607-5970   e-Mail: info@bis-ny.org - Parent PortaL

COBISEC - The council of british international schools in europe

COBISEC

The British International School of New York recently welcomed Mr. Albert Hudspeth on a two day visit.

Mr. Hudspeth is the General Secretary of COBISEC, the Council of British International Schools in Europe. He came to inspect the school and advise the staff with an objective view of how the school was performing and developing. Mr. Hudspeth has visited many schools in formal and informal capacities over the years and BISNY is delighted to present some of his findings.

The whole report is available through the schools admissions office and has been made available to parents of children who already attend BISNY.

  • If this school were situated in Europe it would certainly meet all the criteria required by Cobisec for FULL membership of the organisation. Due to its being in America we can only recognise it as an outstanding example of British education overseas and as a fine Affiliate member
  • The school has made an impressive start to its life and has already attracted much attention in the city of New York.
  • This school is housed in a building which was previously used as an engineering business. This sounds like an unlikely start but the work which has been carried out to transform the building into a bright, light and airy school has been impressive.
  • The location is amazing: right on the edge of the East River, in a secure area. Not many schools could offer a location of such quality.
  • The area also provides facilities in another building for gymnastic activities and swimming; these are smart and modern.
  • The school offers a unique blend of the National Curriculum and the IBPYP. This makes it a real learning environment for both staff and pupils and requires good presentation of information to the parent body. This brings together British and International cultural concepts and enhances the inclusiveness of them for all nationalities.
  • Classes are small; being a maximum of 15 in the lower section and 20 in the upper. There are classroom assistants in the lower section of the school as well. All the staff are well qualified for the tasks they have been set and indeed the classroom assistants are generally fully qualified teachers as well.
  • No incidents of bad behaviour were witnessed and the discipline was part of the ethos. It was seen to be the right thing to do to behave properly.

Conclusions

  • The quality of relationships and teaching within the school are of a very high standard and indeed some of the teaching seen was outstanding in any circumstance.
  • The provision and use of computer equipment was very impressive; even the youngest were given the chance to use computers and there were some fun activities for them to use. The exercise seen in touch typing was also very good and something everyone would benefit from.
  • The safety of the children was well taken care of with the area being secure and entry guarded plus the playground being surrounded by a very high fence. The playground itself having a very ‘child friendly’ surface.
  • This is a fine school as it stands but has the potential to be a beacon of the best of Britishness in the midst of Manhattan.