Pastoral care

We believe a good education focuses on the development of the whole child. Our principals, teachers and student support and well-being team work together to foster each childs’ social, emotional and academic well-being.

In primary school, homeroom teachers are responsible for ensuring each child has the level of pastoral and emotional support they need, while in secondary school, advisory teachers, who students meet with each morning, are responsible for the delivery of a dedicated pastoral care programme. Advisors also assist students with goal setting, time management, exam practice and study skills.

Student support and well-being

Our dedicated student support and well-being team consists of a school psychologist, counsellors, learning support teachers, university advisors and nurses.

Recognising the need for a holistic approach to student support, the team run programmes across the school year to help students develop the skills and strategies needed to proactively manage their own well-being. These include:

Sunshine visits with a counsellor. Designed for new students, these visits help students understand who to go to for support, and help our counsellors monitor how students are adapting to their new environment. Primary students meet as a group, so they’re introduced to other new students in their grade.
Weekly meetings with teachers and the student well-being committee to monitor students’ individual goals and/or progress.
Ongoing education programmes and seminars for both students and parents.

Counselling

Our school psychologist and counsellors work closely with teachers to provide students and their families with individual support. Their approach will be developmentally appropriate, and may include any of the following:

confidential individual or group counselling
conflict resolution
friendship difficulties
individual student planning and goal-setting
Crisis (response) intervention

University guidance

Academic and career guidance for students in grades 9-12 is offered by our university advisors. Learn more about the services they offer on our secondary page.

Learning support

Our learning support programme is intended for students who need additional help to achieve their academic goals. Our learning support teachers work directly with teachers and students to meet each child’s needs.

English language learning

CIS has a comprehensive English Language Learner (ELL) programme for students in grades 1-10 (see this page of our website to understand English language entry requirements). Our ELL programme supports all ranges of language needs and is fully integrated into our academic curriculum. It is designed to support each student’s academic learning needs at their respective phase of English proficiency.

Students in kindergarten do not follow a formal ELL programme, as they’re immersed in an English-speaking environment inside the regular classroom. Homeroom teachers are oriented to the needs of young children who are not speakers of English and can consult with a member of the English Language Learner (ELL) Team on a case-by-case basis for assistance.

Transition and TCKs
We recognise that students who are new to CIS will be in “transition” as they have moved from another country, while many of our students will identify as “third culture kids” (TCKs). Academic staff are trained to be aware of these aspects and the specific issues that can arise.

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