School Profile

The International School of Estonia offers a comprehensive education to children aged 3 to 19 years (Pre-school to Grade 12) who wish to maintain continuity with their home country education or to join an English speaking program. The school is operated on a non-profit basis by a Board of Directors elected annually by the parents of children in the school. Parents participate in the life of the school by serving on school committees, organizing extra-curricular activities, and volunteering in the school.

Since it opened in September 1995, the number of students has grown from 17 to the current enrollment of approximately 141, who represent 29 nationalities. The teaching staff also has a wide background of international experience, and represent training from the U.S., U. K., Portugal, France, Uruguay, Japan, and Estonia.

Curriculum

The school is fully authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO) to offer the Primary Years Program, Middle Years Program, and the IB Diploma Program.

Accreditation/Affiliations

ISE is fully accredited by the Council of International Schools (CIS) and the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). In addition to its affiliation with the IBO, ISE is a member of the European Council of International Schools. The school is also licensed by the Ministry of Education of the Republic of Estonia. ISE is also an authorized center for the Cambridge Admissions Tests.

Student Body

The ISE student body is drawn primarily from European, Scandinavian, and North American families who are in Estonia for business or diplomatic assignments; however, the school is also open to Estonian children. For the 2020-2021 school year, the student body consists of 28 nationalities.

Activities

ISE encourages participation in after-school activities as an extension of the academic program. A varied and interesting list of offerings is established at the start of each semester. Past offerings have included archery, Tai Kwan Do, ballet, tap dancing, video editing, piano, handicrafts, computer club, guitar, badminton, chess club, video club, basketball, etc. In addition, during the regular school day, students can choose from an assortment of electives, including photography, the literary magazine, basketball, Knowledge Bowl prep, and creative problem solving, and Odyssey of the Mind.

Facilities

The school is located in the central district of Tallinn, and currently has 2400 square meters of space on two levels. The school has 19 full-time classrooms, a dedicated science lab, a library (with 10,000+ volumes), a gymnasium, and playground areas for sport and break times. The school takes advantage of the excellent facilities offered at Tallinna Spordihall, Tallinna Kalevi Tenniseklubi, and Tallinna Kalev Stadium less than 100 meters away. Older students have a choice of various hot and cold meals in the cafeteria, while Pre-school and Reception students have a fixed-price meal. The school has a 1:1 iPad program. The entire school is Wi-Fi accessible and fully networked.

ISE students have attended field trips to Romania, Siberia, France, Moscow, Germany, Sweden, Finland, and numerous locations in Estonia.

Postgraduate Studies

ISE students have been accepted at respected universities around the world. We are proud of their achievements and wish them well in their studies and welcome them back to visit whenever they are in Tallinn. Colleges attended by ISE graduates include: