About NLIS

About Us

At The North London International School, our focus is on a Global Vision, Community Service and Personalised Learning.

Global Vision

• The International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma Programme is one of the most challenging and respected pre-university courses of study available anywhere in the world.

• The IB is the only universal curriculum where students are graded according to international benchmarks.

• At NLIS, students learn about the world from their peers: about 50% of NLIS students originate from another country and represent approximately 40 nationalities.

• NLIS students also learn about the world from the world: NLIS students have travelled to Morocco and Cambodia for service learning trips; USA, Japan, France, Spain, Italy and China on cultural trips; and USA, Canada and The Netherlands to participate in international student leadership conferences.

• NLIS offers an extensive foreign language programme with instruction offered in Mandarin, Spanish, French, Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, German, Dutch, Arabic, Russian, Korean and Farsi.

• NLIS has four campuses abroad (NYC, Vancouver Island, Beijing, and Seoul) and offers a growing number of exchange opportunities, collaboration at all grade levels with programmes and curricula, and a global alumni network.

Community Service

 • Upper School students participate in activities involving Creativity, Action or Service (CAS) and write a reflection about their experience. They must also develop their own CAS project as part of the Diploma Programme. Lower School students complete a class service project that may have a local or global impact.

• The majority of students routinely participate in cross-age tutoring, peer advisory groups, and other student service programmes.

• The Institute of Civic Leadership (ICL), founded at Dwight New York and housed at the Dwight International School on Vancouver Island in Canada, develops the next generation of young global service leaders through recognition and leadership training. The ICL gathers select outstanding young leaders from around the world for the ICL Leadership Academy, a 14-day intensive programme that provides them with mentoring and curriculum to further develop essential leadership skills. ICL has received significant outside funding, including a $300,000 grant from the Alcoa Foundation.

Personalised Learning  

• NLIS is committed to helping all students reach their full potential by helping them find and pursue their unique ‘sparks of genius’.

• While working closely with an advisor, all Year 11 students complete a year-long, interdisciplinary research project- the Personal Project – on a subject of deep personal interest and meaning.

• Also, with an advisor, all Year 13 students complete a 3,000 word Extended Essay on a topic of their choice.

Philosophy 

The North London International School has a commitment to delivering our ethos through every student experience- whether it be academic learning, programmes, or personal activities. We strive for academic excellence and we help to build confident, compassionate young people who influence the future.

Vision

To produce students who are inquiring, knowledgeable and caring, while fostering their academic growth. The North London International School prepares students to move on to further education, to be active, and be desirable citizens and learners gaining places at top universities in the world.

Our Mission

The North London International School's mission is to prepare young people to become leaders in the world through academic rigour, personalised learning and community service. It is committed to realising each student's potential based on international standards of excellence and each individual's spark of genius.

Values

Leadership

We believe in encouraging leadership with all of our students. They already have a role in the culture they live in and the organisations they are a part of. We hope to demonstrate that they can make a profound contribution to society now and in the future.

Curiosity

Our students are pushed to be inquisitive. We value curiosity during lessons and hope our students retain this state of mind outside of the classroom.

Thinking & Knowledge

There is a continuous review of the curriculum and assessment methods to enhance the new knowledge and critical thinking skills necessary for our students to become successful global citizens. The interdisciplinary aspect of the International Baccalaureate enhances this.

Communication

The communication between parents, teachers, students, alumni and even the wider global community is important at NLIS and something we continue to refine. This is also a skill we pass on to our students in a mission for them to interact with each other and we give them the tools to do this.

Integrity

The atmosphere within the school community recognises the importance of honour and moral character. We see the importance as a leading international school to be a trusted organisation.

Compassion

Since the core of the curriculum is based on leadership, our IB students are taught to care about others. This compassion is for themselves, their classmates and the greater community.

Open-mindedness

Compared to many international schools in London, we are a highly diverse school with many cultures and ideas. For this reason we aim to foster open minded individuals. At a higher level, this is an international-mindedness for students as well as gaining an awareness of global challenges and dilemmas.

Balance

The curriculum we offer is designed to produce balanced individuals. This is demonstrated through the different areas of learning for each programme. Our students receive a large scope of education so that they become rounded, motivated and successful individuals.

Reflection

We provide an atmosphere that supports every local and international student to reflect on experiences and events. Through this reflection they can absorb what they encounter and constantly improve their performance and understanding.