Organizational Structure

The International School of Tianjin has always been characterized by its warm and caring family feeling and each member of our school shares in the responsibility of nurturing this environment to ensure that our school remains a friendly place where the needs of the students come first. Whatever our community member’s position in the school’s organizational structure, the over-riding goal is always to ensure that we are guided by our school philosophy and work, learn and act together for our common future. 

EDUCATIONAL ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE

Our school is divided into two main sections: the Elementary School and the Secondary School, each headed by a sectional Principal. One of the principals also fulfills the role of Deputy Director (currently the Secondary Principal, Mr. Bill Elman).

Elementary School: Nursery (3 years) to Grade 5 (11 years)

The elementary school is headed by the Elementary Principal and has two sub-sections: Lower Elementary (NPK-Grade 2) which also incorporates the Early Childhood Unit (ECU), and Upper Elementary (Grade 3 to 5).

The elementary school follows the IB-Primary Years Program (PYP), for students aged 3-11. The curriculum framework is interdisciplinary and focuses on the development of the whole child using inquiry based, concept driven teaching methodologies.

Secondary School: Grade 6 to Grade 12

The secondary school is headed by the Secondary Principal and has two sub-divisions: Middle School (Grades 6-8) and High School (Grades 9-12).

Students in Grades 6-10 follow the holistic and interdisciplinary IB-Middle Years Program (MYP) and students in Grades 11 and 12 take courses that lead to the IB Diploma Program (DP) and/or IST Diploma. The IB-Diploma program is a demanding pre-university course of study that leads to external examinations.

Pedagogical Leadership

The school is headed by the Director, who is immediately supported within each of the two main sections by the elementary and secondary principals. Within the two sections there are a number of school-wide and sectional leadership positions.

• Elementary School: PYP Coordinator; Lower and Upper Elementary Coordinators; and Resource and Language Arts Coordinators.
• Secondary School: MYP and DP Coordinators; and Math, Science, Humanities, Modern Languages, Arts, and English Subject Chairs.
• School-wide: Community and Service Coordinator; Student Services Coordinator; School Counselor; Information Technology Coordinator; Librarian; Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) Coordinator; and Athletic Director.