IES was founded in 1993, and today has the confidence of parents to educate 30,000 students in our 47 schools, located from Skellefteå in the north to Trelleborg in the south of Sweden. The main reason parents and students choose IES is our three core principles: Firstly, that we offer students the opportunity to become bilingual and thus have access to international education and work. Secondly, that we have high expectations and aspirations for each student, both in terms of academic performance and social skills.
Our third core principle is that we create a safe and calm school environment that fosters learning. We are convinced that safety and learning go hand in hand; students who feel safe in their school and can trust their teachers are more receptive to knowledge. In this report, we describe how we are working to create such a school environment.
The proportion of our students who qualify for upper secondary school education is at a consistently high level, year on year, and significantly higher than the Swedish average. One key reason for this is that we see to the needs of each individual, and never give up on any student. Those students who need support are supported, and those who need to be challenged are challenged. Every student must be given the chance to reach their full potential, regardless of their background. Succeeding in this objective is our primary measure of quality.
We have worked systematically with a number of quality processes over many years so that we can analyse our progress towards achieving our quality goals. These processes, which have been developed and refined throughout the three decades we’ve been in operation, show where we are successful and where there is room for improvement. Based on our quality metrics, we work constantly to become an even better school for our students. Schools fulfil one of the most important functions in society, and a high level of quality in schooling is essential to our children’s future prospects.