News | 04 June 2026

IES Becomes the First School in Borås to Achieve Pep School Status

IES Borås is now a certified Pep School by Generation Pep. This recognition follows long-term work to integrate physical activity and healthy eating into the daily school routine.

IES Borås's students during this year's "colour run".

Since opening in 2010, Internationella Engelska Skolan Borås has provided a bilingual, high-quality international environment for students in years 4-9. Alongside academic goals, the school focuses heavily on reducing sedentary time and screen usage, as a recent example through the Detoxify project.

The school's new certification is built on the six core areas from Generation Pep and the central health initiative #movewithIES, which encourages a healthy balance between mental, physical and social health. Borås Stad has previously become a Pep Municipality, but IES Borås is the first independent school to receive the certification in Borås.

– This is a significant milestone for our school community. It makes us the first in the municipality and only the second school across the entire IES network to receive this distinction. To see our shared dedication to student health and wellbeing recognised on a national level is a proud moment for us all, says Scott Gates, assistant principal for senior school and initiator of the #movewithIES project at IES Borås.

Some examples of the routines in the school are scheduled active pauses during lessons called "brain breaks", to support a calm and structured learning environment. Another is organised schoolyard activities during break times to actively promote physical movement and inclusion for all students. This has included activities like outdoor badminton, obstacle courses, colour runs and music on the schoolyard to further create an environment that motivates students to be outside and move.

– This certification is the result of a five-year journey that all started with our #movewithIES health initiative. What started as an effort to weave more movement into the school day has grown into a schoolwide culture. Together, we have also promoted healthy school lunches, food waste projects, sporting competitions and essential mental health support alongside fantastic outside agencies, says Scott Gates, who before becoming an assistant principal was one of the school's PE teachers.

Andjela Dimitrijevic, health initiative manager at Internationella Engelska Skolan, welcomes the progress:

– Studies show a clear link between student health and school performance. Movement improves concentration and memory. When we successfully engage students, we see fewer conflicts in the schoolyard and a much calmer classroom environment. IES Borås has done an excellent job making this a part of the school culture.