International School of Prague

Campus Life at ISP Nebušice

Since consolidating onto its Nebušice campus in 1997–98, the International School of Prague has developed a rich physical environment that supports its broad educational mission. The campus sits in Prague 6, approximately 20 minutes from the city centre, surrounded by the natural parkland of the Šárka valley.

Campus Overview

• Size: Approximately 12 hectares of grounds
• Location: Nebušická 700, Praha-Nebušice, 164 00, Czech Republic
• Nearest public transport: Bus stop Nebušická (routes 107, 147, 167) approx. 5 minutes' walk; Metro Line A (Nádraží Veleslavín) approx. 15 minutes by bus
• Access: Approximately 20 minutes by car from central Prague; approximately 30 minutes from Václav Havel Airport

Key Facilities

Academic and STEM

• Blue Room / STEM Lab — technology education and science laboratory with 3D printers and modern maker equipment
• Science Laboratories — 3–4 laboratory rooms, expanded in the 2010s and 2020s
• Library / Learning Innovation Hub — fully renovated in 2020, serves as a central learning commons
• ICT and Language Labs — dedicated technology and language learning spaces

Arts and Performance

• Elementary Theatre — multi-purpose performance space with stage
• Music and Arts Rooms — studios for orchestra, choir, dance, and visual art including ceramics

Sports

• Gymnasium — indoor sports hall (completed 1997) with spectator seating, supporting basketball, volleyball, and more
• Outdoor Sports Fields — natural grass football pitch and 400-metre athletics track
• Swimming — conducted at nearby off-campus facilities

Community

• Cafeteria — large dining space accommodating approximately 200 students at a time, with vegetarian and allergy-friendly meal options

School Life Culture

ISP's campus atmosphere is deliberately informal and student-centred. There is no school uniform, and the school's physical spaces reflect its philosophy of student agency — from open collaborative learning areas in the library to student-curated art displays throughout the building.

The surrounding Šárka nature reserve provides natural outdoor learning opportunities and contributes to a school atmosphere that feels spacious and grounded relative to urban international schools. Students describe a close-knit community feel despite the school's size, supported by small average class sizes of approximately 18 students.

IB Academic Excellence at ISP

The International School of Prague has established itself as one of Central Europe's leading IB Diploma Programme schools, consistently outperforming global benchmarks across multiple cohorts.

Recent IB Diploma Results

• 2025: Average score 36 (world average: 30.6), 70 candidates, pass rate 97%
• 2024: Average score 35, 78 candidates, pass rate 95%
• 2023: Average score 34, 59 candidates, pass rate 98%

The Class of 2025 was described by the school as achieving the strongest DP results in ISP's history, representing a remarkable upward trajectory over three consecutive years.

Full IB Continuum

ISP is one of only a small number of schools offering the complete IB continuum — Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), Diploma Programme (DP), and Career-related Programme (CP). This means students at ISP are immersed in IB's inquiry-based philosophy from age 3 through to graduation at 18, creating a coherent and deeply embedded academic culture rather than a curriculum adopted only at the senior level.

Curriculum Breadth

For the IB Diploma, ISP offers an extensive subject menu spanning:

• Languages: English A, Czech A, Russian A, Korean A, Spanish A, French B, German B, Spanish B, English B
• Sciences: Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Environmental Systems and Societies, Sports Exercise & Health Science
• Social Studies: History, Economics, Global Politics, Business Management, Psychology
• Mathematics: both Analysis & Approaches and Applications & Interpretation at HL and SL
• Arts: Visual Arts, Music, Film
• Technology: Computer Science

This breadth reflects ISP's commitment to genuine academic choice within the IB framework.

University Outcomes

Approximately 97% of ISP graduates proceed to higher education, with destinations spanning North America, the United Kingdom, continental Europe, and beyond. Oxbridge and Ivy League acceptances feature in recent cohorts, though the school does not publish granular destination data.

Why It Matters

For families considering ISP, these results signal that the school's inquiry-based approach delivers measurable academic outcomes. Students who complete the full PYP–MYP–DP pathway arrive at the Diploma years well-prepared for rigorous assessment, contributing to the school's consistent performance above global averages.

A 75-Year Journey: The History of the International School of Prague

The International School of Prague carries a history as turbulent and rich as the city in which it is based. From a small embassy schoolroom to a thriving campus of nearly 900 students, ISP's story is inseparable from Prague's own modern history.

1948: Founded in the Shadow of a Coup

ISP was established in 1948 — the same year Czechoslovakia fell under communist rule — originally operating as the "English Speaking School" within the US Embassy compound. Its first students were the children of diplomatic staff, and its survival during the early Cold War period depended almost entirely on the continued presence of Western embassies in Prague.

The Communist Era: Small but Persistent

Through the 1950s and 1960s, ISP remained tiny. By 1961 enrollment stood at just 40 students, a reflection of the limited international presence permitted in socialist Czechoslovakia. The school nonetheless maintained continuity of an English-medium, internationally oriented education throughout these decades.

1979–1989: A Purpose-Built Home

In 1979, ISP moved to a purpose-built campus in the Hanspaulka district, giving the school its first dedicated facilities. This modest but significant milestone set the stage for growth.

Post-1989: Rapid Expansion

The Velvet Revolution of 1989 transformed Prague's international landscape almost overnight. As multinational corporations, embassies, and NGOs flooded into the newly democratic Czech Republic, demand for English-medium international education surged. ISP responded:

• 1991: Formed the Academy (upper school), adding 10th grade
• 1994: Extended to full Grades 11–12 offering
• 1996: Gained IB Diploma Programme authorisation
• 1997–98: Consolidated all school sections onto the current Nebušice campus, then accommodating 450 students

The Modern Era: Full IB Continuum and 75th Anniversary

Over the following decades ISP added PYP and MYP programmes, completing the full IB continuum. By its 75th anniversary in 2023, ISP had grown into a community of approximately 900 students from over 60 nationalities, earning recognition as the only full IB Continuum school in Prague.

Today the school operates on a 12-hectare campus in Nebušice, surrounded by the natural parkland of the Šárka valley — a setting that mirrors ISP's belief in learning that extends beyond the classroom.

Community and Diversity at ISP

One of ISP's most distinctive attributes is the breadth and depth of its international community. With over 60 nationalities represented among approximately 900 students, ISP is not merely international in name — it is genuinely multinational in composition and culture.

Student Demographics

• Approximately 81% international students (non-Czech nationals)
• Approximately 19% Czech or Czech-resident students
• Students aged 3 to 18 spanning Early Childhood through Grade 12
• Cohort sizes of roughly 59–78 IB Diploma candidates per year

This diversity means that in a typical ISP classroom, students may sit alongside peers from the United States, India, South Korea, Germany, Brazil, and the Czech Republic simultaneously — a lived experience of the global citizenship that the IB curriculum aims to cultivate.

Faculty and Staff

The school's faculty mirrors this diversity. ISP reports that its teachers and staff come from approximately 20 nations, with more than 90% holding 10 or more years of teaching experience and 75% holding advanced (postgraduate) degrees. This combination of international perspective and professional depth is a deliberate aspect of ISP's recruitment strategy.

Language and Cultural Life

Beyond English as the primary language of instruction, ISP's community reflects its multilingual reality through:

• Foreign language instruction in Spanish, French, German, and Czech
• IB Language A courses in English, Czech, Russian, Korean, and Spanish
• Cultural events, performances, and celebrations that draw on the traditions of dozens of nationalities
• Student-led clubs including Model UN, Amnesty International, TEDx ISP, and language conversation groups

Location Advantage

Prague itself enriches the ISP community experience. As a UNESCO World Heritage city and a major European hub, Prague offers ISP students proximity to:

• Leading European universities and cultural institutions
• CEESA (Central and Eastern European Schools Association) sports and academic competitions
• A rich multilingual urban environment that reinforces classroom learning

For expatriate families relocating to Central Europe, ISP's community represents one of the most internationally diverse school environments in the region.

Educational Philosophy: Inspiring Changemakers

At the heart of the International School of Prague is a clearly articulated educational philosophy that goes beyond academic achievement to encompass character, agency, and global responsibility.

The Mission

ISP's official mission statement reads:

"At the International School of Prague (ISP), our mission is to Inspire, Engage, and Empower all learners to be Curious, Competent, Compassionate Changemakers."

This three-part mission — Inspire, Engage, Empower — functions as both an aspiration and a practical framework for how learning is designed and experienced at ISP.

Core Beliefs About Learning

ISP's philosophy rests on several interconnected beliefs:

• Every child is a unique, capable learner whose natural curiosity should be nurtured rather than standardised away
• Inquiry drives understanding — students learn most deeply when they explore authentic questions, not merely memorise answers
• Agency matters — students should have real ownership over their learning, their school community, and their impact on the wider world
• Compassion and global citizenship are as important as academic competence

IB as a Vehicle, Not a Destination

ISP uses the International Baccalaureate continuum (PYP, MYP, DP) as its curricular framework, but the IB is understood as a vehicle for the school's values rather than an end in itself. The cross-curricular, transdisciplinary structure of the PYP, the project-based MYP Personal Project, and the DP's Extended Essay and Theory of Knowledge course all align with ISP's emphasis on reflective, self-directed learning.

Student Agency in Practice

The philosophy is visible in ISP's co-curricular life:

• TEDx ISP — entirely student-organised public talks
• Student Council — elected student body with real influence over school events and projects
• Duke of Edinburgh's Award — self-directed outdoor, volunteer, and skill development programme
• Community Service — embedded as a curricular expectation, not merely an optional extra

Wellbeing as Foundation

ISP recognises that intellectual curiosity cannot flourish without emotional security. The school employs multiple counsellors across all divisions, an educational psychologist, and university guidance counsellors in the upper school, ensuring that student wellbeing is structurally supported alongside academic development.

This integration of mission, curriculum, co-curriculum, and pastoral care makes ISP's educational philosophy genuinely coherent — a school where the values stated on the website are visibly enacted in daily school life.