The British International School of Houston

• Location: Katie, Texas, USA,
• Established: 2000,
• Language of instruction: English,
• Type: mixed.

The British International School of Houston (BIS Houston) is an international school with a 23-year history, offering quality education to children from 3 to 18 years old. The English National Curriculum and the International Baccalaureate (IB) program from primary to final grades are used in education.

Thanks to academically rigorous curricula and the qualifications of the teaching staff, children receive competitive, up-to-date knowledge and skills. BIS Houston students remain motivated to learn, many of them continuing their educational path at the best colleges and universities in the world.

Another feature of BIS Houston is the multinationality among students - representatives of about 80 countries study on campus. The welcoming school community strives to give every student the opportunity to reach their potential and achieve more than they could ever imagine.

BIS Houston offers not only internationally oriented knowledge, but also the development of individual skills in collaboration with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, UNICEF and the Juilliard School of the Arts.

With the iPad 1:1 program, every student from elementary school to middle school uses an iPad, improving their skills on projects and assignments. Students find ways to enhance digital learning through collaborative interactions with peers, teachers, and sharing knowledge and resources.  

Starting in Grade 10, students can choose the device that best suits their goals (such as a MacBook), and teachers will introduce them to cutting-edge technology suitable for their intended university studies. As students become more technologically advanced, they discover innovative ways to use technology in research and creativity, which will prepare them well for university and future careers. 

BIS Houston provides quality programs at all academic stages:

• Early years,
• Primary classes,
• Middle classes,
• High school.

The staff of the institution offers care for children who come to classes earlier or stay after them until the evening. BIS Houston Kids organizes exciting activities from 6:45 a.m. to 8:00 a.m. in the morning and from 3:30 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. in the afternoon.

High school students have the opportunity to be accommodated in a residence that offers easy access to study facilities and an atmosphere of serious preparation for final exams. The four-storey residential building is a 20-minute drive from the study area and is shared with the Nord Anglia partner school. Students are offered several forms of accommodation:

• A seven-day boarding house with a permanent stay in the residence,
• Five-day boarding with the opportunity to go home for the weekend.

Students are accommodated in modern suites with four bedrooms and two bathrooms; On each floor there is a shared kitchen, living room, laundry room with washing machines and dryers. Students also have access to a fitness room, music and art studios, game rooms, sports courts, and other facilities of the school, and in the courtyard of the building there is an outdoor grill area and a small kitchen where students can relax and socialize.

Not only students live in the residence, but also experienced staff: employees provide support and monitor the well-being of the pupils' lives. 

All students are offered a balanced menu that includes nutritious and delicious meals. Children can choose the format that suits them:

• General meal plans: daily meals,
• Individual plan: lunches on certain days.

On campus there are a variety of places created for recreation, development of sports, creative and personal, suitable for each age group. For example, preschoolers have access to a discovery garden, a composting center, sandboxes, playgrounds, winding bike paths, hills and tunnels, green spaces. Academic and extracurricular activities, gatherings of Houses are held in open areas.

All students at the British International School of Houston are assigned to one of four Houses. Each of these communities has distinctive signs based on the elements: Earth, Air, Water and Fire. Competitions are regularly held between the participants of the Houses, children participate in intellectual games, project work and charity events, which maintains a healthy competitive spirit and develops leadership and organizational qualities in children.

The school supports many areas of extracurricular activities and encourages the sports, creative interests of students. The campus has high-quality equipment for sports activities in the following areas:

• Volleyball
• Soccer
• Swimming
• Basketball
• Athletics
• Tennis,
• Golf
• Esports.

Competitions are held according to the seasons: in autumn - cross-country and volleyball, in winter - swimming, basketball and football, in spring - tennis, golf, athletics. National teams are divided by gender - boys and girls perform separately.

Creativity occupies a special place in the extracurricular development of students, as BIS Houston collaborates with the Juilliard School and provides high-quality equipment, qualified teachers and unlimited space for the development of skills in the following areas:

• Choirs
• Brass bands,
• Jazz band,
• Wind ensemble,
• Instrument lessons: strings, woodwinds, piano, winds and percussion.

Student artists participate in many school activities: their talent is often demonstrated in theatrical productions, solo performances and concerts.

One of the most memorable experiences of living in a residence is the opportunity to explore the world around you with excursions lasting from one day to a week. By participating in them, students will visit museums, state parks, cinemas and other attractions. Previous trips have included:

• Houston Museum of Natural Sciences,
• A trip to the TradeWinds Grand Resort in Florida,
• Skiing in Taos, New Mexico,
• Travel to Washington, D.C. and New York,
• Visit to Disneyland.

• More than 80 nationalities among students,
• The approximate ratio of students to teachers in the class is 9: 1, the maximum number of students in a group is up to 18,
• The school is accredited to provide the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP),
• Accreditation as the Centre for International Examinations of the University of Cambridge (CIE) with the ability to offer Cambridge exam courses for the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE),
• Accreditation by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC),
• BIS Houston is a leader in the provision of ed-tech technologies and has an "Outstanding Apple School" certification,
• 100% admission to universities and colleges around the world.

The British International School's 33-acre campus is located in Katy, Texas. The modern architecture of educational buildings offers large, bright rooms thanks to large-scale glazing of the walls. The building is equipped with:

• Classrooms with video and audio equipment, interactive whiteboards,
• Spaces for modeling, prototyping and creating creative projects,
• The Center for the Performing Arts, built in conjunction with the Juilliard School: a theater with 600 seats, a black box hall, choral and dance studios, visual and performing arts classes,
• A university-style library with a common reading space and natural light,
• Two NCAA-sized gyms: basketball areas,
• Water Sports Center – a swimming pool with six lanes for group and individual lessons,
• Multifunctional outdoor areas with grass cover,
• Three tennis courts,
• Eight-lane treadmill with portable barriers, pit and jumping mats,
• A football field that meets FIFA requirements, has artificial turf and stands for spectators.
• Fitness center with gym, yoga studios,
• Canteen, parent café,
• Administrative Student Aid Offices.

The academic year consists of two semesters. Classes are organized in the morning from Monday to Friday. Students rest during the autumn, winter, spring and summer holidays, on national and international holidays.

List of expenses for applicants:

• Registration fee,
• New Student Fee,
• Deposit paid annually.

Annual expenses:

• Accommodation and meal plan,
• Transport
• School uniform,
• Individual and additional lessons,
• Language support,
• Some excursions and activities.

The cost of the programs includes the following services:

• Digital books,
• IGCSE and IB exams,
• School iPad,
• Technical fees,
• All modern amenities and use of school infrastructure,
• Professional development programs and selected extracurricular activities.

The procedure for admission to BIS Houston consists of several registration stages:

• Filling out an online form requesting information,
• Visiting the campus or communicating with employees in an online format,
• Submission of documents and payment of registration fees,
• Receiving an invitation for entrance examinations and interviews,
• Filling out the latest registration forms, making a deposit and starting your studies.

At the end of the program, 100% of high school students enter selected colleges and universities, including Rice University, the University of Pennsylvania, Oxford, Cambridge and Stanford.

Applicants to BIS Houston school programs arriving from other countries must provide:

• Personal documents: passport, health insurance, student visa or residence permit,
• School reports and transcripts for current and previous years of study,
• Evaluation form completed by the teacher,
• Completed drawing or writing assignment for children entering primary school.

BIS Houston offers scholarships and financial aid based on the needs of the student's family. Scholarships are paid to students who are particularly successful in their studies and extracurricular life. Awards range from $5,000 to $20,000 per year, the largest being the Hailey Byrne Memorial Award, $20,000  paid over two years (Hayley Byrne was an inspirational teacher and leader of the school). 

• Guardianship services during the studies
• Student supervision