A state secondary school for boys and girls aged 14 to 19 years offering a broad curriculum with a very international dimension.

Chester International School really does break the mould of the traditional UK state school, offering an international education to students in just Years 10-13. Opened in September 2017, CIS is unlike most state schools in the UK in terms of curriculum – and it’s one that will certainly appeal to the more internationally-minded student.

This is a secondary school and college that offers the IB Middle Years Programme in addition to GCSE subjects in Years 10-11 before moving to a choice of the IBDP or IBCP in the Sixth Form. 
 
An education at CIS is very inquiry-led, practical and focused on developing skills for jobs of the future. As a non-selective, non-fee paying school, it can offer students of all abilities, all backgrounds an exciting opportunity to gain qualifications and skills in school that is smaller and more specialist than mainstream schools in the area.

The school has partnered with Christleton High School, Bank of America Merrill Lynch and other businesses based in the local area, which means students have access to work experience placements in a variety of industries; more than just a one-off, students have a minimum of three weeks’ work experience every year. It’s a technology-rich, well-resourced school with facilities including a makerspace, art studios, science laboratories with 3D printers, SLR cameras and laser cutters, green screen technology and video editing software. 

CIS has an extended academic year and school day. Lessons run from 8.30am - 4.15pm Monday to Friday, and all students choose one half term to be taken as an Enrichment Week, where they participate in work placements, service learning, UK and overseas visits. The school says, “this reflects the professional workplace, involves student choice as to when they take holidays and time away from their studies”.

Open only for 14-19 year olds, CIS is still growing and is yet to meet its full capacity of 320 students; there are currently around 230 students. Most students join from other local schools, and there are some international students joining the Sixth Form.

CIS is a member of The Learning Trust, alongside other schools in this trust including Christleton High School. Located in a purpose built campus in Handbridge, Chester 

The school was rated Good in its most first Ofsted inspection, which was in February 2022.

Principal Katrina Brown joined the school in 2019.

Curriculum

The IB is more normally associated with fee-paying private schools in the UK and both local and international schools in countries as far-reaching as the US, the UAE, Singapore and Hong Kong. However, there are 55 state schools in the UK, most of them selective grammar schools, that offer the IB programme; this compares to a total of 76 private schools offering the IB. Click here to read more.

CIS follows a combined curriculum covering both GCSEs and the Middle Years Programme in Years 10 and 11 so students work towards dual qualification: GCSEs and the IB Middle Years Programme Certificate.

The MYP is a framework rather than a curriculum – and rather than instructing teachers what to teach, it instructs teachers how to teach and assess students. In contrast to the National Curriculum for England, the MYP is much less prescriptive, much more flexible. It is more interdisciplinary and has a greater focus on non-academic attributes, such as international and civic-mindedness, as well as global awareness.

Students at CIS study a wide spread of subjects that you’d expect in any UK secondary school. In the MYP these are grouped in eight subject groups: language and literature, sciences, mathematics, design (may include resistant materials, graphics, textiles, food, computer studies), arts, individuals and societies (philosophy, geography, history), physical education and health, and language acquisition in languages including French, Chinese, Spanish and English.

The school is a strong advocate for the MYP, which can help to prepare students for the IB Diploma Programme. Although each IB programme has a standalone framework and curriculum, students with an MYP can find it easier to meet the varied demands of the DP. For example, the experience of the MYP can equip students with the research skills need for the DP’s Extended Essay.

CIS also offers the IB Career-Related Programme (IBCP), which is specifically developed for students who want to focus on career-related learning. It is an extension of the UK's BTEC, and can lead to university, apprenticeships or employment. The IBCP is perfect for academically strong and independent students who know from an early age that they want to focus on a specific career path. Students need to be highly motivated and disciplined, as they are taking rigorous university-level classes in addition to their regular IB courses.

Admission and fees

Chester International School is entirely state-funded and is therefore free to students.

Students can apply for a place in Year 10 or Year 12, and the admissions process is managed by the school and not the local authority. Admissions open in September 2023 for 2024 entry.

Our view

Good for: As a non-selective school, CIS offers students of all abilities access to a unique, technology-rich education, regardless of whether they wish to go to university or would prefer to begin work at 18. It’s small enough to be flexible and offer each student a more personalised learning experience, and the choice of qualifications offers students more options than they would get at a state school offering GCSEs and A Levels only. There’s also excellent support for students who may need additional help with their studies, time management and other skills, with every students being assigned a personal coach and mentor.

Not for: With admission only open from Year 10, this is not an ideal school for parents who want their child to continue their secondary and possibly college, education in the same school. It’s only a candidate school for the MYP so parents may prefer a school with a longer history of teaching the programme, and its limited choice of GCSEs may be just that – too limited.

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