FMV Işık Schools started implementing the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IB PYP) for children aged 3 - 12, in September 2018 as candidate schools. All the kindergartens and primary schools of Nişantaşı, Ayazağa, Erenköy and Ispartakule campuses successfully completed the IB PYP verification process and they were authorized as IB PYP World Schools in December 2020 (Erenköy Campus and in January 2021 (Nişantaşı, Ayazağa and Ispartakule campuses) IB World Schools s hare a common philosophy- a commitment to high-quality, challenging, international education- that we believe is important for our students.

The International Baccalaureate aims to develop inquiring, knowledgeable and caring young people who help to create a better and more peaceful world through intercultural understanding and respect. To this end the organization works with schools, governments and international organizations to develop challenging programmes of international education and rigorous assessment. These programmes encourage students across the world to become active, compassionate and lifelong learners who understand that other people, with their differences, can also be right.

The IB Primary Years Programme (PYP) for children aged 3 – 12 nurtures and develops young students as caring, active participants in a lifelong journey of learning.

Through its inquiry-led, transdisciplinary framework, the PYP challenges students to think for themselves and take responsibility for their learning as they explore local and global issues and opportunities in real-life contexts.

The PYP is a transformative experience for students, teachers and whole school communities. PYP students learn how to take control of their learning, teachers collaborate to deepen student- learning and increase their confidence and self-motivation. The whole school community, including parents, are viewed as partners in learning, and actively contribute to a holistic educational experience.

The aim of all IB programmes is to develop internationally minded people who, recognizing their common humanity and shared guardianship of the planet, help to create a better and more peaceful world. We aim our students to have the IB Learner Profile attributes, which are being inquirers, knowledgeable, communicators, principled, openminded, caring, risk-takers, balanced and reflective.

FMV Erenkoy Işık High School & FMV Ayazağa Işık High School offer their students the opportunity to experience a truly international education: The International Baccalaureate® (IB) Diploma Programme (DP). FMV Işık High School and FMV Ispartakule Işık High School are currently candidate schools to be authorized as IB World Schools offering the IB Diploma Programme.

The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP) is for students aged 16-19 and open to students from Grade 11 forming a challenging but balanced two year programme of study in a range of subjects. The design of the course, assessments and final examinations prepare students for success at university and in their future beyond education. The programme is highly respected by the world’s leading universities and is currently on offer in more than 3585 schools in 157 different countries around the world. (lastly updated in September 2020 by IB)

The IB Diploma Programme at FMV aims to provide an education which balances subject breadth and depth, as well as encouraging broader disciplines through its core components: the unique Theory of Knowledge course, the Extended Essay and CAS (Creativity, Activity, Service). The course aims to promote international-mindedness, including the study of mother tongue language and culture, within the goal of preparing IB students for university education and beyond.

Students choose courses from the following subject groups: studies in language and literature; language acquisition; individuals and societies; sciences; mathematics; and the arts. Students may opt to study an additional sciences, individuals and societies, or languages course, instead of a course in the arts.

Students will take some subjects at higher level (HL) and some at standard level (SL). HL and SL courses differ in scope but are measured according to the same grade descriptors, with students expected to demonstrate a greater body of knowledge, understanding and skills at higher level. Each student takes at least three (but not more than four) subjects at higher level, and the remaining at standard level.

Throughout these courses students will gain a deep understanding of the IB Learner Profile. The ten aspirational qualities of great learners are listed as inquirers, thinkers, communicators, risk-takers, knowledgeable, principled, open-minded, caring, balanced and reflective. These are the qualities that FMV Işık IB students improve in themselves throughout those two years of IB.

In addition to the classroom study, students widen their education with a core element which challenges their understanding, knowledge and experience. The core consists of:

By studying in the IBDP, students develop core skills for success at university. Through DP at FMV, students develop:

The whole person is developed through rigorous external and internal assessments, as well as the physical, intellectual, emotional and ethical aspects of the programme.

For detailed information please visit - ibo.org

FMV Işık Schools IB DP Brochure

Starting from the 2019-2020 Academic Year, AP is offered as an enrichment program at Işık High Schools on all our four campuses.

Advanced Placement is an internationally recognized program offering 38 university-level courses to high school students wishing to take advanced courses and exams while still in secondary school. Universities abroad accept AP in admissions and some grant credits.

Through AP courses, students enhance critical thinking skills, gain added perspectives in dealing with issues, and acquire skills which prepare them for college. AP exams follow an international exam calendar and are administered over two weeks in May. Işık Schools are authorized AP exam centers by the College Board. AP exams are scored on a scale of 1-5. Most colleges and universities in the USA and Canada grant credits or placement for scores of 3, 4, and 5 and thus allow students to skip introductory courses pertinent to the AP courses they took in high school.

AP courses are offered across seven disciplines; Arts, History &Social Sciences, Mathematics and Computer Science, English, Interdisciplinary Sciences and World Languages. All courses and exams are designed by secondary teachers and university professors to match the rigor of university courses and exams. Students who take AP courses and succeed in AP exams create a positive impression in university admissions as AP participation shows they are unafraid to challenge themselves with rigorous work.

For more information please visit: https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/

**AP® is a trademark registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse, this website.

CIS - Council of International Schools

FMV Işık Schools are a member of CIS – Council of International Schools. The Ayazağa Campus has been a member of CIS since its accreditation in 2009, the Erenköy Campus since 2012 and the Nişantaşı Campus since 2018.

CIS - Council of International Schools, which was formed in 1949, is a membership community committed to high quality international education.

What is “Accreditation”?

Accreditation means official approval in order to maintain satisfactory standards. CIS accreditation means that our schools have achieved high standards of professional performance in international education and have a commitment to continuous improvement. The quality and rigor of CIS International Accreditation is recognized by ministries, departments of education, and universities around the world as demonstration of a school’s commitment to high quality international education and as a mark of quality assurance.

What is the purpose of the Accreditation?

Our goal is to provide our students with the knowledge and skills necessary to lead their lives as global citizens and achieve high-quality international education standards. As CIS accredited schools, we follow the CIS code of ethics by:

What are the Benefits of Accreditation for the Institution and its Students?

• Accreditation of a school gives an extremely positive message about the school to people, educational institutions and universities in the country and abroad;

• All aspects of the school are adapted to high standards;

• The accreditation process strengthens cohesion and communication between the various departments of the school;

• This objective evaluation done by an institution outside the school generates many useful and constructive suggestions;

• The accreditation process provides the school with the opportunity to communicate with other schools around the world;

• The school can prepare future plans as a result of the reports submitted by CIS to the school after the self-evaluation process and CIS verification visits, which are part of the accreditation process;

• The self-evaluation report, which is meticulously prepared in accordance with the accreditation process, makes a very important contribution to the development of the school;

• Information on all aspects of the school is digitally recorded;

• Members of the school community become aware of their shortcomings and weaknesses and make a constant effort to correct them;

• Everyone in the institution questions and evaluates themselves and the institution.

For more information visit: https://www.cois.org/about-cis

The International Award for Young People – Türkiye Programme is being implemented in our schools. This programme is being delivered by the National Awards and has been within the structure of The Turkey Human Resources Education and Health Foundation (TIKAV) since 2001.TİKAV is a non-governmental organization which is the sole National Authority of The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award in Turkey and supports the individual development of young people. The Duke of Edinburgh’s International Award is a balanced programme of activities available to all young people between the ages of 14-24 that develops the whole person in an environment of social interaction and teamwork. It was launched in the United Kingdom in 1956 by Prince Philip, The Duke of Edinburgh at the instigation of Kurt Hahn, the German educational pioneer. The Award is a cornerstone of non-formal education and learning, with more than a million young people involved in 130+ countries and territories around the world.

Since 1956, millions of young people have participated and received Awards, with millions more benefiting from its impact in communities around the world. In Turkey, for 18 years the Award has reached more than 20,000 young people and about 8,000 young people have completed the programme. The Award is being delivered in more than 124 Award Units and in 21 cities in Turkey at the moment. Our schools are also award units.

The award programme consists of Bronze, Silver and Gold award levels. Each award level ıncludes Skılls, Physical Recreation, Service, and Adventurous Journey Sections. Young people who complete the award programme become more successful at their school life and job applications. Other than discovering one’s limits and making new friends, successful participants obtain an Award that is recognised globally across several universities and organisations. Our schools include an increasing number of students in the programme every year and it grows even more by witnessing the personal development of the students.

https://www.intaward.org.tr/en 

Global Schools Program 

All FMV Kindergartens, Primary & Middle Schools and High Schools became members of the Global Schools Program, an initiative of the United Nations Sustainable Development Solution Network (UN SDSN) in the 2021-2022 Academic Year.


Global Schools Program Certificate

Global Schools Program (GSP) is a data-driven and evidence-based international education program that equips teachers with the knowledge, tools, and resources to promote ESD (education for sustainable development) within their schools and classrooms.

In 2021, 17 of our teachers from all of our schools were selected as "Global Schools Program Advocates" among 2000 applications and they were among 36 advocates from Turkey by receiving their certificates as a result of the training they successfully completed. In addition, one of our teachers was selected as a mentor in this program. Every year, mentors and advocates selected from our schools successfully continue their work in this program.

(https://www.globalschoolsprogram.org/ouradvocates)

Global Schools Advocates promote sustainable development literacy in classrooms and transform pedagogy in school programs in order to support a worldwide education movement for sustainable development and empower educators in school communities. The Global Schools Advocates in our schools promote Global Schools Program in their school communities.

What is Global Schools Program?

Global Schools Program was launched in October 2018 at the IB World Conference in Vienna, Austria (https://www.globalschoolsprogram.org/aboutus)

Global Schools is an initiative of the UN Sustainable Development Solutions Network (SDSN), a global research and policy network launched by the UN Secretary-General to support the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the Paris Climate Agreement. Global Schools' mission is to create a world where every primary and secondary school student is equipped with the knowledge, values, and skills necessary for effectively responding to the greatest challenges of this century and shaping a sustainable and prosperous world.


What is Global Schools Program do?

Global Schools (GS) is a data-driven and evidence-based international education program that equips teachers with the knowledge, tools, and resources to promote ESD within their schools and classrooms. To do this, GS has developed a teacher training methodology called the Global Schools Advocates Program. This program equips teachers with training, a toolkit, and resources to transform pedagogy and promote sustainable development literacy in classrooms. GS complements this initiative with its research programs and high-level policy outreach.


Where does Global Schools Program work?

Program participants, alumni and schools come from all regions of the world. The network of schools encompasses 1,300 schools, 100,000+ teachers, and 1,200,000+ students.

References: https://www.globalschoolsprogram.org