Middle School
Middle School at the International School of Riga is a time when our Grades 6-8 students are transitioning from the final years of childhood into the first years of adolescence. This is both an exciting and challenging time for students as they begin to appreciate the many opportunities they have, the increased freedoms they have access to and the associated responsibilities. Throughout this journey their parents and ISR teachers help students acquire the knowledge, skills and attitudes they need to make good choices for themselves for their future.
International Middle Years Curriculum
ISR is authorised to offer the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) which:
- Is specifically designed around the critical needs of the adolescent brain.
- Inspires and engages students, enriching their learning experience.
- Provides a rigorous academic platform preparing students well for their next stage of learning.
- Aims to support the whole student, including the development of personal dispositions and international mindedness.
- Middle School students are required to take English, Social Studies, Mathematics, Science, a Language (Latvian or French), an additional language (Latvian, French or Spanish), Physical Education, Technology, Art and Music.
- Students who require extra English support are given additional classes in lieu of taking a language
High School
The ISR High School programme is a 4-year university preparatory curriculum that aims to develop the habits of mind necessary for creative and critical thinking, collaborative and independent study and effective communication. Students consolidate their research and writing skills as well as an ability to apply theoretical concepts to real-world issues. An emphasis is also placed on developing students’ self-management and social skills, which are needed to excel in the competitive world beyond the ISR community.
Students are required to meet the minimum requirements set by ISR as indicated in the Graduation Requirements table (see below). Students can opt to take more electives in order to broaden their course load.
ISR Minimum Graduation Requirements
| Subject Area | Credits Required |
| English | 2 |
| Mathematics | 2 |
| Science | 2 |
| Social Studies | 2 |
| Language | 2 |
| Arts & Technology | 2 |
| Physical Education | 2 |
| Electives – subjects in excess of above | 8 |
| Total | 22 |
Cambridge programmes
IGCSE programme
Throughout Grades 9-10, students follow the IGCSE programme, typically taking 7-8 subjects, including English, Maths, Science, another language (Latvian, French or Spanish), PE and a range of other elected subjects. In Grades 11-12, students study AS/A Level subjects, taking 3-4 subjects of their choice. Both of these programmes are developed and examined by Cambridge International Examinations, a Cambridge University organisation (http://www.cambridgeinternational.org/) and are recognized as leading international curricula for their respective age groups.
The International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP)
IBDP ISR HANDBOOK (.PDF)
In March 2020 ISR was authorised to start teaching the IBDP. This is a rigorous, international programme for students in grades 11 and 12. The whole community at ISR was involved in the process and we know that it is right for our community.
In the IBDP itself, students are required to take six courses from the choices below-one from each group. The groups are as follows:
Group 1: English Language and Literature
Group 2: French, German, Latvian (for our host national students), Spanish
Group 3: Economics, Geography, History
Group 4: Biology, Chemistry, Computer Science, Physics
Group 5: Mathematics
Group 6: Film, Music, Visual Arts-or a second Group 4 or Group 3 subject
In addition to the courses above they also need to complete successfully the core subjects of:
- Theory of Knowledge- a critical thinking course
- Creativity, Activity and Service (CAS) an experiential course
- Extended Essay (EE) a 4,000 word research paper
The breadth and depth of this pre-college programme will help our students to be college/university ready and also help them to be useful citizens of the world, as it transcends academics alone and has a holistic approach to student development.
International School of Riga is a Candidate School* for the IB MYP. This school is pursuing authorization as an IB World School. These are schools that share a common philosophy—a commitment to high quality, challenging, international education that ISR believes is important for our students. *Only schools authorized by the IB Organization can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme (DP), or the Career-related Programme (CP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit http://www.ibo.org.
