Students from German-speaking families are able to enroll their children in an international setting with a bilingual curriculum. 

 

In 2026-27, this is eligible for learners ages 5-7. The Deutsch-Muttersprache Cohort will then progress as students move upwards from grade to grade. 

 

English is the language of instruction for most classes. The German-speaking cohort also undertakes a daily academic block of German literacy class with a qualified German teacher. 

• German literacy every day

• English is the medium of instruction for other subjects

• Translanguaging approaches then allow students to connect both languages cognitively.

 

Our slogan "Just be yourself" resonates so well because you and your child will be happy here just as you are. At any given time there are around 50 nationalities represented at WIS. At last count around 70 different languages are able to be spoken on campus. 

 

A little over half of our students are Namibian citizens or permanent residents - who themselves represent a great diversity of languages and cultures. 

 

Windhoek International School was established in 1990 and is the only school in Namibia which offers the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum. The IB Diploma Programme is taken in the final two years of secondary school for students aged 16-19, and is recognised as equivalent to the Abitur. 

 

Learners ages 3-11 follow the IB Primary Years Programme. 

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For more information, see here: 

 

Here are other key components of the curriculum:

 

“Handwriting without tears” - a leading literacy tool

 

Reggio-Emilia approach to the learning environment

 

IB PYP Units of Inquiry and Learning Celebrations

 

ACARA Subject Standards and explicit teaching of text types across the curriculum

 

San Francisco Unified School District Approach to Mathematics 

 

NWEA Map Growth Tests to measure standardised student achievement in writing, reading, and mathematical reasoning

 

A holistic approach involving the Arts, Music, Language, Physical Education, Outdoor Education, and Health/Wellbeing

 

For more information about the PYP, see the recent PYP Newsletter 

 

Digital media literacy and “WIS News” 

 

Aftercare programme from 2:00pm until 5:30pm Monday through Friday

 

Afternoon activities provided from 1:45 until 2:45 Monday through Thursday 

 

Student leadership and peer counselling programmes

 

Olweus Bullying Prevention Programme

 

Tuition and admissions information

 

As an international school, WIS accepts students on a rolling basis. The school year itself begins the second week of August and ends in the third week of June, with a long break over December to January.