LEARNING TODAY, LEADING TOMORROW
To champion individual potential and cultivate leaders, as the school of choice for the internationally-minded community of West Java.
Through engaging IB programmes, we empower inquiring, reflective, and caring lifelong learners to continue striving towards a better world.
A BIS DRAGON SHOWS:
Courage by demonstrating a willingness to make mistakes and try something new;
Open Mindedness by listening to others, inquiring into different perspectives, and celebrating diversity;
Balance by appreciating of emotional, intellectual, and physical well-being; Integrity through honesty, responsible decision making, and a sense of respect and justice;
Commitment to service through our vibrant community and beyond.
As I have read each of the submissions from various stakeholders in this Annual Report, the pandemic has dominated the narrative…and for a good reason. I am certain the pandemic affected each of us personally in some manner; the school was also impacted greatly. As you heard in the June 2022 Foundation Meeting, the school operated in a deficit. Unfortunately, you will hear the same news in our next Foundation Meeting scheduled for Thursday 1 December at 3:00 PM. Although as difficult as this is currently, there is hope that with growing enrollment we can not only “break even ” this year, but begin to make a profit. That is our collective goal. As such, this is how the Board, the Business Office, and the Administration are approaching this school year.
However, before we look forward, it is important for us to recall the events of the last academic year to better appreciate the journey we have taken together. To be certain, the path that the BIS community traveled last year was incredibly challenging. It was, without a doubt, the most difficult school year in which I was a participant in my almost thirty years of international education.
The 2021 - 2022 school year began positively in terms of being able to reassess the campus for offline learning. Granted, the students were not permitted to attend school for full days of teaching and learning, but we were able to reconvene as a learning community. Slowly, we began to make small strides at realizing a post-pandemic “new normalcy”. However, none of the educators fully comprehended how taxing hybrid learning would be for their overall well being. Hybrid learning required teachers to make separate plans for those students in class and for those who were learning from home. This demand took a toll.
Added to this, the school was forced to navigate the periodic COVID 19 cases that appeared in the community. It was impossible to know when there would be a case; as a school, we tried to be as proactive as possible. The administration was painfully cognizant of the pressure put on parents when students were forced to learn from home, even if the child was considered a close contact and not COVID- 19 positive.
Due to our relationship with the Ministry of Education (MOE), we lobbied them for special consideration regarding the easing of protocols for BIS. As the year progressed, we were able to enjoy some freedoms on campus that other schools in the city were not permitted. The freedoms that we were able to offer the students in the second semester of the previous school year were pleasing and, they have continued in the current academic year. We are hopeful that in the second semester of this year, we will see even further softening of protocols.
By reviewing these trials and tribulations we encountered together, we have a clearer understanding of what has been accomplished. In this Annual Report, you will learn how the pandemic affected various aspects of BIS through the lenses of a variety of school programmes. You will also read in each of those sections how we, as a learning community, are collaborating to work to overcome these once in a lifetime (hopefully) challenges. To be sure, there is still much to do. The school still has to traverse social distancing, COVID- 19 cases, and masks. Nevertheless, if we continue to band together continuing to strengthen the partnership between school and home, as we have done for more than two years, there is nothing that cannot be accomplished. I envision the 2022 2023 academic year to continue to evolve toward schooling that we experienced pre pandemic. I am very much looking forward to the remainder of the 2022 2023 school year with you.
Dr. Michael Berry Head of School
There is no doubt that the 21 22 academic year was hard. It tested the stamina, adaptability and creativity of every community member (not to mention our patience!). And yet, what we were able to achieve through the tumult of the year was truly remarkable.
We started the year similar to the last online, learning and teaching from home with a balance of Zoom meetings and asynchronous engagements. But in September, the MOE and MOH gave us permission to start returning to campus. Yes, it was only for a few grade levels and for only two hours a day, but it was the start of returning to face to face learning.
As we slowly opened up the campus, however, we were faced with new challenges. Everyone on campus had to wear masks and shields, and remain 2 meters apart at all times. Teachers were tasked with finding creative ways to organize classrooms, which are designed for collaborative play based learning, not individual, isolated workspaces. Parents and visitors were still not allowed to enter school, and lunch and afternoon classes had to be held at home. This back and forth schedule was new and difficult, but we endured. Bit by bit, the MOE and MOH opened up more grade levels and expanded the school day, until December, when we were finally all on campus for the entire school day.
We also faced the challenge of hybrid learning. Close contact protocol forced us from online to offline constantly, disrupting lesson plans. Events were suddenly forced either online or postponed indefinitely. Teachers planned for online and offline students simultaneously, and students struggled to collaborate effectively. But miraculously, we still saw meaningful learning take place. Our assessment data showed that students still developed subject knowledge and transferable skills (known as the Approaches to Learning).
This was most evident in the Grade 5 Exhibition, the culminating project of the Primary Years Programme. No matter what challenges they faced with the pandemic, the Grade 5 students exercised their self management skills, stayed motivated, and shared their passions with the community. It was especially rewarding to see all their hard work culminate in their truly creative, thoughtful Showcase presentations. We know their resilience and flexibility position them to continue to reach great heights as they transition to Secondary School and beyond.
Thanks to the strength of our community, we were able to rise above difficulties surrounding the pandemic. We engaged in Fabulous Fridays both on Zoom and in person. We celebrated Earth Day and Unity in Diversity Day through meaningful workshops and activities. We continued to press forward, day in and day out, sharing ideas, inquiring into the world around us, and growing holistically. Yes, the pandemic continues, but so do we, and together as a community, we face the unprecedented problems of today, living our Mission as lifelong learners who strive towards a better world
hool, meaning that it is the only IB continuum school in a team from the MYP carried out a virtual visit to BIS as ocess to become an IB MYP school. The verification visit y ny commendations for our implementation of the MYP programme. In particular, the team remarked that our leadership, teachers, parents and students all had a good understanding of the MYP and its philosophy. They felt that the organization of the programme allowed for strong implementation and that the curriculum framework was in place and being taught effectively by teachers across the programme. We applied for gradual implementation, meaning that we focused on Grades 6 and 7 first and will be continuing to develop and work on the curriculum for Grades 8 10. We did receive commendations on the fact that despite our focus on Grades 6 and 7, our curriculum is already well developed from Grades 6 10.
This is our first year running the MYP Personal Project for Grade 10 students. The Personal Project is the culminating project of the MYP and is submitted to the IB for external moderation. It allows students to pursue their passion by choosing a product that they will create or an outcome they will achieve by developing their knowledge and skills. The project particularly focuses on applying Approaches to Learning skills to the development of their product and report. Ms. Kari Brown has been coordinating this process since the start of the year, and students have been meeting with their supervisors and working on their products, which will be submitted at the end of this semester. Next semester, students will work on their reports, reflecting on their process and evaluating their product in line with the success criteria that they created. On March 6th we will hold the first Personal Project Exhibition at BIS, and we hope that the community will take the opportunity to understand more about the students’ passions and the MYP itself.
As part of the implementation of the MYP, we have been creating interdisciplinary units (IDUs) to help students understand how different disciplines connect together. Each grade level should study at least one interdisciplinary unit per year, and we have trialled several new interdisciplinary units this year as we implemented the MYP. Grade 6 students studied Motion and Forces in PHE and Science, exploring the implications of the different applied forces of the physical activities that they undertake while trying to stay fit. In Grade 7, students studied Peoples and Migration in Humanities and English Language and Literature, exploring how literature about migration and refugees can help create understanding and empathy as well as the different factors that lead to migration worldwide, and developing a strong research based understanding of migration. In Grade 8, students studied the history of activism in Humanities, and explored speeches by a variety of activists throughout time from Ibu Kartini to Greta Thunberg, analysing the power of the language used in English Language and Literature class. We aim to continue to develop our interdisciplinary units over the course of the year and are developing ideas for units in Grades 9 and 10.
Sophia Hamilton MYP Coordinator
Throughout the 2021 22 school year, BIS was presented with many challenges due to the pandemic. We started the year with full online learning in the first quarter but were able to begin hybrid classes for partial days towards the end of Semester 1 and moved to full hybrid days in Semester 2. We were able to continue hybrid learning throughout Semester 2. However, we did experience several school closures due to Covid and had to revert to online learning until the school was able to reopen.
The school community was adversely impacted by these disruptions by making establishing continuity very difficult and by limiting the amount of community and social events that are so important for the well being of the school. However, the school showed great perseverance in overcoming these obstacles. Whether hybrid or online, we were still able to celebrate many important events during the 2021 22 school year, including Indonesian Independence Day, Student Parent Teacher conferences, the Service Fair and CAS Fair, Futures Day, Unity in Diversity Day/Earth Day, Teacher Appreciation Day, the Viva Voce, and Sports Day amongst others, to help us stay connected. A few times, during the Lunar New Year celebration, for example, we had to switch to a fully online format with little advanced knowledge. I was impressed with the student's ability to adapt to the new format by recording their performances and the show went on, allowing us the opportunity to showcase and appreciate the immense talents of our students. This is just one of many examples of how BIS students and faculty showed resilience during such unsure times. Now more than ever, it is important for us to continue the long history of inclusive BIS events and maintain a connection to our traditions.
Being back on campus with face shields and masks was an uncomfortable adjustment for all. However, our students and teachers alike were happy to be back together at school and to have the opportunity to collaborate with their peers. We were pleased to be able to continue our Extra Curricular Activity (ECA) programme. As a vital part of our curriculum, it helps students to develop their leadership, creativity, service skills, and much more. ECAs, such as STUCO, MUN, and the House System, empower students and offer leadership opportunities, while service based ECAs, such as the Environmental Club and Refugee Learning Nest, keep students connected to the local community by providing opportunities to contribute to the success of others. We are proud of the students for organizing and participating in events and activities that help foster a sense of unity between BIS and the local community. Some of the most significant changes to ECAs during the 2021-22 school year were to STUCO and the House System. STUCO worked together to form the Internal Council, which is a group of unelected members who have experience working in STUCO.
The Internal Council is now in place to help ensure that the STUCO initiatives are carried on from year to year even if the members of STUCO change. Another big change we saw last year was the redesign of the House logos. One of our own BIS Dragons, Valerie Sastrasumita, was responsible for collaborating with House leadership to design and create several new and original logos for each house and we thank her for her creativity and time. You can now see all of the logos on the House shirts worn by students throughout the school and on our House bulletin board.
Despite the challenges faced during the 2021 22 school year, BIS continued to show growth and improvement in academics as well. The BIS staff, though faced with the challenges of hybrid learning, showed a “ can do” attitude and were able to continue delivering the curriculum in exciting and innovative ways to minimize the impact of sudden school closures. For each lesson, teachers were tasked with planning both online and offline lessons and showed that they were prepared for whatever challenges each day may hold. Because of this, we were able to uphold the rigorous standards of the IB Diploma Programme (IBDP), continuing to be above the world average with our IBDP scores.
Concurrently, we were working diligently to complete our Middle Years Programme (MYP) candidacy. Throughout the MYP candidacy process, we emphasized service, concept based learning, interdisciplinary units, and more, which provide additional support for students moving toward the IBDP. We are so proud that we were so successful during the MYP candidacy process and received our accreditation with flying colors, making us the first, and only, IB continuum school in Bandung.
Marci Russelll Secondary Principal
Additionally, each year, we review and revise policy and curriculum, in order to strengthen and improve our programmes from the previous years. Throughout the academic year of 2021 22, we made significant progress with a focus on the curriculum areas of Science, Language Acquisition, Service Learning/CAS, and Digital and Media Literacy. We have also reviewed and improved our Teacher Growth and Appraisal practice, finalized our IT Acceptable Use and Social Media Policies, and developed a Bullying Policy.
Additionally, we have been able to improve our Secondary Student Support Team (SST), consisting of the Head of School, Secondary Principal, our Learning Support teacher, Student Welfare Counselor, and English Language Support teacher, to be able to better address students' needs and support their learning with one on one individualized support and a more systematic approach to reaching the needs of each student. The SST meets weekly to discuss each student’s challenges and successes, form action plans, and provides strategies for teachers to better support the students during their lessons. Academic rigor is at the core of BIS’s success. However, our positive values and the IB Learner Profile are at the heart of everything we do and are integrated and reinforced throughout both the MYP and DP curricula. Throughout 2021-22, and continuing into this year, we have worked closely with parents to ensure a clear understanding of the challenging programmes we offer, as well as, these positive values through orientations and parent coffee sessions. It is vital to our continued success that parents, teachers, and administration work as partners to support all students. When parents are actively involved, the whole team becomes stronger. We are fortunate to have continual support from parents and their feedback and collaboration are greatly appreciated and assist in enhancing learning at BIS.
We were especially pleased to have been able to safely gather and celebrate the Class of 2022’s graduation. It was a beautiful celebration of the student's time at BIS, their learning journeys, and their achievements. We are proud of their accomplishments and growth and we wish them all the best in their future endeavors. Please see the IBDP Coordinator’s section of this Annual Report for more information about the Class of 2022’s successes. All of the aforementioned items reflect our dedication to our mission last year of inspiring our students to be ‘skillful and courageous, empowered to participate responsibly and successfully and with integrity in a global community via the relevant, challenging, and engaging programmes we are able to offer. I offer my thanks to the faculty, staff, students, and parents for helping to make the 2021 22 school year the success it was. I would also like to thank Dr. Berry and Ms. Katie for their dedication and continued support of the Secondary school, by collaborating with me to help create a positive and welcoming learning environment at BIS.
We congratulate the Class of 2022 on their IB Diploma Results. This year there was an 87% passing rate for students registered for the full IB Diploma, while the percentage of diplomas awarded worldwide was 85%. Students achieved a high overall mean grade and many excellent scores, including a 43 out of 45. When looking at our school’s results, it is always important to remember that, unlike many other schools, we allow for open enrolment to the Diploma Programme and any student who wishes to make a genuine attempt at the IBDP is welcome to do so, with our support and advice both before and during the Programme. Consequently, results will vary.
The mean average point score of those achieving the IB Diploma in May 2022 was 37, which is above the world average score of 32. Five BIS students scored 40 or higher, putting them in the top 14% globally. Special congratulations go to Cella Kamarga, whose score of 43 was the highest for the BIS May 2022 Session and puts her in the top 5% globally. Results across the subjects were strong with especially high grades (greater than 0.5 pt. out of 7 above the world average) in English A HL, Indonesian B and ab initio SL, Chinese and French B SL, History SL, Biology and Chemistry HL, Math Applications and Interpretation HL, and Visual Arts SL. However, 18 classes were above the world average score in their respective subjects.
Despite the successes of this year, there are always areas for improvement and the breakdown of results will form the basis of reflection for teachers. Regardless of the final score, all of the Class of 2022 graduates have had a positive experience while attending Bandung Independent School. We are extremely proud of our graduates. In addition to their academic achievements, they have developed into balanced, internationally minded, culturally aware, and caring young adults with decent values and a strong sense of integrity.
Looking forward, we see the class of 2023 continuing to grow into responsible and respectable young adults. We have high expectations of this year ’ s graduating class and are confident that they will experience many successes throughout the year. Though the approaching months will present challenges for each student, they are proving to be up for the challenge thus far.
Once again, we congratulate the Class of 2022 and wish them every success in their future.
Marci Russell Deputy Head of School Secondary Principal
Creativity, Activity, and Service (CAS) is the heart and one of the core elements of the IBDP. It is structured in three main components: Creativity – arts, and other experiences that involve creative thinking; Activity physical exertion contributing to a healthy lifestyle, complementing academic work elsewhere in the DP; and Service an unpaid and voluntary exchange that has a learning benefit for the student. The rights, dignity, and autonomy of all those involved are respected.
CAS Coordinator
Dadan
CAS is designed to balance the academic programme by giving students choices for enjoyable and meaningful learning experiences outside the normal classroom. The active involvement in the CAS experiences encourage students to develop initiative, selfdetermination, commitment, collaboration, and reflective skills. Each student has full authority to individualize the CAS portfolio based on his or her interests, needs, and goals. Additinally, the students are required to undertake a CAS project for the duration of minimum 1 month where they work together with other students in supporting the local community.
During face to face learning, BIS students had more opportunities to explore CAS experiences both at school and outside of school. Some experiences were both conducted individually and collaboratively in groups, such as taking part in IISSAC Football team, teaching students at an orphanage, supporting the Refugee Learning Nest (RLN), learning how to cook, taking Yoga lesson, joining clubs and ECAs, learning Coding through online courses, participating at Model United Nations etc.
With our return to campus at the end of the 2021 2022 school year, service activities started to flourish once again at BIS, and now with relaxed Covid protocols in Semester One of the 2022 2023 school year, we have seen both participation and enthusiasm for service grow.
Thank you to Ms. Eunae Kim for all her hard work as Service as Action Coordinator. Since her move to PYP, Service as Action will be coordinated by a team comprising Mr. Wilson Mwangangi, Ibu Fika, Ms. Eunae Kim and Ms. Sophia Hamilton. We hope that this team will allow for a variety of different perspectives on Service and that we can support students to understand the principles behind effective service as well as in their independent service activities. Thank you also to Tony Fralliciardi for putting together some challenging and engaging service lessons for MYP students.
Last March since we were not able to host the Community Service Fair as we have done in the past, Ms. Kim put together weekly activities for Peace Month. Guests included speakers from the World Federation of UN Associations, the Federal Judiciary Center (US) and local charity Saya Suka Membaca. This event challenged students to think about global peace and how their own small actions within our school and local community can contribute to a more peaceful world.
The service awards in June 2022 once again showed a high level of student commitment and creativity to service. Many students went far beyond the school’s requirements in the service projects we undertook. We are also very grateful to parents for their support outside of school as students implemented their ideas.
This year, with relaxed Covid protocols, MYP students have been able to host a number of fundraisers and activities to support student run service clubs. The RLN Club and Twinkle Twinkle Little Star club hosted bake sales and games at Halloween, and together with the Environmental Club, created displays at the Open House to share their work with the community. They have also been able to interact and play with the young people their clubs support after many months of only online contact. This year it has been wonderful to see many MYP students taking leadership roles in service, as Grade 9 and 10 students are leading the House Games and have stepped up to run the Refugee Learning Nest club, and MYP students worked to organise events such as the BIS/ RLN mini-football tournament, cooking and games. The Junior RLN club, comprising the Grade 6 students, has been particularly active since August 2022. One of the MYP Accreditation team’s reflections on the Service as Action programme at BIS was that Service Learning Outcomes should be more central in the students’ work. As a result, Ms. Kim, Ms. Caron Marquez, Pak Dadan and Ms. Hamilton worked together on a scope and sequence document that will support students in their service activities, from our very youngest learners all the way through to MYP and DP students. Parents will see student learning outcomes for Service as Action on MYP report cards in Semester 2, and we are working to incorporate these learning outcomes into the curriculum wherever possible.
Eunae Kim
Fika Tresnawati
Sophia Hamilton
Wilson Mwangangi
Service as Action Coordination Team
Since the Covid 19 safety protocol has loosened, BIS is now permitted to offer Extra Curricular Activities in an offline environment. As you can imagine, students and teachers are much more content being able to interact with each other in meaningful ways. We are still running the ECAs with a 3 Seasons system, each season ’ s duration is 10 weeks.
Season 1: September 5 November 11
Season 2: November 21 - February 24
Season 3: March 6 May 26
Additionally, sports programmes have proven to be popular for student participation. The IISSAC Football team started their tryouts and training in August and participated in the tournament at the end of October in Wesley School, Malang.
Tryouts for IISSAC Basketball began at the end of October with the training going through the month of November. This year Mountainview School in Salatiga will be hosting the basketball tournament on February 24 26.
On April 28-30, BAIS will be the host for 3 tournaments: badminton, cross-country, and swimming.
Finally, during season I, BIS offered 31 ECAs, a large number indeed! Here are just some of the activities that we offer in the Season 1 program:
EC3 Grade 2 students learned how to cook simple meals or snacks.
Grades 1 3 students learned the basics of physical science, Earth/space science, and also life science.
This ECA is for Grades 1 5, not only is it fun, but this activity also can help boost students’ self confidence
For this ECA we have 2 group levels: Advanced and Junior. This ECA also serves as a way to begin looking for prospective students for IISSAC Badminton tournament.
The same with Badminton, this ECA is also opened for 2 group levels: Advanced and Beginner. Like badminton, coaches begin searching for participants for IISSAC tournaments.
Our Musical Drama club is back! We opened this activity for Grades 2 10. This year they will perform “Sambal Chilli Royale”.
Before the pandemic, this was one of the most favorite ECAs for Elementary. This year we run it again and it is open for Grade 1 5
The Twinkle Twinkle Little Star club works with YKAKI, a local charity that helps local children with cancer living in poverty.
The Refugee Learning Nest is a school for refugee children in Bogor who are waiting to be resettled by the UNHCR. Organize events and fundraisers to support them as they struggle to get an education.
Help to increase awareness of environmental issues among the BIS Community and do our part to protect our environment and help implement change.
Elementary STUCO strives to engage the PYP students in fun and meaningful activities aimed to encourage school spirit and bring the community together. Secondary STUCO consists of Class Representatives from each grade, together with elected whole school representatives. STUCO will work to engage the students in fun and meaningful activities aimed to gain leadership skills, improve communication and also make positive changes for BIS and the BIS Community.
The BIS House System was formed to provide greater opportunities for students to develop leadership skills while engaging in events and activities designed to foster greater involvement while building school spirit.
Learn about the most important issues that shape today and the future, to think about these challenges from the many perspectives of our complex world, and to find ways to take action through service to find ways to make the world a better place, to build courage by debating in group discussions.
Rosalina Siagian ECA Coordinator
This activity is run by Grade 11 and 12 students and opened for Grades 3 8.
This activity led by Grade 12 students and opened to anyone in Grade 8-12 to join. They play new songs and have some musical fun during lunch time.
Here are the new activities that will be running in Season 2:
This new activity in Season 2 will be held in Golf Pasteur Driving Range. The students will be leaving by the school bus to the location every Thursday afternoon.
This activity is more focused on Early Childhood and Grade 1 and it’s run by Michelle Efferin Music Centre.
This activity is good for Early Childhood students to develop their motor and thinking skills through fun activities.
The euphoria of IISSAC Football Tournament makes football one of the most requested activities in Season 2. Due to this, BIS continues to sponsor football but this time for all Secondary students that are interested in and love football.
It is with great pride and joy that I present to you the 2021 22 Annual Report. It is a document that BIS, as a Foundation or Yayasan, provides each year to give an account of the state of affairs to its members, our community.
It goes without saying that we are coming out of a very trying last few years. While we began the calendar year finally being able to have in person classes, there were many hoops to jump through. We had to test every other week; not only did we have to wear masks, but face shields too; and how many times did a sibling or classmate get COVID, only to have everyone have to return to online learning for the next several days? It was difficult, but the Dragon Way is one of resilience and creativity.
I am so proud that our community is supported and led by wonderful people. Kudos to Dr. Michael Berry, Marci Russell, Katie Stone, the teachers, and the staff for doing everything in their power to assure that our kids received the best education possible in spite of the circumstances. It goes without saying, too, that more than ever, parent support was needed in unprecedented ways. Still, our IB scores are among the top among schools worldwide and community life is returning!
It feels like a new day at BIS. IISSAC sports have returned and we have gone back to having our amazing community events. In the Fall 2022 semester alone, we had the Open House BBQ, Halloween Party, and Unity in Diversity Day. There has been some turnover in the Board of Trustees, but it is once again compromised of talented and committed parents who are passionate about BIS’s vision and mission. I am confident that this iteration of the Board will champion and support the school and its programs into a greater era. Together with the Senior Leadership Team and all community stakeholders, we recently updated BIS’s guiding statements (Mission, Vision, and Values). We are finalizing a new Strategic Plan for the next few years. We have hired our next Head of School, and we are working on a new cycle of accreditations. Finally, we are working on expanding the school’s programs and campus sustainably, through increasing enrollment and other avenues. The future is bright!
Financially, we are still operating at a slight loss. Though we have a healthy reserve fund, we have not yet returned to our pre COVID enrollment numbers and financial health. Michael and the marketing team have been hard at work on our website, social media, and advertising channels in order to get our name out there. We plan on opening a 2-year old class soon so that families can get into BIS earlier. I am confident that we are working our way back to financial health and that soon, we will have waiting lists for classes at BIS. Thank you, Foundation Members, for your continued support and belief in BIS. Together, we will continue to build and raise up globally-minded young people who will positively impact the world.
In the 2021 2022 academic year, student enrollment significantly increased compared to the previous year. In November 2021, BIS had 165 students; however, by the end of the academic year, the number grew to 188. One reason for the increase was the transition to offline learning in the second semester of the school year. Over the December break, 23 new or returning students joined BIS.
Indonesian students remain the majority nationality, representing 53.7% of the total BIS student population. Korean students are the second largest nationality with a total of 19.7%, followed by students from the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Of course, in looking at nationalities, it should be noted that many BIS students are dual passport holders. The data below, unfortunately, only represents the passport they were registered under for enrollment at BIS, as adding both passports would misrepresent total student numbers.
Based on Student Passport 2021 2023
Number of Students by Division
Our biggest increase in student enrollment from November 2021 2022 to November 2022 2023 occurred in the Elementary school with a growth of 65% followed by Early Childhood at 33%.
School Division
Number of Students 2021-2022
Number of students 2022-2023 Difference Percentage
Early Childhood 18 24 6 33.33%
Elementary 40 66 26 65.00%
Middle Years 68 71 3 4.41% Diploma Programme 39 37 -2 -5.13%
TOTAL 165 198 33
One goal in the new BIS Strategic Plan is to grow student enrollment by 10% each school year beginning in 2023 2024. To this end, BIS already has a number of prospective students interested in joining BIS in the upcoming academic year. Hopefully, the situation will continue to become more stable and BIS will secure even more students.
In this section, you will find a historic overview of BIS’s finances and an outlook for the current year and beyond. In order to best reflect the school’s cyclicality, please note that the financial year runs from 1st August to 31st July.
The table below provides summary financials on 3 key parameters, ie operational result, cash position, and balance sheet robustness. More detailed information is available in the financial review, prepared by the school’s auditors, at the back of the report.
While performing better than budget (set in the midst of the pandemic), the school recorded negative numbers in 2021 22, both in terms of operational results and operating cash flow. So, as predicted at this time last year, we saw our cash reserves decline for the first time in a long while, which is difficult and long-term unsustainable. The obvious culprit is COVID, which continues to create havoc for the third year in a row.
On the income side we saw revenues decrease further, mainly due to low student numbers, low interest rates (reducing interest income), and partly waived FMF fees. It is important to understand that our school has a natural annual outflow of 20 25 graduating students. In normal times that is compensated by newcomers in various grades, particularly EC. However, during COVID this did not happen. On the contrary, there was a large net outflow, particularly in the lower grades (due to the fact that many parents concluded that on-learning does not warrant premium fees). So even though we increased student numbers significantly during the year (from 159 in September to 189 in June), much of that happened only in the second half of the year, and mostly in EC and Primary (with lower annual fees).
While income decreased, expenses increased versus the previous year. That was partly due to a conscious decision to continue investing in quality and capacity (including 3 EC classes for instance). Partly also due to an increase in operating costs, as we started re opening the campus in Q1 2022.
Liquidity remains adequate despite negative operating cash flow and a significant investment in campus improvements over the summer. Our cash position comfortably covers a whole year of operations, with a significant amount of school fees yet to be received. However, without profits, and without positive cash from operations, we will not be able to fund comprehensive facility upgrades that are required in the longer run.
Despite the poor results, BIS continues to have a solid balance sheet, with a 55% solvency (i.e. net assets as a % of balance sheet total) and no debt.
While the COVID threat appears to be fading, its negative financial impact on the school only does so slowly. There is definitely a positive vibe in BIS again, which is translating into a strong market interest and an expanding student body, which will cross the 200 mark shortly! Throughout COVID we kept investing in academic excellence and facility standards. Now the time has come to reap the rewards and boost our student numbers. Our strategic objective is to reach 250 by the end of 2025 26. However, new clouds are appearing on the horizon; triggered by world events, supply chains have been disrupted, energy prices have rocketed, and inflation everywhere is spinning out of control. Central banks are raising interest rates to regain control but hurting their economies in the process. Indonesia, while relatively well positioned, is affected too. A recession is not expected, but economic growth will be subdued, while inflation is high (6% and rising) and Rupiah weakening against the US dollar. BIS will be facing significant cost increases as a result, at a time when we are struggling to get back to break even. Fee increases are still being discussed but will be unavoidable, starting next year...
In the long run, whatever challenges appear on our path, we keep believing in our strategy of providing the best international education in West Java, and in the desire of families, foreign and local, to have their children benefit from that.
