How to Run a Quality International School?

To teachers and students of Springboard International Bilingual School (SIBS), principal Zhang Aijun is an elder and their spiritual support.

However, to Zhang, she believes talents are the backbone of the school. Rigorous scholarship depends on excellent faculties. Therefore, SIBS has put a lot of emphasis on talent cultivation. Special funds are allocated to IB training and overseas visits and tours during summer or winter holidays for faculty members. When excellent teachers are underpaid, their salary will be adjusted to match their performance. At the end of each year, many outstanding faculty members will receive additional awards. An internal selection mechanism has also been set up to promote elite talents to important positions to unleash a greater influence. 

Recently, a number of teachers and staff from SIBS shared their “love” stories with the school.

Being clean and upright is the foundation of SIBS

Wang Peng

After graduation from Beijing Normal University, Wang Peng joined SIBS in 2011. To her, principal Zhang Aijun is her leader and her role model.

When Wang Peng was at the orientation training, Zhang emphasized three principles. First, no gifts shall be sent to school management during festivals. Second, parents shall not be implied to give gifts. And finally, whoever gives gifts to school leaders or accepts gifts from parents shall be announced in public and be criticized.

Under such an influence, Wang Peng has kept developing herself in SIBS. She received many honors and awards, such as "Outstanding Class Group Award" and "Morality Models of Teachers in Shunyi" granted by Shunyi District Education Commission.

"It is the foundation for us of being human, to love our students, love our teachers and love our country," said Wang.

Deep bond between the Chinese and foreign faculty members

Tim Tim at the Halloween event

Tim came from America and worked in the primary school section of SIBS, where he has been working for 6 years, the longest in China.

"SIBS has a culture to help teachers grow and it's a very fair school. Hard work will be paid and rewarded reasonably," said Tim.

When the covid first broke out in 2020, SIBS organized its faculty to teach online. As an old China hand, Tim, who speaks perfect Chinese, helped a lot of foreign teachers adapt to this new teaching method. They worked together to prepare and record lessons, and successfully transited themselves during that period. "As long as I am in China, I will work in SIBS," Tim admitted frankly.

Powerful management team

These stories are just a tiny part of all the worth-telling stories that happened in SIBS during the last 20 years. However, they reflect how SIBS is from dimensions of the foundation of the school, the faculty team, its logistics and support, and the importance of whole-person training. We can have a glimpse of the ideal model of international education, with love and choice, inheritance and perseverance, academics and art, etc.

With Zhang Aijun's leadership, SIBS, after 20 years' development, has owned a powerful management team. At present, SIBS is authorized by the International Baccalaureate Organization to offer the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). SIBS is accredited by Cognia, approved by the United States College Board to offer Advanced Placement courses, and Cambridge Assessment International Examination (CAIE) to offer IGCSE and ALevel courses.

Apart from that, principal Zhang Aijun showed her care to children from the Bahrain Zuoqi Special Educational Institution with two donations totaling 5 million yuan during the epidemic. The money was intended to solve the schooling and boarding problems for children with mental challenges in local areas.

"The school must be rigorous in academics and clean and upright in morality. SIBS is my child and part of my life. I will not give it up, " said Zhang Aijun.