Copenhagen, Denmark Report of what it's like to live there - 03/11/22
Personal Experiences from Copenhagen, Denmark
School Name:
Copenhagen International School
Background Information:
1. Are you the parent of a child(ren) attending this school? A teacher at the school? Or both?
Parent of two children, middle school and high school
2. What grade or grades do/did your children attend at the school? During what year(s) did they attend the school?
5-7, 9-11
attended 2019-2022
3. What years did you live here?
2019-2022
4. What was your reason for living in the city where the school is located (e.g., government, military, corporate, NGO, retired)?
Government
5. Are other schools available to expatriates in this city? Why did you choose this particular school?
Yes. We chose CIS as that is where majority of embassy kids go. We regret not looking into Rygaards and I suggest to apply early and look at that school as well!
Admissions & Welcome:
1. Are the admissions and placement procedures clearly stated to prospective families, either on the school website or through other means of communication?
Yes, fairly straightforward and easy to get in
2. How would you rate the school's support and welcome/integration of new students and their families, and why?
7- it was okay. Communication from the school was poor in our experience.
Administration & School Procedures:
1. How is the overall communication between teachers and parents, and the administration and parents? How is communication facilitated?
Terrible, teachers mainly communicate with students and parents are left out of most things.
Academics & Resources:
1. What personal or academic counseling resources are available at this school? Is there a dedicated college counselor at the school? Is he/she familiar with universities worldwide?
We had a good experience with the upper level academic counselor. She was great but is leaving which will leave a large hole in that area. As for personal counseling, they have a lot but I was not impressed. I requested my kids not speak to the counselor one-on-one unless I was present.
2. Does the school have a library? How large is it? How updated are the books? Can students borrow books to read at home?
Yes, is is okay. Public library downtown is better.
3. How are information technology resources at the school. Are they up-to-date? Is there a computer lab?
Not great.
4. What are the technology requirements for students? Do they need their own laptops/ipads? How is technology integrated into the classroom and homework?
You need your own laptop, and they do not want students to have Chromebooks because there are times they need certain applications. Out of three years, my kids needed a none Chromebook twice.
5. Describe the physical education resources at the school. Is there a gym? A swimming pool? Are there playing fields or tennis courts available?
Three gyms but they are used a lot by after-school programs for elementary so limited times for high schoolers to use them for sports. No swimming pool or tennis Courts.
6. Are Advanced Placement (AP) or International Baccalaureate (IB) courses available in upper grades? If this is an IB school, is the full diploma required of all students?
It is an IB school.
7. Are students generally challenged appropriately by the curriculum? Please describe any particular strengths or weaknesses in this area. Do you have any thoughts how the curriculum is applied and implemented at this school?
Not challenged at all. They are two years behind most math programs in the US. My daughter learned nothing new for 9-10 grade in math. Then started behind in 11th grade in calculus.
8. Is the amount and type of homework generally appropriate for the age and grade of the students?
Little homework in High school. None in middle school
9. What fine arts electives are available (music, drama, visual arts)?
They have drama and choir and art. But its okay. No band or orchestra.
10. Are the teachers at the school required to speak English as a first language--or at least fluently?
Yes
11. What services are available for gifted/advanced students at the school? Please describe your experience with these services, if applicable.
None, they discouraged my son to work ahead on anything. I have him taking an online math class after school so he can stay up with his peers in the US.
12. What extra-curricular activities (including sports) are available at this school? Have your children participated in these activities? What activities do you feel are missing at the school?
They have a lot of sport offerings but I was not impressed with the coaches. Because it is paid sports, there are parents who believe their kid should never be disciplined because they are paying money for the sport.
Social & Emotional Well-Being:
1. Are there are any problems with exclusionary behavior, cliques, or bullying at this school? Please describe any problems your children may have experienced in this area.
We had terrible bullying experiences especially towards Americans. Overall, the kids are just mean to each other and we found the teachers to not do anything nor the administration.
Overall Impressions:
1. What letter grade (ranging from A, excellent, to F, fail) would you assign to this school based on your overall experience? Would you choose it again?
D. It is okay in some areas but overall, it's been the worst experience at a school I have ever had - I and my kids attended over 20 different schools- public, private, international.
2. Please describe some of your child's/children's highlights and challenges during their time at this school.
We found that drug issues were not taking seriously.
We also found some content inappropriate for middle school science (investigating the strength of condoms).
3. Please tell us anything else you think prospective parents and students should know about this school. Thanks for your contribution!
We did not have a good experience at CIS so I would recommend others look into Rygaards. Though, I would not take Copenhagen as an option for anyone who has kids older than 6th grade since partying behaviors start early; we did not find this post to be a great environment for middle and high schoolers.
