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Angelika Brenner-Cecerle, the partner at Recom Relocation, invites once a month experts, colleagues, and internationals to share their knowledge and experience in Austria.
Recom is a relocation agency in Vienna and offers immigration service, home finding, school and kindergarden search, settling-in-service, car import, change of drivers licenses, intercultural training, and events for expats "Club Melange".
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Welcome to “Let’s talk Austria”.
Our episode today: The Vienna International School
ABC: In today´s episode I would like to introduce the Vienna International
School. I am here in the 22nd district with Tina Lackner, the Admission
Coordinator of the VIS. The VIS is very close to the United Nation Office,
which was established in 1980 as the third United Nations Headquarter -
after New York and Geneva.
This episode is for parents who intend to enroll their child in an
international school in Vienna and would therefore like to find out more
about these types of schools.
Thank you so much, dear Tina, for accepting my invitation and for giving
our listeners an insight into the life of your school. I remember, when I
was a child, the school was just newly built, and it was considered the
“most beautiful school in Austria”.
Tina: Hi, Angelika. I am very proud to be part of the VIS community. As you
know I have been working at the school for many, many years and I have
known you for quite some time. So, let’s start the interview.
ABC: Tina, when was the school built and why? And when was is opened?
Tina: VIS opened its doors on the 15 November 1984.
ABC: Let’s start with how many students do you educate at the VIS at the
moment, and could you tell us how many different nationalities the
students represent?
Tina: We currently have 1.401 students enrolled at our school. Students
come from 116 different nationalities, and they speak 86 different mother
tongues. As you can see it is a very diverse community.
ABC: It is. From what age onwards do you offer classes? Do you also have
Kindergarten?
Tina: We educate students from the age of 3 to 18. Unfortunately, we can
only accept students until a certain age and so we are unable to consider
students who will turn 20 years old during their graduation year.
Regarding your Kindergarten question. Yes, we do have an Early Learning
Center for children of the age of 3 and 4 and we also have a program for
children of the age of 5 which we call the Grade Primary.
ABC: Do the children wear actually uniforms for example, like in Great
Britain?
Tina: No, we do not have any uniforms here at our school.
ABC: What curriculum does VIS teach? Which subjects do you have?
Tina: The Vienna International School is an authorized International
Baccalaureate school, a program of international education designed to
help our students from the age of 3 to 18 to develop the knowledge,
understanding, attitudes and skills necessary to actively and responsibly
participate in a changing world.
There are 3 IB programs available. In our Primary School we offer the IB
Primary Years Program, PYP, for students from age 3 to 11. Then, in our
Secondary School we offer two programs: the Middle Years
Program, MYP, for students from age 11 - 16 as the IB Diploma Program,
DP, which is offered to students from age 16-19.
ABC: In Vienna we have a couple of international schools. Why do you
think parents choose the VIS? What makes you special?
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Alser Straße 28 / 17a, 1090 Vienna, Austria • Phone: +43 (01) 409 24 62
Tina: Well, I think first and foremost, it is
➢ our diversity. As I mentioned before, with 116 different nationalities
and over 86 mother tongues among our student body we are a very
unique community. We also support our students with our well
organized and offered Mother Tongue programme where students
continue studying the language of their home country. Usually, we
offer about 30+ different languages and they are taught privately
and for extra tuition after school. Among some of these mother
tongue classes we have Amharic, we have Czech, Italian, Hungarian,
Persian, Portuguese, Russian, Slovak, Turkish, Urdu, Swedish, … it
takes some time to name them all.
➢ Vienna International School (VIS) is a non-sectarian and inclusive IB
World School that meets the needs of a diverse international
community. VIS does not discriminate on the basis of race, gender,
language, national origin, sexual orientation, religion, disability or
any other characteristic protected by law. VIS strives to admit
students with a broad range of academic needs but enrolls only
students whose education can successfully be supported by our
school.
➢ The success of our graduates – as mentioned before Vienna
International School is accredited by the Council of International
Schools (CIS) and the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO).
The mission of the school is to empower learners to achieve their
potential. About 95% of our students get awarded a full IB Diploma
which is a fantastic result and 83% of our students chose higher
education right after graduation.
➢ The size of our school - We are a big school which maybe possibly
some parents look at it very critically, but we do believe that
especially in the secondary school it is an advantage for new
students to have a bigger cohort in their own grade to find the right
friends. In Grade 11, the first year of the IB Diploma Year we usually
enroll around 136 students, so we also offer a very wide range of
courses which is a great advantage.
ABC: And how do you decide which grade is the right one for your
newcomers? Can parents choose the grade according to their previous
education system in their home country or how does that work?
Tina: The application system we offer is an online tool which is called
Open Apply and parents will be able to choose a grade they find
appropriate for their child. But our school has a Placement Policy in place
which is driven by age. All completed applications are reviewed carefully
by the respective school’s admission team. The admission teams will make
placement decisions based on factors such as a child's educational
background, language proficiency, and academic achievements. For
example, children who join us from the southern hemisphere usually redo
one semester as integrating into a new school, finding new friends,
adjusting to a different learning environment, curriculum and language of
teaching is usually difficult for a student.
ABC: How many children are in one classroom?
Tina: We have no more than 23 students in a class. However, in our Early
Learning Center where we educate our 3- and 4-year-old students in two
classes, and we enroll no more than 16 students per class. In Grade
Primary, which is the equivalent to kindergarten and the year before
Grade 1 we enroll a maximum of 20 kids per class and we run 3 parallel
classes. In Grade 1 to 4 we enroll 23 students per class, and we run 4
parallel classes each. In Grade 5, which is the last year in our Primary
School we run 5 classes of 22 students each.
In our Secondary School, in Grades 6 to 8 we enroll 23 students per class,
and we have a maximum of 114 students per grade. Grade 9 and Grade 10
have a total of 132 enrolled in 6 homerooms which means 22 per class.
Grade 11 and 12 have up to 12 homerooms/classes per grade which we
call tutor groups, and we enroll 10-12 students in each of the classes.
ABC: What for example if there are no available classes at the moment or
for example if a family has two or three children of different ages and you
cannot offer a place to all of them? How do you handle this?
Tina: VIS usually maintains wait lists for most grades. So, applying early is
recommended in order to. If families have 2 or 3 children, it sometimes
happens that unfortunately we cannot accommodate all of them which is
very difficult for family but also for us. The VIS Admissions Policy is strict
and applied always. This means that beside the employment of the
parents in Vienna, the application date, a possible sibling, and re-entry
status also determines the position of a candidate for admission on the
respective waiting list.
ABC: And when you say early application is advised, how early is it good to
go for the admission?
Tina: Our advice is that as soon as a family knows that there is a possibility
of them being posted to Vienna, they should start the application process.
Our online application tool OpenApply allows filing application as early as
1,5 years in advance. This mean that parents who would like to apply for a
place in August 2026 can already start the online process in January 2025.
We encourage families to contact us by email so we can set up virtual
meetings with them as early as possible so they can make an informed
decision whether VIS is a good fit for their children. We of course also
offer individual tour at school, so families get to ‘feel’ our school rather
than only watching our virtual tour on the website.
ABC: You mentioned that you have a priority list. Is this right? Could you
explain what it means, what is a priority list?
Tina: We don’t call it a priority list, but Admissions Policy. The VIS is here
first and foremost for families who have been assigned to Vienna for a
limited duration of time. First, we are here to serve the children of parents
who are employed at an International Organization like the UN, IAEA,
OSCE, OPEC, the Word Bank. Furthermore, we are here for students of
parents working at the Diplomatic Mission in Vienna but also for students
whose parents work for international business like the OMV, Mars…..
ABC: Do you also have Austrian families, Austrian children?
Tina: Sure, we have Austrian students that apply to the school but due to
long waiting list of the first three priority groups we usually cannot accept
many.
ABC: But there a few Austrians at least.
Tina: sure.
ABC: Does a child need to pass some kind of an entry exam?
Tina: As mentioned before the online application tool allows us to gain all
information that we need to make an admissions decision about the
student. However, in Grades 9 to 12 all our students will have to provide
us with a recent MAP test result, and we might also have to request and
English writing sample which shows that the applicant can be successful in
an English-speaking environment and in the IB System.
ABC: What kind of grading system do you use? And from which grade do
children get marks?
Tina: In our Secondary School, our children are graded from 1 to 7,
whereas 7 is the highest, so the best mark. But our school reports also
have a descriptive part. In our Primary School we use words like
“beginning”, “developing”, “consolidating” or if they have “established a
certain level”. So, this is how we mark or grade our students and parents
learn about their child’s academic growth and performance at VIS.
ABC: I have a friend whose kids are extremely talented in Math –
unbelievable for me, and they are very bored at school. How do you
handle such cases? Do you offer special programs in particular subjects?
Tina: Regarding Mathematics, YES in Grades 9 and 10 we offer two
different levels of Mathematics. But our school does not offer a gifted
program. Nevertheless, we do take different educational backgrounds of
all our individual students into account and will try to adjust to their level
to keep them interested and challenged.
ABC: The VIS is an English-speaking school. But I know from many of our
clients and their children, they don’t always speak English very well or
aren’t that good at it yet. What if new students cannot follow as they
don’t understand English yet?
Tina: As I mentioned before the diverse community that we cater for also
needs a program that supports the English learning. Therefore, our school
offers an extensive ELA English acquisition program for all Grades except
in grades 9 to 12.
ABC: Is the ELA tuition covered by the school fees?
Tina: No, it is not. For the next academic year starting in August 2024 the
ELA cost is 850 Euro per semester.
ABC: According to your experience, how long does it take children to learn
English?
Tina: I think we all know how hard it is to learn a new language. There are
obviously different strengths and learning styles, but generally it takes a
second language learner - as most of us are - approximately two years to
reach the same level of proficiency as a monolingual child in social
situations. It will take approximately five to seven years to reach the same
level of proficiency as a monolingual child in an academic setting. I know
the expectations of parents and adults are sometimes different of what
children can actually achieve over a short period of time, but most of the
times we are positively surprised to see how quickly and how well children
react to change when we support them the right way.
ABC: Since we are in Austria, do your students also study German and do
you offer also other foreign languages?
Tina: Yes, of course. All students at VIS are enrolled in the German
language program. It is a compulsory language as it is the host language in
Austria. Also, our Romance Language Department in Secondary School
offers French and Spanish to students if they are not enrolled in the ELA
program.
o In Grade 6, the school only offers French and Spanish at the
beginner level so students with a previous knowledge of
French will only have Spanish as an option, and vice versa.
o In Grades 7 and 8, Spanish and French classes are available to
beginners and to those with a basic knowledge of the
language.
o Students joining the school in Grades 9 or 10 should have
studied French or Spanish for two to three years to be
accepted in the Romance Language program.
ABC: Another question: In Austria it is very common to have religious
lessons at school. Do you offer religious education as well and if yes, it is
compulsory? What if a child belongs to a different religion than Catholic?
Tina: We do celebrate many cultural events here at the VIS, but our school
does not offer any classes for any traditions or religions.
ABC: Let’s move to another topic: One most of the parents are interested
in, the prices. What are approximately the prices for the school?
Tina: When applying for a place, an application fee is due and for the
academic year 2024-2025 it is 650,- Euros. So, when an online application
is completed or in the process of being completed this application fee is
due. It is a one-time fee, and it is a non-refundable fee that needs to be
paid by credit card. Once we offer a place and the parents decided to
accept the offer, they must pay the admissions fee of 5600 Euros.
Obviously, you find the respective year’s Terms and Conditions of
Enrolment and the Annual Schedule of Fees always on our website.
ABC: There is also a capital fee. This payment is also non-refundable. Is it
also per child? Could you please explain to us what a capital fee is?
Tina: The capital fee is payable after the parents have accepted a place for
their child. This fee applies only to the first two children enrolled at the
school and it will not be charged if a child is returning to VIS within 2 years
of leaving. The fee is assigned to a fund specifically created to finance
capital investments.
The annual school fees are listed on your website in the finest detail, and
they are structured by grade. The fee is about 23.000,- Euro per year for
Primary School students and about 27.000 Euro for Secondary School,
Grades 6 to 10. The IB DP years, Grades 11 and 12 will cost about 28.000
Euro per year.
ABC: Am I right that it might not be that easy to afford on their own unless
for example the employer is paying for the school?
Tina: As mentioned before, our school was built to serve the children of
internationally assigned parents. This community usually also receive
education grants from their employers and therefore parents will only
have to cover a small part of the tuition fees themselves. Some, however,
are paying the total amount of school fees out of their own pocket.
ABC: Do you offer scholarships?
Tina: Unfortunately, our school does not offer any scholarships.
ABC: Can a child change from the VIS to another international school in
Vienna and what is to be consider in such a case?
Tina: sure, a student can change to another international school within
Vienna. What is needed for such a change the family will need to find out
from the other school.
ABC: So even if a family moves to another country, it is the same actually.
Tina: In case a school is called “international”, this does not necessarily tell
you about the curriculum they offer. There could be an international
school that is like ours and provide the International Baccalaureate (IB)
curriculum however, it could also be a school that offers the English or
American curriculum. So, I always advise families who are intending to
move to another country, to search for a school on the IB website.
ABC: I know your school quite well actually because I have been here with
many clients before. We always got a very nice and extensive school tour.
So, I know your playgrounds and your activity programs. Please tell our
listeners what kind of after-school activities you offer?
Tina: VIS strives to offer our students a unique learning experience that
goes beyond the curriculum. We offer a very wide range of extracurricular
activities. They could be active in sports like basketball, volleyball, soccer,
they do netball, they play hockey, go swimming, and of course, being in
Austria, we have a successful ski-team.
ABC: Oh, yes, and next door you have an ice-skating rink.
Tina: Yes, that is right, it is the Vienna Capitals home, actually. Our
students also go ice skating. There are a great number of activities offered
here at VIS. And, of course, as Vienna is the city of music many of our
students already play or learn how to play an instrument. We have bands
like blues bands, rock bands and jazz bands at our school that get to
perform ino ur beautiful Theatre. Even in the primary school we have a
rock band. You can see some of the performances on our social media
channels. We always encourage our students to find something that they
are passionate about and get involved in. Our students are also involved in
some charity projects. We support an orphanage in Romania that we visit
and send care packages to. And we also have another project running in
India which is called MAHER.
Explanation about Maher.
ABC: Very nice. When do the classes begin in the morning and when do
they end? And do you also offer afternoon care?
Tina: Yes, the classes for Primary and Secondary School actually start at
the same time, 08:30. Primary School finishes at 2:55 and Secondary
School finishes at 3:15. School goes from Monday through Friday,
Saturdays are free. Yes, we do have an extended day care program which
is designed for the Primary students, and it meets the needs of working
parents.
ABC: When we walked to your office, we just saw the cafeteria. Do you
offer lunch, and do you consider special needs when it comes to food?
Tina: Yes, we do. We have a caterer at our school. We are a diverse
community coming from about 116 countries and we offer a high quality,
seasonal selection, and international meals to our students. There is also
always a vegetarian option and we cater to students’ dietary needs.
ABC: In the afternoon I often see your school buses in many districts in
Vienna bringing the kids back home. How much does it cost to use the
school bus?
Tina: Yes, we do have. We use BLAGUSS as an operator. 6 different routes
in Vienna are on offer. Students can take the morning bus AND the
afternoon bus or just one of the two.
ABC: But you also have the underground station U1 Kagran just in front of
your door. So, you could also go for the public transportation system.
Tina: Yes, Vienna public transport is safe, reliable, inexpensive, and is used
by many of our students, parents and staff.
ABC: My final question is actually not about the school but about the years
after school. When students graduate can they immediately start studying
at an Austrian or international university?
Tina: Yes, they can. The IB Diploma Program is an internationally
recognized certificate and is therefore accepted for entrance to
universities worldwide including Austrian universities and
Fachhochschulen.
ABC: There is a known fact that VIS is one of the first international Ecoschools in Austria. What does that mean?
Tina: It means being an Eco-School International helps our students to
understand the important aspects of sustainability on a global scale,
making them global citizens and future “ambassadors”, as we call them,
that they share their commitments towards a truly sustainable world. Full
integration of the Eco-School International program and sustainable
development goes in the curriculum .. our students gain an understanding
of the world’s relevant issues that should be targeted to achieve
sustainability.
ABC: Can I ask you a more private question that is not related to the
school, please? What is your favorite place in Vienna, what is your
hotspot?
Tina: I love the city of Vienna – I love nature and I like outdoor activities, I
swim and cycle a lot, and for this kinds of activities the Donauinsel is the
best place.
ABC: Absolutely, I also love Donauinsel. Thank you so much for introducing
the VIS to our listeners. Thank you that I could visit you here today. Thank
you very much for the interview.
Tina: It was lovely to have you here, Angelika.
ABC: Oh yes. Thank you, bye-bye, take care.
This episode was recorded February 26th 2024.