About NCBIS

New Cairo British International School

Bringing out the best in everyone!

The Principal’s Welcome

I would like to thank you for considering working for our wonderful school.
I have been fortunate enough to work as a Principal for the last 16 years in
good schools and having recently joined NCBIS I feel privileged for the
opportunity to lead such an amazing school.
NCBIS is a friendly community where we all support each other and work
passionately to bring out the best in everyone.
NCBIS was established in 1978 by a group of parents,
most of whom were connected with the World Health Organisation (WHO). The school has operated
since that time as a “not-for-profit organisation” under the auspices of the Heliopolis Society for the
Cultural and Social Care of English Speaking Foreigners (‘The Society’) and is managed through a
Board of Directors elected from amongst the parent community.
Our school, which caters for children aged 3-18, has a student population of 700 and is made up of
over 60 nationalities. Local Egyptian nationals and Egyptian dual nationals represent approximately
35% of our enrolment while 65% of our students are full expatriates.
NCBIS strives to bring out the best in everyone. We make learning fun, challenging and relevant in an
environment that is welcoming, safe and stimulating. We provide a holistic education based on the
types of learning we feel is important for students in the 21st century; international mindedness, the
attributes and attitudes of the IB Learner Profile, and a highly meta-cognitive approach to teaching
and learning form the foundation of our instructional programmes.
We use the High Performance Learning philosophy and framework in our school. This means that we
believe that all the students can be high performers, and we teach with these expectations in mind.
Using the research-based High Performance Learning approach helps us to systematically build the
cognitive competencies that lead a young person to thrive in school and later life. We embed the HPL
philosophy throughout our school. We never tell our students they cannot achieve; it is just they are
not doing it yet but with practice and perseverance it will happen.
Our primary school is comprised of two streams: International and Dutch. Both streams follow the
follow an inquiry-based curriculum, based on a bespoke course of study that prepares students to be
active participants in a lifelong journey of learning. Both streams teach their respective national
curriculum for English / Dutch and Mathematics. Students from both streams come together regularly
for learning activities, assemblies, events and trips.

In our secondary school, our Key Stage 3 (Year 7 – 9) students work with the British National
Curriculum as its framework whilst also integrating learning ideas that promote independent learning
and strong research skills. In Year 10 and 11 we offer a combination of GCSE and IGCSE
programmes and examinations, while we offer the IB Diploma Programme as our pre-university
qualification. Our students are very successful in achieving extremely good results.
Alongside our academic programme we educate the whole child in preparation for the future. We,
therefore, include after school clubs, opportunities for creative, action and service programmes,
International Award and Junior International Award opportunities as well as our Challenge and
educational trips. Our students are future-ready!
We pride ourselves on the excellent teachers we have, both in terms of their academic excellence as
well as their professional relationships with the children. Most of our academic staff come from the
United Kingdom, or The Netherlands in the case of our Dutch Stream. All our teachers are qualified
and have at least 3 years of experience before joining us. We also have some staff members coming
from Australia, Canada, USA, Germany, Spain, South Africa and France. We have a strong team of
learning support staff and EAL teachers the school; all classrooms in the primary school have a
dedicated teaching assistant.
Our school is evaluated and accredited by COBIS, BSME, CIS, IBO and the Dutch Ministry of
Education. These regular inspections and evaluations from independent organisations quality assure
the standard of our teaching and learning, as well as the care we provide. Our last ISI inspection
report (October 2019) graded the students’ academic development as good and the students’ personal
development as excellent.
I am pleased that our school is very fortunate to have a very active ‘Parent Teacher Group’. The PTG
also welcomes new families, offers shopping and cultural visits, and is involved in a multitude of
other social events to benefit the community. They are a very important part of our school as they
bring a wonderful community feel to NCBIS.
NCBIS is a school where we bring out the best in everyone; come and join our community. I look
forward to welcoming you to our school.

Trudie Masterson
Principal

NCBIS Mission

To provide a learning environment that supports academic achievement whilst promoting personal growth through the attributes of the IB Learner profile, within a caring international community committed to the traditional values of honesty, courtesy, respect, integrity and fair play.

NCBIS Vision

In 2027 NCBIS will be the first school of choice in Cairo, providing unrivalled experiences that will enable all students to follow their passions and become successful, caring citizens and leaders in tomorrow’s world”.

NCBIS Patron, Sir Geoffrey Adams

As our Patron, Gareth will use his considerable experience and influence as a way of supporting the school, he will also be invited and attend certain NCBIS functions each year. As a non-member of the Board of Directors, he will not make decisions on behalf of the school or carry any responsibilities or liabilities.
Gareth Bayley was appointed Her Majesty’s Ambassador to the Arab Republic of Egypt in May 2021. He took up his appointment in September 2021.

Gareth was the Prime Minister’s Special Representative for Afghanistan and Pakistan, and the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) Director for South Asia and Afghanistan from 2017 to May 2021.

Gareth joined the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) in 1995. He worked on the Middle East and North Africa, the United Nations, EU Common Foreign and Security Policy and Conflict/Post-Conflict Transition. Previous assignments include:

Chief of Staff to Quartet Representative Tony Blair (2009 to 2010)
the UK Mission to the UN (2006 to 2009)
Deputy Head of FCO’s Iraq Department (2005 to 2006)
British Embassy Baghdad (2004 to 2005)
British Embassy Cairo (1998 to 2002)
Gareth was the UK Special Representative for Syria from October 2014 to October 2017.

We welcome Gareth to the NCBIS family.

NCBIS Values

NCBIS is guided in all its actions and decisions by its commitment to:

Providing quality education in a safe, secure and caring environment.

Promoting academic and personal achievement.

Developing each student’s unique talents to help them achieve their potential

Ensuring choice and challenge both within the curriculum and the extra-curricular programmes.

Inspiring intellectual curiosity, critical thinking and enthusiasm for learning.

Maintaining an internationally diverse community of open-minded people.

British Values

The UK government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy, and these values have been reiterated by the UK government since. At NCBIS these values are reinforced regularly:

NCBIS is committed to serving its globally-minded, internationally rich community. It recognises the multi-cultural, multi-faith and ever-changing nature of our international setting. It also understands the vital role it has in ensuring that groups or individuals within the school are not subjected to intimidation or radicalisation by those wishing to unduly, or illegally, influence them.

It follows equal opportunities guidance which guarantees that there will be no discrimination against any individual or group, regardless of faith, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, political or financial status, or similar. NCBIS is dedicated to preparing students for their next stage of life beyond the formal examined curriculum and ensuring that it promotes and reinforces British values to all its students.

The UK Government emphasises that schools are required to ensure that key ‘British Values’ are taught in all UK schools and as a British International school, we endeavor to do the same. The UK government set out its definition of British values in the 2011 Prevent Strategy.

The school uses strategies within the written curriculum and beyond to secure such outcomes for students.

Democracy

NCBIS aims to promote this British Value by demonstrating how democracy works by discussion, decision making and voting. For example:
• Encouraging children to know their views count and their opinions are important – for example, following the children’s interests for topics and activities.
• Encouraging children to make decisions together, e.g. when sharing a group toy, like a large train set.
• Encouraging children to see their role in the ‘bigger picture’, e.g. linking to part of a family, class, group, school, community etc.
• Providing opportunities for the children to vote between choices of activity, for example, choosing a theme for their role play area, choosing a book for story time or a song for song time by a show of hands.
• Children may also have the opportunity to vote for members of a school council.

The Rule Of Law

NCBIS aims to promote this British Value by demonstrating a need for rules and laws help to keep us safe and happy. For example:
• Encouraging adults and children to work together to create group rules. Discussing the need for rules and how they should be administered fairly, e.g. the need for rules to keep everyone safe and happy.
• Teaching children to understand their own and others’ behaviour and feelings, and the consequences.
• Working together to create an environment where actions are consistently followed through, e.g. adherence to class rules, follow-ups on discussions and other choices explored after taking a group vote.
• Encouraging and supporting children to learn how to distinguish right from wrong.

Individual Liberty

NCBIS aims to promote this British Value by individual freedoms to choose faiths, beliefs and likes/dislikes. For example:
• Providing opportunities for children to develop their self-esteem and confidence in their own abilities, e.g. by sharing achievements and successes and promoting independence.
• Encouraging children to try a range of different activities and opportunities and to discuss and select their own preferences.
• Providing activities for all children to engage in and actively challenge gender-specific tasks and activities.
• Encouraging children to develop a positive sense of themselves.

Mutual Respect

NCBIS aims to promote this British Value by demonstrating respect and tolerance towards other beliefs and faiths. For example:
• Working as a group to create an environment that includes, values and promotes different faiths, cultures, views and races.
• Providing opportunities for the children to make links with the wider community, for example outings to local places, inviting family members or speakers to visit the setting or making links with a local charity.
• Encouraging children to learn about other faiths, cultures, traditions, families, communities and ways of life. Schools might encourage the children to share their experiences with the group and allow the children to recognise similarities and differences between themselves and others. For example, learning about festivals and special days, different types of family units, different occupations and places around the world.
• Encouraging children to learn about the world around them – both locally and further afield. For example, local trips, using books, stories, posters and videos, etc. to learn about places far away, cultural days, local events and activities and national celebrations.