About us > Mission and History
Mission
Our mission is to offer a world-class education that will enable our diverse community of students to function successfully, both academically and socially, in the global community. This is to be accomplished within our school culture of shared responsibility between students, parents and staff.
School history and Profile
In 2011, Island Academy International School celebrated its 10th anniversary. The school was founded to fill a need to offer students in Antigua and Barbuda an alternative world class educational platform. The founders envisioned a school which would cater to the needs of Antiguan and Barbudan students, as well as those from our expatriate community. This was accomplished by developing a curriculum aimed at introducing the International Baccalaureate Programme as the anchor through which the vision of the school would be realized.
The school opened its doors to students in September 2001 at Piccadilly, Antigua. The goal was to establish an internationally accredited school that was intellectually rigorous, physically active, culturally engaged and civically responsible, and that would prepare its students for access to any university in the world. In 2009, after much planning and hard work, Island Academy was approved as an IB World School. Island Academy International School is the only school in Antigua and Barbuda that offers this prestigious programme, recognized by universities around the world. Island Academy is also accredited with the Ministry of Education of Antigua and Barbuda. The school is a member of the NAIS (National Association of Independent Schools), a group representing the best in quality private school education, with 1400 members in the US and around the world. Island Academy is also a member of the Tri Association, an organization that promotes professional development for teachers in dozens of international schools in the Caribbean, Mexico, Central America and Colombia.
In September 2009, Island Academy moved to new purpose-built facility on 15 acres of hillside on the outskirts of Buckleys Village, in the centre of Antigua and Barbuda, with a spectacular views of St. John's Harbour and the Atlantic Ocean. This move allowed additional space for growth and facilities. Today, Island Academy is one of the premier educational institutions in Antigua and Barbuda,serving students from Kindergarten through Grade 13. It is coeducational and is known for the diversity of its student population of over 200, with students from India, England, Australia, South Africa, Canada, New Zealand, France, Italy, Austria, Switzerland, Peru, Ireland, Russia, and the United States, in addition to those born in Antigua and Barbuda.
The International Baccalaureate Programme is now firmly guiding our student body to achieve a high level of academic performance, to think as well as to learn and to live by the concept of responsibility rather than obedience. Our students are provided with the opportunity to develop their creative and artistic instincts through our offerings in the arts and music. Additionally, students may participate in numerous high level theatrical productions. In athletics, our students are taught to win with humility and to lose with dignity.
Students are encouraged to participate in community service activities so that they understand the value of giving as well as receiving from the society in which they live. Above all, we want our students to live up to our mission statement which is to develop within the school community a sense of shared responsibility between their fellow students, the staff and their parents.
