School Profile: Information for Universities

School & Community

Luanda International School (LIS) was founded in 1998 with funding from six oil companies as an international, non-profit, independent day school serving the expatriate and local community in Luanda, Angola; LIS held its first graduation ceremony in 2007. Enrollment from Early Years to Year 13 (grade 12) is approximately 608 students from 58 countries. The LIS Class of 2025 is comprised of 31 students, the largest graduating class in LIS history.

LIS Students

There are 149 students in the high school (Years 10-13) from 31 countries with the largest numbers from Angola and the United States. Most LIS students are bilingual and many hold two passports. Additional nationalities within the high school: Argentina, Australia, Belgium, Brazil, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Colombia, France, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mexico, Nigeria, Norway, Philippines, Portugal, Romania, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Sudan, United Kingdom, Venezuela, Vietnam.

International Faculty

LIS is fortunate to recruit and retain an experienced and diverse international faculty. There are 41 members of the high school faculty, 30 of whom hold a graduate degree or postgraduate diploma. A number of teachers serve as IB workshop leaders and examiners. Nationalities represented by secondary faculty: Australia, Canada, Eswatini, Ireland, Kenya, New Zealand, Poland, Portugal, South Africa, United Kingdom, United States.

IB Curriculum & Academic Pathways

LIS is an International Baccalaureate (IB) World School offering Primary Years Programme (PYP), Middle Years Programme (MYP), and Diploma Programme (DP). English is the language of instruction across all levels. A robust wellbeing curriculum is incorporated into the school day through which students explore topics such as self-management, healthy relationships, mental health, career pathways, and transition to university. All students complete Creativity, activity, service (CAS) and Theory of Knowledge (TOK) to fulfill LIS graduation requirements.

LIS offers two academic pathways:

• Dual Diploma: LIS Diploma & IB Diploma
• LIS Diploma plus IB Course Certificates

Academic Calendar & Grade Scale

The school year is divided into two semesters beginning August and January respectively. LIS reports academic achievement on a 1–7 scale, with 7 being the highest level. TOK is graded Pass/Fail. Grades are progressive over the course of the year; grades on mid-year reports are to be considered as “interim” with June marks reflecting a student’s cumulative level of achievement. Marks reported for the second semester of Year 13 are the predicted grades submitted to IB in April.

Policy on Class Rank, GPA & Higher Level Subjects

Due to small class size and the academic, linguistic, and educational diversity of our transient and international student body, LIS does not rank students or calculate GPA. LIS students are not permitted to take more than three Higher Level subjects.

Class of 2024 IB Diploma Results

Luanda International School has an inclusive, open enrollment policy with regard to the IB Diploma Programme. Of the twenty-five May 2024 graduates, 17 were candidates for the IB Diploma; 16 students passed with 12 earning Bilingual Diplomas. The average total score - with 12 students earning 2+ bonus points - was 31; the highest score in the cohort was 44.