Boarding

Boarding at ISB is all about community, where our boarders and experienced house staff come together to create a loving and inclusive home away from home. Our core values are centred on care, compassion, and trust. We encourage every member to be patient, responsible, and kind.

ISB Residence is home to students and staff from around the world, learning to live with people who are both similar and different in numerous ways. This develops empathy, interpersonal skills, and understanding of others, all of which are all crucial in becoming independent global citizens.

Bamboo and Orchid are the two wings of the Residence building that we call home. One of our favourite aspects of the Residence is that all students are able to use the communal spaces downstairs. The upstairs wings are separated by gender, with girls living in Bamboo and boys living in Orchid. Both wings provide a range of socialising spaces tailored to different age groups. Boarding staff work across both houses and the same core values and structures are shared by all. We use the ISB approach where everyone excels in supporting everything we do and encourage students to reflect on their actions and achievements.

Boarding students are supported by a large number of supervisory staff to ensure that they have their needs met on a daily basis. A number of staff live in both wings: some are academic staff who also teach and others’ roles are solely in boarding. Teachers from the school also support students in their academic development during the week being part of “Study Time”, while others help with their Extended Learning Opportunities.

Throughout the week and on weekends, we offer students a variety of optional activities in sports, music, drama, and cooking. On weekends, there are optional trips like shopping, jungle walks, water parks, and laser tag. Additionally, once a term, we promote community trips, giving students the opportunity to give back to the local Brunei community.

At ISB Residence, our students participate in a unique programme called Boardership. This bespoke programme is designed to nurture personal growth, develop essential life skills, and instill the values needed for success and well-being in life beyond school. The aim of Boardership is to equip students with the tools and knowledge to excel both personally and professionally, while fostering a strong sense of community, independence, excellence and responsibility.

Boardership is integrated into the ISB Residence’s daily and weekly schedule, featuring workshops, group discussions, events, and activities that reinforce key skills and values. The programme is led by dedicated boarding staff, mentors, and external experts, who guide students through a range of interactive learning modules.