The International Preparatory School is recognized as a Centre for Cambridge International Examinations. As such, the school is authorized to administer the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE), A-Levels and the Advanced International Certificate of Education (AICE), which are accepted for admission to U.K. universities as well as many universities around the world.
The International Preparatory School is regularly inspected by representatives of the U.S. State Department for it's inclusion on the list of approved school for U.S. government employees and contractors. The school has also been approved for the same purposes by the British Council.
Our international affiliations include the European Council of International Schools (ECIS) and the International Schools Service (ISS). The school is also a member of the United Kingdom Reading Association and the United Kingdom Mathematics Association.
The International Preparatory School is accredited by the Chilean Ministry of Education through Grade 8 (Year 9 in the British system).
The School Year
The school year runs from March to mid-December and is divided into two semesters. An optional summer programme is available in January. There are no classes in February. There are three weeks of winter vacation in July and one week in September for the Chilean National Holidays.
Admissions
Students who can benefit from the school's programme are admitted throughout the year after an evaluation. Records from previous schools and medical information are required.
Progress Reports
There are two progress reports during the year, one at the end of each semester. Parent-teacher meetings are scheduled twice a year and either parent or teacher may ask for special meetings if they feel it necessary.
The School Day
The school day begins at 9:00am and ends at 2:15pm for Pre-Kinder and Kinder I students. Students in Kindergarten II to Grade 5 leave school at 3:25pm and those in Grades 6 to 12 at 4:20pm. There are extracurricular activities in the afternoons from 3:35pm to 5:00pm.
Extracurricular Activities
In addition to their regular classes, students may participate in a variety of extracurricular activities in the afternoons. These include tennis, gymnastics or cheerleading, computer lab, football (soccer), scouts, basketball and karate as well as other activities which are programmed if there are a sufficient number of students interested.
House Activities
TIPS has a system of “Houses” based on that used in many British schools. Our four houses are: St. Andrew, St. David, St. George and St. Patrick. The house system is intended to promote greater integration among students of all ages and cultural backgrounds, to develop the dynamics of school spirit and to encourage inter-house activities. It is also intended to develop qualities of leadership, especially among older students, who organize many activities for their houses.
Each house is made up of students from different classes, from Pre-Kinder to Senior School, with a Captain and a Vice-Captain from the upper grades. As students participate in sports, cultural, social and educational activities, they earn points for their houses. Events might include Crazy Hat Day, Famous Person Day, Backwards Clothes Day, etc.
Transportation
Door to door transportation, run by a private concern, is available.
Uniform
Although there is no regular school uniform, a Physical Education uniform is obligatory.
