International School of Lusaka – Journey from IMYC Implementation to Recognition

A Longstanding Commitment to International Education

The International School of Lusaka (ISL) has been part of the educational landscape in Zambia since 1963. Over the years, the school has developed a strong commitment to providing an internationally minded education that prepares learners to engage confidently with an increasingly interconnected world. Today, ISL offers a range of internationally recognised programmes, including the International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme (IBPYP), International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC), IGCSE and International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). These programmes provide a coherent learning journey from the primary years through to secondary education.

Introducing the IMYC at ISL

ISL introduced the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) in 2016, beginning a carefully planned, year by year implementation across the Middle School. Rather than introducing the curriculum across all year groups at once, the school gradually rolled it out, allowing teachers and leaders to develop their understanding and practice as implementation progressed.

Over the years, ISL has actively participated in a number of International Curriculum Association (ICA) activities and opportunities. These experiences have contributed to the professional development of our teachers and strengthened our understanding of the IMYC. However, after several years of implementation, an important question remained: Are we implementing the IMYC as effectively and as consistently as we believe we are? This question led us to undertake the Recognition process.

Why We Chose Recognition

For ISL, Recognition was an opportunity to gain an external perspective on our implementation of the IMYC. Having implemented the curriculum for almost a decade, we wanted to establish where we were in our journey, affirm the practices that were working well and identify areas that may have been overlooked. The process became much more than an external review. It encouraged us to pause, reflect and examine our practice more deliberately.

As Muchindu Chizyuka, IMYC Coordinator at ISL, reflected:

“The process was enriching, from the writing of the Recognition Improvement Learning Portfolio and gathering the evidence, to having a clear perception of where we are as a school in implementing the IMYC.”

Reflection Through the RILP

One of the most valuable aspects of the Recognition journey was the preparation of the Recognition Improvement Learning Portfolio (RILP). Gathering evidence across the school required us to look closely at what we do, why we do it and how effectively our practices reflect the principles and expectations of the IMYC. The process helped us recognise that, even after many years of implementation, there are aspects of practice that can easily be taken for granted or overlooked. The evidence gathering and self reflection therefore provided an opportunity to reconnect with the purpose behind our curriculum decisions and to identify areas for further development.

Strengthening Alignment Across ISL

Recognition has also strengthened the alignment between the IMYC and the other programmes offered at ISL. With IBPYP, IMYC, IGCSE and IBDP all forming part of the school’s learning journey, coherence between programmes is important. The external evaluation processes associated with our other programmes have encouraged us to consider consistency, progression and learning across the school.

The IMYC Recognition process has complemented this work by prompting us to examine how the Middle School curriculum connects with the wider learning journey at ISL. It has helped us identify opportunities to further strengthen continuity between programmes rather than viewing them as separate curriculum structures.

Teacher Voices

The Recognition process also provided an opportunity for teachers to reflect on their own practice. Teachers who participated in the teacher panel shared that the experience affirmed their practice as IMYC teachers, while also helping them recognise areas where further improvement is needed. This balance was particularly valuable. Recognition was not simply about confirming what we were doing well; it also created space for honest reflection about what could be strengthened.

A School Community Experience

The involvement of different members of the ISL community helped make the Recognition process a genuinely school community experience. Four parents, eight teachers and nine students participated in panels as part of the Recognition process, providing different perspectives on the implementation and experience of the IMYC. Their involvement reinforced the importance of understanding curriculum implementation not only from the perspective of school leaders, but also through the experiences of teachers, learners and families.

From Recognition to Continued Growth

For ISL, Recognition represents an important milestone, but it is not the end of the journey. Instead, it has provided a clearer understanding of where we are and where we can continue to grow. We would encourage other schools considering ICA Recognition to see the process as an opportunity for deeper reflection rather than simply a validation exercise. Even schools that have been implementing the IMYC for many years can discover practices that need strengthening, questions that need revisiting and opportunities for further development.

Recognition provides a structured opportunity to step back from day to day practice, examine the evidence and gain guided external feedback. For ISL, this has helped us celebrate our progress while developing a clearer direction for the next stage of our IMYC journey. It has therefore not marked the completion of this first stage of our IMYC journey towards Accreditation. It has given us a clearer view of the journey so far and a stronger foundation from which to continue improving learning for our students.