Branch “Nazarbayev Intellectual School of Physics and Mathematics in Semey” of the AEO “Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools” was established on September 13, 2009. The school is one of 20 schools opened in all regions of Kazakhstan at the initiative of the country's president, N.A. Nazarbayev.

At the moment, about 700 students of grades 7 to 12 study at the school and about 190 pedagogical employees and persons with equivalent status work for the school. The school has a dormitory for 120 students. 

The school passed CIS International Accreditation in 2016-17 school year. The school obtained official status of a member of the Council of International Schools (CIS) that is the main organization in the field of international education for the accreditation of schools, promotion of higher standards and latest achievements in the field of education. The school became a member of the CIS and confirmed its compliance with international standards in terms of school life and learning process. Joining the CIS community opens up broad prospects for the development and continuous improvement for the school. This, in turn, proves that the school strives to achieve the highest quality of education.

The school adopted the Guidelines that were developed in cooperation with students, teachers and staff, as well as parents. The mission of the school is to provide high quality education, provide a trilingual environment and develop leadership skills in students.

The school implements NIS Programme. The programme was developed by the teachers of Nazarbayev Intellectual Schools and is a joint project prepared in cooperation with the consultants of the Cambridge Assessment International Education. The model of the educational program applied in our school is represented in two stages: Primary school (grades 7-10), High school (grades 11-12). The educational program is aimed at achieving the students' specific learning goals that include not only the acquisition of a certain amount of knowledge but also the ability to apply them in solving educational/life problems.

The programme is added with elective courses that work in the school and provide selection opportunities for students. The most popular among students are STEM, Design Thinking, Drama, Robotics, Critical Thinking. Students also participate in the Summer Courses at the top US universities (Stanford, D. Hopkins, Columbia).

The school implements a system of criteria-based assessment. Graduates of the school go through the procedure of external summative assessment. The principles and processes of external summative assessment are based on the best international practices and are consistent with the procedures followed by the Cambridge Assessment International Education.

Since 2011, the school implements team teaching method that suggests joint lesson conducted by two teachers, local and foreign teachers. The goal of team teaching is to create a language environment for improving English language of students, exchange of pedagogical experience between teachers, as well as the development of concepts of internationalism and interculturalism in students.

The development of global thinking is one of the foundations of educational programs and is supported through a system of clubs and projects.

In particular, significant contribution to development to this direction is introduction of the Model of United Nations to the curriculum Global Perspectives in grade 11 classes and establishment of Club of Global Initiatives as part of after-hour activities for grades 7-10. Cooperation with a number of international schools abroad has been also established. In particular, it is International School of Prince of Wales in Malaysia, Furr High School (American school in Houston, Texas), Ratton school in Brighton. Since 2017, a permanent partnership with the School of International Baccalaureate (IB), Mumbai, India, has been established.

Much attention is paid to professional development of employees, which is available for teachers at the international level, outside the school, inside the school and online. A number of teachers of the school were trained according to master's programs and internships in the USA, Great Britain, Finland, and Nazarbayev University.

There are internal school courses for continuing education such as English and Kazakh languages, “Development of gifted children”, “Development of functional literacy and assessment of educational achievements of students through the development and testing of test tasks”. Training seminars and classes on “New Media Technologies”, CLIL. Foreign teachers conduct in-school seminars for teachers, such as ones related to organization of formative assessment of students, as well as subject master-classes on teaching methods.

Its main purpose is to improve English language skills and leadership skills, to deepen knowledge of the subjects through project and research activities. The content of the program is improved through active participation of international teachers in planning and implementation of integrated summer school program, which is based on research and development in English. There is a strong desire to provide a key component of internationalism and intercultural relations for development of basic skills of interculturalism and tolerance for further development during the next academic year.

The system of additional education is represented by 45 project groups and 6 clubs that are conducted by both local and foreign teachers and community volunteers. For students a wide range of project groups is presented to students for development of their abilities, creativity and sports, deepening on projects clubs.

These are dancing, chess, scouting, Japanese and culture, amateur radio, French and culture; sports events are also conducted on Saturdays: chess tournaments, volleyball, basketball and mini-football; in addition, there are electives courses for French, German and Chinese; preparatory lessons for olympiads, exams and individual counseling sessions for those students that need support.

At more formal level, students are selected for participation in research school, summer camps abroad and in Kazakhstan, as well as for local and international olympiads. The club system unites like-minded people: TEDx, Wikipedia, GIN, MUN, Leadership School, REDx readers club. The school has achieved significant success in local, national and international Olympiads.

Students of the school become prize winners of the International Zhautykov Olympiad, International Olympiad “Tuymaada”, European Mathematical Cup, Republican Olympiad in general subjects, etc. For the past two years, school students have been actively involved in international MUN conferences. They went to KazNU to take part in Al-Farabi conference “New Silk Way”, which is the largest in Central Asia. The school has joined UNESCO Schools Association and takes part in various creative, scientific festivals and competitions.

The development of a creative disciplines and sports is one of the priorities of the school. Students receive recognition at network, national and international competitions, in particular, on vocals, choreography, painting and graphics, dramatic art, etc.

Among winners are the laureates of the republican, international festivals in the vocal genre, winners of military sports competitions, chess tournament and “togyz kumalak” at the republican level.

In this academic year, project "Creative Saturday" is launched. Targeted psychological support of pupils of grade 7, development of creative abilities through projects “100 kyi”, “100 an”, “100 kіtap” and classes in the dance studio are conducted under such project.

Starting from grade 7, map for student's professional development and map of professional self-determination of pupils of grade 10-12 grades is created.

Particular emphasis is made on cooperation with parents. Parents committee take active part to support the policy of the school, helps solving many problems and participates in the life of the school. The School Board also provides support to school.

Graduates of the school are oriented to admission to prestigious higher educational institutions of both national and international level. At the moment, the graduates of the school are students of international universities of such countries as China (PolyU, NUST, CIT), Russian Federation (MSU named after Lomonosov, MEPI, ITMO, etc.), South Korea (PNU, KAIST), United Arab Emirates (NYUAD, Jumeira University), Finland (Mikkeli University), Hungary (Corvinus University of Budapest).

Semey, Karagaily 1, tel 8 7222 636350

E-mail: info@sm.nis.edu.kz

Web-site: sm.nis.edu.kz