Vision, mission and values
Our vision, mission and values guide teaching, student support and the way we work with families.
Our values, told by the IAS tiger.
Against the Warsaw skyline and the Vistula, our tiger introduces the school’s vision, mission and eight shared values.
Our values, told by the IAS tiger.
1 min 06 sec · Animated film in English
Vision
Who they can become.
To develop confident, principled global citizens who think critically, act ethically, and lead with empathy in a changing world.
We want children to feel able to ask questions, listen to a different point of view, and recognise how their choices affect other people.
Mission
How we help them grow.
The International American School of Warsaw provides high quality, student-centred international education within a principled community. In partnership with families, we nurture critical thinkers, compassionate leaders, and lifelong learners who are prepared for university and for meaningful lives in a complex global society.
Teachers work with families to understand each child’s interests, progress and support needs.
Eight values. Everyday choices.
We ask students to practise these values in lessons, activities and their relationships with others.
- Respect
- We treat every individual with dignity and cultural understanding
- Integrity
- We act with honesty, responsibility, and academic integrity
- Resilience
- Approaching challenge, uncertainty, and failure with perseverance.
- Curiosity
- We value inquiry, critical thinking and intellectual courage
- Responsibility
- We take ownership of our learning, our actions, and our impact
- Global Mindedness
- We embrace diversity and prepare for an interconnected world
- Collaboration
- Working effectively with others across difference
- Service
- Contributing to community beyond self
Our official 2026 vision, mission and values, together in one document.
Our mission in school life.
Children experience our mission through the people around them, the support they receive and the time they have to learn.
- Time to belong
- A child can join IAS in Kindergarten and continue through Grade 12. For families moving between countries, staying within one school community gives friendships and confidence time to grow.
- Teachers and families, together
- Our 7:1 student-teacher ratio supports personal attention. Teachers work with children and their families to understand what is going well, notice difficulties and decide what will help.
- Learning from one another
- Our community brings together more than 40 nationalities. Children learn to explain their thinking, listen to different experiences and work with classmates whose lives may be different from their own.
- Room to think
- Our school in Kabaty, Ursynów, is beside Kabaty Forest. Time outdoors gives children space to play, notice what is around them and return to learning with fresh questions.
IAS has been teaching in Warsaw since 1989. Read about our history and the accreditations behind our programmes.
Download our vision, mission and values
Our statements and all eight IAS values, together on one branded poster. Save it, share it, or display it at home or school.
Download editable SVG · Text editing requires the Mukta font.
Let’s talk about your child.
Visit IAS to meet the admissions team and discuss your child’s interests and needs.
