


CAMBRIDGE LOWER SECONDARY PROGRAMME GRADE 6/YEAR 7, GRADE 7/YEAR 8 AND GRADE 8/YEAR 9
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What is the Lower Secondary Curriculum?
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Cambridge Lower Secondary is typically for learners aged 11 to 14 years. It gives schools a flexible framework for developing skills and understanding in English as a first or second language, Mathematics, Science, Cambridge Global Perspectives and ICT Starters.
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Cambridge Lower Secondary Curriculum
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Among the numerous advantages of the curriculum, designed by the Cambridge Assessment, the world’s largest provider of international education, in alignment with the most prestigious examination board, Cambridge International Examinations
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Board, are:
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Age-appropriate, internationally relevant and culturally sensitive goals
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Encouraging learners to engage with a variety of subjects and make connections between them.
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Progression tests show the students’ development through the whole process of education.
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Cambridge Lower Secondary Checkpoints are provided in Grade 8/Year 9, marked by Cambridge examiners and provide a statement of achievement as well as a diagnostic feedback report, showing how a learner has performed compared to all learners who have taken the tests in that series around the world.
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To be able to fully utilise the outstanding opportunities, the International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC) students need to have strong English and Mathematics skills and knowledge. Therefore, we complement the IMYC programme by implementing the lower secondary Cambridge Curriculum for English, Mathematics and Science. The students will utilise the skills and knowledge developed in English and Mathematics in their IMYC enquiry-based topics. Links are made to the key concepts to enable the students to develop a deeper understanding of concepts and the enquiry ideas being explored. The skills and knowledge acquired in English, Maths and Science are vital across the curriculum. This robust, rigorous and creative approach enables our students to be extremely well situated for future learning and leads up nicely for the IGCSE subjects they will study in Grades 9 and 10.
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Additionally, there are specialist Teachers in the areas of Art, ICT, Mandarin, Bahasa, Civics, Music, and Physical Education.
Expatriate students can choose 2 additional subjects in grades 7 and 8 to study, while national students have 1 lesson for an optional subject.
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IGCSE GRADES 9 AND 10
In Grade 8/Year 9, students will choose their IGCSE subjects to study in Grades 9/Year 10 and Grade 10/Year 11. IGCSE is a two-year course. English, Mathematics, and Science are foundation subjects, with a range of other subjects available depending on student aptitude and preference. Options on top of English, Mathematics and Science may include Humanities subjects, Art, Sciences, ICT, Business and Economics, and additional languages. The IGCSE ( International Certificate of Secondary Education) is a world-recognised qualification.
Following IGCSE we will offer the prestigious two-year A Level programme in Grade 11/Year 12 and Grade 12/Year 13.
International A Levels are an educational pathway available in some of the top high schools in New Zealand. Many studying this pathway will go on to gain admission into some of the world’s top universities like Harvard, Stanford and Cambridge.
Most students and parents would have heard about A Levels from one place or another, but I bet very few people actually know exactly what this pathway entails. For starters, did you know that International A Levels come in different “flavours”? The most common “flavour”, or assessment provider of A Levels, is Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE, formerly known as CIE) – run by the University of Cambridge.
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To provide some context, the International A Levels are based on the UK high school education system. Edexcel and Cambridge are just two different organisations that provide an internationally adapted version of the British high school education to a global student base.
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Edexcel and Cambridge subjects are very well-designed and follow a logical, structured syllabus with all the learning goals a student should expect to master throughout their A Level qualification laid out. You can easily check out the syllabus of a subject you’re interested in taking by googling “Edexcel International A Level Geography syllabus” or “Cambridge International A Level Physics syllabus.”
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Curriculum Structure
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The A Level is broken down into two parts: the AS Level and A2 Level.
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The first year of your A Level qualification is known as the AS Level, with a set of examinations at the end of the year.
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The second year of your A Level is known as the A2 Level, with another set of examinations at the end of the year.
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If you choose to take an AS Level subject and its exams without sitting the A2 Level the next year, you won’t complete the A Level qualification and instead receive just the AS qualification. This can be used towards University Entrance (UE) in many countries.
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Typically, students take 4-5 AS Level subjects in their second-to-last year of high school. They will then go on to take 3-4 of those subjects at the A2 Level, often taking extra subjects at AS Level to fill up their timetable (without completing the full A Level) in their final year of high school.




