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Ages 14-16

IGCSE CURRICULUM

This period at our IGCSE School in Shanghai, Puxi marks an important time in a student’s education. In many countries, it’s the last two years of compulsory school and a defining moment as, with our guidance, your child makes the academic choices that will give them access to top universities and other future goals. We prepare students for International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) exams, the international version of the GCSE courses taken by students in England. The IGCSE curriculum offers a good foundation for future participation in a global society and courses are offered in a range of subjects.
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SHANGHAI IGCSE SCHOOL CURRICULUM

At our British High School in Shanghai, Puxi, students can make choices about the direction and focus of their learning. When making their subject choices, students are encouraged to carefully consider their interests, their strengths, and their ambitions. 
 
At BISS, we run additional activities alongside our students’ IGCSE studies to maintain a healthy balance and to prepare them for the future. All our students take core Physical Education and have Guidance lessons to cover the broader topics of life, health, general wellbeing, careers, and higher education.
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THE IGCSE COURSE

At BISS, we follow the English National Curriculum. However, we make sure our courses are designed to provide a truly all-round global education. The IGCSE course is important as it’s an internationally recognised qualification that will not only strengthen university applications but also ensure that students gain the necessary academic, social, and critical skills required for a successful career in the future.
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COMPULSORY AND OPTIONAL IGCSE SUBJECTS

All our students take English, Mathematics, Global Perspectives and a second language – choosing from Mandarin, Korean, French, German, Spanish, and Dutch.  

We also offer a range of specialised IGCSE subjects for your child to study at this stage, and on to the International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme (IBDP). To help you and your child with their choices, we provide support through the options process.

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  • UPPER SECONDARY

A TYPICAL DAY AT OUR IGCSE SCHOOL IN SHANGHAI, PUXI

The IGCSE subject choices students make at this stage impact their exam and university options in the future. Our professional colleagues and teachers are always on hand to help students make the right decisions while inspiring them to be the best they can be.
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GETTING FOCUSED
Students start their day in advisory groups before lessons begin, helping them to organise and plan the day ahead.
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GETTING FOCUSED
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CHALLENGING ACADEMICS
The school day starts with a focus on results, our world-renowned curriculum ensuring that every student is engaged in the learning opportunities of a personalised education.
CHALLENGING ACADEMICS
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UNIVERSITY GUIDANCE
Students receive dedicated specialist support from our Higher Education team as they work on their applications to universities around the world.
UNIVERSITY GUIDANCE
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CALCULUS LESSONS
In the afternoon, students dive into further in-depth studies of their chosen subjects—specifically tailored to bring about the right results to get them into top universities.
CALCULUS LESSONS
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ENHANCHING OUR TECHNICAL SKILLS
Those students with a focus on STEAM delve further into the concept of “mens et manus”, or mind and hand, as advocated by MIT. This drives our focus on cross-curricular learning along with the understanding that exciting discoveries can occur when subjects interact.
ENHANCHING OUR TECHNICAL SKILLS
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BECOMING LEADERS
House leaders organise events for all students across a range of activities, teaching them leadership skills while giving back to the school community. 
BECOMING LEADERS

CAMBRIDGE QUALIFICATIONS

At BISS, our students prepare for and are entered for the Cambridge International Examination. Success in Cambridge qualifications gives students admission to the world’s best universities – in the UK, US, Australia, Canada, Germany and beyond.  
 
Cambridge qualifications are accepted and valued by universities around the world, including MIT, Harvard, and Cambridge. They are recognised as qualifications that prepare and equip students with the skills, they need to succeed both at university and beyond. Universities tell us that they value the independent research and critical thinking skills, as well as the deep subject knowledge, that our qualifications bring. We work with these universities when we revise our qualifications – getting expert advice to make sure we continue to develop the skills universities require. 
 
At the end of the two-year course, and after successfully completing all the requirements and examinations, students will be formally awarded a certified qualification in each subject completed. 
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A SMOOTH TRANSITION FROM IGCSE TO IB

Our bespoke and well established IB Bridging Programme ensures that students do not have to spend time adjusting to a new learning approach when they move beyond IGCSE but instead ensures that they have all the skills necessary for a seamless transition from IGCSE To IB. 
 
Our IGCSE Course offer includes compulsory components that mirror the Approaches to Learning in the IBDP. In this regard, all our IGCSE students also complete the CIE Global Perspectives course. Global Perspectives includes a formal consideration of international mindedness by promoting students to reflect on issues of global significance in a critical and thoughtful manner. 
LEARN MORE ABOUT THE IB DIPLOMA
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DUKE OF EDINBURGH INTERNATIONAL AWARD

In addition to their studies, all students complete the Duke of Edinburgh International Award.  Being set this challenge encourages our students to push themselves beyond their comfort zone. It also allows our students to set ambitious goals and formally recognises their achievements.
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CREATING A PATH TO SUCCESS

At BISS Puxi we offer a personalised learning journey throughout your child’s education. This way they can learn in a way that suits them to succeed academically, while discovering how they can make a difference in the world outside the classroom.

MORE ABOUT OUR ACADEMIC EXCELLENCE