The IGCSE Programme
The International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) is the international version of the GCSE courses taken by students in the United Kingdom. The IGCSE offers a good foundation for future participation in a global society. IGCSE courses are offered in a range of subjects. International General Certificates of Secondary Education (IGCSE) are important as they are internationally recognised qualifications that will not only strengthen university applications but also ensure that students gain the necessary academic, social and critical skills required for successful career in the future.
At Nord Anglia International School our students prepare for and are entered for the Cambridge international Examination. Success in Cambridge qualifications often give students admission to the world’s best universities – in the 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. IGCSE courses are graded in two ways, depending on the subject. Some are graded from A* (high) to G (low) whereas some use a 9 (high) to 1 (low) system.
The IGCSE Programme at Nord Anglia International School
In Year 10, students are able to make choices about the direction and focus of their learning. These choices often mark the beginning of the journey towards the IB Diploma Programme, university and employment beyond. At Nord Anglia International School Shanghai, we follow a British Curriculum in Key Stage 4. However we adapt delivery to make sure it provides our international student body a truly global education. It is probably that this the first time students have this degree of choice about their learning. When making the options choices students should consider carefully their interests, their strengths and their ambitions.
In addition to the subject options there are compulsory components that all our students are required to complete. To ensure balance and to maintain a healthy body and mind all our students take core Physical Education. Core Physical Education is offered over and above the IGCSE Physical Education qualification. Furthermore, all our students take English, a second Language, Mathematics and Global Perspectives. Students also engage with Guidance lessons to cover the broader topics of life, health, general well- being, careers and Higher Education.
Schools that have a diverse curriculum offer in different phases can find it a challenge to ensure vertical alignment in terms of ideology, quality and progression. In some schools students entering the IB Diploma Programme find it a challenge to come to terms with the approach learning style of IGCSE delivery. At Nord Anglia International School Shanghai we have well established strategies to ensure that you do not have to spend time adjusting to a new approach in Year 12 but can rather proceed with effective learning right from the outset. As such our IGCSE offer includes compulsory components that mirror the Approaches to Learning in the IB Diploma Programme. In this regard, all our IGCSE students also complete the CIE Global Perspectives course. Global Perspectives includes a formal consideration of internationalmindedness by promoting students to reflect on issues of global significance in a critical and thoughtful manner. In addition all students complete the Duke of Edinburgh International Award. Doing the Award allows for effective service learning and provides our students personal challenge. It allows our students to set ambitious goals and formally recognises their achievements.
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