What is the curriculum at ISK?
Introduction
The curriculum at ISK is derived from our Mission and Vision statements which, along with our Definition of Learning, form the central ideas that drive learning in the school. To fulfill our Mission we must ask ourselves, 'What should children learn and how should they do it?' Our curriculum is the answer to those questions and we believe that the programmes we are currently developing are the best way to achieve our vision and met the needs of our students.
ISK Definition of Curriculum
The curriculum of a school is made up of all the experiences provided by the school for the purpose of bringing about learning.
The curriculum at ISK is derived from our Mission and Vision statements which, along with our Definition of Learning, form the central ideas that drive learning in the school. To fulfill our Mission we must ask ourselves, 'What should children learn and how should they do it?' Our curriculum is the answer to those questions and we believe that the programmes we are currently developing are the best way to achieve our vision and met the needs of our students.
ISK Definition of Curriculum
The curriculum of a school is made up of all the experiences provided by the school for the purpose of bringing about learning.
Learning at ISK
Learning is fun! We aim is for all children to share in the enjoyment of learning every day. We also teach children about learning: what it is and how it comes about. At ISK we understand learning as an interaction between Knowledge, Skills and Understanding. These three elements are interdependent. For example, having the skills to drive a car is not much use unless one has some knowledge about road signs and an understanding of how roads are used by others. The interdependence of the three elements is shown when the learner driver reflects on their current knowledge of road signs and their current understanding of road use to help them determine which skills they should learn next or develop further.
The following definition is intended for use with the children at ISK.
Demonstrating Learning
As learners, we continually build on prior learning. We develop and demonstrate our learning when we:
The following definition is intended for use with the children at ISK.
Demonstrating Learning
As learners, we continually build on prior learning. We develop and demonstrate our learning when we:
- Apply our learning to new situations
- Enquire to extend our learning
- Create solutions
- Communicate our learning effectively
- Make connections across our learning
- Reflect critically on our learning
- Use learning to support personal growth in attitudes or dispositions.
Our 3 International Curriculums
ISK is developing the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC), International Primary Curriculum (IPC), International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC), Cambridge International Certificates of General Education (IGCSEs) and Cambridge Advanced and Advanced Subsiduary Levels (A-levels and AS levels). As an International school, we have the menu of the world to choose from - We teach and learn through these international curricula as we believe they support the very best provision available.
The Learning Goals of the IPC were originally designed to be slightly more demanding than those of the UK National Curriculum and the Dutch National Curriculum. ISK is now committed to using the Learning Strands of the IEYC and the Learning Goals of the IPC and the IMYC as the top level standards to which we work in all subject areas and at all age levels throughout the school.
ISK is developing the International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC), International Primary Curriculum (IPC), International Middle Years Curriculum (IMYC), Cambridge International Certificates of General Education (IGCSEs) and Cambridge Advanced and Advanced Subsiduary Levels (A-levels and AS levels). As an International school, we have the menu of the world to choose from - We teach and learn through these international curricula as we believe they support the very best provision available.
The Learning Goals of the IPC were originally designed to be slightly more demanding than those of the UK National Curriculum and the Dutch National Curriculum. ISK is now committed to using the Learning Strands of the IEYC and the Learning Goals of the IPC and the IMYC as the top level standards to which we work in all subject areas and at all age levels throughout the school.
The IMYC is a curriculum specifically designed for the needs of young adolescent learners who so often are neglected in other curricula where the focus is on the 15-16 year olds. There are about 50 schools around the world that are using the IMYC and more are joining every month. We began using the IMYC in September 2013 and the results have been outstanding so fa with learners becoming mature and thoughtful teens and ISK celebrating acreditation at mastering level - a world first. For the students it is a very dynamic curriculum in which learning across all subject areas is linked through broader concepts. This interdisciplinary approach is also exciting for the teachers because they need to collaborate as a Middle School team in order to ensure that learning is coherent across the programme.
IGCSEs are exam based courses in individual subjects that set students on the road for university readiness by ensuring a rich bank of knowledg, skills and understanding is in place to be secure in those subjects studied. Students that move onto A or AS-levels will be learning individual subjects are the highest level in readiness for university or work.
Please also visit the IEYC, IPC and IMYC websites for further information.
IGCSEs are exam based courses in individual subjects that set students on the road for university readiness by ensuring a rich bank of knowledg, skills and understanding is in place to be secure in those subjects studied. Students that move onto A or AS-levels will be learning individual subjects are the highest level in readiness for university or work.
Please also visit the IEYC, IPC and IMYC websites for further information.
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ISK Personal Goals
In our Definition of Learning above, we state that we use 'learning to support personal growth in attitudes and dispositions'. To promote this at ISK we encourage all students to be mindful of eight personal goals:
- Cooperation
- Respect
- Resilience
- Communication
- Enquiry
- Adaptability
- Morality
- Thoughtfulness
We use opportunities both in and out of the classroom to celebrate the Personal Goals in action. Our House Point system and certificates for achievement link to these goals, but at a deeper level we also try to develop awareness of personal learning through the curriculum content. What this means is that the concepts are deliberately considered in our academic work and we encourage students to link this to their own personal learning. There are a great many opportunities to do this and below are just a few small examples. For example, one might:
- Discuss respect when studying environmental issues such as deforestation or extinction.
- Discuss communication when showing students how to show their working in mathematics.
- Discuss resilience when studying the Diary of Anne Frank.
External Assessment at ISK
At ISK we use various external assessment tests in order to provide us with comparative data on student levels of achievement.
Once a year we use GL Assessment progress tests in Mathematics and English to give us comparative data on progress during the year in reading, writing, spelling and mathematics. These tests are taken by 3 million children each year and thus they are able to provide an accurate measure of ability compared against a very large data set.
Our secondary students sit CAT4 assessments at the start of Term 1. This is a diagnostic assessment that is designed to help students and their teachers understand how they learn and what their academic potential might be.
Towards the end of Term 1, when all students are settled in for the year we assess their wellbeing through the Pupils Attitudes to School and Self (PASS) Survey.
We have a team of specially trained teachers who triangulate the data from the GLs, PASS and CAT4 data to pinpoint exactly how we can support students better and dig deeper into underlying causes of potential learning difficulties for each student.
Each summer, from Year 4 upwards we use the International Schools Assessment (ISA) assessment program to provide us with an external indicator of progress in Language Arts and Mathematics. The ISA assessment program is designed specifically for students in international schools in Grades 3–10. It is based on the internationally endorsed reading and mathematical literacy frameworks of the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
Once a year we use GL Assessment progress tests in Mathematics and English to give us comparative data on progress during the year in reading, writing, spelling and mathematics. These tests are taken by 3 million children each year and thus they are able to provide an accurate measure of ability compared against a very large data set.
Our secondary students sit CAT4 assessments at the start of Term 1. This is a diagnostic assessment that is designed to help students and their teachers understand how they learn and what their academic potential might be.
Towards the end of Term 1, when all students are settled in for the year we assess their wellbeing through the Pupils Attitudes to School and Self (PASS) Survey.
We have a team of specially trained teachers who triangulate the data from the GLs, PASS and CAT4 data to pinpoint exactly how we can support students better and dig deeper into underlying causes of potential learning difficulties for each student.
Each summer, from Year 4 upwards we use the International Schools Assessment (ISA) assessment program to provide us with an external indicator of progress in Language Arts and Mathematics. The ISA assessment program is designed specifically for students in international schools in Grades 3–10. It is based on the internationally endorsed reading and mathematical literacy frameworks of the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).
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