Firstly, let me say how happy and excited I am to take over from Mr Harbinson as the new Head of Seniors. Joining Merchiston International School (MIS) is a great honour and I am looking forward to supporting our students as they move forward on their educational pathway.
During the past two decades, I have been extremely fortunate to work as a teacher and educational leader in both international primary and secondary schools offering globally recognized qualifications, including IGCSEs.
My experience as an IGCSE teacher began in 2011 when I was working at an international school as a year 9 English and year 7 & 8 History teacher. The IGCSE Information and Communication Technology (ICT) had been taken ill and a replacement was needed. At the time, I did not know it, but this was the start of a 12 year journey as an IGCSE and A Level teacher. I have since taught IGCSE English First Language, English Literature, Second Language English, History, Business Studies (and A Level English Language and Business Studies).
At MIS in Seniors (years 7 to 9) we offer a blended curriculum of the content from the British National Curriculum (International Primary Curriculum) and Cambridge Assessment. This combination provides our students with the necessary range of subject knowledge, core skills and competencies required to access their chosen IGCSE subjects and perform to the best of their ability in years 10 and 11.
What are IGCSEs?
什么是IGCSE？
IGCSE stands for International General Certificate of Secondary Education and whilst based on the standards of attainment of the British Curriculum is focused on meeting the educational needs of international students. IGCSE qualifications are offered by a range of renowned and accredited exam boards including:
MIS is a registered centre for AQA, Edexcel and CAIE for both IGCSE/GCSE and A Level examinations.
Why are IGCSEs so popular?
IGCSEs are the most popular qualification for students aged between 14 and 16 in the world with more than 4800 schools in almost 150 countries offering a variety of 70 subjects.
The foundation of learning within the IGCSE program of study is heavily learner focused, with inquiry and discovery as the primary mechanisms for learning and acquisition of the prescribed subject content and skills. This encourages students to think critically, improve analytical competence, hone communication skills and become active problem solvers.
As a result, students who study IGCSEs are equipped with a strong foundation on which to continue their educational journey in years 12 and 13 and on into further education.
It should be noted that IGCSE qualifications are highly regarded by the most prestigious universities and colleges in the world, including Oxford, Harvard, MIT, Cambridge, etc.
How are students
assessed at IGCSE?
Assessment at IGCSE level can take the form of written examinations, oral interviews, coursework or practical assessments depending on the specific requirements of the course taken. This provides greater provision for learners of different abilities.
However, with all this said, don’t just take my word for it. Here is a summary, taken from of 9 benefits of students studying for IGCSEs.
1. Globally recognized qualification
The IGCSE board provides students with uniformity of education around the world. Their curriculum focuses on skill development and creative thinking.
2. Caters to student’s individual strengths
The IGCSE curriculum offers students the opportunity to explore their subjects in different difficulty levels. They offer a Core and Extended curriculum for some of their subjects.
3.Huge variety of subjects to choose from
The IGCSE board offers students a plethora of subjects. There are 5 subject groups, mainly languages, humanities, sciences, mathematics, and creative and vocational.
4. Encourages logical and critical thinking in students
The IGCSE curriculum is curated to encourage students to think critically and logically about the topics they discuss in the curriculum.
5. Develop relevant and useful skills to prepare students for the future
The IGCSE curriculum offers students subjects like Computer Science which allows students to develop their computer programming skills.
6. Assessment of the IGCSE curriculum
The IGCSE curriculum has various different types of assessments for a single subject, so as to better evaluate a student’s skills and knowledge. This allows students to explore their own unique learning styles and abilities.
7. Excellent curriculum to prepare students for universities
The IGCSE curriculum develops students to be independent thinkers and learners. This is an important trait to possess for higher education and university studies. Higher education requires students to be disciplined and responsible for their own learning.
8. Offers students a
practical approach to learning
IGCSE offers learning approaches that help to build practical skills such as analytical, communication, and cognitive skills in students. This is on top of critical thinking, problem-solving ability, and personality development.
9. Examination questions
IGCSE’s examination questions are often differentiated in terms of the level of difficulty. This is to help the school as well as students to identify their strengths and weaknesses.
At MIS we are extremely proud of the IGCSE/GCSE provision we provide our students in a variety of subjects and are determined to continue to deliver the highest quality of teaching and learning to support them achieve future success.
