Our Mission in Prep 1-6 is to build bilingual students of good character who have strong academic ability, holistic interests and a lifelong love of learning. By the end of Prep 6 BMH students should be able to progress to BMH Junior High School or to a Chinese medium school. Allow me to expand below.
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Junior High School
Destination
We hope BMH students will continue to aspire to progress to BMH Junior High School for Senior 7, 8 and 9 and then an English medium Senior School such as, preferably, Bromsgrove School UK to pursue IGCSEs, A levels and English medium University admission.
For students who wish to move on to boarding schools overseas or other schools in China at the end of Prep 6, we are happy to assist with references and any extra preparation that may be needed such as CAT4 practice.
Our curriculum covers all of the content of the compulsory curriculum of China but is studied using the best 21st Century pedagogical approaches and taught using Chinese and English as the medium of instruction. Teaching teams take great care to blend the content of the compulsory curriculum and supporting textbook and other resources with the best of western teaching resources available for each subject.
IT, role play, group work, practical work, inquiry, investigation and project based learning, all play a role in helping to ensure teaching and learning is active, visible and engaging.
In English Prep 1-6 are taught by experienced expatriate English specialist teachers in smaller ability groups in order to provide more individual attention and better-differentiated teaching. A very coherent and rigorous English programme is followed from Pre School all the way to Senior 9 based on the best English teaching and learning practice. English is assessed on the Central European Framework for Languages (CEFR) which means parents can see how their child’s mastery of English is progressing on that scale (which also maps to other scales such as the IELTS scale). Good use is made of IT to augment and extend teaching and learning.
In mathematics each class has some of their lessons taught in Chinese by bilingual mathematics teachers and some of the lessons in English by experienced expatriate mathematics teachers. From Prep 4 onwards we set by ability in order to provide more individualised and differentiated teaching. Teachers work closely together to blend the best of the very rigorous Beijing Normal University Maths Scheme with western mathematics resources and approaches.
Chinese is taught by well qualified and specialist Chinese teachers who teach the compulsory Chinese curriculum of China taking care to blend in best pedagogical practices from East and West.
Science and Inquiry are taught in both Chinese and English by both bilingual and expatriate teachers. Student curiosity, engagement and agency are promoted through practical work, investigation, research, presentation, production and performance. This helps raise enjoyment and develop communication and thinking skills. Engagement is very important in inquiry and we strive to build excursions and visits by experts into the programme.
These subjects are taught in English and Chinese and often link with Inquiry with an emphasis on the creative process as well as the acquisition and development of necessary knowledge and skills. Links with MH Maker, LAMDA, ABRSM, Performing Arts companies, MH Eco Park and PGA help us to provide a greater range of opportunities for students.
Students in Prep 1-6 are taught most subjects in classes of 24 students or less and are nurtured in their homeroom classes by a Chinese bilingual and an expatriate English speaking banzhuren.
All parents are members of the homeroom parent teacher association, which aids home school collaboration. The school doctor, nurse and counselor, Senior teacher and Deputy Head Pastoral all collaborate to ensure children are well looked after.
Cambridge Style Assessment
Throughout Prep 1-6, students are assessed regularly using Cambridge Pathway style assessment questions and parents are given feedback on the Cambridge IGCSE grades their children are on track for based on their performance against Cambridge Assessment International Education criteria.
DoE Assessment
We also sit DoE Assessments at the end of each term throughout Prep 1-6. These provide a further measure of how well BMH students have mastered the more demanding compulsory education content in Chinese, English, Maths, Morality and Science. Feedback on these DoE Assessments is also included in the End of Term Exam Reports.
From Prep 4 upwards, BMH students are warmly encouraged to join our weekly boarding where we are able to further support their academic and holistic development.
