Key Stage 3

Key Stage 3 includes Years 7 to 9.

The National Curriculum of England provides the framework for the curriculum but it has been modified to reflect the School’s Vision and Mission statement and so meet the needs of the students at BSM.  It is important that the Key Stage 3 curriculum builds on students’ experiences in Key Stage 2 in order to continue to develop a firm grasp of the fundamental knowledge, skills, and concepts that will eventually enable successful entry into a wide range of national and international education institutions.  The School’s commitment to the underlying National Curriculum principle that the education offered to students of this age should be ‘broad, balanced, relevant and differentiated’ greatly facilitates this objective.

      
There are six lessons a day for all students.  The first three lessons of the day are 50 minutes and the last three, 55 minutes.

Subjects that are taught in Key Stage 3 and the lesson allocation are:

Key Stage 4

Key Stage 4 includes Years 10 and 11, during which students work towards General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) and International General Certificate of Secondary Education Examinations (IGCSE) examinations.

I(GCSE) examinations are qualifications for all students which are taken at age sixteen in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland.  In the UK, they are a direct stepping stone to pre-university courses such as the IB Diploma or A levels.  Currently, students at BSM take GCSE exams in English and English Literature, and then have several choices between History, Geography, and Business Studies, and Art, Drama, and Music.  Students also follow short GCSE courses in Religious Education and Physical Education.

The IGCSE is an equivalent qualification offered by many schools overseas, including BSM.  Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics, French, Mandarin, or Spanish are currently offered at IGCSE.

At BSM, students must take English Language, English Literature, Mathematics, Science, Religious Education, Personal Social and Health Education and Games.  In addition, students can choose a further four subjects from a selection of Options.

There are six lessons a day.  The number of lessons per week allocated to each subject at Key Stage 4 is indicated below:

 

* a student would not take History or Geography in two option blocks.  These are included in both groupings to give students a wider range of choices.

GCSE and IGCSE are graded on an A* to G Level.  Whilst all grades within this range are passes, for most employers, and an ability to continue with post-sixteen education, grades A* to C are viewed as ‘good’ grades.  (I)GCSE courses run for two years with terminal examinations in the May/June of Year 11.  They are world recognised qualifications and our results since 2003 show a 100 percent pass rate of 6 A* to C grades.

Coursework is an integral part of some subjects and can contribute as much as 30 percent towards the final grade.

International Baccalaureate (IB)

In Years 12 and 13, students follow the Diploma programme offered by the International Baccalaureate Organisation (IBO).  The course is designed to equip students with the best foundation possible for entry into the world’s top universities.  The IBO was set up in 1968 with this specific goal and is the programme of choice in British and international schools worldwide.


IB is a two-year programme of studies taken in six subjects.  Three subjects are taken at Higher Level (HL) and three at Standard Level (SL).  In addition, students are required to produce or partake in the three central components of the IB Diploma; these are Theory of Knowledge, Creativity, Action and Service (CAS), and an Extended Essay in a personal research topic.  Due to the intensive and challenging nature of the course, students must satisfy entry requirements and display a real interest in continuing their education to a tertiary level.



Students select one subject from each group of subjects and decide whether to study these at SL (three lessons per week) or HL (five lessons per week).  Students must select three SL subjects and three HL subjects.


The groups of subjects are:

1.  First Language: English
2.  Second Language: French, Mandarin, Spanish
3.  Individual and Society: History, Geography, Psychology, Economics
4.  Experimental Sciences: Biology, Physics
5.  Mathematics
6.  Electives: Business Management, Chemistry, Drama, Music, Psychology, Theatre Studies

The IB Diploma course encourages breadth of knowledge, understanding, and experience.  These are promoted through the following compulsory areas:

The Extended essay – this is an original piece of research of up to 4,000 words.  Students can investigate a topic of their own interest.  This encourages independent research skills.

Creativity, action, and Service – this aspect of the course encourages students to be responsible and compassionate citizens.  It can include art activities, individual and team sports and services to the local community.

Theory of Knowledge – this part of the course makes students reflect critically about knowledge gained both in and outside the classroom.  It explores the relationship between the various subjects that the students study.