Secondary – International Curriculum
In our Secondary years programme at Tenby International School, students navigate Key Stage 3 (Year 7 – Year 9) and Key Stage 4 (Year 10 & Year 11), working towards attaining their IGCSEs at the completion of Year 11. This is an important stage in education where students will mature towards becoming responsible young adults, and we encourage them to be resilient, ambitious individuals who take responsibility for their decisions and their future.
Academic achievement is certainly important throughout this crucial stage in education. However, Secondary is also about developing the whole person. It is at this stage that Amazing Learning moves beyond the classroom and makes a greater impact on the character of students, and we develop a set of attributes found in the ‘Tenby Learner Profile’ that guide the development of students with the right values to succeed beyond school life.
Curriculum & Areas of Learning
We follow the National Curriculum for England (NCUK) in a variety of subjects throughout the Secondary years.
Key Stage 3
Students in Years 7-9 have access to a wide range of subjects to fully prepare them for advancement to the IGCSE program in Key Stage 4. The subjects offered are:
- English Language and Literature
- Mathematics
- Science (Physics, Biology & Chemistry)
- History
- Geography
- Mandarin
- Bahasa Melayu
- Physical Education (PE)
- Computing
- Music
- Art
- Personal Social & Health Education (PSHE)
Key Stage 3 students also enjoy full access to the UniFrog careers platform and regular careers guidance sessions, university fairs and seminars designed to help them make good choices for their future. Typical lessons are focused on allowing every student to learn or ‘get better’ regardless of their ability level and are student centred and interactive. Full EAL and SEN support is available to students as required.
Key Stage 4
Year 10 and 11 students are enrolled on a flexible program that culminates with the renowned Cambridge Assessment International Education: International General Certificate of Education (IGCSE) that are recognized worldwide. All students are expected to sit Core subjects of: English, Maths and at least 1 Science (Malaysian students must sit the Bahasa Melayu IGCSE). We offer personalized guidance on making IGCSE subject selections to each student.
The full selection of subjects offered in Key Stage 4:
- English 1st Language
- English 2nd Language
- Literature
- Mathematics
- Additional Mathematics
- Biology
- Physics
- Chemistry
- History
- Geography
- Business Studies
- Music
- Art and Design
- Computing
- Physical Education (PE)
- Bahasa Melayu
- 1st Language Chinese
- Chinese 2nd Language
*subjects choices are dependent on availability and enrolment numbers
We can also arrange for other IGCSE subjects to be sat on a case by case basis. (For example, Korean First Language).
Key stage 4 students also take the non-examination subjects of PE, to promote healthy living and fitness, and PSHE, to learn about personal and social topics. Student also enjoy full access to the UniFrog careers platform and regular careers guidance sessions, university fairs and seminars designed to help them make the best choices upon graduating. Full EAL and SEN support is available to students as required. .
Areas of Development
Teachers play a key role in Secondary education. In addition to providing a support system for independent learning, it is their responsibility to set the right targets for students, provide personalised feedback and ensure that students internalise the right reflections and good habits from their learning.
In today’s changing world, however, not all learning is knowledge-based or even specific subject-based. While academic achievement is a key goal in Secondary education, students will eventually be in competition against similarly successful candidates for university places and careers, and need to stand out from the crowd.
In order to communicate this to students and to be able to explicitly refer to these softer attributes that students should acquire, we created the ‘Tenby Learner Profile’. It consists of the following 10 attributes that we feel our learners develop over their time here and provides an all-round profile that allows them to be successful in whatever they choose to do in life. Developing these traits early in Secondary education is key to set the foundation for further development in later years.
A Tenby Learner is…
Responsible
An Effective Communicator
Resilient
Compassionate
Interdependent
Confident
Resourceful
Internationally Minded
Reflective
Inquisitive
Our aim is to develop holistic learners who get better - academically, socially, emotionally and more - through good struggle inside and outside the classroom, and become independent, self-motivated individuals ready for the next step in their educational journey.
Outside The Classroom
For Secondary students, and Key Stage 4 students in particular, we strongly encourage being active in the broader school community in order to broaden their perspective on life.
In addition to co-curricular activities, students have many opportunities to step out of their comfort zone and take responsibility. School camps develop camaraderie and teamwork skills in peer group settings, while sports team allow leadership and organisational skills to thrive. Students also explore their potential through prefectorial roles, participating in musical or dramatic production, taking part in the Student Council and many, many more opportunities.
