LOWER SECONDARY

The VGS Middle School Academic programme is designed to meet the varied intellectual and developmental needs of students aged between 11 and 14 years. Our programme is designed to refine the core skills initiated in the Primary School, with specialist teachers guiding them in the fundamental subject-specific skills that they will require for higher studies in related areas.

Students have a broad and balanced range of subjects, including the core subjects of English, Humanities, Mathematics and Science. In addition, courses in the Arts, languages, Physical Education and other exploratory subjects in areas such as ICT ensure that students are able to learn and develop across a range of subjects. The ability to communicate in more than one language is a key goal in the Middle School curriculum, and students have access to a range of beginner, continuation and advanced language programmes. Depending on when they join the school, the campus they join, and their previous study students learn French language as well.

MIDDLE SCHOOL ASSESSMENTS – THE CHECKPOINT

Cambridge Checkpoint is an innovative new diagnostic testing service which marked a major landmark in development of assessment services for an international school. It is an invaluable tool for students; it enables access to standardised tests that provide feedback on a student’s strengths and weaknesses in key curriculum areas.

WHY CHECKPOINT?

The Checkpoint curriculum is designed to cover core content necessary for study towards IGCSE Program. Checkpoint scores are also useful predictors of future IGCSE grades in the same subject. Research has shown, not surprisingly, that candidates with a given Checkpoint score can go onto achieve a range of IGCSE results, depending on how well they prepared.

At VGS, the students will be taking the Checkpoint Examination in English, Mathematics and Science. This shall be done at the end of Grade 8. Thus in Grades 6, 7 and Grade 8 the school shall prepare the students for the Checkpoint Examination based on the syllabus issued by University of Cambridge International Examinations for the respective subjects as stated earlier.