By the time students have reached the Upper School they have strong foundations and by this stage they have been taught critical thinking skills and how to be independent learners.
The Upper School has, as its final objective, the passing of the IGCSE exams. It’s a four hour course a week which is separated into Language Development (2 hours a week) and IG skills (2 hours a week).
A lot of time is spent on in depth speaking practice during these years as students are more confident speakers of English. Students create their own powerpoint presentations on various current affairs and topics related to the world around them. In addition, debates take place regularly and this instigates passionate views and opinions. Larger projects are also carried out where students take on more serious team work with all the responsibility that goes with it. Not only do students enhance their collaboration and communication skills but they continue to develop their critical thinking skills and creativity which are clear prerequisites to succeed in today’s world.
Through the use of technology, they learn to carry out research which deepens their learning. Further, they learn how to solve problems i.e. learning from failure or starting over, they learn to look at problems with a critical thinking lens. This boosts their self-confidence and teaches them to take pride in their work. They learn how to time manage projects and assignments and take ownership of their work thus strengthening their weaknesses to ensure a successful grade in the IGCSE English exams.