Courses Offered

College entrants aged 11 or 12 years old (by 1 September)

Students at this age follow a course based upon the English "Common Entrance" examination. This is the main entry examination for good independent senior schools. The subjects presently studied include English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, Biology, Geography, Art and History. Some students may study French, and some may also study RE, Drama or Current Affairs. This course may be for one year (students who are 12 years old) or two years (students who are 11 years old). Students who are 11 years old may be able to leave after one academic year and join a British Public School. This will depend on their progress and choice of future school.

College entrants aged 13 years old (by 1 September)

Students at this age join the College's Year 9. Students study a wide range of subjects before making their choices for their GCSE examinations for Year 10 and 11 at their next schools.

College entrants aged 14 or 15 years old (by 1 September)

Students aged 14 are placed in the College's Year 10. Students aged 15, who do not have at least lower intermediate standard of English, are also placed in Year 10 which is the first year of the two-year GCSE/IGCSE programme. Students joining Year 10 should stay at the International College for Year 11 as well (two years in total). As well as the Year 10 classes formed in September (the start of the British educational system) each year, additional classes are formed in January and in April respectively allowing the College to provide a full two year programme, a shortened five term programme and shortened four term programme, all leading to IGCSE/GCSE examinations in the summer of the following academic year.

All students study English, Mathematics and all three Sciences. One or two additional subjects can be chosen typically from French, Geography, History, Business Studies and Additional Mathematics. Students can be entered for their native language IGCSE/GCSE (eg French, Chinese, German, Russian, Japanese). Students sit an average of seven IGCSE/GCSE subjects each.

College entrants aged 15 or 16 years old (by 1 September)

As long as these students have at least lower intermediate standard in English (Level B2 of the Common European Framework), they can join the College's special one year GCSE/IGCSE programme. This covers, in about nine months, examination material that British boys and girls take nearly two years to cover in Year 10 and 11. For the students on this course there is additional teaching on Mondays, Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Fridays. A small supplementary fee is payable each term to cover the cost of this extra teaching.

All students study English, Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry and Biology plus one or two "optional" subjects chosen from a list offered from year to year. They have included, in recent years, Business Studies, Business and Communication Systems, French, History, Geography and Art. Students on this one-year programme again usually take seven GCSE/IGCSE examinations, since students are also entered for their own language (should it be available).

General Notes:

All students also follow a course of Personal, Social and Health Education (PSHE). Each week each student meets with his or her Head of Year for a tutorial period at which basic PSHE topics are discussed.

Music lessons are also available at the College on request.