La Côte International School (LCIS) in Aubonne has just announced that it will launch a new, enhanced secondary curriculum in August 2018.
Combining the very best elements of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (MYP) and iGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education), the new curriculum has been designed to help students prepare better for the rapidly changing demands of the modern world.
According to new incoming Principal, Mel Curtis, the best schools are now moving away from a traditional ‘one size fits all’ approach and are instead offering a bespoke programme of study that fits their context and their students better. She told knowitall.ch, “We live in a world where young people need to be equipped for so much more than just examination success - we are asking our youngsters to add value to the world, to change mindsets and to give something back.”
A bespoke programme combining the best elements of the MYP and iGCSE
From August 2018, LCIS students aged 14-16 years will follow a new curriculum, which will blend together the best of the MYP – reputed for its enquiry-based and student-led focus on creativity, independent learning, reflection, community and service - with the rigorous structure of the externally-validated iGCSE examination system, which is highly respected worldwide.
In practical terms, this means that students will build on their understanding of philosophy, gained as part of the school’s Primary curriculum, by following a concise Theory of Knowledge (TOK) course in their iGCSE compulsory core subjects that will prepare them better for the TOK course studied from the age of 16 at Diploma Programme (DP) level. In addition, they will be expected to use their MYP skills to produce a shortened version of the Extended Essay, a key element of the DP programme which is also highly acclaimed, particularly by top universities. As a key component of the MYP programme, Service Learning will continue to play a significant role in the new curriculum.
At the same time as developing these essential MYP skills, students will work towards the academically demanding iGCSE examinations, so the two programmes will be very much intertwined rather than running in parallel. Students at the Nord Anglia-owned school will also reap the many other benefits of being part of this global education network, which include partnerships with world-leading organizations such as the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and The Juilliard School for performing arts.
Preparing students for the future
Explaining the rationale behind the new curriculum to knowitall.ch, Head of Secondary, Kate Bradley said, “Throughout my international teaching career, I have often heard students asking if they will ever use what they learn at school in the real world" This a question that every school should carefully consider and one that LCIS is confident will not need to be asked. We have made our Secondary curriculum provision real, relevant and purposeful, enabling our students to develop crucial skills for their future. Indeed, we are preparing our young people for their next steps beyond the school gates; whether that be into apprenticeships; into the world of work, or into higher education at some of the world's finest universities.”
She continued, “At LCIS we very much want to celebrate crucial aspects of education, which are absent from performance tables but vital to a happy and successful life. At the same time, we want to equip our Secondary students for the future and give them the opportunity to leave the school or enter the IB Diploma Programme with a widely-recognised formal qualification at the age of 16. I strongly believe our new academic offer at LCIS is unique in the La Côte region and I’m really looking forward to seeing our Secondary students flourish as they grow into confident, creative and critical learners as well as collaborative and caring individuals.”
Alongside this exciting new development in the international stream, LCIS continues to offer a strong Swiss maturité bilingual stream in collaboration with Collège Champittet, which was launched in August 2016. Within this stream, students aged between 10 and 13 can choose to follow an English-French bilingual curriculum based on the "plan d'études romand" (PER), which will prepare them for the Bilingual English-French Swiss Maturité (maturité fédérale).
La Côte International School
Chemin de Clamogne 8
1170 Aubonne
Switzerland
Admissions: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
022 823 26 26
www.international-school.org
