Chesterhouse School

The Guide to the Cambridge Curriculum

What is the Cambridge Curriculum?

Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) is an Examination Board under Cambridge Assessment founded in 1858 as a department of the University of Cambridge.

CIE offers examinations and qualifications in more than 127 countries. Cambridge qualifications include international A-level, AS-level, O-level, IGCSE and Pre-U.  Examinations are open to students internationally at registered CIE centres.

CIE first developed their IGCSE more than 20 years ago for an international student body. Today, CIE offers more than 70 subjects for Cambridge IGCSE, benchmarked to UK GCSE standards.

The flexibility of these qualifications, as well as their local and worldwide acceptance, distinguishes the Cambridge examinations.

CIE is the largest provider of international secondary (age 14-18 years) examinations in the world. Over 500 000 papers were taken in 9 000 schools in 127 countries in 2009 and these numbers increase year on year. The IGCSE examinations are now also accessible to state schools in England and Wales.

Why have we chosen this curriculum at Chesterhouse?

At Chesterhouse we recognise our obligation to offer our pupils a well-reputed, trusted curriculum and have decided to choose the CIE curriculum as we know that it prepares children well for university and for life.

The Cambridge International Examinations provide a quality qualification that is internationally recognised.

How does Chesterhouse best prepare your child?

• Pupils learn the subject matter in a specialised manner.
• Pupils learn important milestones for tertiary education – not to learn the information through rote learning but to take the information and interpret it in an analytical and in-depth manner.
• Pupils learn the very important attributes of writing answers in a coherent manner that allows for a logical flow. They learn that facts become appropriately woven into analysis and critical opinion and thought. These are essential skills when presenting material for university and college courses or when entering the work place.
• Pupils learn the expectations demanded of them both in their examinations and later studies. A disciplined writing style is developed and gives an added advantage.
• Pupils learn the invaluable advantage of a good work ethic that ensures adequate preparation. They learn both the amount of time necessary for preparation and the very necessary skill of an appropriate and good use of their time.

What are the advantages of this?

• There is a high chance of academic success when they enrol at university.
• They have the information and educational ability to plan their tertiary studies or to select a career from a more informed position.
• They have a sound understanding of the higher academic demands made by tertiary education in SA and abroad.

What are the other curricula on offer in South Africa and what do they stand for?

• The NCS – the National Curriculum Statement
  This is the curriculum that is offered at all government schools in South Africa, as well as many independent and private schools. When the matric results are released in South Africa at the end of December or the beginning of January, this is the curriculum that is being referred to. Pupils take seven subjects to their Grade 12 or matric year; a first language, and a second language (both from the eleven official South African languages) must be written. Mathematics is compulsory, at least at Maths Literacy level. Life Orientation is also compulsory, although it is not examined as part of the final examinations.
• The IEB – the Independent Examinations Board
  These examinations are written by many independent and private schools across the country. The IEB matric results are often released in the media at the same time or just before the national matric results. Subject choices are the same as per the NSC, but the examinations are set by the Independent Examinations Board and are often said to be of a higher academic standard.
• The IB – the International Baccalaureate
  This curriculum and examinations are also written across the world and like Cambridge, it is offered to students who are in a school that is registered with the IB. These schools are located internationally.

How do the results in the CIE compare to others when applying for university?

Our academic staff have conducted much research into the acceptance of this curriculum by South African universities. The recently published UCT Admissions Policy for 2010 makes the following comparisons:

The NSC Rating Table	Achievement Rating	University entrance points
	A+ 90% or better	8
	A 80% or better	7
	B	6
	C	5
	D	4
	E	3
	F	0
	G below 30%	0

 

The CIE Rating Table	AS Level	IGCSE Level
	A = 8 points	A = 6 points
	B = 7 points	B = 5 points
	C = 6 points	C = 4 points
	D = 5 points
	E = 4 points

An explanation on these examinations follows as we explore what your child will be doing curriculum-wise from Grade 8 to Grade 12.

In Grade 8:

Your son or daughter enters Chesterhouse and begins Senior School. When they do so, they maintain most of the same subjects as they have been doing in their Junior/ Primary School. The only extra subject that they will come across is French. Children at Chesterhouse begin taking French classes in Grade 5.

History and Geography are referred to as History and Geography and Natural Sciences are known as Physical Science and Biology. Physical Science is further differentiated as Physics and Chemistry.

At the beginning of Grade 8 your child is asked to make one selection before entering our Senior School – whether they wish to continue with Afrikaans or French as a second language.

In Grade 9:

In the third term of the Grade 9 year, around September, pupils in Grade 9 are asked to make a selection for their IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) subjects. They have to select a total of 8 subjects with four being compulsory:

• English Language – first subject
• English Literature – second subject
• Second language – third subject – either Afrikaans or French.
• Mathematics – fourth subject – this subject has two different tiers: Core and Extended mathematics

The remaining four subjects are chosen from a combination list of four groups; the combinations may vary from year to year. The subjects that are offered are:

• Accounting
• Business Studies
• History
• Geography
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Computer Studies
• Art

In Grade 10:

The IGCSE course as per your child’s chosen subjects begins in Grade 10 and lasts for a period of approximately 16 months. The IGCSE examinations are written in May of their Grade 11 year.

In Grade 11:

Pupils at Chesterhouse conclude their syllabi and begin a revision programme for their IGCSE exams during the first term of their Grade 11 year. The exams are written during the latter part of May and the beginning of June, depending on the worldwide timetable set by Cambridge. Our Director of CIE Affairs at Chesterhouse ensures that pupils do not write for a period longer than 6 hours per day.

The mid-year exam scripts are sent to various marking centres throughout the UK which are accredited Cambridge examinations marking centres. Because of the large number of students writing the CIE exams worldwide, results are released in August. Once pupils receive their IGCSE results, they set about finalising their subjects for their AS Level examinations written at the end of Grade 12.

Pupils may choose 4, 5 or 6 AS-level subjects, depending on the many variables of the pupils’ choices after school and their IGCSE marks.

The only compulsory subject for the AS Level course is English; currently the specific course is Language and Literature in English.

The remaining 3 or 4 subjects are chosen from the same list that is offered for the IGCSE subject selection, but are often grouped differently to the IGCSE, depending on various factors that include teaching time and the timetable.

For the remainder of their Grade 11 year and throughout their Grade 12 year pupils prepare for their AS Level examinations.

In Grade 12:

The AS Level course is a demanding one that requires a good work ethic and commitment to the subjects that pupils have chosen. There are a number of important aspects to remember for the best preparation and maximum benefit from this course.

Requirements of the course:

• material covered is in depth
• the course is designed to encourage and demand critical, analytical thinking in all subjects
• the responses that are given by pupils throughout the year in both the preparation and revision of the subject matter demand that there is a systematic flow of information, combining facts with a critical analysis of the facts in order to draw conclusions
• the manner in which a pupil prepares an answer is consistently and critically assessed for factual interpretation and style throughout the AS Level course
• past papers and the expected answers are thoroughly analysed and practised during revision periods

The AS Level examinations are written in October/ November of the Grade 12 year. As with the marking of the exam answer papers for the IGCSE exams, the AS Level papers are marked in centres in the UK and results are usually available internationally towards the end of January of the following year. In the past few years, results have been made available between the 22 and 26 January.

At Chesterhouse we spend time with each pupil as they receive their AS Level results. We scrutinise their results and measure their own sense of fulfilment with the results given and with what they wish to do after school.

It is important to remember that as per the IGCSE results, candidates can rewrite specific papers at a time when Cambridge again runs their exams – usually in May and October of each year.

What does your child need to get into university – better known as Matric Exemption?

• 4 AS Level subjects where the results are graded A – D AND 1 an IGCSE result with a Grade C. There are specific grouping requirements that have to be met.
• The result that the Cambridge International Examination centre issues is automatically sent to HESA (Higher Education South Africa) which issues a Matriculation Exemption certificate.
• The pupil’s statement of results is presented to the university of their choice which then calculates the total amount of university entrance points achieved.
• Each university in South Africa, along with their different faculties and residences determines their entrance points requirements. These requirements also change every year.  Pupils are guided and encouraged to check admission requirements in their Grade 11 year and to make their individual application to universities timeously.

What CIE grades qualify as a National Senior Certificate?

• This requires a pass in 2 subjects at AS Levels (grade E minimum) plus, either 3 at IGCSE (graded A – C) or 5 at IGCSE (graded A – E)
• The result that the CIE centre issues is also immediately sent to SAQA (South African Qualifications Authority) and a National Senior Certificate is issued.

 

Welcome from our Cambridge International Examinations Officer

As you peruse through our curriculum information, you will also discover how South African universities favourably rate the CIE curriculum. I urge you to take a careful look at the information below on this page  which continues from my message and which details how we at Chesterhouse School work with the Cambridge curriculum and how it will benefit your child.

Please feel free to contact me should you have any further questions on r.weatherdon@chesterhouse.co.za.

I look forward to meeting you.

Robert Weatherdon
CIE Director