International Schools Offering The British Curriculum

Many international schools in Malaysia offer a British-based curriculum that follows the National Curriculum for England. This curriculum sets out the programme of study and targets for all subjects and is divided into year blocks called Key Stages (KS). Learners are formally assessed at the end of each key stage.

The first KS is Early Years for learners ages two to five, followed by the primary level called the KS1 (ages 5 to 7) and the KS2 (ages 7 to 11). Secondary levels consist of KS3 (ages 11 to 14) and KS4 (ages 14 to 16). In KS4, students take formal examinations set by Examination Boards such as the Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), Pearson Edexcel and the OxfordAQA International Qualifications.

At the pre-university level, learners ages 16 to 18 go through KS5. The various key stages help teachers to have an overview of a learner’s academic progress.

Subjects Covered

Various core and compulsory subjects depend on the school year, but many schools go beyond the standard requirements and offer complementary subjects.

The subjects that are compulsory for students to take are:

• English Language and Literature

• Mathematics

• Science

• History

• Geography

• Physical Education

• Information and Communication Technology (ICT) or Computer Science

• Art and Design

• Music

Schools also often teach:

• Personal, Social, Health and Economic education (PSHE)

• Citizenship

• Modern foreign languages

It’s important to note that the specifics can vary and some international schools might offer additional subjects or variations based on their location, the needs of their students and any specific requirements set by relevant educational authorities.

Exam Boards

Examination boards such as Cambridge Assessment International Education (CAIE), Pearson Edexcel, and OxfordAQA International Qualifications administer formal assessments at the end of Key Stage 4 (ages 14 to 16). These assessments play a pivotal role in evaluating students' academic abilities within the British-based curriculum adopted by international schools in Malaysia.

The CAIE exam board offers qualifications such as the IGCSE, O Level, A Level and Pre-University. At the GCSE, CAIE offers over 70 subjects, and a student must take a minimum of five and may not exceed 14 subjects (the maximum). Typically, some schools make certain subjects compulsory such as Maths, Science and English.

Pearson Edexcel is primarily used for GCSE and A Level exams (as well as for some vocational exams like the National Vocational Qualifications (NVQs) and for Functional Skills). Pearson offers several programmes and credentials for students between the ages of 14 and 19 in addition to providing credentials in over 50 subject areas, including the core subjects of Maths, Science and English. However, there are more than 300 options for topics or subjects associated with the various work-based and NVQ competency certifications, and Edexcel is a popular option for Business, Technology and Educational Council (BTEC) and NVQ qualifications.

The OxfordAQA International Qualifications offer certifications in about 60 different topic areas, with various requirements and levels of qualification offered within each subject area. The three fundamental courses – Maths, Science and English – as well as a wide range of languages, humanities, ICT-related fields, physical education, and creative subjects are covered. OxfordAQA also offers Applied General and Levels 1, 2, and 3 credentials in a range of skill-based subject areas, including Business, Science and Chemistry, as well as independent extended projects.

International Schools Offering the British Curriculum

Here is a list of international schools that offer the British curriculum. Some of these schools offer the Cambridge curriculum.

Kuala Lumpur

Selangor

Pulau Pinang

Johor

Perak

Negeri Sembilan

Sabah

Sarawak

Terengganu

Ekhlass International School

Melaka

Oakrich International School

Labuan

Labuan International School

Putrajaya

Kelantan

Kelantan International School

Pahang

Highlands International Boarding School

In summary, the British curriculum is a popular curriculum offered by many international schools in Malaysia because of its well-structured and coherent progression of learning from early childhood all the way to pre-university through the various stages. The curriculum leads to the IGCSE examinations at the end of secondary school. At the pre-university level, students commonly sit for the A level. Universities and employers around the world recognise the A level qualification.

International Schools Offering The British Curriculum

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