Senior School Curriculum

Grades 9 & 10

The Grades 9 and 10 programme of instruction conforms to the curriculum framework of the International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme (IBMYP).

The IBMYP is a 5 year programme which begins in Grade 6 and is completed in Grade 10. Within this framework students are also prepared to be able to take IGCSE or GCSE examinations in the areas of Mathematics, Science, Humanities and the Languages. This is to ensure that students are able to fulfil German university entrance requirements as well as meet Mittlere Reife equivalency.

Grades 9 and 10 also comprise two of the four years of schooling needed to gain the MIS Diploma. As an NEASC accredited school, our school Diploma is recognised as equivalent to a high school diploma in the US or Canada.

The IBMYP framework enables schools like MIS to create an academically rigorous and challenging curriculum tailored to the needs of its students. The emphasis is on study in depth, the ability to analyse, synthesise and evaluate information and ideas and the development of excellent communication skills.

Through investigating problems in meaningful contexts, students learn to apply the knowledge and understanding gained to issues of relevance to themselves and the world.

(I)GCSE

The IGCSE and GCSE syllabuses are offered by UK based examination boards and involve a programme of study leading to external examinations at the end of Grade 10. In Germany these can carry Mittlerer Schulabschluss equivalence: detailed requirements may be found by contacting the Zeugnisanerkennungsstelle für den Freistaat Bayern in Munich.

At MIS these examinations are offered in Mathematics, Sciences, Humanities and the
Languages

Curriculum

The IGCSEs and GCSEs have clearly defined syllabuses in which the expected level of knowledge, understanding and skills in each subject are clearly stated. The IGCSE and GCSE syllabus material is delivered in the subject classes under the IBMYP framework. Formal registration for the IGCSE external examinations is made in Grade 10.

IGCSE Examinations at MIS are available in: English, German, French, Spanish, History, Geography, Mathematics and Coordinated Science (double award).

Assessment

IGCSE and GCSE assessment is a combination of examination and teacher assessed work carried out during the course. Examination papers are sent for external marking whilst teacher assessments are checked by experienced moderators. The IGCSEs and GCSEs have an 8-point scale of grades: A*, A, B, C, D, E, F, G which covers the whole ability range. In some subjects the examination covers the complete ability range, in others students can opt for either Core level or Extended level. The Extended curriculum is, naturally, more demanding and is targeted at those students expected to achieve grades A* to C. The Core curriculum is aimed at students in the C to G range. Students who fail to achieve at least a grade of G are ungraded (U).

Examination Dates

IGCSE and GCSE written examinations take place in May and June.

Grades 11 & 12

In Grades 11 and 12 MIS students undertake a pathway of study that can enable them to achieve the award of both the MIS Diploma and the IB Diploma.

The MIS Diploma

In Grades 11 and 12 students take courses that lead to the MIS Diploma. As an NEASC accredited school, our school Diploma is recognised as equivalent to a high school diploma in the US or Canada.

In order to graduate from MIS, i.e. to receive the MIS Diploma, a student must spend at least Grade 12 at MIS and have successfully completed four years of Senior School (Grades 9-12), fulfilling the minimum requirement of 22 credits.

The IB Diploma

The IB programme is a comprehensive and rigorous two-year curriculum, leading to examinations set by the International Baccalaureate Organization (IBO). Based on the pattern of no single country, it is a deliberate compromise between the specialisation required in some national systems and the breadth preferred in others.

The general objectives of the IB Diploma are to provide students with a balanced education, to facilitate geographic and cultural mobility and to promote international understanding through a shared academic experience.

The IB Diploma has widespread recognition around the world as a high quality university entrance examination and students from MIS have been able to use it to go on to university in the US, UK, Germany, Sweden, Italy, Australia and Japan, to cite a few countries. American universities may give Advanced Placement credit in certain subject areas for individual certificates passed at Higher Level Subjects.