Concord Secondary & Sixth Form

Our curriculum is tailored to reflect the needs and aspirations of international, and internationally minded.

Concord Secondary’s curriculum broadly follows the English National Curriculum, which is widely respected by leading universities and employers around the world, appropriately adapted to reflect the context of Concord as an international school in Malaysia.

Students are taught in the English medium, leading to IGCSE qualifications at age 16, and A levels in the Sixth Form at age 18. Our curriculum is tailored to reflect the needs and aspirations of international, and internationally minded, students, while at the same time providing opportunity for all to be challenged in new and exciting ways which they may not have encountered in their previous schools. Students are offered a broad and rigorous curriculum which gives them the added enrichment of studying with and learning from young people from a range of cultures, religions and nationalities.

The Secondary School consists of a Middle School comprising Year 7 and 8 students who are offered a broad curriculum, a Senior School comprising Year 9 to 11 students preparing for their IGCSE examinations, and the Sixth Form, where Year 12 and 13 students will have the opportunity to take three or four A level subjects.

Middle School

In the Middle School (Years 7 and 8), all subjects are taught by specialist teachers in dedicated classrooms where
teachers build relationships and cater to each student’s learning needs. Lessons and activities are taught to develop
students’ core knowledge, skills and understanding to have a seamless transition into Senior School (IGCSE programme).
The Middle School programme consists of the following :

English
Mathematics
Science: including Biology, Chemistry and Physics
Humanities: Geography / History
Languages: Select two from: Mandarin, Bahasa Melayu⁽ᵃ⁾ and Spanish
Art, Music
Physical Education
English, Mathematics or Subject assessments, on rota
Assembly or extended time with academic tutor (PSHE)
Compulsory afternoon activity session (STEM, drama, musical activities, games)

Notes

Bahasa Melayu is compulsory for Malaysian students.
Islamic Studies is a compulsory Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) for all Muslim Malaysians.

Senior School

In the Senior School (Years 9 to 11), students will begin the programme that culminates in IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) examinations administered by CAIE (Cambridge Assessment International Education) or Edexcel at the end of year 11.

The three-year core programme consists of the following subjects:

ENGLISH for higher level students includes preparation for both English and English Literature IGCSEs. Middle levels take English Language only. English as an Additional Language (EAL) students sit IGCSE English as a 2nd language.
SCIENCE – All students will follow a course leading to IGCSEs in Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
MATHEMATICS – All students will take IGCSE Mathematics, and higher-level students will also be given the opportunity to take IGCSE Further Mathematics.
PE & GAMES
PERSONAL SOCIAL & HEALTH EDUCATION (PSHE)

In addition, Year 9 students will also study the following subjects:

HUMANITIES: Economics / Geography / History
LANGUAGES: Select two from Mandarin, Bahasa Melayu⁽ᵃ⁾ and Spanish
CREATIVE SUBJECTS: Art, Music

Notes

Bahasa Melayu is compulsory for Malaysian students.
Islamic Studies is a compulsory Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) for all Muslim Malaysians.

Then in Year 10, they will choose THREE or FOUR subjects* from the list below:

Art
Computer Science
Drama
Economics
Further Mathematics
Geography
Global Perspectives
History
Mandarin (1st Language)
Mandarin (2nd Language)
Mandarin (Foreign Language)
Music
Spanish

Notes

Bahasa Melayu is compulsory for Malaysian students.
Islamic Studies is a compulsory Extra-Curricular Activities (ECA) for all Muslim Malaysians.

*Each subject availability will be confirmed upon enrolment.

Students in the Senior School will also have two or three 30-minute assessments each Saturday morning (two per week on Friday in Year 9) on a rota for each subject.

Sixth Form (A Level)

In the Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13), students have the opportunity to take three or possibly four A level subjects. AS level exams will be sat at the end of Year 12. For Cambridge International A levels, the marks obtained will then contribute towards the A level grade at the end of Year 13. The one exception to this will be students taking both Mathematics and Further Mathematics A levels, who will take the first Mathematics A level in Year 12.

The Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) is a course equivalent to half an A level and offers the chance to complete a research project in an area of academic interest. Students applying for this option would begin this in Year 12 and submit their work in Year 13. Before being accepted onto the course, students will be assessed to ensure they have the necessary skills and commitment to undertake a project in addition to their other work.

All Year 12 students will be assessed for English, and EAL students will be assigned to an EFL course in addition to their other academic courses leading to the IELTS English exam in Year 13, which qualifies students for university.

*Each subject availability will be confirmed upon enrolment.

Students can choose a core programme of three subjects* from amongst the four groups below:

Mathematics
Biology, Further Mathematics or History
Art, Chemistry, Computer Science or Economics
English, Economics, Geography or Physics

They can choose to supplement the core programme with either an EPQ, or a 4th A level choice, with a view to providing as much breadth in their profiles as possible.

Please note that an A level in Further Mathematics is only available as a 4th A level choice (requiring an additional 5 lessons, rather than the usual 7), in combination with A level Mathematics and two further choices from groups 3 & 4. The Further Mathematics course will be taught at an accelerated pace, and is challenging, and therefore only suitable for students with the strongest Mathematics and Additional Mathematics IGCSE results (or equivalent).

Students in the Sixth Form(A Level) will also have two or three (or up to three) 45-minute assessments each Saturday morning on a two-week rota for each subject.