The Early Years programme at SISD has been carefully designed to encourage enquiry-based learning. We follow the programme of the IB Primary Years Programme (IB PYP). Students are fortunate to learn in a multilingual and multicultural environment that provides a wide range of opportunities academically, culturally, socially and physically.

Admission to the Early Years bilingual stream is no guarantee for continuation of bilingual in Primary. At any point during a student’s SISD school career a change to International English+ will be discussed if progress reports, language support provisions and teacher feedback recommend this transition to the student’s academic benefit. Details of each bilingual programme below.

Learn more about Early Years at SISD here.

The Primary School at SISD encompasses Grades 1-5. Students in the Primary School follow the IB Primary Years Programme (PYP), a curriculum framework that is learner-centred, enquiry driven, concept-based and transdisciplinary.

At any point during a student’s SISD school career a change to International English+ will be discussed if progress reports, language support provisions and teacher feedback recommend this transition to the student’s academic benefit.

Learn more about the SISD Primary School here.

The International Baccalaureate Middle Years Programme is a holistic programme in that it requires students to develop depth of knowledge across a broad curriculum. The MYP is organised around three main principles: multilingualism, intercultural understanding and holistic learning. The curriculum is organised around building conceptual understanding in a discipline-based model with interdisciplinary units in each year. Students develop academic skills organised into ten skill clusters known as the Approaches to Learning (ATL). The MYP culminates in the new MYP eAssessment suite of onscreen exams and eportfolios for the award of the IB MYP Certificate.

 The curriculum consists of eight subject groups:

• Language and Literature
• Language Acquisition (or a second Language & Literature subject)
• Individuals and Societies
• Science
• Mathematics
• Arts
• Physical and Health Education
• Design

The MYP core comprises three additional components:

• Interdisciplinary Learning is focused on developing interdisciplinary and critical-thinking skills. The interdisciplinary units involve two or more disciplines working together to explore a topic with more breadth. There is a strong focus on the transfer of knowledge and skills across disciplines to develop deeper conceptual understanding.
• The Community and Personal Projects involve students working collaboratively (Community Project) and independently (Personal Project) on a topic or community need of their own choosing and under supervision completing an investigation related to their own areas of interest and particular talents.
• Service as Action (SAA) in the MYP is built on a similar model to and introduces the Diploma Programme CAS component. The focus of SAA is to provide authentic, real life extensions to the academic programme which benefit communities and provide in many cases an experiential learning element. While it is not formally assessed, it is monitored qualitatively and completion is a requirement for every year of the programme.

Grades and Assessment

Each examined subject is graded on a scale of 1 (minimum) to 7 (maximum) as a final grade. This grade is determined by how students perform against four assessment criteria in each subject. Through a programme of continuous assessment, students demonstrate progress against the assessment criteria throughout the year and final achievement levels determine the final IB grade. On completion of the fifth year of the programme, students take final onscreen exams and – if successful – are awarded the IB MYP Certificate.

Programmes

Students in the English+ programme attend four weekly lessons of French or German as an additional language. As they learn to communicate perfectly in English, they also move towards fluency in French or German with intensive Arabic lessons. Our bilingual programmes extend through to the Middle Years Programme, where students study certain disciplines in French or German and others in English. The bilingual students who take subjects in French or German as well as English are eligible for the award of the bilingual MYP Certificate on completion of the programme.

At any point during a student’s SISD school career a change to International English+ will be discussed if progress reports, language support provisions and teacher feedback recommend this transition to the student’s academic benefit.

Learn more about our Secondary School.

The two year International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme allows students to develop an excellent breadth and depth of knowledge. The Diploma (DP) is a truly international programme, developed in consultation and collaboration with educators from around the world.

DP students are prepared for active participation in a rapidly evolving and increasingly global society as they develop intellectually, emotionally, physically and ethically, while acquiring the skills that will prepare them for further education and life in the 21st century.

The curriculum consists of six subject groups:

• Language and Literature
• Language Acquisition (or a second Language & Literature subject)
• Individuals and societies
• Science
• Mathematics
• Arts or other elective subject

Learn more about taught subjects here.

A compulsory core comprises three distinct components, and is an integral part of the DP student experience:

• Theory of Knowledge (TOK) is focused on developing interdisciplinary and critical-thinking skills. TOK explores interdisciplinary themes across subjects and encourages critical reflection and analysis.
• Extended Essay requires students to select, research, and write an in-depth, independent submission of 4000 words, usually in one of their six subject areas. The Extended Essay requirement offers IB Diploma candidates the opportunity to become familiar with the independent research and writing skills expected at university.
• Creativity, Action, Service (CAS) work(not bold) CAS is a fundamental part of the Diploma experience, helping students to grasp the importance of extracurricular activities as an integral part of life, and as a healthy counterbalance to the world of pure scholarship and study. These initiatives and activities are a key part of our students’ education, and include local and global community outreach projects, charity drives, Model United Nations, sports and many more.

Grades and Assessment

Each examined subject is graded on a scale of 1 (minimum) to 7 (maximum). The award of the IB Diploma requires a minimum total score of 24, based on the principle that a grade 4 represents a passing level in each of the six subjects. Excellent performance in the six subjects results in a grade 7 for each, or a total score of 42 points. Students can earn an additional 3 points for superior work on the Extended Essay and in Theory of Knowledge.

Programmes

Our bilingual programmes extend through to the Diploma Programme, where all students study English Language and Literature. In addition to this, we encourage those who have the relevant experience to study Language and Literature in French, German or Arabic, which results in the award of a bilingual diploma. For those who are not yet bilingual, our English+ programme will ensure that all students achieve a degree of bilingualism depending on the level at which they study.

SISD is a candidate school* for the International Baccalaureate (IB) Career-related Programme.

The CP is a framework of international education that incorporates the values of the IB into a unique programme addressing the needs of students engaged in career-related education.
The programme leads to further/higher education, apprenticeships or employment. Find out more about the CP.

*Only schools authorized by the International Baccalaureate can offer any of its four academic programmes: the Primary Years Programme (PYP), the Middle Years Programme (MYP), the Diploma Programme or the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP). Candidate status gives no guarantee that authorization will be granted. For further information about the IB and its programmes, visit www.ibo.org

In Grades 6 and 7 students are to attend preparatory classes. These two years in our so-called hybrid classes (German-English bilingual, IB combined with Swiss Baccalaureate Curriculum) lay the foundation for a successful Swiss Baccalaureate education.

Upon completion of this two-year phase, a student can be admitted to the Swiss Baccalaureate section or can switch to our MYP/DP programme. The final decision to join the Swiss Baccalaureate section is taken in Grade 8. The curriculum then covers eleven basic subjects, one specialist option and one supplementary option (Grade 10-12). At SISD we prepare students for the bilingual Swiss Baccalaureate. Beside English Language and Literature three subjects are examined in English: Geography, History and the chosen supplementary option.

For learning objectives and assessment click here.

For more information on the Swiss Baccalaureate click here. 

7-year programme (Grade 6–12)

• 11 basic subjects
  • 1st language: German
  • 2nd language: English
  • 3rd language: French
  • Maths
  • Biology
  • Chemistry (G9-12)
  • Physics (G10-12)
  • History
  • Geography
  • Arts (Music or Visual Arts)
• 1 specialist option (G9-12)
• 1 supplementary option (G 10-12)
• Extended Essay