Lower Secondary

Year 7 – Year 9 (11 – 14 years old)

Cambridge Lower Secondary

Cambridge International Education for Lower Secondary is a programme developed for learners aged 11 to 14 years. At HAIS, we have shaped this programme to further engage students in their learning and in developing young learners who are confident, responsible, reflective, innovative and engaged. The programme provides a natural progression for children from primary education to lower secondary, and prepares them for higher secondary education programmes, leading to formal qualifications.

Our Lower Secondary Subjects

At HAIS, our lower secondary students will enjoy a well-rounded and comprehensive programme of study through Cambridge Assessment International Education.

Core Subjects

English

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Mathematics

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Science

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Global Perspectives

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Digital Literacy

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S.T.E.M.

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History

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Additional Languages

French

French as an Additional Language
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Vietnamese

Vietnamese as an Additional Language
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English

English as an Additional Language
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Specialist Subjects

Physical Education

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Art and Design

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Music

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Drama

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English

Students develop English skills they can apply for a range of different purposes and audiences. They learn to communicate effectively both verbally and through written forms. Students also develop the critical skills needed to respond to a range of information, media and texts with understanding and enjoyment.
 
What will students learn?
 
Divided into three stages, the curriculum framework covers deeper knowledge, skills and understanding in the three strands:
 
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Speaking and listening

Mathematics

The curriculum focuses on principles, patterns, systems, functions and relationships so that learners can apply their mathematical knowledge and develop a holistic understanding of the subject. The course supports progression to Cambridge IGCSE Maths in Upper Secondary.  
 
Mathematics explores five content areas:
    • Numbers
    • Geometry
    • Measure
    • Handling data
    • Problem solving

Science

Scientific enquiry is about considering ideas, evaluating evidence, planning investigative work, and recording and analysing data. The Scientific enquiry objectives underpin Biology, Chemistry and Physics, which are focused on developing confidence and interest in scientific knowledge, including environmental awareness and the history of science.
 
Students develop research, collaboration and creative skills that will help with many aspects of their future learning and development. The course supports progression to a wide range of science subjects at Cambridge Upper Secondary.
 
Cambridge Lower Secondary Science covers four content areas:
    • Scientific enquiry
    • Biology
    • Chemistry
    • Physics

Global Perspectives

Global Perspectives in Lower Secondary is made up of a series of ‘Challenges’. There are six Challenges a year. Each challenge is subdivided into a range of activities, and covers a range of skills. The skills are developed through exploring a wide range of topics using personal, local, and global perspectives. These topics are similar in nature to the Cambridge IGCSE syllabus, allowing secondary schools to develop and embed cross-curricular skills at an earlier age. Teachers help students to look at a variety of global issues or topics that give a range of contexts.

Digital Literacy

Digital literacy is an essential skill for learners of all ages, including lower secondary students. The digital world allows us to connect, collaborate, innovate and discover new information on an ever-broadening scale, and learners must be able to effectively use technology from the very beginning of their educational journey.
 
Students develop digital skills that will help with many aspects of their future learning and development. 
 
What will students learn?
    • Understand their place, and the place of others, in an interconnected world and make educated decisions about the information that they encounter online;
    • Develop knowledge and understanding that will allow them to respond to, and evaluate technology of the future;
    • Develop skills to create increasingly sophisticated documents and presentations;
    • Learn how to become positive contributors to the digital world;
    • Use digital technology safely and protect their own physical and emotional wellbeing.

STEM

Secondary STEM subjects will be explored purely in a hands-on, project-based approach. Assessments will be guided by critical thinking and problem-solving skills in creating projects. It will also demonstrate how STEM and other subjects interconnect and are used in the real world.

History

At HAIS, our high-quality secondary history program helps students develop relevant knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past but also of the wider world. It is designed to inspire student curiosity in learning more about the past. Students will develop the ability to ask insightful questions, think critically, analyze evidence and arguments, and develop their perceptions and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the diversity and challenges of people’s lives, change, the wide differences between societies and different groups, as well as understanding their own identity and the challenges of their time.

French

as an Additional Language

This programme is designed for students who are learning French as a foreign language. The aim is to develop an ability to use the language effectively for practical communication. The course is based on the linked language skills of listening, reading, speaking and writing, and these are built on as learners progress through their studies.

Vietnamese

as an Additional Language

This programme is designed for international students and taught by a team of HAIS Vietnamese teachers, under the direction of HAIS Founder Ms. Tran Hanh An; a linguist, a lecturer, an editor and a book writer, with experiences in the field of Vietnamese language learning for foreigners.
 
HAIS has published three books titled “Vietnamese Around Me” – Volumes 1, 2, and 3 (beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels). The collection of books is uniquely designed and highly practical; suitable for the age of the students to learn and use Vietnamese in the school or with local people in their out-of-school activities.

English

as an Additional Language

Our English curriculum empowers even the youngest learners to communicate confidently and effectively. It helps them to develop the skills needed to respond to a range of information, media and texts. The subject promotes active learning, develops thinking skills and encourages intellectual engagement.
 
What will students learn?
 
This curriculum develops learners’ curiosity about other languages and cultures, and how these shape our perceptions of the world. They will see themselves as successful language learners, be able to communicate effectively and become confident in and enjoy reading a range of texts as their skills develop.
 
How is the subject taught?
 
This framework supports an integrated approach to teaching to develop effective communication skills in English. The five strands, and their respective learning objectives, work together to support the development of knowledge, skills and understanding in:
    • Reading
    • Writing
    • Use of English
    • Listening
    • Speaking

Physical Education

Physical Education is a vital part of a balanced school curriculum. Regular exercise improves physical and mental health and there is growing evidence that it improves academic performance across the curriculum. 
 
Learners develop skills through a wide variety of age-appropriate physical activities, including games, team sports, gymnastics, swimming and dance.
 
What will students learn?
    • Increase confidence, moving with increasing control, fluency and variety;
    • Improve their understanding of concepts, rules, tactics, strategies and compositional ideas;
    • Participate in respectful and responsible ways, engaging appropriately and safely;
    • Improve knowledge and understanding of how physical education can contribute to a healthy and active lifestyle;
    • Develop transferable skills promoting physical, cognitive, and social development, and become independent, critical and reflective movers and thinkers.

Art and Design

Art and Design give learners a platform to express themselves, sparking imagination, creativity, and developing transferable skills. Students explore and push boundaries to become reflective, critical and decisive thinkers. They learn how to articulate personal responses to their experiences.
 
What will students learn?
    • Develop creative skills that will help with many aspects of their future learning and development;
    • Learn to see themselves as artists and become increasingly reflective and independent;
    • Develop the skills needed to express ideas creatively and to communicate visually;
    • Understand their place and the place of others in a creative, innovative and interconnected world.

Music

Music fosters creativity and builds confidence. It helps learners to express themselves and shows them the importance of communication as they learn to connect with other musicians and with audiences.
 
Learners explore music as performers, composers and informed listeners. They make, understand and appreciate music from different cultures, times and places, helping them to develop leadership and collaboration skills as well as self-confidence.
 
What will students learn?
    • To cultivate a joy of music through participating in meaningful and enjoyable experiences;
    • To develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to contribute as musicians;
    • To collaborate with others in purposeful and expressive ways through singing and playing instruments;
    • To nurture their individual and collective creativity;
    • To use their growing knowledge to explore and generate music that is unique, relevant and valuable.

Drama

Drama fosters a “teamwork spirit” as students learn to work together, to share confidently, to laugh and participate together, and to listen and watch others with empathy and compassion.
 
Drama gives students the opportunity to enact and understand drama, recognising it as a practical art form in which ideas and meaning are communicated to an audience through choices of form, style and convention.
 
What will students learn?
    • To apply knowledge and understanding when making, performing and responding to drama;
    • To explore performance texts, understanding their social, cultural and historical contexts including the theatrical conventions of the period in which they were created;
    • To develop a range of theatrical skills and apply them to create performances;
    • To work collaboratively to generate, develop and communicate ideas;
    • To develop as creative, effective, independent and reflective students, able to make informed choices in process and performance;
    • To contribute as an individual to a theatrical performance;
    • To reflect on and evaluate their own work and that of others;
    • To develop an awareness and understanding of the roles and processes undertaken in contemporary professional theatre practice;
    • To adopt safe working practices.