Upper Secondary – IGCSE

Year 10 – Year 11 (14 – 16 years old)

About IGCSE

The world-renowned Cambridge IGCSE education program, helps students to develop knowledge, understanding and skills in subject content and intellectual enquiry. Cambridge IGCSE has been designed for students worldwide, including those whose first language is not English.

Why choose IGCSE at HAIS?

At HAIS, we believe we are unparalleled in Central Vietnam when it comes to the breadth and quality of IGCSE education that we offer for our Year 10 and 11 classes leading into the 2022/2023 school year.  Our aim is to rival top International schools in Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City, and with our targeted programme of study in Key Stage 4, we are on track to achieve this goal. 

Not only is HAIS offering the world’s most popular international qualification for 14 -16 year olds, but we are doing so in a learning environment that is truly suited to the development of the child as a whole.

IGCSE Subjects at HAIS

Students at HAIS will study up to eight IGCSE subjects credits, including optional Art and Design, for a total of nine IGCSE subjects (Coordinated Science is worth two credits).

The full list of IGCSE subjects currently being offered at HAIS are:

    • English as a First Language
    • English as a Second Language
    • English Literature 
    • Mathematics
    • (ICT) Information and Communication Technology
    • Coordinated Science (2 credits)
    • Global Perspectives 
    • Enterprise 
    • Art and Design (optional)

In addition to our examined IGCSE subjects, students will participate in PE and Music lessons as part of their weekly timetable.

Core Subjects

English First Language

Subject detail

IGCSE Literature

Subject detail

Mathematics

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ICT

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Co-ordinated Science

Subject detail

Global Perspectives

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Enterprise

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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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Pathways to Future Study

Whilst HAIS utilises Cambridge International Curriculum to provide pathways to future studies, such as IGCSE and A-Levels, as an international curriculum, this curriculum is also designed to integrate into national curriculums worldwide. 

At HAIS, we offer a broad range of subjects which develop an extensive skill set in our learners. Our curriculum is designed to be internationally-minded, flexible, academically challenging and motivating. Our approach combines the development of knowledge and understanding with cultivating higher-order thinking skills. This approach leads to well-rounded learners who can integrate into studies in a variety of contexts. 

The transferable skills and extensive subject knowledge learners develop while studying at HAIS equips them with the foundational learning base needed to engage in any curriculum. As one of the most popular choices globally, the Cambridge International Curriculum used at HAIS provides a variety of routes to further study.

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IGCSE English - First Language

Cambridge IGCSE First Language English is designed for students whose first language is English. The course enables students to:

    • Develop the ability to communicate clearly, accurately and effectively when speaking and writing; 
    • Use a wide range of vocabulary, and the correct grammar, spelling and punctuation;
    • Develop a personal style and an awareness of the audience being addressed. 
Students are also encouraged to read widely, both for their own enjoyment and to further their awareness of the ways in which English can be used. Cambridge IGCSE First Language English also develops more general analysis and communication skills such as inference and the ability to order facts and present opinions effectively.

IGCSE Literature

This subject enables learners to read, interpret and evaluate texts through the study of literature in English. Learners develop an understanding of literal meaning, relevant contexts and of the deeper themes or attitudes that may be expressed. Through their studies, they learn to recognise and appreciate the ways in which writers use English to achieve a range of effects, and will be able to present an informed, personal response to the material they have studied.

IGCSE Mathematics

An essential subject for all learners, Cambridge IGCSE Mathematics encourages the development of mathematical knowledge as a key life skill, and as a strong basis for more advanced study. This aims to build learners’ confidence by helping them develop competence and fluency with mathematical concepts, methods and skills, as well as a feel for numbers, patterns and relationships. It also places a strong emphasis on solving problems and presenting and interpreting results. Learners also gain an understanding of how to communicate and reason using mathematical concepts.

ICT (Information and Communications Technology)

(ICT) is now part of the educational experience worldwide and regarded as a new ‘literacy’ alongside reading, writing and numeracy.
 
IGCSE Information & Communication Technology
 
Students develop an understanding of the implications of technology in society and the ways Information and Communication Technology (ICT) can help at home, work and the wider world. Through practical and theoretical studies, students solve problems using a variety of common software such as word processors and interactive presentation software.
 
Learners will analyse, design, implement, test and evaluate ICT systems, making sure that they are fit for purpose. There is an emphasis on developing lifelong skills, which are essential across the curriculum and their future career.

IGCSE Sciences

Cambridge IGCSE Co-ordinated Sciences gives learners the opportunity to study Biology, Chemistry and Physics within a cross-referenced, scientifically coherent syllabus. It is a double award qualification, earning two grades. Learners gain an understanding of the basic principles of each subject through a mix of theoretical and practical studies, while also developing an understanding of the scientific skills essential for further study. 

They learn how science is studied and practised, and become aware that the results of scientific research can have both good and bad effects on individuals, communities and the environment. As well as focusing on the individual sciences, the syllabus helps learners to understand the technological world in which they live, and take an informed interest in science and scientific developments.

IGCSE Global Perspectives

Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives is a groundbreaking and stimulating course that stretches across traditional subject boundaries and develops transferable skills. It is both cross-curricular and skills-based and taps into the way learners of today enjoy learning, including teamwork, presentations, projects, and working with other learners around the world. The emphasis is on developing the ability to think critically about a range of global issues where there is always more than one point of view.

Enterprise

Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise is a unique syllabus that brings the world of business into the classroom and gives learners a clear insight into what it means to think like an entrepreneur. This is the first Cambridge IGCSE syllabus which asks learners to adopt the thoughts and actions of entrepreneurs, developing their knowledge and understanding of the practicalities of setting up and running their own new enterprise. Cambridge IGCSE Enterprise equips learners with a range of vital life skills for use in planning and organisation, communication and financial management.

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.