Years 1 to 6 (5 – 11 year olds)
Cambridge International Primary Curriculum
Cambridge University is the largest in the world. It is also one of the most prestigious and oldest in the world. We are affiliated and accredited to the Cambridge International Primary Curriculum programme run by the Cambridge University. CIE follows the National Curriculum of England and as such supports us in our delivery of this curriculum by providing highly valued external examinations, curriculum guidance, quality resources and in-depth analyses of pupil progress. This in turn ensures that we deliver the highest standards by making us accountable to an external body that sets the toughest standards.
The Cambridge International Primary Curriculum is specially designed for International students living in a mobile, highly technological world that ensures pupils go on to their Secondary education fully prepared in order to achieve their maximum potential and be highly regarded by all the best universities worldwide.
Our English, Mathematics and Science programmes are fully supported by Cambridge International Primary Curriculum. In addition, we provide programmes offered by CIE in Computing.
Integrated Learning
In addition to providing the necessary skills and knowledge required in all areas of our curriculum we deliver an integrated curriculum through themed topic work. This provides children with opportunities in child-led, inquiry based, independent learning. This dual system gives our children the best practise possible to put their skills into meaningful learning. There is much evidence to support that children who learn through both methods make the best progress.
Our Themed topic work covers an integrated programme in Geography, History, Science, Art and English.
Language and literacy
At British International College Cairo our teachers develop pupils’ spoken language, reading, writing and vocabulary as integral aspects of the teaching of every subject. English is both a subject in its own right and the medium for teaching; for pupils, understanding the language provides access to the whole curriculum. Fluency in the English language is an essential foundation for success in all subjects.
Spoken language
Our pupils are taught to speak clearly and convey ideas confidently using Standard English. They learn to justify ideas with reasons; ask questions to check understanding; develop vocabulary and build knowledge; negotiate; evaluate and build on the ideas of others; and select the appropriate register for effective communication. They should be taught to give well-structured descriptions and
explanations and develop their understanding through speculating, hypothesising and exploring ideas. This will enable them to clarify their thinking as well as organise their ideas for writing.
Reading and writing
Our teachers develop pupils’ reading and writing in all subjects to support their acquisition of knowledge. Pupils will be taught to read fluently, understand extended prose (both fiction and non-fiction) and be encouraged to read for pleasure. At British International College Cairo we do everything to promote wider reading. We provide up-to-date library facilities and set ambitious expectations for reading at home.
Our pupils develop the stamina and skills to write at length, with accurate spelling and punctuation. They are taught the correct use of grammar. They learn to build on what they have been taught to expand the range of their writing and the variety of the grammar they use. The writing they do includes narratives, explanations, descriptions, comparisons, summaries and evaluations: such writing supports them in rehearsing, understanding and consolidating what they have heard or read.
Vocabulary development
Our pupils’ acquisition and command of vocabulary are key to their learning and progress across the whole curriculum. Our teachers therefore develop vocabulary actively, building systematically on pupils’ current knowledge. They increase pupils’ store of words in general; simultaneously, they also make links between known and new vocabulary and discuss the shades of meaning in similar words. In this way, pupils expand the vocabulary choices that are available to them when they write. In addition, it is vital for pupils’ comprehension that they understand the meanings of words they meet in their reading across all subjects, and older pupils are taught the meaning of instruction verbs that they may meet in examination questions. It is particularly important to induct pupils into the language which defines each subject in its own right, such as accurate mathematical and scientific language.
Numeracy and mathematics
At British International College Cairo our teachers use every relevant subject to develop pupils’ mathematical fluency. Confidence in numeracy and other mathematical skills is a precondition of success across the national curriculum.
Our teachers develop pupils’ numeracy and mathematical reasoning in all subjects so that they understand and appreciate the importance of mathematics. Our Pupils are taught to apply arithmetic fluently to problems, understand and use measures, make estimates and sense check their work. Pupils apply their geometric and algebraic understanding, and relate their understanding of probability to the notions of risk and uncertainty. Our students will also understand the cycle of collecting, presenting and analysing data. They are taught to apply their mathematics to both routine and non-routine problems, including breaking down more complex problems into a series of simpler steps.
The nature, processes and methods of science
The British International College Cairo specifies ‘working scientifically’ as the understanding of the nature, processes and methods of science for each year group. It is taught as a separate strand and is also embedded within the content of biology, chemistry and physics, focusing on the key features of scientific enquiry, so that pupils learn to use a variety of approaches to answer relevant scientific questions. These types of scientific enquiry include: observing over time; pattern seeking; identifying, classifying and grouping; comparative and fair testing (controlled investigations); and researching using secondary sources. Our pupils seek answers to questions through collecting, analysing and presenting data. Elements of the Science curriculum are also covered in Topic work where students have the opportunity to research and inquire what they have learned within the context of the wider world.
Science
Our principal focus of science teaching is to enable pupils to develop a deeper understanding of a wide range of scientific ideas. They do this through exploring and talking about their ideas; asking their own questions about scientific phenomena; and analysing functions, relationships and interactions more systematically. As our pupils develop they encounter more abstract ideas and begin to recognise how these ideas help them to understand and predict how the world operates. They also begin to recognise that scientific ideas change and develop over time. They select the most appropriate ways to answer science questions using different types of scientific enquiry, including observing changes over different periods of time, noticing patterns, grouping and classifying things, carrying out comparative and fair tests and finding things out using a wide range of secondary sources of information. Pupils draw conclusions based on their data and observations, use evidence to justify their ideas, and use their scientific knowledge and understanding to explain their findings. Pupils read, spell and pronounce scientific vocabulary correctly
Art and design
Art, craft and design embody some of the highest forms of human creativity. At British International College Cairo our high-quality art and design education programme engages, inspires and challenges pupils, equipping them with the knowledge and skills to experiment, invent and create their own works of art, craft and design. As our pupils progress, they become able to think critically and develop a more rigorous understanding of art and design. They should also know how art and design both reflect and shape our history, and contribute to the culture, creativity and wealth of our nation.
Aims
We aim to ensure that all pupils:
- produce creative work, exploring their ideas and recording their experiences.
- become proficient in drawing, painting, sculpture and other art, craft and design techniques.
- evaluate and analyse creative works using the language of art, craft and design.
- know about great artists, craft makers and designers, and understand the historical and cultural development of their art forms.
Computing
We provide a high-quality computing education that equips pupils to understand and change the world through logical thinking and creativity, including by making links with mathematics, science, and design and technology. The core of computing is computer science, in which pupils are taught the principles of information and computation, and how digital systems work. Computing equips pupils to use information technology to create programs, systems and a range of media. It also ensures that pupils become digitally literate –able to use, and express themselves and develop their ideas through, information and communication technology – at a level suitable for the future workplace and as active participants in a digital world.
Aims
We aim to ensure that all pupils:
- Can understand and apply the fundamental principles and concepts of computer science, including abstraction, logic, algorithms and data representation
- Can analyse problems in computational terms, and have repeated practical experience of writing computer programs in order to solve such problems
- Can evaluate and apply information technology, including new or unfamiliar technologies, analytically to solve problems
- Are responsible, competent, confident and creative users of information and communication technology.
Geography
A high-quality geography education should inspire in pupils a curiosity and fascination about the world and its people that will remain with them for the rest of their lives. Teaching should equip pupils with knowledge about diverse places, people, resources and natural and human environments, together with a deep understanding of the Earth’s key physical and human processes. As pupils progress, their growing knowledge about the world should help them to deepen their understanding of the interaction between physical and human processes, and of the formation and use of landscapes and environments. Geographical knowledge provides the tools and approaches that explain how the Earth’s features at different scales are shaped, interconnected and changes over time.
Aims
The national curriculum for geography aims to ensure that all pupils:
- develop contextual knowledge of the location of places, seas and oceans, including their defining physical and human characteristics
- understand the processes that give rise to key physical and human geographical features of the world, how these are interdependent and how they bring about spatial variation and change over time
- are competent in the geographical skills needed to:
- collect, analyse and communicate with a range of data gathered through experiences of fieldwork that deepen their understanding of geographical processes
- interpret a range of sources of geographical information, including maps, diagrams, globes, aerial photographs and Geographical Information Systems (GIS)
- communicate geographical information in a variety of ways, including through maps and writing at length.
History
A high-quality history education will help pupils gain a coherent knowledge and understanding of Britain’s past and that of the wider world. It should inspire pupils’ curiosity to know more about the past. Teaching should equip pupils to ask perceptive questions, think critically, weigh evidence, sift arguments, and develop perspective and judgement. History helps pupils to understand the complexity of people’s lives, the process of change, the diversity of societies and relationships between different groups, as well as their own identity and the challenges of their time.
Aims
The national curriculum for history aims to ensure that all pupils:
- know and understand the history of these islands as a coherent, chronological narrative, from the earliest times to the present day: how people’s lives have shaped this nation and how Britain has influenced and been influenced by the wider world
- know and understand significant aspects of the history of the wider world: the nature of ancient civilisations; the expansion and dissolution of empires; characteristic features of past non-European societies; achievements and follies of mankind
- gain and deploy a historically-grounded understanding of abstract terms such as ‘empire’, ‘civilisation’, ‘parliament’ and ‘peasantry’
- understand historical concepts such as continuity and change, cause and consequence, similarity, difference and significance, and use them to make connections, draw contrasts, analyse trends, frame historically-valid questions and create their own structured accounts, including written narratives and analyses
- understand the methods of historical enquiry, including how evidence is used rigorously to make historical claims, and discern how and why contrasting arguments and interpretations of the past have been constructed
- gain historical perspective by placing their growing knowledge into different contexts, understanding the connections between local, regional, national and international history; between cultural, economic, military, political, religious and social history; and between short-and long-term timescales.
Languages (German and French)
Learning a foreign language is a liberation from insularity and provides an opening to other cultures. A high-quality languages education should foster pupils’ curiosity and deepen their understanding of the world. The teaching should enable pupils to express their ideas and thoughts in another language and to understand and respond to its speakers, both in speech and in writing. It should also provide opportunities for them to communicate for practical purposes learn new ways of thinking and read great literature in the original language. Language teaching should provide the foundation for learning further languages, equipping pupils to study and work in other countries.
Aims
The national curriculum for languages aims to ensure that all pupils:
- understand and respond to spoken and written language from a variety of authentic sources
- speak with increasing confidence, fluency and spontaneity, finding ways of communicating what they want to say, including through discussion and asking questions, and continually improving the accuracy of their pronunciation and intonation
- can write at varying length, for different purposes and audiences, using the variety of grammatical structures that they have learnt
- discover and develop an appreciation of a range of writing in the language studied.
Music
Music is a universal language that embodies one of the highest forms of creativity. A high-quality music education should engage and inspire pupils to develop a love of music and their talent as musicians, and so increase their self-confidence, creativity and sense of achievement. As pupils progress, they should develop a critical engagement with music, allowing them to compose, and to listen with discrimination to British International College Cairot in the musical canon.
Aims
The national curriculum for music aims to ensure that all pupils:
- perform, listen to, review and evaluate music across a range of historical periods, genres, styles and traditions, including the works of the great composers and musicians
- learn to sing and to use their voices, to create and compose music on their own and with others, have the opportunity to learn a musical instrument, use technology appropriately and have the opportunity to progress to the next level of musical excellence
- understand and explore how music is created, produced and communicated, including through the inter-related dimensions: pitch, duration, dynamics, tempo, timbre, texture, structure and appropriate musical notations.
Physical Education
A high-quality physical education curriculum inspires all pupils to succeed and excel in competitive sport and other physically-demanding activities. It should provide opportunities for pupils to become physically confident in a way which supports their health and fitness. Opportunities to compete in sport and other activities build character and help to embed values such as fairness and respect.
Aims
The national curriculum for physical education aims to ensure that all pupils:
- develop competence to excel in a broad range of physical activities
- are physically active for sustained periods of time
- engage in competitive sports and activities
- lead healthy, active lives
Ministry of Education, Egypt – Statutory Requirements
In accordance with the Ministry of Education of Egypt, British International College Cairo provides a quality education delivered by highly qualified and experienced staff
Religion – Islam and Christianity
All children receive instruction in the parents’ chosen Religion. Parents have the right to opt out of these lessons if these are not your choice of Religion.
Language – Arabic
All children receive a stimulating, vigorous and rigorous programme in Arabic. Year 6 are given extra priority in preparation for their external government examinations. There is also a system in place for those who may need additional support in the Arabic language.
Social Studies
In compliance with the Ministry of Education we also provide Social Studies lessons in Arabic to all students from Years 4 to 9.
