Curriculum

Curriculum Intent @ CIS

To inspire inquiring, reflective, and empathetic learners with the skills and attributes necessary for a prosperous career and a life filled with global opportunities.

The curriculum embedded with transdisciplinary themes, approaches to learning, social and emotional development opportunities through RSE and enrichment experiences, helps students to build a wide range of key and transferable skills so that they leave Chester International School equipped to become valuable members of a global community. We aim to provide a challenging and stimulating curriculum with planned team activities which encourage an enthusiasm and love for learning, intellectual curiosity, creativity, personal growth and development.

Our curriculum includes not only the formal requirements of an enriched GCSE/IB MYP, IBDP and IBCP pathways, but also a range of activities that Chester International School organizes in order to further enrich the experience of students above and beyond the curriculum. Our offer also includes the ‘hidden curriculum’, or what the students learn from the way they are treated and expected to behave and interact. Following the IB learner profile and British values, we aim to teach our young adults how to grow into positive, responsible people, who can work and co-operate with others whilst developing knowledge and skills in order to achieve their true potential. Above all, we believe in making learning fun and engendering a love of lifelong learning in our students and school community as a whole.

At CIS we offer a broad package of subjects delivered with the International Baccalaureate philosophy to develop global citizens through international mindedness. By partnering with businesses and professionals we provide our students with experiences and opportunities to solve real world problems. Inquiry based learning is at the heart of what we do which has a student centred approach focusing on building transferable skills so our students are future ready.

Students in year 10 will take GCSE examinations at the end of year 11 whilst students in year 12 and 13 will embark on one of our IB programmes: Diploma Programme or Career Programme giving our students access to a range of possible futures from University to Apprenticeships.

As an IB World School we are currently in candidate phase for establishing the Middle Years Programme in year 10 and 11 so students will be receiving a dual qualification: GCSE’s and an international qualification - the Middle Years Programme Certificate.

Covid 19 Catch Up Grant

Chester International School has opted into receiving the government grants for Covid-19 catch up which include support for KS4, the 16-19 tuition fund and a Summer School. Whilst learners at CIS continued to engage with distance learning via online conferencing during lockdown we would like to provided targeted support to reach students who were particularly disadvantaged during this time. Students will benefit from additional small group tuition to supplement their current classes in order to help them reach their full potential. Additional small group tuition will take place during the school day, after school and at the weekend covering the subjects of Math, English, Psychology, Computer Science and Digital Media. Sessions will be provided by current teachers, Elite IB tutors in addition to other highly qualified and experienced external tutors.

You can find details of how the Catch-up fund has been allocated in our CIS Covid-19 Catch-up report on our Policies page.

In July and August CIS are offering a Summer Programme supported by a government grant to enable learners to develop numeracy, literacy and future ready skills through enrichment activities. This will involve up to 14 days of activities for year 10 students and up to 8 days of activities for year 9 students who have applied for Chester International School for September. Students will register for their place by email to kbrown@chesterinternational.co.uk.