Welcome

Welcome to the HIS IGCSE & Sixth Form Choices Website

At HELP International School, we recognise the serious decisions that students need to make in their transition from Year 9 into Key Stage 4 (Years 10 and 11) and IGCSE, and in Year 11 into Sixth Form (Years 12 and 13) and A-Level.

In Years 7 to 9 all students follow the same curriculum, designed to provide a broad, holistic learning experience. In Years 10 and 11, a degree of choice is introduced to allow students to develop their individual interests and talents in greater depth. With choice comes elevated responsibility of making informed decisions. Here at HELP International School, we are on hand to help guide students (and parents) through this critical process until they successfully graduate at the end of Year 13.

Making the right choices

Few 14-year-olds know exactly what they want to do when they leave school. The reality is that career aspirations they now have may well change over the next few years. Predictions are that today’s young people will likely change their careers three, or more, times during their working lives. It is important that students make choices now that will keep open as many career paths as possible.

It is for this reason that students are strongly advised to take a broad and balanced selection of IGCSE subjects. In addition to traditional subjects in the sciences and mathematics, we encourage students to also consider taking a foreign language option, humanities and a creative subject, for instance. Keeping options open allows sufficient future choice as a student approaches their A-Level studies. When deciding which A-Level subjects to take, we also advise to take a broad range of subjects. Students should talk to the Sixth Form team and existing A-Level students to see what is involved in each course.

Support is available from a number of staff to help students and their parents to make the right choices.

Beyond the classroom

Academic study provides the tools for students not only to further their education at university, but an education for life requires far more than just book work. Whether in the design department, on the stage or on the sports field, our very talented senior students happily balance a heavy academic load with a range of co-curricular activities.

The stimulus that these activities provide prepares students for the wider world and for university. HELP International School works with families to ensure that students have high academic expectations, achieve success in public examinations, and discover interests that will stay with them for life. We continue to be proud to teach our students to learn, to think independently, to challenge and to discuss, rather than be treated as empty vessels to be filled with facts. Our academic success speaks for itself!

If there is anything you are unsure about, however, at any point in the process, please just ask

Martin Van Rijswijk

Principal

Vita ad plenitudinum - Life in All its Fullness