When families initially decide to move overseas, they expect that tough decisions will follow, such as choosing a school. One positive for families relocating to Beijing is that there is no shortage of exceptional international schools. The downside, however, is that you may not recognize the academic systems used by these fine institutions. Instead of eliminating a great choice because you’re not familiar with their educational framework, try meeting with the school to understand the curriculum and the type of learner it is best suited for. Who knows, you may discover an approach that allows your child to excel beyond your expectations.

The IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) is one education program that parents might not be familiar with but should not overlook. 

In this article, Richard Hawkins, Head of Senior School (2016–2019) at Dulwich College Beijing, gives us a comprehensive overview. He touches on the history of IGCSE, the program’s strengths and weaknesses, and what one of the best international schools in Beijing is doing to enhance the curriculum.

British Education in International Environments

Parents in Beijing should not overlook the IGCSE

What is IGCSE? “It stems from the UK,” says Hawkins. In British schools, students typically have external exams at the end of Year 11 (equivalent to Grade 10), which is halfway through high school in terms of the American system. On successful completion of these exams, students would earn their General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). Hawkins furthers that in the UK, some students might choose to leave school at this point. Others interested in going to university would continue for two more years in a program the British education system refers to as “A levels” (advanced level qualifications).

“As British schools grew internationally, it was realized that an international form of GCSE was needed. The “I” in IGCSE is for international,” Hawkins continues. So, what does that mean exactly? Teaching GCSE in foreign lands, educators quickly recognized that course content in GCSE was heavily focused on British nuances that were not necessarily suitable for an international student body. IGCSE is better designed for a multicultural and multilingual audience. “For example, a school might choose to cover a range of books that includes literature with a more local flavor,” Hawkins offers.

An External Assessment Halfway Through High School 

This two-year-plus-two-year system may seem odd to parents who are accustomed to watching pupils go from middle school into four years of high school. Hawkins explains this particular system is used in the UK “…to have external validation of what a school is doing before the very end of schooling. They would use this to assess schools and see how they are preparing the students.”

Similarities between the IGCSE and IB Diploma Program make for an easy transition

At Dulwich, students begin IGCSE in Year 10 (equivalent to Grade 9). For two years, they study a rigorous program that requires them to take a broad range of subjects covering maths, sciences, English, foreign languages, and the humanities. The program finishes at the end of Year 11 with external exams. Instead of following this program with A levels, Dulwich students complete their final two years with the globally recognized International Baccalaureate Diploma Program (IBDP).

The IGCSE Advantage

Hawkins believes the independent assessment mentioned above is a strength of IGCSE. “One advantage is an external check on what the teachers are doing and on the school itself. Our parents and students can see our school being checked by external rather than internal markers.” This appeals to parents who may not have an academic background in pedagogical best practices but want to maintain a watchful eye on the quality of education their child is receiving.

Hawkins also notes that the similar course style between the IGCSE program and the IB Diploma Program allows students to transition between the two much faster. With other academic systems, students take various subjects by the semester and then transition to the IBDP, which progressively teaches the same subject over two years. Kids who were in an IGCSE program would already be used to that system of studying, which also cumulates with external final exams.

Not for Everyone

The rigorous IGCSE program requires much discipline

Due to the rigor of the program and final exams, Hawkins believes that students who enjoy much more “self-directed” studies and those who are more focused on developing individual aspects might feel frustrated completing the IGCSE. As final grades are heavily focused on end-of-program exams, students who are not disciplined or struggle with testing may not be best suited for this particular system.

Grades for University Applications

Parents new to IGCSE will notice that the grading system might take some getting used to. Hawkins assures that university admissions officers are very familiar with IGCSE grades and can convert them according to their rules. So, no student will be disadvantaged when applying to university anywhere in the world with such transcripts.

The Dulwich Enhancement in STEAM and Liberal Arts

Dulwich’s SE21/STEAM program gives students the opportunity to engage in entrepreneurial science and technology projects such as Formula 1 in Schools

The IGCSE program can be criticized for being too structured. With the curriculum for IGCSE being well defined and set externally, Dulwich has noticed over the years that a few courses don’t work well for their students. Some kids have also shown strong interest in studying subjects not offered by IGCSE at all. In response, the school has developed courses customized to the students’ needs, and these have proven to be very popular.

One example is Dulwich’s SE21/STEAM program, which won the International School Award 2019 for Creativity in Learning. It gives students the opportunity to engage in entrepreneurial science and technology projects while participating in global competitions such as Formula 1 in Schools and Google Science Fair.

Another is Liberal Arts, a cross-curricular humanities course involving history, the arts, philosophy, geography, literature, economics, and more. Debate is part of the curriculum, and students use knowledge from a range of subjects to solve problems.

DCB’s Liberal Arts class acquiring knowledge through Microsoft Skypeathon sessions with influencers in Scotland, China, Silicon Valley, and Cairo

While adhering to IGCSE standards, Dulwich always places its students’ needs first. The school routinely makes note of how their students are progressing through the curriculum and at the same time, observing what skills they will need to succeed in their dream university and aspiring future career. With the strengths of the IGCSE program and the school’s regard for the students’ best interests, this blended program has been the right fit for many students and parents alike.

This post is paid for by Dulwich College Beijing
Photos courtesy of Dulwich College Beijing, Shutterstock

For those of you who have already embarked on this journey, you’ll know how difficult it is to tactfully help your children make the right choices for themselves – well, essentially, save them from themselves! And those of you who will be there in the near future, brace yourselves for a roller coaster ride that I’m told never ends… and I’m a believer!

Our older daughter just picked her IB choices for the coming academic year. We were very confident that it would be a breeze this time around. We’d been through a similar drill before for her IGSCE choices 2 years ago. To say that the drama that unfolded then was worthy of an Oscar for best script would be an understatement! At the mature age of 13, she was passionate about pursuing Medicine and impressed upon my husband and I, the nobility of the profession, the lives she’d be saving, how her biology grades were proof enough that she was predestined for this line of work. She then proceeded to enlighten us with the fact that it was a recession-proof profession, a fact she was certain had never dawned on us!

She laid out her choices before us. Apart from the core subjects (Sciences, English, Math, and a language) that were required and not optional, she picked History, Religious studies, French, and Drama. Okay. Drama, why drama?! Call us completely unimaginative and conservative in our thinking, but my husband and I couldn’t for the life of us work out, how drama tied in with medicine? To our knowledge, the only theater we knew of in that line of work was the Operating Theater and we were certain that there was literally no room for drama in there! Except on Grey’s Anatomy perhaps! However, what unfolded in the next 4-5 days was drama alright! Crying, emotional blackmail, counseling sessions, crying, dinner table philosophizing, crying, elaborate deal making… did I mention crying!? The end result? She got what she wanted. While we didn’t see Drama doing any harm in the bigger scheme of things, we’re still clueless on what it has to do with medicine.

Fast forward to the present: 2 years later. Last week, we waltzed into the school auditorium knowing exactly what to expect this time around, or so we thought! A couple of presentations and some option-explorations later, we were stripped of our smug ‘we-are-sorted’ attitude. Why? She needed to make some more choices which would narrow things down for her and channel her in the right direction of for her chosen career path in college. This would’ve been easy enough had she stuck with her resolve to pursue medicine. But, no…surprise! Our 13-year-old then, was not as mature as our 15-year-old now! Who would’ve guessed that she was capable of changing her mind? We don’t know any fickle minded 13-year-olds…do you? Turns out she really didn’t know what she wanted then, but she does now! She is absolutely certain, now, that she wants to be a lawyer! She wants to fight for human rights! She wants to work for the UN! From Medicine to Law…it makes perfect sense, doesn’t it? How did we not see that coming?

So, what followed for the next 4-5 days was some more enlightenment…yes, she enlightened us! Her choices: History, French, and Drama! Why Law and why Drama again, we asked? The emotional blackmail attempts, the crying, long discussions, some more crying, university counseling at school, more deals… Déjà vu! It was like reinventing the wheel, however, this time around, we stood our ground, determined to prevail. She needed to be taught the age old art of trading: she would have to give some to get some. The end result: we let her pick French over Chinese and, in return, she had to pick Economics over Drama. The choices were made, submitted, peace was restored at home. We are catching our breath now – and holding it – since we know what is barreling down the road towards us in two short years. College applications, programs to choose, and yet another career choice shift possibly, when applying to colleges. Our 17-year-old in two years, will be more mature than our 15-year-old now, and of course she’ll know for sure then, what she wants to be when she grows up, right?

Photo Courtesy: flickr.com

Dulwich College Beijing hosted its annual welcome back barbecue last Friday. The barbecue was the first school community event of the academic year with students, parents, and staff members. The barbecues offers a chance to meet up with friends after the summer break, welcome new families into the Dulwich community, and most of all, have fun.

With the threat of downpours, the catering was moved indoors, which gave everyone the opportunity to see the newly-renovated and extended Lakeside Café. Thankfully, the rain held off, which meant everyone was able to enjoy the redesigned gardens and play areas in the front of the main building, with its new landscaping, a rockery, and an outdoor amphitheater.

During the evening, parents got to learn more about upcoming projects, including the upgrade to the Legend Gardens campus. Dulwich is also building of a second dome (set to be completed by Christmas) as well as an adjacent pavilion with changing rooms, ice skating rentals, PE offices, a concession stand, and a restaurant on the second floor that will be open to the larger community.

Dulwich also welcomed several teachers and faculty members, including Paul West (the new whole school head of music), Joe McKee (the new academic director), and Becky Jing (overseeing China business for Dulwich).

As Dulwich moves into its tenth year, it starts the school year with 1,450 students of 45 nationalities. IB and IGCSE results for 2014 were their best ever, with over 75 percent of the IGCSE grades being A or A*. In the IB program, the average score was 37.5 out of 45, with 36 percent of students achieving 40 points or more.

It’s going to be a busy year for Dulwich and its students, with some wonderful new facilities in which to work, study, and to play.

Disclaimer: Sally Wilson is a Dulwich mom.

beijingkids Shunyi Correspondent Sally Wilson moved to Beijing in 2010 from the UK with her husband and son. Her daughter was born here in 2011 and both her kids keep her happily busy. In her spare time, Sally loves to stroll through Beijing’s hutongs and parks. She is a (most of the time) keen runner and loves reading: books, magazines, news, and celeb websites – anything really. Sally is also a bit of a foodie and loves trying out new restaurants.

Photos: Courtesy of DCB