IGCSE Board

The 1+2 Pathway: One Foundation Year. Two Years of IGCSE.

At The Cathedral and John Connon School, the IGCSE Program follows a thoughtfully designed 1+2 pathway: one Foundation Year in Grade 8, followed by two years of the Cambridge International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) programme in Grades 9 and 10.

This approach recognises that preparing for an international curriculum involves more than learning new subject content. It requires students to develop the academic foundations, independent learning habits and confidence to engage with a different approach to teaching, learning and assessment.

Grade 8: The Foundation Year

The Grade 8 Foundation Course prepares students for a confident transition from the National Curriculum to the IGCSE programme. It strengthens academic foundations while nurturing critical thinking, effective communication, independent learning and reflective thinking.

Through carefully curated subject content, enquiry-based learning, collaborative activities and opportunities to apply their knowledge, students learn not only what to learn, but also how to learn. The emphasis is on building the skills, habits and confidence they will need to navigate the demands of an international curriculum.

The Foundation Year remains distinct from the IGCSE curriculum, providing students with a dedicated year to prepare for the academic expectations and learning approaches of Grades 9 and 10.

Grades 9 and 10: The IGCSE Programme

Grades 9 and 10 constitute the formal IGCSE programme, offering students the opportunity to develop a deeper understanding of their chosen subjects within an internationally recognised curriculum.

Across these two years, students are encouraged to engage critically with subject content. They learn to analyse information, evaluate evidence, consider different perspectives, apply knowledge to unfamiliar contexts and communicate reasoned conclusions.

Assessment is an integral part of this learning process. Students become familiar with the expectations and assessment approaches of their respective subjects, learning to use feedback constructively to strengthen their understanding and improve their performance.

As students progress, they are also encouraged to take increasing responsibility for their learning. With continued guidance and support from teachers, they develop the ability to plan their work, manage competing demands, respond to feedback and evaluate their own progress.

By Grade 10, students draw upon the knowledge, skills and learning habits developed over the preceding years as they prepare for their IGCSE examinations.