Curriculum

ACADEMIC OVERVIEW

Hillcrest College offers a variety of subjects within the Cambridge Assessment International Examinations (CAIE) framework. Our school syllabus is structured in such a way as to allow young learners in Form 1 and 2 to develop necessary thinking and learning skills to lay the foundation for the IGCSE and AS/A Level programme of Form 3, 4, Lower and Upper 6.

Our teaching staff are specialists within their subject and field and are up to date with developments within each subject framework. With a low teacher to pupil ratio, each learner is given the individual attention needed for success in all subjects and fields. Learners are given guidance and advice with their subject choices in Form 3 and Lower 6, allowing each individual to meet their full potential. We follow the Cambridge curriculum from Cambridge Lower Secondary up to Cambridge Advanced.

JUNIOR SECONDARY - FORMS 1 AND 2

junior Secondary - Forms 1 and 2

Students are required to take all the listed core subjects and to choose at least two of the practical subjects.

  • Core Subjects

    • English Language
    • Mathematics
    • Geography
    • Science
    • Shona (L1 or L2)
    • History
    • Computers
    • French
    • Music

  • Practical Subjects

    • Woodwork
    • Art and Design
    • Agriculture
    • Technical Graphics
MIDDLE SECONDARY - FORMS 3 AND 4

Middle Secondary – Forms 3 and 4

In their second and third years of secondary education students follow the ‘Secondary 2’ curriculum, studying for the International General Certificate for Secondary Education (IGCSE) with the examinations being taken at the end of Form 4.

 

Hillcrest College’s curriculum for middle secondary (IGCSE) level is divided into 3 pathways, each with corresponding additional subject options:

  • Students of pathway 3A will choose one subject from each Option Block to make 9 subjects. *Biology (Extended) is available to them only.
  • Students of pathway 3A1 will choose one subject from each Option Block to make 8 subjects.
  • Students of pathway 3A2 will choose two subjects (total) from any two of the Option Blocks to make 7 subjects.

  • 3A

    • English Language
    • Mathematics
    • Geography
    • Chemistry
    • Physics
    • Computer Science/ Literature in English

  • 3A1

    • English Language
    • Mathematics
    • Geography
    • Combined Science
    • Literature in English


  • 3A2

    • English Language
    • Mathematics
    • Geography
    • Biology (Core)
    • Travel and Tourism


  • Block 1

    • Art & Design
    • Accounting
    • Design & Technology (TG/RM)
    • Agriculture

  • Block 2

    • Biology (Extended)*
    • History
    • Information & Communication Technology (ICT)
    • Travel & Tourism

  • Block 3

    • Business Studies
    • French
    • Enterprise
    • Travel & Tourism

Special Arrangements for Examinations

If you know that your child has a learning difficulty (e.g. dyslexia, dyspraxia) which will hamper them in showing their true ability in public examinations, please make sure you arrange to have an Educational Psychologist’s assessment done late in their Form 3 year or very early in their Form 4 year. A copy of the Psychologist’s report should be brought to the College Examinations Officer. The College will need to apply to Cambridge Assessment International Examinations (CAIE) requesting any special arrangements in good time for approval. The College reserves the right to ask the student’s parents to provide evidence that remedial help has been sought to address the learning difficulty in the past.

UPPER SECONDARY - LOWER AND UPPER 6

Upper Secondary – Lower and Upper 6

Senior students at Hillcrest College follow the staged assessment route to the full Advanced Level qualification. In their Lower Sixth year students follow the Advanced Subsidiary (AS) curriculum and write AS examinations at the end of that year.

 

Students who achieve a B grade or better in the AS examinations proceed with the A Level (A2) curriculum in their Upper Sixth year and sit for the A2 component papers only. Those pupils who achieve grades lower than a B are normally required to write the full complement of A levels as opposed to only the remaining component.

 

Senior pupils choose one subject from any three of the following Option Blocks:

  • Block 1

    • Mathematics
    • Travel & Tourism
    • History
    • Information Technology
    • Global Perspectives

  • Block 2

    • Chemistry
    • Geography
    • Economics
    • Computer Science
    • AS English Language

  • Block 3

    • Biology
    • Business
    • Design & Technology
    • Art
    • AS English Language

  • Block 4

    • Physics
    • Literature in English
    • Accounting
    • Geography
    • Global Perspectives 

PLEASE NOTE:

1. Students must choose between Global Perspectives or AS English Language to be taken as a fourth subject.
2. Art is only offered at AS level for examination in June. It can also be taken as an additional subject.
3. Life Skills is a compulsory non-examination subject for all sixth form pupils.

Life Skills is done by all pupils. This subject covers all aspects of a growing teenager’s life, encouraging them to make healthy choices that will positively impact them the rest of their lives. Topics include communication skills, relationship management, the danger of substance abuse, responsible use of social media and electronic gadgets, study skills, morals and ethics and anger management. The lessons are as interactive as possible. Videos, DVD’S and outside facilitators who are experts in particular topics are used whenever necessary. The subject is not examinable.

View Academic Results