The British School of Monaco has created its unique Individual Programme to allow Secondary, IGCSE and A-Level Students to officially graduate from the British School of Monaco, whilst accessing our world-class teachers, cutting-edge pedagogical approaches, wrap-around pastoral support, and complementary enrichment programmes.
Our students can study a wide range of IGCSEs and A-Levels and be given the right support to access some of the world’s top universities. The British School of Monaco is also able to provide high-level university guidance counselling to students applying to top universities in the UK, US, Europe, Australia and around the world. Our A-Level provision is delivered with later access to universities in mind, focusing on auxiliary reading, specialist exam techniques and study techniques that will be relevant at university.
The British School of Monaco Individual Programme is also well-placed to support students need to bridge gaps at Secondary, IGCSE or A-Level, in order to fulfil their academic potential. The flexibility and efficiency of our Individual Teaching Programme means that we are able to adapt our curriculum delivery to fit different timescales, as required.
If your child needs personalised support to prepare for his or her IGCSEs, or would benefit from the high-flexibility of A-Levels in advance of university, please get in touch with us.
The British School of Monaco Individual Programme is ideally suited for elite athletes, from tennis players to racing drivers or heptathletes, allowing students to pursue elite sporting programmes without compromising on their academic studies.
Curriculum
English National Curriculum
At the British School of Monaco Online we develop strong British social, moral, cultural, intellectual, emotional and spiritual values, within a framework of physical and mental health. The British School of Monaco is accredited and recognised as a Cambridge and a Pearson School and offers Secondary, IGCSE and A-Level Curricula through Cambridge and Pearson/Edexcel.
At the British School of Monaco Online, students receive a stimulating and enriching educational experience that drives ambition and a genuine thirst for learning. We place our students and our vision for the curriculum at the heart of all decisions we make and all that we do. This ensures that we are best placed to develop confident, adaptable and risk-taking students who are prepared for the next stages of their learning in a fast-changing world.
Our outstanding teaching combines cross-curricular, well-planned and resourced lessons with broader enrichment opportunities to extend and consolidate understanding of the curriculum. Through this we ensure that students’ depth of understanding across the curriculum is achieved and that their learning comes to life.
Within the ‘hidden curriculum’ are two critical factors: an understanding of how students learn, and a commitment to supporting students to be reflective learners with a deep awareness of themselves.
A-Level & IGCSE subjects
There are several questions to ask yourself when deciding which IGCSE and A-Level subjects to choose. There is much more flexibility regarding A-Level choices than for IGCSE, so these questions relate more to A-Level but are still relevant for IGCSE:
- Do I have a particular degree or career I am interested in?
For example, if you are planning to do Medicine at university, you must choose Biology and Chemistry, whilst Mathematics is advisable. For Engineering at top universities, Mathematics and Physics are essential whilst Further Mathematics is strongly advised. Natural Sciences courses also have specific requirements. Our team can give you more advice on these requirements.
- What do I enjoy doing?
At A Level you will study subjects in far more depth than at IGCSE, so you need to have a genuine interest in the subject to sustain the enthusiasm that will underpin your work.
- What am I good at?
Naturally you need to take account of your ability in a subject. On this point, we have prior learning requirements for each subject, and our admissions team will ensure you are guided to make the right choices. We may ask you to undertake pre-course assessments and pre-course study to ensure you are best prepared to succeed. You should not just choose subjects based on your previous grades, as your current level of attainment may not be the best predictor of future success.
Biology
Biology is an intrinsically interesting and universally accessible subject. It is the scientific study of life and, as such, it encompasses the investigation of living organisms and life processes, from the molecular, through cells and individual organisms, to populations and whole communities of animals and plants. Since we are living things, by studying biological systems we better understand both ourselves and the world we live in. Therefore, we can make more informed decisions on our own health and our environment.
Our A Level course helps students develop essential knowledge and understanding of biological concepts and scientific methods. Importantly, studying Biology leads to a wealth of careers and is at the forefront of many modern developments. Manipulation of genetic systems in both animals and plants, to increase food supplies or produce medicines, for example, has enormous potential to revolutionise our lives. Biologists will be required to further develop this technology and devise safe applications. Our courses are also particularly well suited to those interested in vocational degrees such as Medicine and Physiotherapy.
What subjects does Biology combine with?
Popular combinations with other subjects include Mathematics, Chemistry, Physics and Geography but students also choose to study Biology alongside a range of Arts subjects.
Business Studies
Business Studies appeals to a wide range of students, including those whose ambition it is to be an entrepreneur, those who hope to run their family business, or those who want to be a part of a multinational corporation. Business touches most aspects of modern society, it is a vibrant subject that is constantly changing, and the study of it prepares students for today’s global world.
The A Level course provides an insight into the business world and enables students to develop the skills and knowledge to understand how businesses operate. In many ways it is a practical subject as students learn about the internal running of a business, the operation of the various departments, such as marketing, finance and human resources, and the external influences on the business. The A Level course is taught using a case-study approach; this enables students to build knowledge of real world businesses.
Business and related subjects are among some of the most popular fields of study at universities and the A Level provides students with a strong foundation for future studies.
What subjects does Business combine with?
Business combines well with a wide variety of subjects, including Economics, Geography, Mathematics and Three-Dimensional Design.
Chemistry
Chemistry is unusual for its combination of practical skills with both logical and conceptual thinking. The A Level course is spiral in structure with each level of learning building on the last, with many topics from the GCSE revisited and explored in more detail. Students will begin to picture the atom as more than just a disc on a piece of paper, and understand how the interactions of protons and electrons can explain everything from the colour of a crystal to the structure of a pharmaceutical drug. Although challenging, Chemistry A Level provides the tools to understand the world around us whilst also teaching a range of skills applicable to almost any university course. Chemistry is compulsory for all those wishing to study Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Sciences at university.
What subjects does Chemistry combine with?
Chemistry is most often chosen alongside other science subjects. It is also advantageous to study Mathematics to assist with the high mathematical content of the specification.
Computer Science
The growth in demand for people with coding skills is strong, and likely to grow in the future. A Level Computer Science develops a broad range of the knowledge, understanding and skills of computing, as a basis for progression into further learning and/ or employment. GCSE Computer Science is an advantage, but not essential. The course will suit those with strong mathematical and problem-solving skills.
A Level Computer Science will develop your ability to analyse problems in computational terms through practical experience of solving such problems, including writing programs to do so. In addition, the course develops an understanding of a variety of theoretical aspects underpinning modern computing, including:
- Fundamentals of programming, data structures, data representation and algorithms
- Theory of computation and computer organisation and architecture
- Fundamentals of communication and networking, databases and Big Data
- Fundamentals of functional programming, and the systematic approach to problem solving
What subjects does Computer Science combine with?
Computer Science combines well with Mathematics, Further Mathematics and Physics.
Economics
Economics is about choice and the impact of our choices on each other. It relates to every aspect of our lives, often without us realising it, from the decisions we make as individuals about how to spend our money or family income to the institutions and structures created by governments and firms. As a way of thinking, Economics can help us make better choices.
The popularity of Economics is a reflection of the value and enjoyment students derive from its study, the wide range of skills they develop and the huge choice of careers that are open to graduates of the subject.
What subjects does Economics combine with?
Economics is a good complement to most A Levels. Popular subjects to do in combination with Economics include Mathematics, History, Psychology, Politics and Geography. You do not need to study Mathematics to pursue Economics. However, many undergraduate courses in Economics do require Mathematics A Level.
English Language
English Language A Level is an engaging, challenging and stimulating course. It is very different from GCSE English. It is not an opportunity for development of one’s general ability to use the language; it is the study of how others use language, both written and spoken, and the chance to explore areas of personal interest through writing.
The course would lend itself to the study of Linguistics at university, or it would complement Modern Languages or English Literature courses. Career paths could include journalism and the media, law, politics, publishing or other jobs in which the use of language is key.
Course content and assessment
The first year of study offers an introduction to the building blocks of our language – lexis, grammar/syntax, phonology, discourse structure – and students are required to analyse language precisely and systematically. They are also given opportunities to explore areas of sociolinguistics, such as the influence of gender, power and technology on the language that we use. The definition of text is very broad in Language and you are also likely to analyse the language used in a spoken transcript of a conversation between friends, as you are to look at more conventional written texts.
At A-Level, students undertake an extended independent language investigation. They also study the history of the English language and some of the key influences on our language, as well as attitudes to language change.
English Literature
Anyone who has enjoyed English Literature at GCSE will benefit from the A Level course. There is much continuation of material and literary concepts and teaching in the first year is intended to develop knowledge and skills to be carried over into the Upper Sixth. Studying English Literature will give you the opportunity to explore texts in depth and to discuss and debate in class; the lessons are lively and stimulating, and your opinions and perspectives are welcomed.
English Literature is extremely well regarded by universities, and numerous British School of Monaco students who have read English at university have embarked upon successful careers in a range of areas: law, business and commerce, the civil service, architecture, film, theatre, radio, television, journalism, medicine, engineering, and education at all levels.
What subjects does English Literature combine with?
The study of English Literature combines very well with the sciences, social sciences and other arts subjects. Some of our most successful students have combined English with Mathematics and Physics, or Biology and Chemistry, and have found the variety of work refreshing and the course stimulating and rewarding. A live acquaintance with a foreign language, ancient or modern, is advantageous to those wishing to go on to study English at university.
Further Mathematics
Students taking Further Mathematics overwhelmingly find it to be an enjoyable, rewarding, stimulating and empowering experience. It is a challenging qualification, which both extends and deepens your knowledge and understanding beyond ‘single’ A Level Mathematics. Students who study it often say it is their favourite subject.
For someone who enjoys mathematics, it provides a challenge and a chance to explore new and/ or more sophisticated mathematical concepts. As well as learning new areas of Pure Mathematics, students will study more statistics and mechanics.
Students who take Further Mathematics find that the additional time spent studying mathematics boosts their marks in ‘single’ A Level Mathematics. Studying Further Mathematics consolidates and reinforces A Level Mathematics work, encouraging the best possible grades.
Its study makes the transition from Sixth Form to university courses which are mathematically rich that much easier as more of the first year course content will be familiar. Students planning to take a degree such as Engineering, Sciences, Computing, Finance/Economics, etc, or perhaps Mathematics itself, are advised to study Further Mathematics as it introduces new topics such as matrices and complex numbers that are vital in many STEM degrees. Students who have studied Further Mathematics find the transition to such degrees far more straightforward.
Geography
Geography is inherently multidisciplinary in a world that increasingly values people who have diverse and transferable skills. Geographers learn how to select and analyse data and use geographic information systems to map and examine the world.
Geographers are engaged global citizens and eminently employable in a wide range of occupations from international relations to conservation and management. This is underlined by the Russell Group of universities, who recognise Geography as one of the key “facilitating” subjects for entry to degree level study.
What subjects does Geography combine with?
Geography is a subject that will complement almost any combination of A Level disciplines as it utilises elements of both the sciences and the arts.
History
« A person who does not know the history of the last 3,000 years wanders in the darkness of ignorance, unable to make sense of the reality around him. »
While it may be optimistic for students of A Level History to develop the breadth of historical understanding recommended by Goethe, the sentiment of this quotation is as valid today as it ever was. The political, social and economic structures of the modern world make little sense to those who have no context in which to place them. Studying A Level History will not provide all the answers, but it does give students an opportunity to gain considerable understanding of some of the key individuals, events and ideas that have shaped the past millennium.
As an academic discipline, History develops the skills of evaluation, analysis and argument and suits students who enjoy reading, writing and discussion; but most of all it should appeal to students who are curious about the past and are keen to make sense of the present. The skills honed through studying History are fundamental to a broad range of careers, such as law and journalism. History is widely recognised as a heavyweight A Level subject by universities and a number of British School of Monaco students each year choose to study History at top institutions.
Mathematics
If considering a degree in Mathematics itself, its excellence as an academic discipline should not be ignored; graduates in the subject are in high demand. The shortage of Mathematics graduates is now so marked that students who enjoy the subject and who have a reasonable degree of competence will find it considerably easier to get a university place in Mathematics than in some other subjects. This is not a route for everyone of course, and studying the subject at A Level will help develop analytical, research and problem solving skills. Not only can it provide the knowledge to tackle scientific, mechanical, coding and abstract problems, it will develop skills to help with planning projects, managing budgets and even debating effectively.
Mathematics is the most popular subject choice at The British School of Monaco , with well over half the Sixth Form opting to continue its study. These large numbers enable us to create six ‘single’ Mathematics classes, and we find that effective streaming of these classes enables us to alter approaches and provision accordingly.
What subjects does Mathematics combine with?
Mathematics combines well with all the sciences and social sciences. Equally, studying Mathematics alongside essay subjects such as English or History can help keep options open for a wider range of possible degrees and careers.
Physics
Physics is about the world around you, the way it works and why it behaves the way it does. It delves into the concepts that explain the universe, from the very small subatomic right through to cosmology. Studying Physics A Level will start you on the journey of discovery into understanding how it all fits together.
Although not an easy subject, Physics lays the foundation for many careers. Studying Science subjects, Computer Science, Business, Architecture and many others at university all benefit from the logical and mathematical thinking skills that are developed at A Level. The practical skills learnt are also valuable at degree level and Physics is compulsory for all those wishing to study Engineering at university.
What subjects does Physics combine with?
Physics is most often chosen alongside other science subjects. It is strongly recommended that students also study Mathematics if they are able to.
Psychology
Psychology is the study of human behaviour and experience. It seeks to explain why we behave the way we do and how our minds work. It is directly relevant to you, your friends and society in general. Where does our behaviour come from? Are we born with our personalities, or do we learn to be the people we are? Questions such as these lie at the heart of Psychology. If you are at all interested in how we learn, how our memory works, why some of us have phobias and how other people influence us, then Psychology is the subject for you!
Studying Psychology will help you to develop skills that will be beneficial to your other subjects. You will be taught effective essay writing skills and alongside this you will be encouraged to become a critical thinker who can analyse the strengths and weaknesses of different theories and pieces of research. You will learn about research methods and you will design and carry out practical investigations. Psychology lessons need your input; you will be encouraged to develop your communication skills so that you can contribute to debate and discussion and present your ideas in an effective way.
What subjects does Psychology combine with?
Psychology is taught as a science and therefore combines well with other science subjects. However, due to its written and analytical components, it also combines well with both creative subjects and the humanities. It is for this reason that Psychology is well regarded by universities.
