SECONDARY SCHOOL AT HIS
A trailblazing approach to secondary school teaching
The Horizon International School Secondary Department is a successful and thriving part of the HIS community. We are entirely student-focused and, over recent years, have demonstrated this through consistently improving academic results that put us in the league of the top British Curriculum schools in Dubai.
Whilst student achievement at GCSE and A-Level is a highlight of our journey, our key academic strength is all students' progress against their measured potential. Put simply, students consistently make better-than-expected progress at Horizon International Secondary School. As a boutique school, we focus on the individual, personalising our students' learning, giving individualised attention and providing bespoke pathways where necessary.
SUCCESS STORIES
Our high academic success thrives on personalised learning and care.
Teachers continuously observe their students in the school environment and build on their knowledge. We provide the children with the tools to develop their learning styles, laying the foundations for the skills they will need in the future.
Our highly skilled and dedicated teachers fully appreciate what a privileged position they are in and what a significant difference they make to our children's lives daily. They expertly ensure that lessons are adapted and personalised so that each child maximises their progress and that there is appropriate stretch and challenge. Teachers use all possible strategies to achieve this, and the unique ‘HIS learning buzz’ is palpable when walking through the learning environments.
There is more to our school than meets the eye. We welcome you to visit and find out exactly what we mean when we say everyone counts, everyone contributes, and everyone succeeds.
SECONDARY CURRICULUM
Our curriculum blends the English National Curriculum with global perspectives for excellence.
We aim to draw upon the best elements of the English National Curriculum, combined with the depth and range of subjects appropriate to an international school in Dubai.
Our curriculum aims to challenge and inspire all learners to develop their skills and nurture values through a love of learning to embrace tomorrow's diverse challenges responsibly. Our mission is to enable students to achieve a place at their first-choice university.
Our assessment philosophy aims to focus on what is essential. Students can view assessments as feedback to learn and develop, not as opportunities to be judged. We want students to take responsibility for their learning – they know what they need to be able to do, what they can currently do, and what they need to improve on. We give them the tools necessary to achieve this.
ENGAGEMENT WITH THE CURRICULUM
The impact of developing engagement with each student’s assessment capability at an early age will be two-fold:
- Academic success: maximising potential in high-stakes public exams (GCSEs and A-Levels).
- Learning skills success: developing a wide range of learning skills in our students, which supports their application to learning.
Parents will receive regular reports at appropriate times in the school year and can meet with their children’s teachers. We actively encourage all students and parents to attend student-led conferences, which enable them to take responsibility for their own learning as they grow in ‘assessment capability’.
Years 7-9
Years 7-9 Curriculum
The curriculum is designed to give students a broad and balanced exposure to a wide variety of subjects and to develop their learning skills.
All students study the following subjects:
Mathematics
English
Science
Arabic
French or Spanish
Geography
UAE Social Studies
History
Islamic Studies (for Muslim students)
Music
PE
Drama
Art
Design and Technology
ICT/Computer Science
Moral Education
Dance
PSHE
We also offer the ASDAN programme for students with special educational needs.
Years 10-11
Years 10-11 Curriculum
We offer a range of GCSE and IGCSE subjects examined by Pearson Edexcel, AQA, Oxford International AQA and Cambridge International Education. Students will take up to nine GCSEs, depending on their prior levels of attainment and experience of the British Curriculum.
The core GCSE curriculum is made up of the following subjects:
English Language
English Literature
Mathematics
Science (Double Award)
Islamic Studies (inc. compulsory MOE curriculum)- Muslim students only
Arabic (inc. compulsory MOE curriculum) - Arab passport holders only
Global Citizenship (non-Muslim students only)
To encourage a balanced curriculum, students choose a maximum of three optional subjects based on the interests and demands of the year group.
In addition, all students take UAE Social Studies, core PE and Moral Education.
We also offer alternative pathways for students who cannot access a full GCSE curriculum. This is organised one-to-one, personalised to the individual student and undertaken through the achievement centre.
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