IDEAL CURRICULUM
Parents are often on the fence when it comes to choosing a board of study for their children. At Sherwood High, we offer the curriculum prescribed by the Council for Indian School Certificate Examinations (CISCE, New Delhi) right from Pre-Primary to Higher Secondary School.
Here is why we believe it is the ideal board of study for children.
THE CURRICULUM
- Follows an integrated approach to learning
- Facilitates the incorporation of a wide range of learning experience
- Emphasizes the importance of empowering students with the necessary life skills.
- Helps contribute towards a humane and pluralistic society with a commitment to excellence.
- Is child-centered.
ICSE Syllabus – Focusing on Multi-Faceted Growth
The curriculum aims at adopting a holistic approach where children’s learning is encouraged through activities and learning experiences that are hands-on. Holistic development of the child continues to remain the focal point through all levels of the curriculum.
At the Pre-Primary Level, trained teachers are encouraged to adopt engaging and enjoyable play activities and learning events that inspire children to think independently. The fun activities are all about triggering interest and sustaining it, all through the child’s time at school.
At the Primary Level, the curriculum is tailored to kindle curiosity and creativity among the learners. The learning experiences are designed to suit the needs of the learner. Subjects like EVS and Computer Science are introduced at the Grade I level and Social Studies and Science at the Grade III level. A thematic approach is followed to address concepts in these subjects. Arts education begins at the primary level and is developed as a core area, here too following a thematic approach.
Further at the Middle School Level, the Sciences are divided into Physics, Chemistry and Biology while the Social Sciences are bifurcated into History Civics and Geography. This continues into the High School as well.
In the Higher Secondary School, the Council gives scope to choose subjects where English continues to remain a compulsory subject along with the subjects of a child’s interest. The school currently offers the Commerce and the Humanities stream for Grade XI. At all levels, the curriculum is designed in a way that the student gets exposure to music, art and sports which forms an integral part of the school experiences of the child.
What is important to note here is that the curriculum and the approach are child-centric, placing importance on children’s experiences as well as their active participation. All of the concepts and themes incorporated into the syllabus are age and developmentally appropriate with a clear understanding of a child’s natural progression.
Being one of the leading Council affiliated schools in South Bangalore, at Sherwood High, teachers are trained to cater to heterogeneous classrooms wherein they are able to recognize different learning styles as well as the individual differences among children. The curriculum is transacted by creating various learning experiences through classroom discussions, case studies, field visits, role play, project work, surveys, hands-on experiences, experimentation, model making, poster making, slogan writing and many more. The curriculum aims to make learning a joyful experience for all, enabling children not just to understand, but be able to apply their knowledge to life as they go forward.
ICSE Syllabi – Building a strong base for international and national competitive exams
The curriculum prescribed by the CISCE is one that is all inclusive. The concepts in various subjects are dealt with in depth, to help the learner understand the nuances of the content. The internal assessment component helps the teacher to assess the student continuously through the course of the learning process. There is emphasis given to project work as well as lab work through the course of transaction of the curriculum.
Another aspect you will see is that the focus in this syllabus is on language, arts as well as science subjects. The emphasis given to English Language at the ICSE and ISC level, helps students who wish to pursue their studies abroad, get an edge to perform well in the language proficiency examinations.
ICSE Grading System – An emphasis on practical and theoretical approach
The grading system is based on an internal component which comprises 20% of the total marks and a summative component comprising 80% of the marks. Students writing the Grade X ICSE Examinations may find that the number of papers to answer is higher than other boards. However, this ensures that the pressure of studying for these exams is also equally spread out, giving youngsters more time to concentrate on each
subject.
The Syllabus for the ISC is in depth, giving the students a comprehensive view of the subjects that they opt to learn. The flexibility of opting out of studying two languages, helps students focus on their area of interest. The assessment is based on the right blend of simple, difficult and analytical questions that tap the higher order thinking skills of the learners. The examination will comprise of a component of theory alongside a component of practical or project work which will vary as per the subject.
The board gives certain accommodations to students with special difficulties both at the ICSE and ISC level as well as allows a student to opt out of Science and Mathematics at the Grade IX level if they wish to. This further proves that the board believes in including all types of learners and opportunities are given to excel in one’s area of interest.