SharifStudy A way to Study Malaysia
In 2012, a significant shift took place, replacing the former terminal system with a modular approach. Unlike the previous method of having a single major examination at the end of the series, the new system divides the examination process into three distinct semesters, enabling thorough and continuous assessments to gauge student progress and APS Grades. Moreover, a dedicated representative from Cambridge Assessment diligently monitors exam results to maintain high standards and ensure quality.
Additionally, they acknowledge that a student’s academic standing is a crucial indicator of their capacity for learning. In order to inspire our students to learn on their own, they want to create a learning environment that supports their growth in self-assurance and an attitude of excellence.
International Curriculum
International Preschool
All subsequent years of formal schooling are conditioned by the first few. Their international preschool program lays a strong foundation for success in school and beyond because of this.
The program’s goal is to inspire kids between the ages of 18 months and 4 to “Learn and Grow” as independent, active learners by creating a stimulating and supportive environment. Through the use of purposeful play activities and a thematic curriculum, kids can learn important concepts and skills in a playful and interesting way. They have the chance to develop critical social and interpersonal skills through cooperative activities starting at a young age.
Academics and Areas of Development
The International Preschool Curriculum, a component of the English National Curriculum, is followed by their international preschool program. The IPC model uses play-based methods to encourage children’s natural curiosity while also fostering their personal, social, and emotional growth so they can become well-rounded, inquisitive learners.
Based on classroom observations that are benchmarked against early learning objectives, student development is evaluated. As a result, your child won’t take any formal exams because academic evaluations aren’t a top priority at this young age.
The program does, however, center on three important development areas that serve as a roadmap for their teachers.
To guarantee that each kid receives the individualized attention they require, there are always two teachers in each class. Children are encouraged to individually solve problems they are given as part of the Amazing Learning philosophy in order for them to make their own learning breakthroughs.
They firmly believe that going through such good hardships in preschool helps kids develop into resilient, competent, confident, and self-assured adults.
Areas of Learning
Their International Preschool curriculum defines four additional major learning areas in addition to the three key areas of development, which are as follows:
Literacy
A whole new world of information and imagination opens up to kids through books once they can read and write well.
Mathematics
Many other life skills are built on the foundations of counting, comprehending and utilizing numbers, solving straightforward math problems, and being able to explain forms, places, and measurements.
Understanding The World
Children explore, observe, and learn about people, places, technology, and the environment to make sense of their physical surroundings and their community.
Expressive Arts And Design
As they express their thoughts, ideas, and feelings through art, music, movement, dance, role-playing, design, and technology, children gain self-confidence and discover boundless creativity.
Your child will develop the skills necessary for a seamless transition into more formal education later on, whether it be the International Curriculum or the Malaysian National Curriculum, thanks to the knowledge and abilities they acquire in the International Preschool program.
International Primary School
Both modern science and conventional wisdom agree that a child’s formative years lay the groundwork for adult behavior patterns. In light of this, the Primary years program seeks to establish in students a winning mindset as they advance through their academic careers. These qualities include an international perspective, curiosity, reflection, and resilience.
Their educators are equipped with the tools and methods to make this crucial period in education a success because of a clear educational philosophy that directs us towards Amazing Learning outcomes, where students improve to a level beyond what they thought was possible.
Subjects
Two Key Stages—Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) and Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6), which offer important and difficult learning experiences to children aged 5 to 11—make up the Primary years of the International Curriculum at Asia Pacific Schools. The International Primary Curriculum, which has been modified to meet the Malaysian context, is used to teach students.
The following are required subjects for the Primary years:
- Art and Design
- Computing
- English
- Geography
- History
- Islamic Studies (for Muslims)
- Malay
- Mathematics
- Modern Foreign Languages
- Music
- Personal Social Health Education (for non-Muslims)
- Physical Education
- Science
- Speech & Drama
Throughout the Primary years, the subjects are the same, but the teaching methods change depending on the learner’s age. Key Stage 1’s curriculum, for instance, is created to help students develop fundamental skills while establishing a foundation in important subjects. Key Stage 2 then builds on this framework by contextualizing learning and presenting students with difficult learning tasks that require active inquiry and investigation. In order to help students internalize their lessons as they advance through the age groups, their teachers employ a variety of teaching strategies and tools.
After completing their primary school, pupils have the option of pursuing the International Curriculum in Asia Pacific Schools to prepare for the IGCSE exams or switching to the Malaysian National Curriculum to prepare for the SPM exam.
International Secondary School
For all students at Asia Pacific Schools, moving from primary to secondary school is arguably the most eagerly awaited rite of passage. At this point, students can look forward to developing into mature, capable young people, and we have carefully created an environment that encourages and supports them on their path.
Academic success continues to be a top focus and a crucial indicator of student development throughout this time. However, they also want to give students a wide range of experiences that will help them learn even more about who they are, their interests, and their passions, so that they are better prepared for a fruitful and satisfying time once their academic careers are done.
Subjects
Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9, or students aged 11 to 14) and Key Stage 4 make up the Secondary years (Years 10 to 11, children aged 15-16).
In Key Stage 3, there are more specialized teachers teaching the kids. They acquire a strong academic foundation throughout this period in order to be ready for their two-year International General Certificate in Secondary Education (IGCSE) program, which begins in Year 10.
By the time kids are in Key Stage 4, they are capable of and conscious of their position as active learners who are in charge of their own academic success.
As they pursue their IGCSEs in Year 10, students have the option to create their own educational path while fully aware that their decisions and outcomes may affect their future educational and professional options. Throughout this exciting time, their teachers are always available to help them.
All students in Key Stage 3 learn the following subjects:
- Art
- Computing
- English
- Humanities
- Islamic Studies (for Muslims)
- Malay
- Malaysian History and Culture (for non-Muslims)
- Mathematics
- Modern foreign Languages
- Music Appreciation
- Science
- SELF Program
- Speech and Drama
- Personal Social Health Education
- Physical Education
Key Stage 4 mandatory subjects include:
- English
- Islamic Studies (for Muslims)
- Malay (for Malaysians)
- Malaysian History and culture (for non-Muslims)
- Mathematics
- Physical Education
Students can also select additional subjects from a wide variety of courses, which include:
- Accounting
- Additional Mathematics
- Art & Design
- Biology
- Business Studies
- Chemistry
- Combined Science
- Computer Science
- Drama
- Economics
- French
- Geography
- History
- Mandarian
- Psychology
- Physics
- Sociology
- Travel and Tourism
Malaysian National Curriculum
The Malaysian National Curriculum at APS equips Malaysian students for success with a global perspective by fusing local and foreign methods to education. While it is our first objective to help students achieve academic achievement on their Class-Based Assessments (CBA) and in the PT3 and SPM exams, we also place a strong emphasis on creating well-rounded students who flourish in the classroom as well as in their spiritual and social lives.
In addition to having outstanding academic performance, they are one of the few institutions authorized to run a Dual Language Program, in which English is used to teach math and science and Bahasa Malaysian is used as the major language of teaching.
Malaysian Primary School
The Primary Years in the Malaysian National Curriculum at APS (from ages 7-12) base themselves on the Kurikulum Standard Sekolah Rendah (KSSR), covering Standard 1 through 6 in the Malaysian National Primary School Standard Curriculum. The school fosters and develops students in a variety of school-based evaluation topic areas. The Dual Language Program teaches Mathematics and Science in English at all levels, with Bahasa Melayu being the primary language of instruction. The school conducts student evaluations in line with Pelaporan Pentaksiran Sekolah Rendah (PPSR), which includes Pentaksiran Bilik Darjah (PBD), Pentaksiran Aktiviti Jasmani, Sukan dan Kokurikulum (PAJSK), and Pentaksiran Psikometrik (PPSi).
Their Amazing Learning philosophy ensures that students truly receive the best of both Malaysian and international educational approaches, with an engaging learning environment that emphasizes their responsibility to acquire knowledge for themselves and not just memorize facts for exams. This prepares children for success in Secondary and beyond by developing them as inquisitive and self-motivated learners.
Subjects
While academic preparation for kids is the top focus, nurturing the whole child is our number one objective at all times. In order to deepen their understanding of themselves and the world around them, pupils study a wide range of non-state-level evaluated subjects in addition to the Primary 6 state-level exam subjects.
The following topics are covered in Primary level:
Core subject
- Bahasa Melayu
- English Language
- Mathematics
- Science
non-core subjects
- Health Education
- Islamic Religious Education & Perkara Asas Fardu Ain (PAFA) [for Muslims]
- Moral Education (for Non-Muslims)
- Music
- Physical Education/Swimming
- Visual Art Education
KSSR subjects for upper Primary (P4-P6)
- Reka Bentuk Teknologi (Design & Technology)
- Sejarah (History)
Other Compulsory Subjects
- Information and Communication Technology (ICT)
- Mandarin/Arabic
- Martial Arts Programme (MAP)/Artistic Gymnastics
- Speech and Drama
While exam performance is crucial, kids are also evaluated holistically as part of the Pelaporan Pentaksiran Sekolah Rendah (PPSR), or Primary School Assessment Report, program run by the Ministry of Education. Pentaksiran Bilik Darjah (PBD, or Classroom Assessment), Pentaksiran Aktiviti Jasmani, Sukan dan Kokurikulum (PAJSK, or Physical, Sports and Co-Curriculum Assessment), and Pentaksiran Psikometrik are all included in this report’s assessment of the entire child (PPsi or Psychometric Assessment).
After finishing their primary education, students have the option of continuing their secondary education with the Malaysian National Curriculum (geared toward the SPM examination) or switching to the International Curriculum and preparing for the IGCSE exams.
Malaysian Secondary School
After completing the Primary years of the Malaysian National Curriculum, students will smoothly go on to the Secondary years. But as they embark on new journeys and approach adulthood, they are also welcomed into the comfortable setting offered by our committed teachers. The knowledgeable and enthusiastic instructors there strike the ideal balance between academic rigor and entertainment to keep students interested in their lessons and actively involved in the learning process.
Their skilled professors are also in charge of making sure that their outstanding SPM academic outcomes are sustained year after year. They have created an alumni that spans continents and the globe by fusing in-depth understanding of the curriculum of study with an international, forward-thinking approach to education honed within the International Schools Partnership network.
Subjects
From Forms 1 to 5, secondary students enrolled in the Malaysian National Curriculum follow the Secondary Schools Standard Curriculum (KSSM).
As they explore their innate potential and talents, lower secondary students (Forms 1 to 3) who are enrolled in the KSSM curriculum are exposed to a wide variety of subjects. Following that, under Pentaksiran Berasaskan Sekolah, student performance is evaluated.
The following are the lower secondary curriculum subjects:
Subjects with school-based assessment:
- Bahasa Melayu
- English Language
- Geografi (Geography)
- Islamic Religious Education & Tugasan Amali (Practical) (for Muslims)
- Mandarin (Advanced)
- Mathematics
- Moral Education (for non-Muslims)
- Physical Education
- Psychometric Assessment
- Reka Bentuk & Teknologi (RBT) [Design & Technology] or Asas Sains Komputer (ASK) [Computer Science Basics]
- Science
- Sejarah (History)
Non-exam compulsory subjects:
- Mandarin (Communication)/Arabic
- Music
- Public Speaking (English classes)
- Swimming
- Visual Art Education
Upper Secondary academic requirements are more rigorous (Forms 4 and 5). The emphasis is on assisting students in getting ready for the significant Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM, or Malaysian Certificate of Education) test, which will serve as the prerequisite for subsequent academic and professional choices.
Students can choose from a variety of subjects at this stage of their education, depending on which stream they enroll in.
Option 1 (Science Stream)
SPM-examined subjects:
- Bahasa Melayu
- English Language
- Islamic Religious Education (for Muslims)
- Modern Mathematics
- Moral Education (for Non-Muslims)
- Sejarah (History)
- and a choice of elective subjects including:
- Additional Mathematics
- Biology
- Chemistry
- Ekonomi
- Grafik Komunikasi Teknikal
- Mandarin/Tasawwur Islam
- Pendidikan Seni Visual
- Perakaunan
- Physics
- Sains Komputer
Non-examined compulsory subjects:
- Health & Physical Education/Swimming
Option 2 (Art Stream)
SPM-examined subjects:
- Bahasa Melayu
- English Language
- General Science
- Islamic Religious Education (for Muslims)
- Modern Mathematics
- Moral Education (for Non-Muslims)
- Sejarah (History)
- and a choice of elective subjects including:
- Additional Mathematics
- Ekonomi
- English Literature
- Geografi
- Mandarin/Tasawwur Islam
- Pendidikan Seni Visual
- Perakaunan
- Perniagaan
- Sains Komputer
Non-examined compulsory subjects:
- Health & Physical Education/Swimming
Assessment & Academic Results
Regular evaluations are employed to provide feedback on the learning progress of all of their pupils in addition to official exams. These evaluations are essential for assisting individuals in setting goals and determining areas for personal development.
International Curriculum
Formal Assessment:
International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSEs):
The IGCSEs, which are taken at the conclusion of Year 11, are a widely accepted credential that opens the door to study in the Sixth Form or for a Foundation degree at the tertiary level.
Malaysian National Curriculum
Formal Assessment:
Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM):
All Malaysian students must pass the traditional “school-leaving” exam, which serves as the prerequisite for admission to the sixth form or to tertiary education.
FAQs
What is the primary focus of the International Preschool program?
The International Preschool program focuses on inspiring children between 18 months and 4 years to “Learn and Grow” as independent, active learners. It provides a stimulating environment, promotes purposeful play activities, and follows a thematic curriculum to teach important concepts and skills.
What structure does the International Primary School program follow?
The International Primary School program splits into two key stages—Key Stage 1 (Years 1 and 2) and Key Stage 2 (Years 3 to 6)—to cater to children aged 5 to 11. It employs the International Primary Curriculum, which has been tailored to the Malaysian context. This curriculum encompasses subjects like Art and Design, Computing, English, Geography, History, Malay, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, Physical Education, and Science among others.
What curriculum does the Asia Pacific Schools use for the Secondary years?
Asia Pacific Schools use the International General Certificate in Secondary Education (IGCSE) program for the Secondary years. This stage splits into Key Stage 3 (Years 7 to 9, for students aged 11 to 14) and Key Stage 4 (Years 10 to 11, for children aged 15-16). The curriculum spans subjects like Art, Computing, English, Humanities, Mathematics, Science, and Modern foreign Languages, among others.
What are the main subjects taught during the Primary years of the International Curriculum at Asia Pacific Schools?
The main subjects taught include Art and Design, Computing, English, Geography, History, Islamic Studies (for Muslims), Malay, Mathematics, Modern Foreign Languages, Music, Personal Social Health Education (for non-Muslims), Physical Education, and Science.
