Academic Curriculum
Wycomby Abbey School Hangzhou provides a 15-year educational journey for pupils aged 3 to 18, encompassing kindergarten through to high school. No matter where a pupil is in their academic path, they receive tailored support and guidance, ensuring a strong foundation for future success in applying to top international universities.
Kindergarten
During the kindergarten stage we aim to develop resilient and independent learners who are naturally curious and inquisitive. We achieve this through providing play-based and open-ended activities which stimulates pupils’ desire to explore and learn.
Nestled by the Fairy Lake and surrounded by lush mountains, WASHZ Kindergarten has created a “Forest School” that fully embraces its exceptional natural environment. Drawing on internationally recognised early childhood education frameworks such as the EYFS (Early Years Foundation Stage) and the “Guidelines for the Learning and Development of Children Aged 3-6,” the kindergarten offers a series of thoughtfully designed, thematic, and purposeful outdoor activities in this idyllic setting.
We believe that every child deserves an education that is both engaging and comprehensive. Early childhood education plays a pivotal role in shaping future learning, which is why our curriculum is designed to be both enjoyable and educational, emphasising interaction, creativity, and hands-on discovery. Our goal is to inspire a lifelong love of learning in every child.
Primary School
In primary school stage we continue to adhere firmly to the ethos of holistic education, while giving pupils a more structured and traditional teaching environment.
In the Primary Stage we continue to adhere firmly to the ethos of holistic education, while giving pupils a more structured and traditional teaching environment. In addition, we encourage learning through self-discovery and trial and error, group discussion and creativity, which are a central focus of our courses.
We offer a wide range of extra-curricular enrichment courses, enabling pupils to develop their potential in academic study, the arts, sports and social activities, thereby helping them to lay a solid foundation for future study and life. Our courses include Chinese, English, Maths, Science, Global Issues, Chinese Literature, Computer Science, Music, Arts, PE, Moral Education and Individual Health and Safety.
Our pupils will naturally not only master Chinese and gain a great appreciation for Chinese culture, but will also master English and appreciate different cultures, thereby broadening their horizons, inspiring them to approach the world with a truly global perspective and to develop key skills and knowledge for their future lives.
Our students will be assessed on a regular basis, including assessments of their social skills, awareness of health issues and their psychological and academic development. One of the core assessments is focussed on their English language competence, including their skills in listening, speaking, reading and writing.
Wycombe Abbey School Hangzhou will be a bilingual environment, embracing project-based learning, the development of good reading habits, interactive classrooms and inspirational teaching to promote lively learning, as well as other methods to promote the rich content of the blended Chinese and English curriculum. The school will strive to enable every child to become a life-long learner. In addition, the school will educate children to have a solid grasp of the academic knowledge they need to be well prepared for entry into senior school.
The educational growth of a primary pupil begins with good reading habits. For this reason, Wycombe Abbey School Hangzhou arranges one reading class every day for Primary School pupils. There are two Chinese reading classes every week and two English reading classes. Every day, teaching will end with story time. In the Primary School, reliance will be based on cross-disciplinary teaching. Teachers will use this pedagogical method to stimulate pupils’ creativity, a desire to understand the world around them, improve their problem-solving and mathematic ability, as well as develop communication, language and literacy skills.
Pupils are regularly assessed on their social, emotional and academic development, with the key factor being their ability in all areas of English – reading, writing, speaking and listening. Pupils will have the opportunity to enjoy a wide range of extra-curricular activities in beautiful countryside.
Middle School
In middle school stage, we will gradually increase the proportion of English immersion courses.
In the Middle School, we will gradually increase the proportion of English immersion courses. We will focus on immersive bilingual teaching, practice-based interdisciplinary learning and other innovative teaching methods, enabling all of our pupils to find a personalised learning pathway with the assistance of their tutors, thereby developing their academic tenacity and adaptability and helping them lay a solid foundation for further study in Senior High School. In this process, teachers and tutors will allow them greater freedom, increasing the frequency and flexibility of self-study so as to develop their capacity for self-regulated learning.
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Education Objective
To prepare pupils for the IGCSE curriculum.
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Main curriculum and teaching approach
As pupils enter the Middle School stage, their cognitive abilities develop quickly, so the courses provided to Middle School pupils need to have enough depth to satisfy their curiosity; at the same time, they also need to understand that what they learn in the school will prepare them for future learning and ultimately for employment. More importantly, every pupil will need to find their strengths and weaknesses, and this will help their development as a young adult. In order to achieve this, Wycombe Abbey School Hangzhou has selected the following international courses: The IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) and A-Levels (Advanced Levels) for pupils.
High School
A highly varied and modular curriculum including a personalised and professional higher education guidance helps pupils prepare for their further studies and future lives.
In our High School, on the basis of the curriculum standards published by the Ministry of Education of the People’s Republic of China, we will draw on those curricula of leading senior schools in China and overseas which emphasise a varied and modular approach to education, aiming for both width and depth. In addition to internationally recognised IGCSE and A-Level lessons, we will also offer regular personalised guidance on further study, providing those who aspire to enter the world’s top universities not only with effective academic training but also world-leading life skills training, thereby ensuring that our graduates develop great self-confidence and go on to succeed in their university studies, in their job applications and even their future lives.
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Education Objective
To prepare pupils academically, socially and emotionally for entry into world-class universities.
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IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education)
The IGCSE course is one of the most important examinations in the UK. It can be compared to the senior high school entrance examination in China. Every year, there are tens of millions of pupils studying IGCSE courses around the world, and their certificates are recognized throughout the world. Every year, British newspapers and media publish the rankings of British private schools based on their IGCSE results. The IGCSE curriculum is one of the reasons why teaching standards are excellent in British private schools. As one of the most established academic courses in the world, the IGCSE is used by various countries and other curriculum systems as a preparation for the final years of secondary education.
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A-Level (General Certificate of Education Advanced Level)
After completing their IGCSEs, Wycombe Abbey School Hangzhou students will take A-Levels at the end of their last two years of High School. A-Level courses are similar to IGCSE courses in that they are also national education courses in the UK. The British media also rank private schools in the UK based on A-Level results. As the principal examination taken by British pupils before entering university, A-Levels can be compared to China’s college entrance examination. More than 5000 educational institutions around the world use A-Level courses and millions of pupils take the examinations every year. Due to the excellent reputation of A-Levels, both Singapore and Hong Kong directly use A-Levels as a national examination for university entrance. A-Levels have been recognised by 11,000 universities in 160 countries in the world.
