All parents desire to unlock the potential of their child, which sets them on a path to success. The first five years of the life of a child are immensely important for their brain development. A good play school curriculum like Cambridge’s early years programme can provide your kids with a variety of resources that are structured for holistic learning. The programme can help ignite the innate curiosity in young kids and enable development.
The Cambridge early years programme allows young learners aged 3+ to gain the understanding, knowledge and skills necessary to start their academic journey. There are many schools in Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore and more that follow the Cambridge IGCSE programme. These Indian schools have adopted the widely popular Cambridge program as it offers an integrated and skill-based system. This system uses distinctive resources and tools to ensure that the pedagogic practices promote deep inquiry, self-reflection and independent learning.
What Exactly is the Cambridge Curriculum?
The Cambridge curriculum is a widely prominent and unique educational program developed by the University of Cambridge. This program prioritizes problem-solving, creativity and critical thinking. It provides holistic education that promotes discussion, practical activities and active learning. Cambridge curriculum emphasizes maintaining a personalized and flexible teaching approach, in order to cater to the unique abilities and interests of each student.
Cambridge program is meant for students aged 3 to 19. It includes a wide range of subjects and flexibility gives schools the chance to shape their curriculum in a manner that is exciting and relevant for their own students. This program is divided into multiple stages. Cambridge programme for play school, for instance, helps students make a successful transition to the primary stage by building a range of foundational skills.
Programmes of Cambridge curriculum
The five stages or programmes of the Cambridge curriculum lead seamlessly from primary to secondary and pre-university years. These programmes are designed to cater to the needs and educational pathways of students at diverse stages of study.
- Cambridge Early Years Programme: This is the Cambridge programme for play school. It puts a high degree of focus on physical, emotional, social and cognitive development. Cambridge Early Years Programme promotes holistic development in children aged 3-6 years. It can help your young kid to develop a robust foundation for their academic journey.
- Cambridge Primary Programme: Cambridge’s primary program is designed for children aged 5 to 11 and follows an inquiry-based curriculum. It provides a solid foundation for learning science, math, and English. The curriculum also encourages curiosity and interest in learning.  Â
- Cambridge Lower Secondary Programme: This program is for students between the ages of 11 and 14 who are transitioning from elementary to secondary school. The extensive curriculum helps promote all-around growth, critical thinking, and creativity.Â
- Cambridge Upper Secondary Programme: This programme comes with a rigorous curriculum that helps in preparing students for college and beyond. It is meant for students between the ages of 14 to 16, and puts emphasis on artistic expression, critical thinking and overall development.  Â
- Advanced Programme at Cambridge: Meant for students between the ages of 16 to19, the Cambridge Advanced Programme comes with a specialized curriculum. It prepares students for college and beyond. This curriculum puts a lot of emphasis on in-depth research, personal development and critical thinking.Â
While the Cambridge curriculum builds on the development of the learners from the previous stage, such programs can also be offered separately.
Benefits of the Cambridge curriculum
- Many consider the Cambridge curriculum to be the global standard of education. This curriculum is rooted in excellent academic standards but is also flexible. Hence, each school can create a perfect learning experience for the students.Â
- Cambridge’s curriculum encourages independent learning. It empowers students to take ownership of their education by engaging in self-study and research projects. This helps students develop valuable skills like time management and self-discipline, which are important for success in higher education and beyond.
- There are more than 70 subjects within the Cambridge IGCSE. Schools offering the Cambridge curriculum provide varied combinations of such subjects to the students.Â
- Cambridge’s education system has an international curriculum and is recognised across the globe. Enrolling your child into a school that follows this curriculum is especially a smart move if you want them to pursue higher education abroad down the line. Doing so would also be ideal if you may have to move overseas while your kid is still in school. Cambridge’s curriculum provides consistency, structure, and an international perspective while nurturing students to become lifelong learners.
Top schools in Chennai, Bangalore, Coimbatore and more following the IGCSE Cambridge programme strive to ensure the holistic development of the students. They focus on making the students responsible global citizens, and therefore follow progressive education approaches from systems around the world.