SENIOR SCHOOL CURRICULUM
Language and Literature
Language is fundamental to learning, thinking and communicating, therefore it permeates the whole curriculum. The power of language is best experienced through quality literature. The study of language and literature enables students to become highly proficient in their understanding and use of their language(s).
Students need to develop an appreciation of language and literature, of the nature of language and literature, of the many influences on language and literature, and of the power and beauty of language and literature. They will be encouraged to recognize that proficiency in language is a valuable life skill, a powerful tool both in societal communication and as a means of personal reflection. Learning that language and literature are creative processes encourages the development of imagination and creativity through self-expression.
Language and Literature courses are academically rigorous, and equip students with linguistic, analytical and communicative skills that can also be used in an interdisciplinary manner across all other subject groups. There are six skill areas: listening, speaking, reading, writing, viewing and presenting, which develop as both independent and interdependent skills. Students develop these skills through the study of both language and literature. The choice of texts also provides opportunities for and influences students in further developing the attributes of the Cambridge learner profile.
Mathematics
Mathematics plays an essential role both within the school and in society. It promotes a powerful universal language, analytical reasoning and problem-solving skills that contribute to the development of logical, abstract and critical thinking. Moreover, understanding and being able to use mathematics with confidence is not only an advantage in school but also a skill for problem solving and decision-making in everyday life. Therefore, mathematics should be accessible to and be studied by all students.
Mathematics is well known as a foundation for the study of sciences, engineering and technology. However, it is also increasingly important in other areas of knowledge such as economics and other social sciences. Mathematics at TLT aims to equip all students with the knowledge, understanding and intellectual capabilities to address further courses in mathematics, as well as to prepare those students who will use mathematics in their workplace and life in general.
The four main objectives support both the IB and Cambridge learner profile, promoting the development of students who are knowledgeable, inquirers, communicators and reflective learners.
Knowledge and understanding promotes learning mathematics with understanding, allowing students to interpret results, make conjectures and use mathematical reasoning when solving problems in school and in real-life situations.
Investigating patterns supports inquiry-based learning. Through the use of investigations, teachers challenge students to experience mathematical discovery, recognize patterns and structures, describe these as relationships or general rules, and explain their reasoning using mathematical justifications and proofs.
Communication in mathematics encourages students to use the language of mathematics and its different forms of representation, to communicate their findings and reasoning effectively, both orally and in writing. Reflection in mathematics provides an opportunity for students to reflect upon their processes and evaluate the significance of their findings in connection to real-life contexts.
Reflection allows students to become aware of their strengths and the challenges they face as learners.
Urdu
Urdu as a Second Language is designed for learners who already have a working knowledge of the language and who want to consolidate their understanding to progress their education or career. Through their studies, learners gain an understanding of how to use Urdu effectively in the type of situations, and Urdu-speaking environments, they will encounter in their daily lives.
The syllabus throughout the senior school, focuses on the linked language skills of reading, writing, listening and speaking. Through their study of Urdu as a Second Language, learners can achieve a level of practical communication ideal for everyday use, which can also form the basis for further, more in-depth language study.
Sciences
The vision of the sciences at TLT is to contribute to the development of students as inquirers, scientifically literate, caring and responsible individuals who will think critically and creatively when solving problems and making decisions about aspects affecting themselves, others and their social and natural environments.
Science and its methods of investigation offer a way of learning that contributes to the development of an analytical and critical way of thinking. Inquiry is at the heart of sciences from Pre-Nursery to Grade XI, and aims to support students’ understanding of sciences by providing them with opportunities to independently investigate relevant issues through both research and experimentation.
Learning science relies on understanding and using the language of science, which involves more than simply learning technical scientific terminology. The sciences aims for students to become competent and confident when accessing, using and communicating scientific information. Students are expected to use scientific language correctly and select appropriate communication formats for oral and written communication.
The sciences aims to provide students with the opportunity to show their understanding of the main concepts and processes of science, by applying these to solve problems in familiar and unfamiliar situations. Students should demonstrate critical-thinking skills to analyse and evaluate information in order to make informed judgments in a variety of contexts.
The TLT sciences curriculum is relevant to the interests of students, providing them with opportunities to explore the connections between science and everyday life. It is anticipated that students will become interested in and engaged with the role of science in the world. Through the investigation of real examples of the application of science, the “one world” objective allows students to gain insight into the tensions and dependencies between science and societal, environmental and ethical factors.
Students should also learn to appreciate and respect the ideas of others and further develop their sense of responsibility as individuals towards the natural, built and virtual environment. Their engagement, interest and enjoyment in science should foster a positive response to science and contribute to the development of opinion-forming, decision-making and ethical-reasoning skills.
Islamiyat
The Cambridge IGCSE Islamiyat syllabus encourages students to develop lifelong skills and knowledge, including:
• an understanding of the importance of the major beliefs of Islam and of the early history of the Islamic community
• evaluation skills to understand how these beliefs impact on the daily lives and thoughts of Muslims around the world
• familiarity with the Qur’an and Hadith in Arabic.
Humanities (History and Geography)
The humanities courses aim to encourage students to respect and understand the world around them, and to provide a skills base to facilitate further study. This is achieved through the study of individuals, societies and environments in a wide context: historical, contemporary, geographical, political, social, economic, religious, technological and cultural. Students gain and develop knowledge and conceptual understanding as well as the skills of research, analysis, interpretation and communication, contributing to the development of the student as a whole.
Senior School humanities courses aim to build on PYP social studies and to challenge students to look beyond their understanding of their immediate time, place and culture. The courses enable students to acquire a knowledge and understanding of such significant concepts as time, place and space, change, systems, and global awareness that extend into the subjects in the A-Level programme.
Sociology
Sociology is the study of human life, groups, and societies. Studying sociology offers insights into social and cultural issues. It helps students develop a multi-perspective and critical approach to understanding issues around culture, identity, social inequalities, education, crime and media. Over the two year course, students will cover a spectrum of topics which, between them, will help them make sense of the society we live in and the culture and identity issues which affect us all.
Economics
The study of economics is essentially about dealing with scarcity, resource allocation and the methods and processes by which choices are made in the satisfaction of human wants. As a dynamic social science, economics uses scientific methodologies that include quantitative and qualitative elements.
The course emphasizes the economic theories of microeconomics, which deal with economic variables affecting individuals, firms and markets, and the economic theories of macroeconomics, which deal with economic variables affecting countries, governments and societies. These economic theories are not to be studied in a vacuum—rather, they are to be applied to real-world issues. Prominent among these issues are fluctuations in economic activity, international trade, economic development and environmental sustainability.
The ethical dimensions involved in the application of economic theories and policies permeate throughout the economics course as students are required to consider and reflect on human end-goals and values.
The economics course encourages students to develop international perspectives, fosters a concern for global issues, and raises students’ awareness of their own responsibilities at a local, national and international level. The course also seeks to develop values and attitudes that will enable students to achieve a degree of personal commitment in trying to resolve these issues, appreciating our shared responsibility as citizens of an increasingly interdependent world.
Global Perspectives
Meeting government ministers, organising a local river clean-up project and writing to the United Nations about climate change, are just some of the activities learners are pursuing through the Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives course.
Cambridge IGCSE Global Perspectives is a groundbreaking and stimulating course that stretches across traditional subject boundaries and develops transferable skills. It is both cross-curricular and skills-based and taps into the way learners of today enjoy learning, including team work, presentations, projects, and working with other learners around the world. The emphasis is on developing the ability to think critically about a range of global issues where there is always more than one point of view.
Arts
The arts are a universal form of human expression and a unique way of knowing that engage us in affective, imaginative and productive activity. Learning through the arts helps us to explore, shape and communicate our sense of identity and understanding of the world, while providing opportunities to develop self-confidence, resilience and adaptability.
The arts challenge students to consider authentic issues and develop their skills beyond superficiality and imitation. Students are provided with opportunities to function as artists, as well as learners of the arts. To be an artist one has to be curious, and by developing curiosity about themselves, others and the world, students become effective learners, inquirers and creative problem solvers. At TLT, students are guided to create and present art in ways that engage and convey their own feelings, experiences and ideas.
Accounting
The Cambridge IGCSE Accounting syllabus introduces learners to the theory and concepts of accounting and the ways in which accounting is used in a variety of modern economic and business contexts. Learners focus on the skills of recording, reporting, presenting and interpreting financial information and build an ideal foundation both for further study and for a future career within the profession.
World History
The Cambridge IGCSE History syllabus looks at some of the major international issues of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries, as well as covering the history of particular regions in more depth. The emphasis is on both historical knowledge and on the skills required for historical research.
Learners develop an understanding of the nature of cause and effect, continuity and change, similarity and difference and find out how to use and understand historical evidence as part of their studies. Cambridge IGCSE History will stimulate any learner already interested in the past, providing a basis for further study, and also encouraging a lifelong interest in the subject. Both coursework and non-coursework options are available.