British international curriculum vs. CAPS (South African curriculum) - Kingsgate International School in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor

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Are you a family considering moving to England from South Africa? If you’ve school-age kids, there’re some major differences between the British International curriculum and CAPS that you will need to be aware of. But do not worry – I’m here to guide you. In this article, we compare both British International curriculums https://blog.kingsgate.edu.my/british-curriculum-vs-icse/ vs. CAPS systems, from age group as well as academic years to exams, enrolment, and qualifications.

What is the difference – British International curriculum vs. CAPS?

Age and Year Groups

One issue that’ll come up when transitioning from CAPS to the British International curriculum is what year group your child goes into. In the UK, kids go into reception at age four and start their first official year of school at the age of five. In the CAPS curriculum, your young ones will have probably started school at the age of six, having done reception the year before.

Academic Year

Being on other parts of the equator means the school year seems a bit different among the British curriculum and CAPS. While CAPS curriculum normally follows the calendar year (i.e. start in Jan and end in Dec), in the UK they typically start in Sep and end Jul. Schools in the UK are also split into 3 terms, compared with terms of CAPS curriculums.

This is something to take into consideration, especially when it comes to finding the correct time to enroll. If you’ve a teenager between ages 14 to 18, things can get slightly more complicated due to these being crucial examination years. More on this in the sections below!

Qualifications and Exams

In England, there’re 2 vital rounds of international school qualifications that pupils receive during senior schools – GCSE and A-level. These can be used to apply for high school, college, or university, and several employers might look for these qualifications or their equivalents as well.

In Year 10 and 11, they take part in GCSE courses, with exams taking place at the last of the year of 11. If they select to progress on further education, they’ll start their A-level or AS courses in year 12. The AS courses that are studied in year 12, can be taken and stand-alone qualifications, or as a section of the 2-year A-level course, though, to receive complete A-level qualifications your kid will need to complete both year 12 and year 13 (AS and A-level specifically). A-levels are equivalent to the NTC in South Africa and are needed to enter University.

Enrolling mid-course

Because GCSE is 2 years course, most British International curriculum schools in the UK will not let you enroll your child in mid of the 2 even if your child’s age corresponds with year 11. This is because they’ll have missed vital course content from year ten which will be assessed in the final examinations in year 11. This is also likely to be a major case in years 12 to 13. So, however potentially frustrating, be ready for your kid to enroll in a year below their age group if they’re moving to a British International School in their senior years.