Middle School | Ages 11 - 14

The Middle Years Programme (MYP) sciences framework encourages students to investigate issues through research, observation and experimentation, working independently and in groups. As they investigate real examples of applied science application, students discover the tensions and dependencies between science and morality, ethics, culture, economics, politics, and the environment.

• Students in Grade 6-8 follow an Integrated Science approach that integrates concepts and methods from different disciplines, including Biology, Chemistry and Physics. 
• In Grade 9, students follow a modular Science approach and take Biology, Chemistry and Physics modules, building upon the investigative skills developed in previous years. 
• In Grade 10, all students take a modular Science course, which involves one semester of Chemistry and one semester of Biology. They also have the option to take Physics as an additional science.

Mathematics in the Middle Years Programme (MYP) promotes both inquiry and application, helping students to develop problem solving techniques that transcend the discipline and are useful beyond school.

The MYP mathematics framework encompasses numbers, algebra, geometry and trigonometry, statistics and probability.

Students in Grade 6 - 10 study the four branches of Mathematics: Numbers, Pattern and Functions, Shape and Space and Data. Each topic within the branches is introduced in Grade 6 - 8 and then built upon and developed further in Grade 9 - 10. Students in Grade 6-8 are taught a solid foundation of Mathematics and are challenged with additional topics.

In Grade 9 - 10, students are guided towards either the Standard or the Extended Mathematics programmes.

Since the ISB curriculum is taught in English, mastering the English language and literature helps all students achieve their full potential in all subjects. The MYP Language and Literature courses cover a balanced selection of genres and texts, including a world literature component. Students’ interactions with a wide variety of texts generate moral, social, economic, political, cultural and environmental insights. 

As part of the Language and Literature course, we also offer:

• French and German to Grade 6 - 10 students
• Spanish to Grade 8 - 10 students

This course encourages students to respect and understand the world around them and equips them with the necessary skills to inquire into historical, contemporary, geographical, political, social, economic, religious, technological and cultural factors that have an impact on individuals, societies and environments.

• Students in Grade 6 - 8 take an integrated Individuals and Societies programme. 
• In Grade 9 - 10, students are taught Geography and History as individual subjects in a semester course. In addition, Grade 10 students may also choose units of Politics, Economics, Business and Psychology as an elective.

In the Middle Years Programme (MYP) Modern Languages, students have the opportunity to study a combination of German, French and Spanish. 

Students learn grammar and vocabulary as well as the cultural aspects of the language they chose. They develop their language skills from a beginner level to the proficiency of a native speaker in most cases, progressing through various phases, as described in the German Language Continuum Guide.

• In Grade 6 - 7, students are required to study German as well as an additional language (French or Spanish). 
• In Grade 8, students choose between German, French or Spanish as their main Modern Language subject and also study one of them as an additional language). 
• In Grade 9 - 10, students select either German, French or Spanish and have the option of learning  one of them as an additional language from the electives group.  

Students in the IB Middle Years Programme (MYP) learn how to create, perform and present arts in ways that engage and convey feelings, experiences and ideas. They acquire new skills and hone master previous ones in three different disciplines: Drama, Music and Visual Art.

• In Grade 6 - 8, students study all the three subjects.
• In Grade 9, students take one of these subject with the option of selecting a second one . 
• In Grade 10, students select one Arts subject.

Design, in Middle Years Programme (MYP) challenges students to:

• apply practical and creative thinking skills to solve problems
• explore the role of design in both historical and contemporary contexts
• consider their responsibilities when making design decisions and taking action. 

MYP Design focuses on a holistic process rather than on final products and solutions. Students follow a general design course from Grade 6 - 10 covering both practical and digital media and  they complete a range of project-based activities. 

The Middle Years Programme (MYP) Physical and Health Education empowers Grade 6-10 students to understand and appreciate the value of being physically active and to develop the motivation for making healthy life choices. Students develop skills and attitudes that contribute to a balanced and healthy lifestyle. Physical and health education focuses on both learning about and learning through physical activity.