International curricula and qualifications explained

The Australian national curriculum covers the curriculum and achievement standards for students from the foundation stage through to grade 10 (15-16 years old) as set by individual states and territories. Australian international schools must register with one of Australia’s state education departments and teach to their state-based standards before preparing students for Australia’s formal leaving exams, the senior secondary certificate of education, in grades 11 and 12.

Each of Australia’s six states and two territories has its own name for its leaving certificate. Those you might commonly see offered by Australian international schools include the New South Wales High School Certificate (NSW HSC), the Victoria Certificate of Education (VCE) and the Western Australia Certificate of Education (WACE).

Many international schools choose to follow a British curriculum, drawing on the National Curriculum for England (also known as ENC – English National Curriculum).The academic quality and framework of the ENC is highly respected around the world, preparing students for globally recognised exams such as GCSEs and A levels. International schools may adapt the teaching and learning to suit the local culture and context of the school’s location.

Early Years Foundation Stage (EYFS)

This is a statutory framework for the pre-school/nursery and reception years (from birth to age 5) and focuses on development through play across four specific areas: literacy, maths, understanding the world and expressive arts and design.

Key stages 1-5

A British education is divided into key stages: Key Stage (KS) 1 and KS2 make up primary school while secondary school covers KS3 and KS4 (GCSE/IGCSE years). KS5 is also known as sixth form and covers the final two years of school culminating in A levels and/or BTECs.

GCSE and IGCSE

The General Certificate of Secondary Education and International GCSE are a set of exams usually taken at age 16 (at the end of year 11) in a range of subjects following a two-year course of study in each.

A levels and AS levels

Advanced levels (A levels) are qualifications taken at the end of year 12, covering two years of study. There are no compulsory subjects but students typically take three or four subjects of their choice and tailored towards university subject choice.

Some international schools also offer AS levels (Advanced Subsidiary levels), a one-year programme of study considered to be half an A level but actually equivalent to 40 per cent. Some schools offer AS levels in a tiered way ahead of a full A level, others may encourage students to pick up an AS level as an extra subject for one year.

International A levels and AS levels (IAL or IASL) are exams set by Cambridge or Pearson Edexcel for students in international schools.

BTEC level 1, 2 and 3 national diploma

BTECs (Business and Technology Education Council) are highly practical vocational qualifications. Levels 1 and 2 are for students aged 14-16 (years 10-11) and are taken instead of, or alongside, GCSEs. Level 3 is taken by students in the final years 11 and 12 and is roughly equivalent to two A levels, while the level 3 extended diploma is roughly equivalent to three A levels. All are widely accepted by universities and employers globally.

Cambridge curriculum

Some international schools follow a programme of study set by Cambridge Assessment International Education that is similar to the ENC but is more flexible and globally focused, allowing schools to select and adapt lesson content for an international student body. It often combines written exams with practical projects and coursework.

A Cambridge curriculum school may offer the Cambridge Primary, for learners aged 5-11 with optional internal assessments, the Cambridge Lower Secondary, a three-year programme for learners age 11-14 with internal and external assessments and the Cambridge Upper Secondary, a two-year programme for those aged 14-16 culminating in Cambridge O levels and IGCSE exams.

Education in Canada is decentralised and managed by each of the 10 provinces and three territories using guidelines that focus on core competencies, essential learning, and literacy and numeracy foundations. Unlike the British system, a Canadian education uses continuous assessment spread over the year rather than high stake exams at key stages.

Canadian international schools may choose to follow the curriculum of a specific Canadian province, most commonly Ontario or British Columbia (BC). Within each provincial curriculum, students graduate with a high school diploma. Within the Ontario Secondary School Diploma (OSSD), students must earn 30 credits, pass a provincial literacy test and complete community service. The British Columbia Certification of Graduation (known colloquially as the Dogwood Diploma).

Some international Canadian and bilingual schools follow the Québec Education Programme (QEP), which is divided into three two-year cycles and focuses on the practical application of knowledge.

Authorised French international schools globally follow the French national curriculum from ages 3-18, a highly structured and rigorous system. At the end of the lower secondary cycle (collège), students sit Le Diplôme National du Brevet (DNB) or Le Diplôme National du Brevet International (DNBI) before moving into the Lycée section and studying for the national school-leaving certificate, Le Baccalauréate (le bac), or Le Baccalauréate Français International (BFI), the bilingual, bicultural international track which integrates the French national curriculum with study of and in a second language.

German international schools may offer the German state curriculum, an authorised curriculum of a particular Bundesland or state in Germany, benchmarked against a set of national educational standards. At the end of grade 10, students are awarded the Mittlerer Schulabschluss (MSA) or German middle school certificate, an intermediate school-leaving certificate with an element of external assessment.

Abitur and DIAP

At the end of grade 12, students are awarded the Abitur (Abi), Germany’s national school-leaving certificate. Some students study for the Deutsche Internationale Abiturprüfung or international/bilingual Abitur, a bilingual school-leaving certificate in which non-language subjects are taught in a secondary language.

The International Baccalaureate (IB) is a globally recognised programme for students aged 3 to 19 with four distinct sections: IB Primary Years Programme (IBPYP), IB Middle Years Programme (IBMYP), IB Diploma (IBDP) and the IB Career-related Programme (IBCP), an alternative vocational pathway to the full diploma. IB courses (or subjects – formerly known as IB certificates) may also be taken on their own or as part of a separate diploma or leaving certificate such as an American high school diploma.

Schools that are actively pursuing official IB authorisation to teach one of the programmes are called IB candidate schools.

Some international schools offer a curriculum based on frameworks managed by International Curriculum Association (ICA) or Pearson Edexcel.

The International Early Years Curriculum (IEYC), is a play-based educational framework for children aged 2-5that prepares children to move into the International Primary Curriculum (IPC), an inquiry-based framework for ages 3-12 and onto the International Middle Years Curiculum (IMYC), another inquiry-based framework centred around conceptual themes for children aged 11-4. These programmes are managed by the International Curriculum Association and are hugely popular in many schools around the world. Some schools offer the programmes in a continuous way as children progress through the school, while others may offer just one programme, such as the IPC, combined with elements of another curricula such as the English national curriculum.

Some international schools offer Pearson Edexcel's iPrimary and iLowerSecondary programmes for children aged 3-11 and 11-14, respectively. These programmes include internal and external assessments in English, mathematics, science, computing and global citizenship and are designed to be used ahead of IGCSEs and international A levels.

A few schools, such as UWCSEA (United World College South East Asia), have designed their own inquiry-based primary and middle school programmes based on concepts and aimed at developing students’ understanding of concepts necessary to build a peaceful and sustainable future.

The Republic of Ireland’s national curriculum kicks off with a primary curriculum that is taught in English with Irish (Gaeilge) taught as an essential, compulsory subject. From the age of 12-15, children move into the three-year Junior Cycle (formerly known as Junior Cert). This culminates in the Junior Cycle Profile of Achievement (JCPA). The Irish Leaving Certificate (Leaving Cert) is awarded to students who successfully complete the final two years of secondary school (Senior Cycle) and it functions as a matriculation and university entrance exam for Irish universities as well as being accepted by universities in the UK and around the world.

The South African Curriculum and Assessment Policy Statement (CAPS) national curriculum is offered in the country’s public (and a few private) schools from reception through to grade 12. This education framework culminates in the National Senior Certificate (NSC), also known as the Matric, and is awarded to students who complete the CAPS final exams in grade 12.

The IEB (Independent Examination Board) is a private assessment body that many independent (private) schools in South Africa use. It draws on the CAPS framework leading up to a leaving exam, the IEB National Senior Certificate (IEB NSC), which focuses on critical thinking, problem-solving, and application. Both the CAPS NSC and IEB NSC are fully recognised by South African universities.

The IEB International Secondary Certificate (IEB ISC) is a leaving certificate awarded to students who complete the final exams (in grade 12) set by the Independent Examinations Board in schools outside South Africa or via distance education institutions.

The 19 autonomous communities and cities of Spain each offer their own regional curriculum, a decentralised curriculum that is aligned to a shared national framework. From ages 12-16, students follow the Educación Secundaria Obligatoria (ESO), a four-year compulsory secondary education phase. The Spanish Bac is an optional final two-year education programme (and leaving certificate) for students aged 16-18 with a choice of specialising in sciences & engineering, social sciences & humanities, arts, and general.

Like many other countries, there is no single national Swiss curriculum. Instead, Switzerland’s education system is decentralised with each of the 26 cantons responsible for their own public schooling such as the curriculum Canton Zug or curriculum Canton Zurich. All cantons offer the Swiss Matura, a school leaving certificate that includes a research thesis and is required for university matriculation.

The Swiss Lehrplan 21 is a harmonised curriculum across all 21 German-speaking and multilingual Swiss cantons to ensure comparable targets in all subject areas while giving each canton sovereignty. Similarly, the French-speaking cantons offer the Plan d’études romand (PER).

There are several other education methods and curricula used by schools around the world:

European Bac

Offered in the EU’s European Schools only, or in schools accredited by their board of governors, this is a leaving certificate following the last two years of secondary education with a focus on a multilingual curriculum.

Harkness Method

A student-led, collaborative teaching style where small groups of up to 15 students and a teacher share open-ended dialogue around an oval table to encourage collaborative conversation, active listening, and peer-to-peer debate.

Montessori

This is a child-centred educational approach developed by Dr Maria Montessori, emphasising self-led activities, hands-on learning and multi-age classrooms. Teachers guide rather than instruct.

Reggio Emilia

A child-centred educational approach started in Italy and focusing on the idea of a child’s strong personality and development potential. Learning is self-guided and project-based with the environment as the ‘third teacher’ alongside adults and peers.

Rudolf Steiner

Also known as Waldorf education, this focuses on a child’s intellectual, practical and artistic development to nurture the whole child, delaying formal academics until age 6-7.

In addition, many countries have their own national curriculum and school leaving certificates, including, but not limited to:

• Barbados national curriculum, which blends a British educational model with a regional Caribbean syllabus.

• Brazilian Exame Nacional do Ensino Médio (ENEM): Brazil’s standardised national high school exam used for university entrance. There is also a Brazilian high school diploma, a leaving certificate awarded to students in Brazil who successfully complete three years of secondary education.

• Dutch national curriculum covering broad attainment targets and reference frameworks, subject to localised content and methods set by schools.

• Indian national curriculum: a highly structured national curriculum with an emphasis on maths, science and analytical skills set by the Indian Central Board of Secondary Education (CBSE) and offering standardised exams for grades 10 and 12.

• Indonesian national curriculum: a government student-centred curriculum in Indonesia for nine compulsory years of education including junior high. Islamic schools combine it with intensive Islamic studies.

• Italian national curriculum: a national government-mandated curriculum in Italy from age 6-16, with schools enabled to make some local adaptations. The Italian Licenza Media is a formal qualification awarded to students in Italy who complete the first eight years of education at age 14.