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Learning
The MYP is a challenging framework that encourages students to make practical connections between their studies and the real world.
The MYP is a five-year programme, which can be implemented at Halcyon.
Students who complete the MYP are well-prepared to undertake the IB Diploma Programme (DP).
The Diploma Programme (DP) curriculum is made up of six subject groups and the DP core, comprising theory of knowledge (TOK), creativity, activity, service (CAS) and the extended essay.
Through the Diploma Programme (DP) core, students reflect on the nature of knowledge, complete independent research and undertake a project that often involves community service.
Reports are published quarterly on ManageBac. Progress reports indicating achievement levels are published in November and April before parent teacher student conferences. Semester reports with summative grades and teacher comments are published in January and June. Parents and students receive an email notification when reports are published in ManageBac.
Parent/teacher/student conferences (known at Halcyon as 3 Way Conferences) take place twice per year, November and March. These occasions are opportunities for students to share their work with their family and reflect on their progress. In addition, both parents and students are encouraged to make appointments with teachers or mentors to discuss progress in individual subjects throughout the year.
We will also showcase student learning at different times of the year, taking advantage of opportunities in the curriculum to share with the community.
Students take tests at the end of IBMYP units in many subjects. These tests are assessed against one or more of the IBMYP criteria and contribute, like other assessment tasks, to the semester grade. Grade 11 and 12 students can expect regular testing, and internal school examinations sessions to develop the required test-taking skills. Most subjects in the IBDP conclude with IB external examinations at the end of Grade 12.
Results of IB Diploma internal examinations – Grade 11 end-of-year examinations and Grade 12 mock or trial examinations – will be recorded in Managebac but form only a component of the semester grade.
At the end of the academic year, Grade 10 students will have school-based end of year examinations.
Each year all MYP students complete International Schools Assessment (ISA) standardised tests in English, mathematics and science. The results of these tests are used to help teachers plan individualised learning for students. They do not contribute to student semester grades and results are reported separately to parents.
ManageBac is an online curriculum and assessment database devised especially for IB students. Here, students and parents can view details of the curriculum in each subject and a calendar showing major assessment tasks and due dates. Students will upload their completed assessment tasks to Managebac for marking so that all their work is stored in an electronic portfolio.
Once the work has been marked, students can see the annotations made by the teacher as well as the grading rubrics and the results achieved.
Students will record their Service as Action (SA) or Community, Action, Service (CAS) activities and reflections here and record personal learning goals and progress towards these goals.
Students and parents will receive their log-in details before/during the first week of term.
Homework is assigned to give students experience with organising themselves for independent learning and to reinforce and extend the learning that takes place in school.
Guidelines for the amount of homework in each grade level are given below.
However, it is recognised that individual students work at different paces. Students are encouraged to explore the learning resources in their online course materials and enjoy independent reading if they finish homework quickly.
Conversely, if a student struggles to complete homework in the suggested time, they should speak to their teacher and mentor so that the workload can be adjusted.
Grade 6: 30 – 45 minutes
*This is approximately 20 min per week per subject*
Grade 7: 45 – 60 minutes
*This is approximately 25 min per week per subject*
Grade 8: 45 – 60 minutes
*This is approximately 25 min per week per subject*
Grade 9: 60 – 75 minutes
*This is approximately 30 min per week per subject*
Grade 10: 60 – 90 minutes
*This does not account for ILT work. Each subject can assign up to 1 hour of homework per week*
Grade 11/12: 10-15 hours/week
*This is 2 hours max for SL courses that meet for 3hrs – and 1 hour max for SL classes that meet for 4hrs.
*This is 3 hours max for HL courses per week*
Homework will be assigned sufficiently in advance to allow student to plan for after school activities and family and community commitments.
A variety of assignments or “assessment tasks” are completed by students in the IBMYP and IBDP.
These range from essays and research projects to presentations and debates. By their nature, these tasks are longer term and open-ended.
Teachers will guide students in the time management of these tasks and much of the work will be completed in school.
However, it can happen that some students feel under pressure to work longer when several tasks culminate in the same period, at the end of a term, for example.
Good communication between home and school is essential to support these students and ensure a healthy balance between schoolwork and other interests.
The Student Wellbeing programme aims to develop the following:
Student Advocacy:
Developing skills in participation, accountability, political literacy, open-mindedness and tolerance. Students advocate for themselves and each other, developing a secure, attentive environment that allows each individual to develop their own unique potential.
Cognitive Coaching & Mentoring:
Finding time to give and receive attention, to develop listening skills, to reflect and consolidate experience and to build meaning and purpose from our experiences. The primacy of dialogue helps us all to engage, develop self-mediation and make responsible choices. At Halcyon, every student has a teacher-mentor who will advocate for them at all times.
Student Leadership:
Providing opportunities to develop decision-making, communication skills and the negotiation of ideas, offering real autonomy and control in key areas of school life. This supports a sense of community and ensures that everyone has a voice in their social group.
Advocacy, coaching and leadership enable student agency and so allow community values to be explored and re-negotiated. These values include a sense of justice, altruism, courage, resilience, and happiness.
Each student’s mentor is the first point of contact for any student issues relating to academic or student wellbeing. In addition, the school also has access to an experienced student counsellor who is present on campus each Tuesday and Friday, and a University Guidance and Careers Director.
Standards of behaviour at Halcyon London International School are expected to be consistently high. Students should be self-motivated, self-disciplined, courteous and respectful at all times and must demonstrate care for the school and its surroundings.
In order to achieve these expectations, with a cohort of international students originating from many different countries and cultures, Halcyon promotes and reinforces positive behaviour at all times.
The school believes that the Guiding Principles (our framework for how we wish to conduct ourselves) encourage students to focus on a positive approach to behaviour and discipline.
This is supported by our restorative approach to the management of conflict or the re-negotiation of expectations. Please explore our Student Wellbeing Policy to learn more about our unique approach.
