Academic

Curriculum Overview

KYS offers the National Curriculum (KBSM) to its students. Form 1 to Form 3 students will read eight subjects as specified in the national curriculum. Form 4 and Form 5 students can choose to be in either the Science or Business stream. They will read twelve down to ten subjects. All students who complete their secondary school education in KYS will sit for two public examinations – PMR in Form 3 and SPM in Form 5.

The academic time spreads over 56 periods in a week. We follow closely the one hour period (optimum teaching and learning duration) in our timetable. Students are not put into fixed rooms according to classes. They move to teaching rooms from one subject to another. There is no bell in between periods. The purpose for these two practices is to eliminate boredom, improve time management skill and to keep our students active during academic time.

Aims

The curriculum aims are to:

extend the curriculum to prepare students for more advanced learning needs.
further develop the knowledge on learning principles for lifelong continuous learning.
devise effective teaching and learning techniques that develop independent learners.
integrate information technology to enhance the learning experience
develop the confidence in students to apply their skills and knowledge in appropriate situations
provide instructional leadership appropriate for leadership and personality development

Extended Curriculum

The extended curriculum is to help students discover or develope new interests and talents. Students are given learning experiences beyond the curriculum by offering a varied menu of activities, learning support and extended services such as quick intervention and easy access to subject matter experts. These offers have positive effects on students’ achievements and participation.

Three initiatives taken by KYS to include extended curriculum element into the National Curriculum:

Provision of Music Education, Art and Design, General Knowledge, Integrated English, Guidance Programme and Mandarin Classes.
Inclusion of value added elements
Developing generic skills and teaching beyond the curriculum specifications.

Music Education is compulsory for Form 1, Form 2 and Form 3 students. They learn music theory, practical and music appreciation. Music lessons are aimed at developing music intelligence and to identify performing art talents and potential in our students. The music department has been able to produce good musicians among the students, some of whom came into KYS with no music background. There were students with no music background initially who have become good musicians in the KYS Orchestra.

Art and Design provides opportunity for students to produce their own artwork. Many of the fine artworks are exhibited in the Art Studio and foyer area for the college community and visitors to view. Students are encouraged to express creatively and also to realize their aesthetic nature through their artworks.

There is plenty of space for academic rigour – intellectual stimulation through deep learning, active thinking and reasoning. Thinking is purposefully infused into teaching to develop students with higher order thinking skills and the ability to pick up knowledge.

Students are constantly engaged in various learning activities – Project Based Learning, Problem Solving and Research Work, Project Presentation and Personalisation Learning.
Value added elements are included in all subjects. This strategy is used to consolidate understanding of subject matter, leading to mastery learning.

The rule for subject management is no student left behind. The process is to find learning needs, fix them and follow through with every student.

Each subject panel specializes in at least one learning skill that could accelerate student learning.

Teaching Staff

Only subject matter experts are hired to handle teaching. Training and development are provided to equip our teaching staff with knowledge and best practices on methodology and pedagogy.

There is a good mix of teaching staff – experienced teachers and also young graduate teachers, expatriates and locals.

Teacher establishment is based on the ability of teaching staff doing effective and efficient work. KYS practices the optimum load for each teacher using Total Student Load and Total Period Load approaches. Teaching staff are not over burdened with work and they could give quality time to the students they are in contact with.

Teaching staff are highly professional when dealing with students. They provide good instructional leadership, engaging in accountable talks and caring.

Student Centredness

Class size is kept small. The teacher to student ratio is 1 : 10. These two situations made it possible for student centredness services to be deployed. The four areas of the student centredness exercise are :

Personalisation of Education
Developing independent learners
Managing student learning
Designing performance improvement plan

In essence, student centredness caters for the needs and abilities of the full range of learners. It is an inclusion approach where each individual learner matters and learners are able to progress, achieve and participate.