In SNGS, we aspire to nurture leaders who are thinkers, inquirers, communicators and risk-takers, who will rise to future challenges and serve future needs. In order to remain competitive and relevant, we believe our pupils need to be resourceful, resilient, analytical, adaptable and innovative. As a Catholic school, we also foster the values of TRUTH, JUSTICE, FREEDOM and LOVE. We desire for our pupils to be righteous, compassionate and discerning, with an attitude of servant leadership. As a Special Assistant Plan school, we also aspire to nurture our pupils to be competent in the Chinese language and knowledgeable of the Chinese culture.

The educational landscape is continuously evolving. As the global economy changes, the education system has to adapt to these changes and innovate constantly so as to prepare the next generation for a smooth transition from school to society at large. In essence, the young generation should not be educated for the present society and education should bestow them with “competence for the foreseeable future” (Poster, 1999, p.36).

Teach Less, Learn More

In line with MOE’s call for schools to teach for understanding and involve pupils more dynamically in the learning process, our Innovative New Curriculum optimizes pupils’ learning through experiential learning and problem-based learning activities, and empowers them to take ownership of their own learning.

Learning does not happen by chance but by design

Our Innovative New Curriculum shares similar principles as Understanding by Design (Wiggins & McTighe, 1998), a curriculum framework that is highly acclaimed in the United States for transforming schools. Our teachers have been trained to use this framework to design units of work and lesson activities that will help pupils see connections between various subjects and topics. Assignments and coursework have also been designed to involve authentic contexts so that pupils can see how what they learn in class is relevant in their daily lives.

Learning is enhanced by meaningful reflection

Pupils are encouraged to reflect upon what they have learnt, to think about how they can apply what they learnt in the classroom in their daily lives. They are also encouraged to assess their own strengths and weaknesses so that they improve themselves better. Teachers too, are encouraged to reflect upon the art of teaching, to constantly innovate and customise teaching and learning activities to suit the differing needs of their pupils.

Integration by country and cultural themes

In line with our aim to nurture leaders in the national and global arena, our Innovative New Curriculum is designed to develop greater understanding and appreciation of different cultures so that our pupils will become culturally sensitive and internationally relevant contributors to the society.  

A country focus is assigned to the different terms in the school year and topics in the various subjects are designed to link to this country focus. S ubjects which are more flexible, such as the Languages and some Humanities subjects, will relate to the country in focus through skills, literary works, case studies, examples and tasks. Others such as Mathematics and the Sciences, in which it is often necessary to study topics in a particular sequence, will relate to the country in focus through case studies, examples and scenarios.

The country themes for secondary 1 are China and South-East Asia (with an emphasis on the Malay culture) and for secondary 2 are China and India (with an emphasis on the Indian culture)

Built-in enrichments

Another unique feature of our Innovative New Curriculum is that enrichments are built into the curriculum to provide more coordinated experiential learning opportunities. These enrichment activities aim to extend learning beyond the textbooks, cultivate lifeskills, develop character and inspire pupils to pursue their interests and talents further. All activities are carefully designed to complement as well as supplement academic and values development.

One week in the first 2 terms and two weeks in term 4 in secondary 1 and 2 are set aside for Enrichment activities. This enables teachers to take the pupils out of the typical classroom setting so that they can appreciate opportunities for learning in the environment. It also enhances integration of academic development with social, moral and cultural aspects of education.

Reduced emphasis on examinations

To nurture self-directed individuals who are consistent performers and creative thinkers, the emphasis on examination has been reduced in secondary two and examination has been removed in secondary 1. This means that more time can be freed up for learning and that pupils are expected to be consistent in their work throughout the year.

Comprehensive assessment

In addition to the reduced emphasis on examinations, two new components of assessment have been introduced in the Innovative New Curriculum: portfolio assessment and class participation.

The portfolio aims to record pupils’ learning throughout the year, provide room for them to explore their own areas of interest, and to stretch them beyond their textbooks. All pupils are expected to keep a portfolio for each subject.

As pupils are encouraged to participate more actively and be consistent in their work, they are rewarded for class participation. The pupils are rewarded for their attitude, contribution and ability to work with others.

References

Chua, C. & Tan, S.W. (2005). ‘Broadening Horizons, Enriching Minds: Curriculum Change to Nurture Global Citizens’. Paper presented at the International Conference of Education, 30 May 2005 .

Poster, C. (1999). ‘Transforming schools through restructuring’ in S. Blanford and J. Weston (eds.), Restructuring: The Key to Effective School Management, London : Routledge, pp. 35-52.   

For more details on the SNGS Innovative New Curriculum, click on the following links:

• Paper presented at the International Conference of Education, 30 May 2005: ‘Broadening Horizons, Enriching Minds: Curriculum Change to Nurture Global Citizens’
• PowerPoint Presentation at Meet the Parents session for secondary 1 parents in St Nicholas Girls’ School, 2007.
• PowerPoint Presentation at CHIJ St Nicholas Girls' School's Open House + Tea with Principal, 2007.
• 2008 Sec 1 MTP INC Information

Our Philosophy in Serving Diverse Needs

We believe in nurturing the leader in every student and stretching the students’ diverse talents to the fullest. All teachers are trained in differentiated instructional strategies to better engage our students and serve their different learning needs. The Sports Class, for instance, was started in 2003 to cater to top sporting talents in our school and their unique needs. In 2006, Drama as a ‘O’ level subject was introduced followed by PE in 2008.

Stretching the Top Students

To continue our efforts to stretch our top students, the Enhanced Curriculum (EC) was started in 2004 in two secondary 3 classes. The success of this programme resulted in the formation of 3 EC triple science classes and 1 EC humanities class in 2006. These students possess the aptitude to experience a more challenging curriculum that will stretch them further through more inquiry-based and student-initiated projects.

The objectives of the Enhanced Curriculum are:

• To ENHANCE learning through independent discovery, experiential tasks, and creative application of knowledge.
• To ENRICH students through a differentiated syllabus and enrichment programmes.
• To ENCOURAGE creativity, innovation & exploration.

Essence of the Enhanced Curriculum Programme

EC students undergo a differentiated curriculum that demands more independent learning and application of knowledge. They also engage in enrichment activities to develop resilience, creativity, team work and enterprise leadership.

Some features of the Enhanced Curriculum are:

1. More opportunities for reading & research, discussion & reflection

• Students are challenged to read up on topics before class and discuss what they have read. During lessons, teachers will check students’ understanding, clarify doubts and reinforce key points.
• Students are encouraged to think about what they have learnt, whether they are relevant in real life, and how they can apply the knowledge in real life circumstances.

2. Further extension of knowledge

• More opportunities are provided for students to extend their reading beyond what is covered in the textbooks and even what is required of the syllabus.
• Extended reading assignments are given to student in the EC classes to encourage them to read beyond what is covered in class. Students then discuss and share what they have read during lessons and complete reflection journals on what they have discovered.

3. More hands-on activities

• The emphasis in the Enhanced Curriculum is to encourage students to actively uncover knowledge for themselves rather than passively absorb what the teachers say.
• Tasks are designed to encourage discovery and exploration. Students are expected to be actively involved in tasks and in sharing their experiences and knowledge.

4. Greater variety of assignments

• Because the nature of learning is different, students are expected to demonstrate their understanding through different ways. Hence, a variety of assessment e.g. coursework, project work, oral presentations, problem-based tasks will be introduced to check if the students have understood the skills and knowledge learnt.
• The process of learning is emphasized. In many assignments, teachers provide sufficient but broad guidelines that will give enough room for interpretation and creativity, and students are given the space to demonstrate their thinking and creativity.
• There is a significant reduction in the number of termly pen & paper tests given students so as to reduce learning to the test. Short pop quizzes are often conducted after one or more units to check students’ understanding.

5. More challenging assignments

• Students in the EC classes are stretch by more challenging assignments that require critical thinking and creativity. At the same time, teachers help to facilitate the learning process by providing guidance and monitoring.
• Many of these assignments are based on authentic contexts – to test students’ ability to apply their knowledge in scenarios & circumstances that are relevant & possible in real life.

Assessment Framework

Students in the EC classes sit for the same end-of-year examination as the rest of the cohort.