Academia Británica Cuscatleca
Encyclopedia
Academia Británica Cuscatleca (ABC) is a selective, mixed bi-lingual
and bi-cultural school from pre-Kinder to grade 12 situated in Santa Tecla, El Salvador
. The school has more than 1,467 students in the primary and secondary schools. The student body is mainly Salvadoran with a number of international students attending the school. One third of the teaching staff is British
with the remainder largely Salvadoran. The language of instruction throughout the school is predominantly English
with Spanish
being used for a small number of classes. The school is accredited by the Council of International Schools
and is an International Baccalaureate World School, it forms part of the Council of International Schools in the Americas (CIStA), the United Kingdom
Department of Education and Science School.
, Kindergarten
and Preparatory
students are taught and encouranged to learn Swimming, Physical Education
and Music
as part of the curriculum; other activities which take place are Theatrical production
s, fairs and student assemblies. All subjects are taught in English, with the exception of Physical Education and Spanish. These three stages are known as Lower Primary, students are between the ages of 3 to 6 are introduced to the concepts of reading
, writing
and number
s. Students also follow a separate Spanish curriculum, required by the Salvadoran Ministry of Education. After these years are completed, they follow to what is called Upper Primary which consists of 1st to 5th grade with education on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Citizenship and "Life Skills" (Personal, Social and Health Education
or PSHE), Salvadoran History
and environmental and political issues of El Salvador.
, Mathematics
, Science
, Spanish
, History
, Geography
, Art
, Technology
, Music
, French
, Computer Studies and Physical Education
as part of a requirement of both the English National Curriculum and the Salvadoran Ministry of Education. When students reach 9th grade, they are taught English Language
, English Literature
, Spanish Language
and Literature
, Mathematics and Coordinated Science and they are given the opportunity to choose two courses from History, Geography, Business Studies
, Computer Studies, Music, Art or French; this education will lead to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) from the University of Cambridge
. The ABC also teaches under the International Baccalaureate Diploma for the last two years of school, they study their basics again as well as Psychology
, Geography, History, French, Economics
, Art & Design
, Information Technology in a Global Society, Computer Studies or either a second Science subject or a second Humanities
subject. Students undertake a Theory of Knowledge Course, write a dissertation, and undertake community service
. The school also offers the TOEFL
, PSAT and SAT
examinations and offers vocational tests. All graduating Salvadoran students also sit for the national PAES examination which, together with their studies for IB, allows them to gain the Salvadoran Bachillerato (school leaving certificate).
Currently the Class of 2011 holds the record for the best IGCSE results in ABC's history. The Class of 2011 is also expected to become the class with the highest IB scores.
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
and bi-cultural school from pre-Kinder to grade 12 situated in Santa Tecla, El Salvador
El Salvador
El Salvador or simply Salvador is the smallest and the most densely populated country in Central America. The country's capital city and largest city is San Salvador; Santa Ana and San Miguel are also important cultural and commercial centers in the country and in all of Central America...
. The school has more than 1,467 students in the primary and secondary schools. The student body is mainly Salvadoran with a number of international students attending the school. One third of the teaching staff is British
British people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
with the remainder largely Salvadoran. The language of instruction throughout the school is predominantly English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
with Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
being used for a small number of classes. The school is accredited by the Council of International Schools
Council of International Schools
The Council of International Schools is a non-profit association of international schools and post-secondary institutions which aims to improve international education...
and is an International Baccalaureate World School, it forms part of the Council of International Schools in the Americas (CIStA), the United Kingdom
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Department of Education and Science School.
History
The Fundacion Escolar Britanico Salvadorena was founded in 1970, the ABC was started in 1971 and became an IB World School since 1982. Headmaster George Hobson is in membership of HMC. There is now an International Global Citizens Award involving many students from different grades to help become better citizens in the world, make the world a better place, and learn about other cultures.Primary School
During the early stages of Pre-kindergartenPre-Kindergarten
Pre-kindergarten refers to the first formal academic classroom-based learning environment that a child customarily attends in the United States. It begins between the ages of 3-5 depending on the length of the program...
, Kindergarten
Kindergarten
A kindergarten is a preschool educational institution for children. The term was created by Friedrich Fröbel for the play and activity institute that he created in 1837 in Bad Blankenburg as a social experience for children for their transition from home to school...
and Preparatory
Preparatory school (UK)
In English language usage in the former British Empire, the present-day Commonwealth, a preparatory school is an independent school preparing children up to the age of eleven or thirteen for entry into fee-paying, secondary independent schools, some of which are known as public schools...
students are taught and encouranged to learn Swimming, Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
and Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
as part of the curriculum; other activities which take place are Theatrical production
Theatrical production
A theatrical production is any theatre stage play, musical, comedy or drama produced from a written book or script. These works are protected by common law or statuary copyright unless in the public domain....
s, fairs and student assemblies. All subjects are taught in English, with the exception of Physical Education and Spanish. These three stages are known as Lower Primary, students are between the ages of 3 to 6 are introduced to the concepts of reading
Reading (process)
Reading is a complex cognitive process of decoding symbols for the intention of constructing or deriving meaning . It is a means of language acquisition, of communication, and of sharing information and ideas...
, writing
Writing
Writing is the representation of language in a textual medium through the use of a set of signs or symbols . It is distinguished from illustration, such as cave drawing and painting, and non-symbolic preservation of language via non-textual media, such as magnetic tape audio.Writing most likely...
and number
Number
A number is a mathematical object used to count and measure. In mathematics, the definition of number has been extended over the years to include such numbers as zero, negative numbers, rational numbers, irrational numbers, and complex numbers....
s. Students also follow a separate Spanish curriculum, required by the Salvadoran Ministry of Education. After these years are completed, they follow to what is called Upper Primary which consists of 1st to 5th grade with education on Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Citizenship and "Life Skills" (Personal, Social and Health Education
Personal, Social and Health Education
Personal, social, health and economic education has in various forms been part of the national curriculum for schools in England since 2000. Some aspects, but not all, have been compulsory...
or PSHE), Salvadoran History
History of El Salvador
The history of El Salvador has been a history of struggle against conquistadors, empires, dictatorships and world powers to be free. El Salvador was one of the regions that resisted the Spanish invasion led by Pedro de Alvarado who had to fight Atlantica and retreat several times back to Guatemala...
and environmental and political issues of El Salvador.
Secondary School
Secondary School is divided from 6th grade to 8th grade, 9th to 10th, and 11th to 12th. In the first two years, students are taught with EnglishEnglish language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, Mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
, Science
Science
Science is a systematic enterprise that builds and organizes knowledge in the form of testable explanations and predictions about the universe...
, Spanish
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
, History
History
History is the discovery, collection, organization, and presentation of information about past events. History can also mean the period of time after writing was invented. Scholars who write about history are called historians...
, Geography
Geography
Geography is the science that studies the lands, features, inhabitants, and phenomena of Earth. A literal translation would be "to describe or write about the Earth". The first person to use the word "geography" was Eratosthenes...
, Art
Art
Art is the product or process of deliberately arranging items in a way that influences and affects one or more of the senses, emotions, and intellect....
, Technology
Technology
Technology is the making, usage, and knowledge of tools, machines, techniques, crafts, systems or methods of organization in order to solve a problem or perform a specific function. It can also refer to the collection of such tools, machinery, and procedures. The word technology comes ;...
, Music
Music
Music is an art form whose medium is sound and silence. Its common elements are pitch , rhythm , dynamics, and the sonic qualities of timbre and texture...
, French
French language
French is a Romance language spoken as a first language in France, the Romandy region in Switzerland, Wallonia and Brussels in Belgium, Monaco, the regions of Quebec and Acadia in Canada, and by various communities elsewhere. Second-language speakers of French are distributed throughout many parts...
, Computer Studies and Physical Education
Physical education
Physical education or gymnastics is a course taken during primary and secondary education that encourages psychomotor learning in a play or movement exploration setting....
as part of a requirement of both the English National Curriculum and the Salvadoran Ministry of Education. When students reach 9th grade, they are taught English Language
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
, English Literature
English literature
English literature is the literature written in the English language, including literature composed in English by writers not necessarily from England; for example, Robert Burns was Scottish, James Joyce was Irish, Joseph Conrad was Polish, Dylan Thomas was Welsh, Edgar Allan Poe was American, J....
, Spanish Language
Spanish language
Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the...
and Literature
Spanish literature
Spanish literature generally refers to literature written in the Spanish language within the territory that presently constitutes the state of Spain...
, Mathematics and Coordinated Science and they are given the opportunity to choose two courses from History, Geography, Business Studies
Business studies
Business studies is an academic subject taught at higher level in Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India, Ireland, New Zealand, Pakistan, South Africa, Sri Lanka, Zimbabwe and the United Kingdom, as well as at university level in many countries...
, Computer Studies, Music, Art or French; this education will lead to the International General Certificate of Secondary Education (IGCSE) from the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. The ABC also teaches under the International Baccalaureate Diploma for the last two years of school, they study their basics again as well as Psychology
Psychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
, Geography, History, French, Economics
Economics
Economics is the social science that analyzes the production, distribution, and consumption of goods and services. The term economics comes from the Ancient Greek from + , hence "rules of the house"...
, Art & Design
Design
Design as a noun informally refers to a plan or convention for the construction of an object or a system while “to design” refers to making this plan...
, Information Technology in a Global Society, Computer Studies or either a second Science subject or a second Humanities
Humanities
The humanities are academic disciplines that study the human condition, using methods that are primarily analytical, critical, or speculative, as distinguished from the mainly empirical approaches of the natural sciences....
subject. Students undertake a Theory of Knowledge Course, write a dissertation, and undertake community service
Community service
Community service is donated service or activity that is performed by someone or a group of people for the benefit of the public or its institutions....
. The school also offers the TOEFL
TOEFL
The Test of English as a Foreign Language, or TOEFL , evaluates the ability of an individual to use and understand English in an academic setting....
, PSAT and SAT
SAT
The SAT Reasoning Test is a standardized test for college admissions in the United States. The SAT is owned, published, and developed by the College Board, a nonprofit organization in the United States. It was formerly developed, published, and scored by the Educational Testing Service which still...
examinations and offers vocational tests. All graduating Salvadoran students also sit for the national PAES examination which, together with their studies for IB, allows them to gain the Salvadoran Bachillerato (school leaving certificate).
Curriculum
The school follows a British curriculum preparing students for International General Certificate of Secondary Education examinations (grades 9 and 10) followed by International Baccalaureate Diploma in (grades 11 and 12). The programme of education follows the English National Curriculum, the Salvadoran Ministry of Education and the International Baccalaureate requirements.Currently the Class of 2011 holds the record for the best IGCSE results in ABC's history. The Class of 2011 is also expected to become the class with the highest IB scores.