While choosing the right education for your child, it is obvious that you need to narrow down the numerous options of various education boards to the best one for your child’s future. And in today’s competitive times, parents try hard to make their child's future ready for the challenging times ahead. For this reason, global education is the need of the hour and therefore, an international curriculum has become the first-choice of parents and learners.

While each board like ICSE, CBSE, IGCSE, IB and Cambridge have their own set of advantages, let us have a look at what sets Cambridge Education apart from other boards and what does it mean to be a Cambridge-associate school.

What distinguishes Cambridge board from other boards is their dynamic curriculum, which helps learners discover new abilities and prepares them for life. Moreover, Cambridge education is accepted worldwide which also opens the doors to top study destinations like the US, the UK and Australia. So, delivering the Cambridge pathway to learners is equipping them with success in the changing world.

Thakur International School (IGCSE & A Levels), Mumbai is one of the few schools in the suburbs of Mumbai to offer Cambridge IGCSE & Cambridge (AS & A Levels) Qualification. IGCSE (International General Certificate of Secondary Education) is a unique two-year UK government-endorsed programme by the University of Cambridge that conducts an externally set, marked and certified examination. On the other hand, ‘AS Levels’ stands for ‘Advanced Subsidiary’ and ‘A Level’ stands for ‘Advanced Level’. The ‘A Level’ is considered as the ‘gold standard’ of Cambridge qualification. It is accepted as an entry qualification by universities of the EU and around the world.

The following are some of the unique features that set Cambridge-associated schools like Thakur International School, Kandivali, Mumbai (W) apart from other boards:

Global recognition – Cambridge qualifications are globally valued and recognised. Moreover, they have an impressive reputation in terms of a lifetime of education and employment. Cambridge qualifications are recognised world over by 1400 universities. They are accepted by every UK University, by 600 universities in the US (including the Ivy League Universities) and in many major education destinations like Australia, Canada, Germany, the Netherlands, Singapore and South Africa (as mentioned on the Cambridge international website). They are treated as evidence of academic achievement the world over.

Cambridge pathway – Cambridge pathway is a clear path from primary through pre-university catering to age 5 - 19 years. There are four stages in this pathway, namely Cambridge Primary (5 - 11 years old), Cambridge Lower Secondary (11 - 14 years old), Cambridge Upper Secondary (14 - 16 years old), and Cambridge Advanced (16 - 19 years old). Each level is carefully crafted, emphasizing in-depth knowledge as well as conceptual understanding of each subject as per the age group of learners.

International and varied curriculum – There are two types of Cambridge curriculum – Secondary 2 (IGCSE subjects), wherein in years 9 and 10, learners have to attend seven mandatory IGCSE subjects and Advanced level (A-level subjects), wherein in years 11 and 12, learners choose the A-level subjects relevant to their interests and supportive to their education. This kind of curriculum is carefully created keeping in mind to set a global standard for education and is thus recognized by universities and employers worldwide. It is important to note here that over 10,000 schools in over 160 countries follow the Cambridge international Curriculum.

Educator and Learner Attributes – There are some unique educator and learner attributes that are incorporated in all of Cambridge’s syllabus and qualifications. These attributes – CONFIDENT, RESPONSIBLE, REFLECTIVE, INNOVATIVE and ENGAGED – are inspiring and beneficial for both the educators’ development and learners’ learning.

Diverse subject choice – Some people say that the Cambridge curriculum is too vast for children. But isn’t comprehensive knowledge the need of the hour in the 21st century, where we try to make children future competition-ready? Doesn’t the vast subject choice give learners the opportunity to explore and learn more? There are 70 subject choices offered at Cambridge IGCSE and Cambridge O Level, and over 55 subjects at Cambridge International AS & A Level. That’s the uniqueness of the Cambridge curriculum.

Higher-order Thinking Skills (HOTS) – Learners in the Cambridge Curriculum are encouraged to develop knowledge, understanding and high-order thinking skills like problem-solving, critical thinking, collaboration and team spirit, reasoning skills etc. These are transferable skills that prepare learners for life and make them confident and responsible individuals.

Assessment methods – In order to flourish in higher education, the rigor of the Cambridge assessment methods gives the learners the required essentials for further study or employment - the proof of what they have learnt, providing a true picture of their abilities, deep subject knowledge and strong conceptual understanding. Assessment methods like linear assessment structure, assessment materials like providing learners with past question papers, examiner reports and mark schemes and giving feedback through AFL (Approach for Learning) are all a part of what makes Cambridge Education unique.

So now that you know what the Cambridge curriculum has to offer to enrich your child’s educational journey, you are all set to make the right choice and choose Cambridge-associated schools like Thakur International School, Mumbai (IGCSE & A Levels) that meet all the requirements of an international curriculum.