What is the Oxford International Curriculum?
The Oxford International Curriculum enables students to succeed by recognising that lasting success is contingent on both academic performance and emotional wellbeing. The curriculum has been designed to bring wellbeing to all teaching and learning and to develop global skills through all core subjects.
This all-through curriculum for early years to lower secondary, integrates curriculum materials, continuous professional development, assessment, and world-class resources, developing the critical and creative thinking skills for success in further study.
Watch our introduction video.
The Oxford International Curriculum
Key things you need to know
- A curriculum for early years to lower secondary
- Places joy at the heart of learning, integrating student wellbeing, critical thinking skills, creativity, real-world focus, self-development, communication and collaboration into all core subjects
- Provides seamless progression to international GCSEs, AS and A-levels, including from OxfordAQA and Cambridge.
- Has been designed with learners in mind who have English as an additional language
- Provides teachers with curriculum guidance and lesson plans for six subjects (English, Maths, Science, Computing, Wellbeing and Global Skills Projects), with one unified approach. Aligned to the English National Curriculum
- Includes formative assessment tools as well as end-of-year achievement tests for Years 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8 and 9
- Supports teachers and school leaders with a comprehensive, on-demand professional learning and development programme to successfully deliver the curriculum included at no extra cost. Watch our short video introduction to find out more
- Gives schools a visionary, research-based and effective pathway to develop the skills today’s students need in the modern world
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Introductory webinar
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Why should your school consider a new curriculum?
- The rising importance of a student’s sense of wellbeing and the positive correlation to academic attainment (see Oxford University impact study) require a curriculum that fully integrates wellbeing into core subjects
- Universities want students able to think and work independently
- The growth of artificial intelligence technologies mean recruiters are looking for candidates with ‘non robotic’ skills, able to demonstrate independence, creative thinking, problem solving and critical analysis
- More than grades, students today require skills that they can apply within their academic, personal and ultimately professional lives
The Oxford International Curriculum is the result of thorough research by Oxford University Press to meet these requirements and mould thoughtful, innovative change-makers, equipped with the skills to succeed in our fast-changing world.
Oxford University Press is a department of the University of Oxford, and shares the mission to further excellence in research, scholarship, and education by publishing worldwide.
How strong is the link between student wellbeing and academic attainment?
An impact study undertaken by Dr. Ariel Lindorff at the Department of Education, Oxford University, concluded that there is convincing evidence of a relationship between wellbeing and academic attainment.
The study also showed evidence that whole-school approaches to promoting wellbeing can have positive effects on a wide range of other student outcomes, including mental health, self-efficacy, self-esteem, motivation, behaviour and lower dropout.
Impact Study
To what extent and how does the Oxford International Curriculum support the development of students’ metacognitive skills and self-regulation, helping them to become independent learners?
- Improving teamwork and leadership skills
- Increasing ability to work independently
- Thinking more deeply
- Making more insightful observations
What are schools saying about the Oxford International Curriculum?
EtonHouse International School, Bahrain Case Study
Students have had to problem solve in teams and collaborate with one another in ways they are just not used to doing. The one thing it’s really enabled us to do is to give us some context, to give students the chance to collaborate and work in teams and to give them the freedom to do it.
How does Oxford help schools build a strong home -school connection with the Oxford International Curriculum?
Our brief introductory guide for parents and carers introduces this core topic of the Oxford International Curriculum and provides help for parents and carers on how to support their child’s wellbeing at home.
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Accessible exams designed for international students
The Oxford International Curriculum prepares learners for seamless progression to OxfordAQA’s International GCSEs, AS and A-levels and project qualifications.
OxfordAQA qualifications continue to develop the future-focused skills the Oxford International Curriculum builds through primary and lower secondary, creating a trustworthy, coherent, and flexible route to equip all learners with the lifelong skills they need to fully engage with a changing world.
Benchmarked to UK standards, OxfordAQA exams test subject ability, not language skills or cultural knowledge, using their student-centred Fair Assessment methodology.
Fair Assessment is a unique, student-focused approach to assessment design, designed to remove common exam barriers for international students.
The science behind OxfordAQA’s Fair Assessment methodology
Fair Assessment is a unique, student-focused approach to assessment design, created to remove common exam barriers for international students. This means that with OxfordAQA, international students can really show what they can do, and get the grade they deserve.
How OxfordAQA ensures exams are valid for international students
How OxfordAQA ensure exams are reliable for international students
How OxfordAQA exams represent a consistent and trusted quality standard
Why should schools choose OxfordAQA?
- Syllabuses and assessments are designed to help students progress successfully to their next stage of education by nurturing critical thinking skills such as application, analysis, and evaluation
- Assessments are informed by the latest research and best practice in fair assessment
- International GCSEs are based on the reformed GCSEs in England
- International GCSE and A-level syllabuses are created with input from universities ensuring a smooth progression from lower secondary to undergraduate study
- Also offers qualification options to help students develop useful transferable skills and learner attitudes such as independent learning, creativity, and research to help them stand out from the crowd when applying to top global universities
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Do universities recognise OxfordAQA qualifications?
OxfordAQA qualifications are recognised and accepted by universities regionally and globally for access to HE courses.
What qualifications do OxfordAQA offer?
OxfordAQA offers a range of international qualifications, including International GCSEs, project-based qualifications and AS and A-levels. They are designed specifically to meet the needs of international students, and cover all of the most popular subjects, focusing on higher order thinking skills to equip students for future success at university and beyond.
Learn more about International GCSE, AS and A-level qualifications
Does OxfordAQA provide teacher training?
Yes, OxfordAQA provides teachers with helpful resources, innovative online tools, training, and local on-the-ground support.
What do parents and students need to know about OxfordAQA?
This report explores the various considerations for international schools as they decide on which qualifications to choose. It introduces the International GCSEs, AS and A-levels from OxfordAQA and shows why it’s a good thing that schools now have a greater choice of qualification providers.
Visit our Parent and Student hub page to find out more.
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Alternatively for more information call Oxford University Press on 021 120 0104, or email oxford.za@oup.com.
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